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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.

23 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. So in Soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...domestic software replaces YOU, mr. Nadella ?!?

  2. This will cost Microsoft a fortune by spywhere · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're going to lose the revenue from both of the Office licenses used by the Russian government...

    1. Re:This will cost Microsoft a fortune by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, due to a mishap in bureaucracy, accidentally two different offices ordered a license. The responsible official has been relocated to Sibiria for extended education.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  3. They'll come crawling back by Guyle · · Score: 5, Funny

    Once the average Russian gets tired of their homegrown software crapping out on them they'll be begging for their Windows 98 workstations back.

    1. Re:They'll come crawling back by courteaudotbiz · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, the gulag IS Windows 10.

    2. Re:They'll come crawling back by LichtSpektren · · Score: 4, Informative

      This has happened many times in many countries. The problem is, they didn't choose Linux because it is superior to Windows, they chose it only because Linux is not a product of an American company.

      There certainly are many good reasons to dislike the U.S. and American companies, but, business decisions made out of spite rarely work out well.

      Come back when you have any evidence for your claim that the Linux migrations didn't work out well. The millions of dollars that Munich and France and Brazil boast about saving means there's a pretty heft burden of proof.

    3. Re:They'll come crawling back by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

      Only in the Russian Reversal. In the free world, Windows 10 IS the gulag.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Come on baby by LichtSpektren · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let it be called KremLinux and all is forgiven!

    1. Re:Come on baby by Pseudonymous+Powers · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let it be called KremLinux and all is forgiven!

      KremLinux is for losers. I'm going with KGBSD.

  5. Suprise by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The only surprise here is that Moscow was using Microsoft software at all. That sounds insane.

  6. Let me foresee what will happen... by LostMonk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Let me foresee what will happen... by guestapoo · · Score: 3, Informative

      Base on RT's article, the replacement is MyOffice, a cloud-based, similar to Office 365, running on browsers or as standalone applications for Window, Android, iOS.

    2. Re:Let me foresee what will happen... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Informative

      It may surprise you to know that the Russians can and do write their own original software, some of it quite good. It's actually quite common, because even today support for non-Latin languages in western software can be quite poor. Japan and China also produce their own high quality office software and input translation utilities (for entering their languages using slightly modified QWERTY keyboards).

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Let me foresee what will happen... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And that a good part of the software sold by western companies is written by russian programmers. Seriously I am ashamed to be part of the tech community, because of the incredible stupidity and ignorance so-called "intelligent people" on forums like this show everytime in relation to Russia. And it is no surprise a lot of them live in "brainwashed" America.

  7. Took them long to start building something of for by dr.Flake · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.?

    --
    Why are other peoples sig's always more witty ???
  8. I wouldn't be too suprised by sasparillascott · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

  9. Re:How a tyrant & dictator by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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...
  10. Re:Took them long to start building something of f by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

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

  11. Absolute common sense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  12. Re:Trans-Pacific Partnership will hurt them then a by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    So the end of the communism did not end the shortage of toilet paper?

    For our non-Soviet friends: TP was in notorious short supply during the final days of the communist rule, which led to a lot of amusing anecdotes and jokes like:

    Party Speaker: Comrades! In 5 years, everyone will have a car!
    Listener: And when are we going to get toilet paper?
    PS: And comrades! In 10 years, everyone will have his own little house!
    L: But ... the toilet paper?
    PS (outraged): KISS MY ASS! (literally: lick me in the asshole)
    L: As usual. For themselves, the party has a solution, but for us...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  13. Re:How a tyrant & dictator by gtall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  14. Re:How a tyrant & dictator by Feral+Nerd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

  15. Re:How a tyrant & dictator by lalleglad · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.