Microsoft will provide Apple devices to employees in China, citing lack of Android services
Microsoft intends to provide Apple iOS devices to employees in China to access authentication apps, a company spokesperson said Monday, citing the lack of Google’s Android services in the country.
Microsoft is under increased scrutiny after a series of security breaches, the latest being Russian hackers spying on and accessing the company’s employee and customer emails earlier this year.
The development was first reported by Bloomberg News, citing an internal memo that said the Windows operating system maker had instructed its employees in China to use Apple devices at work since September.
The move to iOS devices comes as part of Microsoft’s global Secure Future Initiative, the report said, citing the absence of the Google Play Store in China, which limits employee access to security apps like Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass.
“Given that Google Mobile Services is not available in this region, we want to provide employees with a means to access these required applications, such as an iOS device,” a company spokesperson told Reuters via email.
Microsoft is one of the US companies with a strong presence in China. The company entered the Chinese market in 1992 and also operates a large research and development center in the country.
According to a Bloomberg report, the company will offer iPhone 15 models to employees currently using Android phones across China, including Hong Kong.
