July 8 (Reuters) - Microsoft ( MSFT ) intends to offer

Apple's ( AAPL ) iOS-based devices to its employees in China to

access authentication apps, a company spokesperson said on

Monday, citing absence of Google's Android services in

the country.

Microsoft ( MSFT ) has been under increased scrutiny after a series

of security breaches, the latest being that of Russian hackers

who spied and accessed emails of the company's employees and

customers earlier this year.

The development was first reported by Bloomberg News, which,

citing an internal memo, said the Windows OS-maker instructed

its employees in China to use Apple ( AAPL ) devices at workplace from

September.

As a part of Microsoft's ( MSFT ) global Secure Future Initiative,

the move to switch to iOS-devices stems from the lack of

availability of Google Play Store in China that limits its

employees' access to security apps such as Microsoft

Authenticator and Identity Pass, the report added.

"Due to the lack of availability of Google Mobile Services

in this region, we look to offer employees a means of accessing

these required apps, such as an iOS device," a company

spokesperson told Reuters in an email.

Microsoft ( MSFT ) is among those U.S. companies that have a strong

presence in China. It entered the Chinese market in 1992 and

also operates a large research and development center in the

country.

The company will provide iPhone 15 models to employees,

currently using Android handsets across China, including Hong

Kong, the Bloomberg report said.