Microsoft Reacts to Egypt Shutting Down Internet Access

Microsoft has reacted to the decision of Egyptian authorities to cut access to the Internet in a desperate measure to regain some control over the country.

The Redmond company confirmed to Computerworld that it moved some of its operations outside of Egypt as a response to the Internet connectivity problem but also because of the general unrest in the country.

Demonstrations continue in the homeland of the Nile, with protesters asking for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to leave office.

Thus far the protests resonated only partially with Mubarak who removed the old government but not complete since after 30 years of unchallenged rule the current president refuses to abandon his position.

The degenerating situation in Egypt is hurting the country on multiple fronts from tourism to the local tech industry.

Microsoft is in this regard, just an example of the many local businesses affected by the anti-government demonstrations.

The software giant said that it’s “constantly assessing the impact of the unrest and Internet connection issues on our properties and services.

“What limited service the company as a whole provides to and through the region, mainly call-center service, has been largely distributed to other locations.”

However, the protests show no indication of waning, despite the move from authorities to shut down Internet access, a move designed to stop Egyptians from coordinating rallies by disabling various web-based communications channels they were leveraging, including social networks.

Microsoft has over 88,000 employees outside of the United States, in a variety of countries around the world including not only Egypt but another country recently hit by widespread protests, Tunisia.

In Egypt, the Redmond company’s local presence is in Cairo's Smart Villages, which is designed as the country’s premier information technology park. Additional tech companies with international subsidiaries are also located here.