Demand for Pirated Windows Versions Surges in Russia
According to Google Trends, over the past 90 days—since Microsoft announced the suspension of official sales in Russia—the number of Google searches related to Windows 10 activation methods has increased by 80–250%, depending on the search terms used.
The newspaper Kommersant reports that, at the same time, developers of Russian Linux-based systems have seen an increase in sales to private customers and hope that, in the future, the audience for Russian operating systems will triple. However, for now, this only amounts to hundreds (at best, thousands) of copies, and experts doubt that users will switch to Linux en masse due to its complexity.
In June, one of the fastest-growing search queries was for free downloads of Excel, which jumped by 650%. Additionally, over the past week, searches for the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool by its exact name increased 47-fold. It’s worth noting that problems with downloading the OS from the official website began earlier in June 2022. Downloading the OS and other files from Microsoft’s website is now impossible without a VPN.
The publication cites Igor Martyushev, Director of Electronic Services and Software Solutions Development at Marvel-Distribution, who says that there are no new shipments of boxed Microsoft OS, and at the current sales rate, existing stock will last only a few months.
“End users are not yet experiencing issues with product registration and activation. As for legal entities, it depends on whether the company is under sanctions or not,” Martyushev said.
Meanwhile, a source for Kommersant clarified that a user who buys a boxed version of Windows or a laptop with a pre-installed OS can now only use it if, during registration, they specify a country other than Russia or Belarus.
The press service of M.Video-Eldorado stated that the vast majority of computers available in stores come with pre-installed Windows. However, M.Video’s support service in Moscow and the Moscow region reported that “neither electronic nor boxed versions of Windows are in stock.” Support teams at Citilink and DNS said the product is available both in warehouses and stores, though their press service did not respond to journalists’ inquiries.
Interest in Russian Operating Systems Also Grows
Amid the issues with Windows, demand for Russian operating systems is also rising, according to developers. Dmitry Anisimov, Head of Information Security at NTC IT “Rosa” (developer of the Rosa Chrome OS), reported that since April, downloads in the B2C segment have grown by about 20%. By the end of the year, Red Soft expects a threefold increase in demand for Russian OS in the retail segment.
Growth in downloads of their Alt OS was also noted by Alexey Smirnov, Chairman of the Board at Basalt SPO, and Anton Rudevsky, Director of Partner Relations at Astra Group (developers of Astra Linux). According to Rudevsky, Astra OS will appear in retail stores by the end of the year, and the company expects sales of “several thousand, possibly tens of thousands of copies.”