07:54 AM EDT, 07/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates in headline and last paragraph to add comment from Microsoft ( MSFT ))

Microsoft ( MSFT ) will require its employees in China to use only iPhones for work, Bloomberg reported, citing an internal memo.

Starting in September, Microsoft ( MSFT ) will ask employees to use only Apple ( AAPL ) devices to verify their identities when logging in to work computers or phones.

The change, part of Microsoft's ( MSFT ) global Secure Future Initiative aimed at enhancing security protocols, will affect hundreds of workers in China.

The measure aims to ensure all Microsoft ( MSFT ) staff use the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass app.

The report said Microsoft ( MSFT ) will block corporate access from Android-powered devices including those made by Huawei or Xiaomi in China due to the absence of Google's mobile services in the country.

A Microsoft ( MSFT ) spokesperson told MT Newswires that the Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass apps are available on the Apple ( AAPL ) and Google Play stores, but "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."

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Price: 467.18, Change: +0.94, Percent Change: +0.20