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In brief: The long-running battle of Germany's northernmost state, Schleswig-Holstein, to make a complete switch from Microsoft software to open-source alternatives looks close to an end. Many government operatives will permanently wave goodbye to the likes of Teams, Word, Excel, and Outlook in the next three months in a move to ensure independence, sustainability, and security.
Plans to go open-source were drawn up by Schleswig-Holstein as far back as 2017. In 2021, the state found another incentive to make the switch: Windows 11's hardware requirements. A move to LibreOffice and other open-source programs had a deadline of 2026 – there was no date set for ditching Windows at the time.
Last year brought news of a plan by the state to replace Windows with Linux and further expansion of LibreOffice, Open-Xchange, Nextcloud, and the Univention Active Directory (AD).
Now, Digitalisation Minister Dirk Schroedter has announced that "We're done with Teams!"
Question! Why should local governments use taxpayers' money to buy proprietary software from a single vendor? And what happens to citizens' data? A solution is to move to free software like Linux and LibreOffice – which is what Schleswig-Holstein is doing: https://t.co/P7cQJwEP7u pic.twitter.com/OuIHPlSteV – LibreOffice (@LibreOffice) April 4, 2024
Of the state's approximately 60,000 public servants, which includes civil servants, judges, and police officers, around half are transitioning away from Microsoft in this initial phase, with 30,000 more – mostly teachers – doing the same over the next few years.
Schroedter highlighted several reasons for the move. Money is obviously a major factor, with Microsoft's enterprise licensing fees reaching into the millions of euros.
Global politics have also influenced the decision. The EU has a long history of imposing massive fines on US tech giants, something that Donald Trump has repeatedly taken issue with.
In 2023, Microsoft became the subject of an antitrust investigation in the continent over the way it integrates Teams into its other programs for businesses, though the Redmond firm agreed to a formal package of commitments, including selling the Office suite without Teams at a lower price, in May, which should allow it to escape a fine.
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