October 2022 Update: Atlassian to Wind Down Operations in Russia and Belarus
Since March, we've taken action against the Russian Government and organisations that support the invasion, rather than small businesses caught up in a war they neither chose to participate in nor have the ability to stop.
Due to the ongoing actions of the Russian Government against the Ukrainian people and the compulsion of business to support this illegal invasion, we have concluded we can no longer operate in Russia at all. As a result, we will be winding down our Russian and Belarusian business completely from Oct 31, 2022.
We continue to be appalled by the actions of the Russian Government and stand with the people and the government of Ukraine, and offer our support in any way we can. As always, we continue to work closely with impacted Atlassian employees to ensure they are treated with respect and have our full support during this difficult time.
What changes are effective as of the close of business Oct 31, 2022?
Beginning at the close of business Oct 31, 2022, Atlassian will stop renewing licenses of customers located in Russia and Belarus.
A notice to customers is being sent on Oct 6, 2022 with the following information:
- For Server, a license for technical support and maintenance updates will not renew again after 31 October, 2022. The software maintenance on license(s) will expire after this date in accordance with the end-date set forth in the customer's Admin Page.
- For Data Center, a license will not renew again after 31 October, 2022. The license will expire after this date in accordance with the end-date set forth in the customer's Administration page. The product will become read-only and access to new editions, maintenance, and technical support ends.
- For Cloud, a license will not renew again after 31 October, 2022. The license will expire after this date in accordance with the end-date set forth in the customer's Admin Page.
What does this mean for partners with customers in Russia and/or Belarus?
Customers located in Russia or Belarus will no longer have the ability to renew existing Atlassian licenses as of the close of business Oct 31, 2022.
In March of this year, we stopped selling new product licenses and Marketplace Apps in Russia and Belarus and suspended licenses of Russian and Belarusian government-owned entities and entities that support the Russian State aggression directly or indirectly in any way.
For Marketplace Partners with customers in Russia and Belarus
From the close of business Oct 31, 2022, existing customers in Russia and Belarus will no longer be able to renew Marketplace apps. Customers can continue to use their Marketplace apps until their license expires.
For Marketplace Partners in Russian and Belarus
We are carefully considering how the wind-down will impact the Atlassian Marketplace and will follow up when details are available.
In closing, this is a dynamic geo-political situation unlike any that we have navigated through before. In the spirit of "Open Company, No Bullshit," we will follow up when details are available.
Thank you for your patience as we navigate this change together. We ask that all partners adhere to the Marketplace Partner Agreement. If you have any questions, please open a ticket with Developer and Marketplace Support.
*On Oct 6, 2022 this article was updated to reflect Atlassian's current position.
March 2022 Update
To our customers, vendors, partners, and investors:
We are appalled by the actions of the Russian and Belarusian government in its invasion of Ukraine. We condemn the actions of the Russian Government, and we stand with Ukraine and its people in their fight to maintain their freedom and sovereignty.
This attack is unprovoked and a clear breach of the Geneva Convention. Ukrainian civilians are being targeted, as are public buildings, places of work, and homes – where people should feel most safe.
As a company with thousands of employees and millions of users around the world, we take our responsibility very seriously as it relates to fundamentals like human rights. It is part of our mission and values to care for our people, customers, and communities, and the societies they exist in.
We have taken a number of immediate actions:
Our people
The Ukrainian invasion hits close to home for Atlassian. We have a number of Ukrainian team members who are contracted with us and we have taken immediate action to support their safety and security through our local partners. We are also providing ongoing support for those Atlassians with impacted family and friends during this difficult time. People are at the heart of what we do, meaning their wellbeing comes first – always.
Our customers
We have a commitment to our customers to provide a trusted service. This includes working around the clock to ensure the safety of their data and their ability to operate without disruption. While we do not have any direct employees nor do we host any of our services within Russia, Belarus, or Ukraine, we do have contractors located in Ukraine. To enhance protection of our customer data and reduce risk to those contractors, we made the decision to remove their access to our internal systems. We have also changed our network infrastructure to ensure customer data will not transit through the affected regions. Furthermore, we have added enhanced 24/7 security monitoring for all customers, with special focus on those that we believe might be targeted by cyber attacks because of their connection to Ukraine.
For customers operating in Ukraine we are creating emergency concessions to ensure they can continue operating. Emergency concessions means everything from extending payment terms to offering relief packages to Ukrainian customers, partners, and communities which provides free access to our paid products.
Our responsibility to human rights
In response to Russia's aggression, we are pausing the sale of all new software to Russia and Belarus. In addition, we are suspending existing Russian government-owned licenses as well as licenses to specific Russian and Belarusian businesses that support the war (via cyber warfare, combat, or disinformation). This includes our third-party Marketplace apps.
In saying this, we are not terminating the relationships and obligations we have to our existing small business customers in Russia. We believe focusing on businesses with positions of power and influence is the best way to live our mission and values.
Our Foundation appeal
The invasion has triggered an immediate and desperate rise in humanitarian needs across Ukraine. We will be matching all employee donations to eligible organisations via our Atlassian Foundation, to assist with on-the-ground support for Ukrainians fleeing the war zone. We will also continue to review additional areas for financial contributions that will provide humanitarian assistance.
Our ongoing support
We have a large and dedicated team monitoring all aspects of the invasion and how it affects our people, customers, and responsibilities as business leaders – and humans. As this heartbreaking situation continues to evolve, you have our commitment that we will lead with the Atlassian values and our own humanity. We know we don't have all the answers, but we will continue to learn and be thoughtful through this challenging time.
We have always believed in standing up for what's right, even when it's difficult to do so. And we'll continue to make these decisions to use our voice, our technology, our skills, and our Foundation to help in situations that impact our people, customers, and societies we exist in.
-Mike & Scott