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Microsoft stops issuing licenses to companies from Russia
On September 30, Microsoft stopped issuing licenses to Russian companies, DTF and TASS reported, citing a letter from the company to its corporate clients in Russia.
According to TASS, back in August, Microsoft Online Services began informing customers that it was unable to accept payments to local bank accounts in Russia. Thus, Russian customers cannot renew their subscriptions to services such as Microsoft 365.
Microsoft explained its decision not to renew the licenses by the fact that the company adheres to the sanctions regime against Russia and reminded that sales of all its products and services in Russia have been suspended. Microsoft's Russian office did not respond to questions about the possibility of reconsidering this decision. Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev noted that Russian companies had enough time, a year and a half, to prepare, and they understood what this was all about.
The minister claims that there are alternatives to Microsoft software products in Russia, and some companies have already made the switch to Linux-based operating systems.
As a reminder, back in April 2023, Microsoft stopped warranty service for Xbox consoles in Russia, continuing to narrow its business in the country. According to Ekonomichna Pravda, this was part of a broader trend among tech companies that have reduced or stopped their presence in Russia after its aggression against Ukraine.
