Microsoft remains silent on the potential ban on Huawei Windows

Microsoft appears to be the latest in a long line of US-based technology companies that are complying with President Trump's new order to crack down on Chinese technology companies. Google cut Huawei's Android license this weekend, but Microsoft has not said if that would prevent the Chinese company from obtaining Windows licenses. The edge has repeatedly solicited comments from Microsoft, but has declined to make any representations about it.

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is one of the best Windows laptops available in the US, but without a Windows license, it is no longer a viable alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro or HP Specter x 360 and even the Surface range of Microsoft. Microsoft also appears to have stopped selling Huawei's MateBook X Pro on the company's online store.

Picture of James Bareham / The Verge

A list of MateBook X Pro has mysteriously disappeared over the weekend and the search for any Huawei hardware brings no results on the Microsoft Store. You can still find the list of laptops in a Google cache from last week. The edge understands that Microsoft retail stores still sell existing MateBook X Pro laptops in stock.

The possible blockage of Windows by Microsoft could also affect Huawei's server solutions. Microsoft and Huawei both operate a hybrid cloud solution for the Microsoft Azure stack, using Microsoft-certified Huawei servers. Intel and Qualcomm will also have to comply with the latest US government order. While Huawei has developed its own processors and modems for smartphones, Intel provides Huawei server chips and processors for its laptops. Huawei would have stored fleas, so it is ready for such a ban that will last three months.

Huawei has also been working on the replacement of Windows and Android in recent years, but the development quality of these operating systems is unclear. Huawei leader Richard Yu recently revealed that the company "would prefer to work with the ecosystems of Google and Microsoft".

Although Huawei has been granted a 90-day extension to provide software updates to Android handsets and maintain the "continued operation of existing networks and equipment," this is a narrow extension that does not appear to not apply to Windows licenses for laptops.

Whatever the case may be, if the ban is extended, it could seriously damage Huawei. ZTE had to suspend its operations last year after a US trade ban for violating sanctions against Iran and North Korea left the company in trouble. The United States finally lifted the ban after three months, but ZTE's reputation and brand were severely damaged.