According to the Kommersant publication, citing its own informants, Russian representative offices of international companies and legal entities that have not fallen under sanctions are receiving offers from Microsoft to renew the license for its software.
According to the publication, about 1,000 organizations received the letters. Market participants believe that this is how Microsoft is trying to maintain its presence in the Russian market and reduce the level of piracy. Experts add that companies that do not fall under the legal requirements of import substitution will continue to use American software.
“A number of Russian representative offices of international companies from the beginning of the year began to receive letters or oral proposals from Microsoft to continue cooperation. Microsoft does not want to lose Russian customers, so it does not close the Russian legal entity and is trying to find opportunities to continue supporting software and updating it, ”Kommersant quotes its informant in the IT industry.
According to a source among distributors, there is still a demand for Microsoft products among Russian businesses, and the software continues to be supplied in boxed versions through parallel imports.
Viktor Petrov, director of the R&D center at IVA Technologies, believes that Microsoft will be able to maintain its influence on Russian business for some time.
Some customers cannot migrate to other operating systems and office software due to lack of budget and comparable analogues.
But Petrov is sure that Russian companies will switch to domestic solutions because of the policy of the Russian government.
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