Russian firm to create new cloud platform to rival Microsoft and Amazon

Russian software company Parallels has launched a project to develop a locally built cloud computing platform, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday. The new cloud service, used to store data online, will challenge existing US platforms such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Cloud, the paper reported, citing a video presentation of the project by Parallels.

The move comes as officials promote local IT services and technology to reduce the country’s reliance on Western know-how. The platform — to be called ‘Rosplatforma’ — “will become the foundation of Russia’s electronic sovereignty [and] a strategic export to countries seeking technological independence from the U.S.,” Kommersant quoted the video as saying.