Intel has opened software downloads for hardware support in Russia, and Microsoft rumored to offer similar support
A spokesperson for Microsoft contacted the website after a published article yesterday, where the topic of reintroducing software support was quietly initialized to Russia. Intel was reported to state that “There have been no recent changes to our operations” and that “In February and March 2022, Intel suspended all shipments to customers in Russia and Belarus, respectively. In April 2022, Intel announced that it was suspending its business operations in Russia.” Eight months later, Intel has opened up channels to deliver software support for their hardware, and Microsoft has followed suit. However, Intel followed the US government’s regulations when it initially stopped business with Russia. But, when it comes to “warranty obligations,” Intel needed to continue to source updates to the country. Before this report, some Russian users would need to use everything from VPNs to block IP addresses, find copies of the downloads through online forums, or use a torrent. The software support was reinstated towards the end of last year, so the company did not take this situation lightly. The company only allows driver updates via a download tool after the user registers and creates a profile on the official Russian Intel website. — Intel Now, reports of Microsoft opening software updates have also cleared for Russian consumers, with this statement to Tom’s Hardware: The statement continues to repeat to the media and customers that no product sales are reinstated with Russia. Still, software, such as Windows Update, is rumored to have begun to be allowed in the country, but no official word yet has arisen, which means that this is merely speculatory. — Microsoft News Sources: Tom’s Hardware, Intel Download Center, Intel Driver and Support Center
