Rutube has begun exploring the market for used servers and other equipment for its infrastructure. One request includes over 180 devices – from data storage systems to powerful servers with graphics accelerators for artificial intelligence tasks, CNews reports.
The equipment must have been manufactured no earlier than 2023, remain fully functional, and have no critical defects. Gazprom-Media Holding emphasizes that this is not yet about procurement. The company wants to study market prices and assess the cost of its own IT equipment.
The interest in used servers is explained by economics. In the first half of 2026, server memory prices increased by at least 25–35%, and corporate storage devices, in some cases, by 2–3 times. The delivery time for new equipment has increased to approximately 10–24 weeks. Used equipment, meanwhile, can be 60–80% cheaper.
For Rutube, the issue of supplies has already been painful. In 2024, the service faced server supply disruptions and later sued the integrator. The market links the current interest in second-hand equipment to several factors: sanctions, expensive new equipment, and the artificial intelligence boom, which has increased global demand for servers.
Read more on the topic:
- Video, AI, and 2,000 Servers: RUTUBE to Build Its Own Data Center
- Rutube Updated Infrastructure to Improve Video Content Availability
- Server Memory Doubled in Price: Some SSDs Tripled in Six Months