Microsoft has confirmed it is now able to work with Huawei again.
In a statement to Reuters, Microsoft said its application to the U.S. Department of Commerce was approved so it can export “mass-market software” to the China-based company.
“On November 20, the U.S. Department of Commerce granted Microsoft’s request for a licence to export mass-market software to Huawei. We appreciate the Department’s action in response to our request,” Microsoft told Reuters in an email.
On November 20th, the U.S. began issuing licences to some companies. The Commerce Department said it wouldn’t give every company a licence. The list of companies that have received a licence is unknown, but it was reported that the Commerce Department received approximately 290 licence requests.
On November 18th, the U.S. provided a third 90-day extension to allow U.S.-based companies to find alternative entities to work with. The ban was initially rolled out in May, and in June the government indicated it would roll out conditional licences.
Microsoft did not indicate what type of software it was licenced to provide, so it’s unclear if it’s related to Windows or Office. It could be that the company only received a general licence.
The move to allow Microsoft could help Huawei’s PC production as the company’s Matebook computers were severely affected by the U.S. ban. The company had to cancel the launch of one laptop as a result of the ban.
Source: Reuters, Android Authority
