In the process of communication: every fifth company has decided to switch to Russian messengers

Every fifth company in Russia has decided to switch to domestic messengers, although the situation was different a month ago, a study by the Calltouch service showed (Izvestia has it). Most often, businesses choose MAX, VK Messenger and Yandex Messenger. The reasons are the limitation of voice calls in foreign services and the need to maintain stable communication. Experts note that the trend towards import substitution in communications will increase: it is important for companies to reduce dependence on foreign platforms, and domestic solutions integrate better with Russian management systems, which increases data security. The difficulties that accompany this transition and how entrepreneurs can adapt to new conditions faster are described in the Izvestia article.

How many companies use Russian messengers

Since mid-August, Russia has restricted the ability to make voice calls to Telegram and WhatsApp (owned by Meta, a company recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation). The decision was dictated by the need to strengthen the fight against fraud and terrorism. After that, one in five companies (21%) began testing domestic messengers for internal communications and communication with customers, and 5% have already switched to their active use, according to a survey by the Calltouch business development service (Izvestia has it). The Russian platforms MAX, VK Messenger and Yandex Messenger are most often chosen. The editorial board sent inquiries to these companies, as well as to the Ministry of Finance.

According to the study, businesses react differently to the restriction of voice calls. A quarter of companies expanded their communication channels by adding new messengers, and another 23% relied on social networks. Traditional communication methods — e-mail, corporate websites, and telephony — are still in demand.

In general, entrepreneurs have not experienced any serious difficulties after being blocked, 41% of the survey participants said. However, a quarter of respondents complained that they have to use too many different channels, and customers are reluctant to switch to new platforms.

— Russian messengers were in the shadow of such giants as WhatsApp (part of Meta, the organization is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) and Telegram. Their use by businesses was spot-on. And in general, the share of domestic solutions in business communication was close to zero," said Marina Kholod, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence, Neurotechnology and Business Analytics at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

Before the restrictions were introduced, foreign messengers dominated, while Russian messengers remained unpopular, especially in the business environment, agreed economist Andrei Barkhota. According to him, this was due to the wide customer base of foreign services. Work issues were often discussed directly in the chat rooms of the same WhatsApp. In addition, domestic platforms have been developing in a catch—up mode for a long time - they copied the functions of foreign analogues, but they could not always reproduce them in full.

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In general, messengers are no longer just a means of communication. Today it is a key part of the business infrastructure, emphasized Marina Kholod from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. Their importance, the expert explained, is determined by several factors: the speed and efficiency of interaction, the flexibility of formats, the ability to exchange texts, voice messages, videos, documents and calls.

In addition, such services have become an important tool for working with clients: they provide feedback, support, notifications, and information about the status of orders. They are also actively used for project and team management, and the built-in search of correspondence history helps to use them as an archive of working data, the expert emphasized.

According to Artur Sargsyan, CEO of Calltouch, in order to adapt faster, businesses should develop additional communication channels along with the usual ones: if foreign platforms were used for mailing lists, notifications or technical support, it is useful to launch duplicate channels, for example, in social networks. This will help reduce risks in the event of further tightening of regulation and the gradual displacement of foreign services. The expert recommends implementing CRM systems and analytics that combine requests from different messengers and avoid confusion when processing requests.

How many companies will switch to Russian messengers

The trend of switching to domestic solutions will increase as the user base of Russian messengers grows, says Leonid Delitsyn, an analyst at Finam. According to him, one or two communication channels are enough for most people. If a supervisor sends tasks in a messenger chosen by the company, users simply adapt.

VK previously reported that in the first quarter of 2025, the average monthly audience of VK Messenger increased by 9%, or 6.4 million people, reaching almost 80 million users. Since the launch of MAX, users have made more than 500 million calls and sent over 2 billion messages. Currently, more than 40 million people are registered in the service.

— In the future, businesses, especially large ones and those working with government orders, will have to adapt. Russian messengers such as VK Messenger and MAX have received unprecedented momentum for development. Now they are actively strengthening business functionality — integration with CRM, corporate channels, bots and customer support tools. As a result, a network effect is formed: as more and more companies switch to these platforms, their value for other market participants increases," said Marina Kholod.

The transition to Russian messengers is a natural trend in the context of the general sovereignization and nationalization of the global information space, said Alexey Yefremov, a leading researcher at the RANEPA Center for Public Administration Technologies. In confirmation, he recalled the situation with TikTok in the United States. According to him, modern business models are impossible without fast and reliable communication, so the use of applications that work steadily even with limited mobile Internet seems justified and justified.

The expert added: for the further development of domestic messengers, it is important to ensure their access to the markets of friendly countries. Including through the introduction of Russian international companies abroad. To do this, it is necessary to maintain a high level of functionality and information security. According to Alexey Yefremov, a promising area may be the development of technological cooperation within the framework of the EAEU digital agenda.

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How does a business adapt to working with domestic messengers

On the one hand, at the time of the transition to domestic solutions, businesses are faced with the need to adapt to a new interface, technical barriers associated with "childhood illnesses" of services, instability of work and an unusual set of functions. In addition, during the transition period, many companies have to duplicate communication in old and new messengers, which increases the burden on employees.

On the other hand, there are long-term advantages, she stressed. Among them is the standardization of processes and a higher degree of integration: domestic solutions are often better integrated into Russian CRM and management systems (1C, Bitrix24). This reduces risks and ensures greater data security, as communication within the national circuit is perceived as safer.

The advantages, experts add, also include sovereignty and predictability, support for domestic IT developers, stimulating the growth of the national industry, compliance with the requirements of Russian legislation, which simplifies compliance, as well as targeting the internal user and the potential for deep integration with banks, Public Services and other domestic platforms.