The state\u2019s shift towards open-source software began last year.<\/p>\n
The current first phase involves ending the use of Word and Excel software, which are being replaced by LibreOffice, while Open-Xchange is taking the place of Outlook for emails and calendars.<\/p>\n
Over the next few years, there will also be a switch to the Linux operating system in order to complete the move away from Windows.<\/p>\n
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a>\u2018Digital dependencies\u2019<\/p>\n The principle of open-source software is to allow users to read the source code and modify it according to their own needs.<\/p>\n The issue of the power wielded by American tech titans has been thrown into sharper relief by Donald Trump\u2019s return to the White House and the subsequent rise in United States-European Union tensions.<\/p>\n In the case of Microsoft, there have long been worries about the dominant position it enjoys thanks to it owning both the Windows operating system and a suite of programs found in offices the world over.<\/p>\n In 2023, the EU launched an antitrust investigation against Microsoft over the way it tied Teams to its other programs for businesses.<\/p>\n Discover more<\/p>\n \u201cThe geopolitical developments of the past few months have strengthened interest in the path that we\u2019ve taken,\u201d said Schroedter, adding that he had received requests for advice from across the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThe war in Ukraine revealed our energy dependencies, and now we see there are also digital dependencies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The local government in Schleswig-Holstein is also planning to shift the storage of its data to a cloud system not under the control of Microsoft, said Schroedter.<\/p>\n He explained that the state wants to rely on publicly owned German digital infrastructure rather than that of an American company.<\/p>\n Taken \u2018by the throat\u2019<\/p>\n Experts point to economic incentives for the sort of shift Schleswig-Holstein is making, as investing in open-source alternatives and training staff to use them often costs less than the licences for Microsoft\u2019s programs.<\/p>\n This is particularly the case when businesses and public bodies find themselves taken \u201cby the throat\u201d when hit by unexpected extra costs for mandatory updates, said Benjamin Jean from consulting firm Inno3.<\/p>\n