The maps that connect Lyft Inc. customers with their nearest driver, the grammar software that tells you when to use “whom” instead of “who” and the targeting system that helps players of the newest Assassin’s Creed video game aim a weapon, all owe a debt of gratitude to programmers in Ukraine. The country is among the largest exporters of information-technology services in Europe, known for its well-educated and affordable labor market.
Ukrainian code can be found almost anywhere in the world. It’s on Wall Street (Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.) and in international banks (Barclays Plc, Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG and UBS Group AG). It’s in manufacturers of airplanes (Boeing Co.), cars (Daimler AG and BMW), mobile networks (BT), and phones (Samsung), said Anurag Srivastava, a London-based Vice President at research firm Everest Group. “Clients are anxiously asking how bad it’s going to be, how long the crisis could last, and what action they should take,” he said. Everest isn’t especially optimistic: It elevated the risk rating of doing business in Ukraine to high, from medium.
