Microsoft Corporation has announced its withdrawal from Russia. It is reported by TASS with reference to the company’s statement.
The decision to stop the sale of goods and the provision of services in Russia was caused by the situation in Ukraine. The company coordinates its work with the US government, the EU and the UK.
Today we announce that we are suspending all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia
“We are shutting down many of our businesses in Russia in line with government sanctions decisions,” Smith added.
However, it is not yet known what exactly it is about, and the company did not give explanations. The statement refers to “new” sales – accordingly, already purchased goods like a Windows license will remain with users. There is no information regarding the renewal of Xbox Game Pass or Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
A GameMAG source reports that the company will continue to support its services in Russia: “All previously purchased games, software and other products will continue to work. However, the company plans to revise its pricing policy.”
Microsoft emphasized that now the cybersecurity of Ukraine is “the most significant direction” for the company. To do this, according to Smith, Microsoft is actively helping the relevant structures and repelling cyber attacks.
“As a company that cares about the safety of our employees in Ukraine, we are in constant contact with them and offer support in various formats,” the statement says.
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At the same time, according to VC, in recent years, the profit of the Russian representative office of Microsoft has declined. So, in 2017, it amounted to 1.5 billion rubles, and revenue – 9.8 billion. In 2020, profit fell to 724 million and revenue to 6.5 billion. Data for 2021 has not been made public.
Other large companies also left Russia
On March 1, Apple announced its withdrawal from Russia. The company stopped selling equipment through its own website and stopped deliveries to partners. Against this background, the cost of Apple devices has increased. The company will also limit the operation of its services in Russia.
We have suspended all product sales in Russia. Last week we stopped exporting through all distribution channels. There are also restrictions on the operation of Apple Pay and other services.
The decision to stop deliveries to Russia was also made by Intel and AMD. RBC’s source in the IT market said that American companies verbally announced their decision to Russian electronics manufacturers. He clarified that Chinese partners are already receiving notifications from the local Intel office about a ban on the supply of processors to Russia. The suspension of deliveries of processors from AMD and Intel was also confirmed by a representative of the Association of Russian Developers and Electronics Manufacturers (ARPE).
In addition to them, Oracle, Exxon Mobile, DIS, TSMC, Autodesk, SAP, Cisco, Panasonic and others left Russia.
Source: Lenta
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