Microsoft has issued a statement saying it will continue to send updates and security support to Huawei products. Speaking to PC World, the company said support will continue despite the U.S. government placing Huawei on an entity list, banning U.S. companies from trading with the Chinese giant.
Google was the biggest company to react quickly to the ban and said it will no longer support Huawei devices moving forward.
Microsoft says it will send out updates to Huawei devices if they are currently in circulation. The company says the ban list will have an impact on devices released in the future, which will not be supported:
“We remain committed to providing exceptional customer experiences… Our initial evaluation of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision on Huawei has indicated we may continue to offer Microsoft software updates to customers with Huawei devices.”
As Microsoft states, the entity list seems to allow for continued support of customers if they already have devices. New devices may not receive that same support, although Microsoft has not clarified either way.
The Chinese company seemed confident of Microsoft’s continued support. Recently in an FAQ on its website, officials said “All Huawei smartphones, tablets, and PCs will continue to receive security patches, Android updates and Microsoft Support.”
Chipmaker Support
Last week, we reported on chip giants such as Intel and Qualcomm lobbying the government to relax Huawei’s ban.
The companies claim there should be a distinction between Huawei’s 5G technology and its consumer hardware. U.S. officials have been concerned about the company’s 5G technology. Specifically how Huawei could be working with the Chinese government to spy.
However, Intel, Qualcomm, and others argue devices like PCs and smartphone present less risk. They say these products use hardware from other companies and should be different from 5G tech.
