GoKawiilEU officials criticize Element Pro, the Commission's Microsoft Teams substitute
The European Commission has deployed Element Pro, a self-hosted messaging tool from UK firm Element, as a sovereign alternative to Microsoft Teams. Politico reported that internal staff messages described the software harshly, with officials calling it confusing and of little value, and one saying the U.S. would win instantly if it cut off its tech given how Teams compares. Element CEO Matthew Hodgson acknowledged early 'teething issues' and said switching tools always causes friction.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The backlash highlights the practical difficulty of weaning European institutions off dominant U.S. cloud software even when data sovereignty concerns drive the push. It also suggests that user experience complaints could slow broader EU efforts to reduce reliance on American tech providers, despite the stated goal of keeping sensitive communications off foreign-controlled infrastructure.
- The EU Commission introduced Element Pro as a self-hosted backup to Microsoft Teams
- Internal staff reviews leaked to Politico were largely negative, calling it confusing or low-value
- Element's CEO admitted early adjustment issues but noted NATO and the UN also use the platform
Source: slashdot.org, 2026-10-02
Published there as: “EU's Microsoft Teams Alternative Draws Bad Reviews From Officials”
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