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Vladimir Putin Is Replacing Microsoft Programs With Domestic Software (bloomberg.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Moscow city will replace Microsoft Corp. programs with domestic software on thousands of computers in answer to President Vladimir Putin's call for Russia's authorities to reduce dependence on foreign technology amid tensions with the U.S. and Europe. The city will initially replace Microsoft's Exchange Server and Outlook on 6,000 computers with an e-mail system installed by state-run carrier Rostelecom PJSC, Artem Yermolaev, head of information technology for Moscow, told reporters Tuesday. Moscow may expand deployment of the new software, developed by Russia's New Cloud Technologies, to as many as 600,000 computers and servers, and may also consider replacing Windows and Office, Yermolaev said. Putin is urging state entities and local companies to go domestic amid concerns over security and reliability after U.S. firms shut down paid services in Crimea following Russia's 2014 annexation. The plan poses a challenge to the likes of Microsoft, SAP SE and Oracle Corp. in the country's $3 billion software market. Adding to pressure, Putin's internet czar German Klimenko wants to raise taxes on U.S. technology companies to help Russian competitors such as Yandex NV and Mail.ru Group Ltd.
The only surprise here is that Moscow was using Microsoft software at all. That sounds insane.
Let me foresee what will happen... Putin will replace Microsoft programs with ripped off open-source software with minor UI and major back-doors updates;
Then, with great patriotic pride, will pronounce the motherland's major step towards cleansing itself from western spying and corruption.
Microsoft probably works with every government they sell their software into as far as spying on their citizens etc. (it only makes business sense since these guys control market access and Microsoft has never been a company to quibble over morals) - so I'm sure Microsoft and Mr. Putin's Russia were great partners up till now.
Now Putin may be wary that Microsoft gives preferential treatment to the NSA (since we know they worked closely with them before thanks to Snowden) etc. or he may just be doing this for domestic consumption (he appears to do alot of this) since their economy is in a tailspin.
Meh. The likes of Schultz, Druncker and Verhofstad only dream of being Putin, and may strive to achieve some of the particular aspects of Putin's rule. Putin actually is Putin.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
All countries should do this. Use open standards to exchange information with other countries/businesses and develop their own software. Having local operating systems/programs helps expand local computing knowledge and lessens the likelihood of data theft via back doors etc.
As an added benefit people would be forced to start exchanging data in open formats or their partners/customers simply won't be able to read the data.
I's a healthy idea.
Really? Go criticize EU governments by starting a political party. Gee, no problems doing that. Now try the same in Putin's Russia. The ghost of Stalin is alive in Putin.
Meh. The likes of Schultz, Druncker and Verhofstad only dream of being Putin, and may strive to achieve some of the particular aspects of Putin's rule. Putin actually is Putin.
How the hell did this get modded 'Insightful'? Martin Schulz is a social democrat while Guy Verhofstadt and Jean-Claude Juncker are centre-right. Not exactly the kind of people who spend their days pining for an opportunity to crawl up Vlad Putin's ass. in Europe, an opportunity to crawl up Putin's ass is the wet dream of right wing xenophobes with either borderline or openly Fascist tendencies like Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, Nigel Farage, Viktor Orbán, Frauke Petry and their ilk.