10
Microsoft in Russia
Business
First legal products from Microsoft appeared in the country in 1987. Supplier of the product was the first joint venture USSR /US in the field of computing engineering and programming JV ‘Dynamo’. In 1990 Russian-speaking users received first russified products of Microsoft. To the ceremony of presentation of Russian-language operational system MS DOS 4/01 in Moscow even appeared Bill Gates. In November 1992 the corporation opened in Moscow an official representative office (since July 2004 — PLC ‘Microsoft Rus’). Already at the beginning of 2000s Microsoft issued Russian versions of all its main office program products, launched free telephone service for informational and technical support for Russian users, created full-fledged network of distributors and dealers, service and retail partners and began authorization of training centers and specialists in the technologies of the company.
Windows 95 and Microsoft Office 96 were a great success, sales in Russia soared as well as in the whole world. And after that the corporation embarked on a full-scale promotion of its server products included in the family Microsoft BackOffice, a system of corporate governance of data bases, Microsoft SQL, a system of circulation of documents of an enterprise Microsoft Exchange Server, a system of support of corporate internet representative office Microsoft Internet Information Server and server operational system Windows NT Server. Soon a Russian version was issued of Windows NT Workstation, — a desktop operational system especially designed to be used in business.
Today licensed soft from Microsoft is used at the hundreds of thousands of working places in Russia. Based on Microsoft products, projects are being carried out for introduction of powerful information systems in the largest domestic commercial companies and government organizations. In 2012 fiscal year the earnings of units of Microsoft amounted to $1.4-1.5bn. According to Nick Prianishnikov, president of Russian office of Microsoft, this sum is more than the respective figure of Chinese unit of Microsoft. In recent years Microsoft considerably increased a number of regional offices in Russia, from 58 to 70 for a first half of 2012. Now the representative office of the company ‘Microsoft Rus’ is engaged in promoting soft, developing partners’ network, adopting products, localizing advanced solutions and developing the market of information technologies in Russia. The company develops and builds new plans for the future.