Microsoft, SAP and IBM still remain in the Russian market. Employees disagree

Major technology companies Microsoft, SAP and IBM, despite the sanctions of Western countries, are in no hurry to leave the market of Russia, which unleashed a war against Ukraine. Employees of these companies express their protest and disagreement with their policies, reports Reuters.

In particular, Microsoft President Brad Smith in March wrote to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky with a clear message: despite Kiev's calls to sever all ties with Russia, the American software giant will continue to do business in the country with unauthorized customers, including schools and hospitals.

"Depriving these institutions of software and service updates could endanger the health and safety of innocent civilians, including children and the elderly," Smith said in a previously unspecified March 14 letter to the agency.

In particular, Smith told Zelensky that Microsoft "remembers the moral responsibility" for protecting the civilian population. However, he noted that the company is discussing with the governments of the United States, Great Britain and the European Union whether to "stop any ongoing services and support" in Russia, and will move "in step with their sanctions and other economic goals."

When asked about the assistance, representatives of both Microsoft and Ukraine said that a constructive dialogue continues on actions to support the country.

The decision of some leading Western business technology manufacturers, including Microsoft, the German multinational company SAP SE and the American giant International Business Machines Corp (IBM) — to keep operations or personnel in Russia, despite calls from Ukraine, angered their employees in several countries.

In particular, small groups of employees of Microsoft, SAP and IBM called on the management to completely withdraw from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine on internal forums.

Employees called on the company to go beyond stopping New Sales and abandoning sanctioned customers in order to increase economic pressure on Moscow. They want their companies to suspend any deal in Russia, including software that customers can use to track sales, supply chains, and the workforce.

When asked about internal criticism, IBM said it had stopped working with Russian companies anywhere in the world, although it did not lay off employees or suspend support for foreign businesses in Russia.

In turn, SAP told Reuters that it is implementing the government's actions and even going beyond them, and will "welcome the new sanctions that are currently being discussed."

SAP responded to Ukraine's request to sever all ties with Russia by sending a previously undisclosed letter to President Zelensky this month stating that the company supports basic Russian services, including "hospitals, civilian infrastructure and food supply chains."

"These three companies do not rule out further withdrawal from the market. But so far, their employees in Russia are paid and have access to tools in the workplace, colleagues say. Local phone numbers are active for all three (companies)," the publication stated.

At the same time, Microsoft declined to comment.

Earlier, the American corporation Microsoft disabled the Russian mail service Mail.ru from their servers.

Back in early March, Microsoft announced the suspension of services and product sales in Russia due to its war against Ukraine.