The Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation is in discussions with the IT industry about forming a consortium to develop a Russian alternative to the Android mobile operating system based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project). The Minister of Digital Development, Maksut Shadaev, made this announcement at the CNews forum, although he did not disclose the companies involved in the negotiations or potential members of the consortium.
During the forum, Shadaev mentioned that the domestic OS based on Android would be one of two systems to be installed on tablets specifically designed for teachers and medical professionals. The ministry’s strategy involves a hybrid approach, utilizing two operating systems on the tablets. The Aurora system will be tailored for work-related tasks like managing electronic journals, diaries, and digital materials, while the second system based on AOSP will serve as a platform for everyday use without requiring extensive adaptation of numerous mobile applications.
By implementing this dual system approach, the ministry aims to ensure a high level of security for handling personal data and the reliability of essential applications used in professional settings, while still allowing teachers and doctors to access standard Android applications for personal use.
Shadaev mentioned that final decisions regarding the project are expected to be made by spring next year. The National Project “Data Economics” aims to provide approximately 650 thousand tablets to employees in the fields of education and healthcare, including ambulance and emergency care, as part of this initiative.
The minister highlighted that this project will help establish mass production of domestic tablets in Russia. While Russian products already hold significant market share in segments like laptops, servers, and data storage systems, there are currently no Russian tablets available. Shadaev emphasized that one of the project’s objectives is to create mass production of tablets in Russia.