Corporate Messenger Pachka Receives Astra Linux Certification
Russia continues to build a self-contained, “boxed” IT environment for organizations, combining domestic operating systems with certified, secure enterprise software.
A Strong Market Signal
The launch of the MAX messenger became a major milestone for the Russian IT industry as a whole. Its importance goes beyond the emergence of an alternative to foreign platforms. The rapid adoption of MAX has acted as a catalyst for the development of other Russian communication platforms, including solutions designed specifically for corporate use.
It was recently announced that the developer of the corporate messenger Pachka and Astra Group have entered into a technology partnership agreement. As part of this cooperation, the messenger has successfully completed certification for operation on the Astra Linux operating system. The platform is now officially included in the Ready for Astra partner program in the category of communications software.
Proven in Practice
It is important to note that both products are already widely used across multiple industries. Their integration reflects a broader trend toward not just building standalone solutions, but creating new digital ecosystems designed for enterprise-scale deployment.
The Pachka corporate messenger was first launched in test mode back in 2013. Today, it is among the most popular Russian solutions operating under cloud and hybrid, on-premise deployment models. The platform is listed in the national register of domestic software and has an audience of around 250,000 users. Pachka is actively used in finance, telecommunications, industrial enterprises, and several other sectors. Around 1,000 organizations rely on the messenger, including companies such as Lamoda, Ivi, and major banks such as Alfa-Bank and PSB.
Astra Linux is Russia’s flagship operating system, built on Debian with a strong focus on information security and import substitution. Developed by Astra Group, it is widely deployed across law enforcement agencies, state-owned corporations, as well as in education, healthcare, and industrial environments.
Full Compatibility
The partnership guarantees full compatibility between the two systems, which is expected to provide an additional boost to their adoption across enterprise IT infrastructures.
“The Ready for Astra program was created precisely to offer our users, from government institutions to businesses, a broad selection of proven and reliable software. The certification of Pachka strengthens the ecosystem of secure corporate solutions on Astra Linux, providing a ready-made tool for modern team communications,” said Kirill Sinkov, Director of Technology Partner Relations at Astra Group.
Beyond Windows
The accelerated transition of Russian government bodies and publicly funded institutions to domestic software intensified following the start of the military operation and the expansion of sanctions pressure. In several regions, entire government agencies are now operating exclusively on Russian operating systems.
In early 2025, for example, it was reported that the Ministry of Digital Development of Tatarstan completed the migration of more than 150,000 computers across regional government agencies to Astra Linux, further confirming the technological maturity of the platform.
The operating system is also actively integrating with a wide range of communications software. In April, full compatibility between Astra Linux and the Kontur.Talk platform was confirmed. Kontur.Talk brings together online communications services, including video meetings, corporate chats, webinars and broadcasts, digital whiteboards, and meeting room applications. Thanks to its extensive integration capabilities, the service can be easily embedded into corporate IT environments, with support for single sign-on, calendar synchronization, IP telephony, and API-based integration with internal systems.
At the end of November this year, Astra Linux also received official support from the national messenger MAX.
Overall, the market is now witnessing the formation of a Russian “boxed” corporate IT model that combines an operating system with a suite of trusted and secure applications. The integration of Pachka with Astra Linux represents another step toward this goal.
