According to data from the Softline integrator company, sales of digital copies of the Windows operating system have decreased by 78% in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year. Sales of physical box versions of Windows at the same integrator have fallen by ten times, as reported by Kommersant.
Krok, another company in Russia, has also observed a similar trend. A representative from Krok stated that the share of Microsoft products in the Russian market has significantly reduced due to companies switching to domestic solutions and a decrease in Microsoft’s presence in the country. The representative noted that the supply of boxed versions in the Russian market is insignificant and does not meet the needs of existing IT infrastructures for large customers.
Softline explained that they are currently selling off their remaining stock and gradually discontinuing the option to purchase the product online.
The company “Marvel-Distribution” also confirmed that Microsoft products imported by distributors are running out or have already been exhausted. Interestingly, even if there are remaining products, certain difficulties arise. According to Marvel-Distribution, even boxed versions of Microsoft 365, brought in before the ban, cannot be activated.
Currently, Russian companies have two options to purchase Microsoft products. The first method is through physical purchases, with parallel imports of boxed versions of Windows that include an activation code. The second method is through the supply of non-replaceable licenses via partners in CIS countries.
An interlocutor from the Office Developer noted that Windows is still widely used by state-owned companies and departments in Russia. The transition to Russian software or foreign distributions of Linux will be carried out with the update of the technical base, but until then, private companies will continue to use existing licenses.