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.

Comments

How a tyrant & dictator

[vikingpower]

can unintentionally do the right things: kick Microsoft's, SAP's et al.'s ass.

Re:How a tyrant & dictator

[lalleglad]

This is actually not true.
Putin has said that he likes Trump.
He didn't say, but it has been implied by experts that it is because Putin thinks that Trump is a foreign state moron that he can control much easier than Clinton.

Re:How a tyrant & dictator

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is everyone who doesn't want a new cold war with Russia a right wing xenophobe? I do not understand. Guy Verhofstadt (who is social liberal btw, thus center left) stood together with Ukrainian fascists and nationalists against a pro Russian president. I know it were not only fascists and nationalists, but I do know that someone with profile like Guy Verhofstadt should not have shown himself on the front lines. I should have simply not been in Ukraine at all nor should he have been giving openly support to some groups in Ukraine. Ukraine is a mess, and the EU can't simply annex it. Ukraine will have even more problems to fights its internal corruption than other Eastern European states.

Ukraine is not a normal country. It is a diverse country with many nationalities, among who Russians are a large minority. When you look at 20th century history you can see that Crimea for example was placed under Kiev control in the 50's or 60's in the USSR because it was easier to govern. At that time they didn't think that the USSR would implode 30 years later. I can understand why Putin wants the Crimea back. They annexed it in the 18th century and successfully defended it against the Ottomans and the British and French Empires. It probably is a symbolic price for the Russians that was 'given away' by the former communists. And error that had to be corrected. That doesn't mean I support what Putin did, I don't like how he took Crimea with a false referendum. But I do understand his motives, the importance of Crimea for defense and why the average Russian might see this annexation as 'the right thing' to do.

But what does the West do? They just start another cold war. What does this lead to? Russian donations to destabilizing, populist parties. Without the anti Russian trade blocks, we would have had less problems with those people you seem to hate so much.

I don't hate the people who are stupid(?), ignorant(?) or just convinced pro Russian (although I do not understand why they would), but I hate the ideas of those parties and I'm fully aware of their connections with Putin. That's why I'm against a new cold war. Not because I'm right wing xenophobe, but because I want to get rid of the feeding ground of this "right wing xenophobism". Just ignore what Putin does and trade with Russian companies directly. Ukraine can be helped, without promising potential EU membership and with respecting Russia's wishes to not invite them in the NATO. I understand why Putin feels threatened when a big European neighbor, enters an anti Russian military organization.

I'm personally completely depressed by our European leaders who keep on embracing Turkey as a democratic nation that should be allowed in the EU as fast as possible, while Erdogan is not much better than Putin. Both are in my opinion equally bad. I would never vote for a party that is openly against Russia and pro new cold war tactics, while ignoring a maybe bigger threat of the new Ottoman empire. Russia only stood in Berlin to liberate Europe from the Fascists and because they were attacked first. The Ottomans stood in Vienna several times to conquer Europe and bring it under Islamic rule, while they sponsored centuries of white Christian slavery that depopulated vast amounts of coastal areas from Spain over southern France around Italy to the Greek lands. And without any reason but Islamic imperialism.

No I don't want a cold war with Russia. Just a cool friendly relationship with respect for each other and some criticism that doesn't lead to boycotts when we don't agree on an issue. I want the same relationship with Turkey. Let those countries rule themselves and stop them on your own borders including the financial support from Russia to those 'extreme right' parties. In a cool friendly relationship you can gently ask to stop. In the current cold war this is no longer possible.

Took them long to start building something of for

[dr.Flake]

themselves,

Would you feel comfortable if the White House, Wallstreet, DOD, DOJ, Police, Universities and Congress ran a complete Chinese software stack? Chinese routers, OS, Firewalls, Office, Mail, antivirus, etc etc.?

Re:Took them long to start building something of f

[Anonymous Coward]

What if they ran on a set of hardware manufactured in China? That would be even worse!