Latest news with #LibreOffice
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
After Danish cities, Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state government to ban Microsoft programs at work
Microsoft exit Germany is making headlines as the state of Schleswig-Holstein becomes the first in Europe to completely ditch Microsoft tools like Teams, Word, Excel, and Outlook in public offices. Instead, the state is switching to open-source software like LibreOffice, Linux, and Open-Xchange to gain digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on U.S. tech giants. With 30,000 public workers already moving and 30,000 teachers to follow, the move aims to cut long-term costs and control data locally. As EU regulations tighten and political tensions grow, this digital shift could spark a major trend across Europe. Germany's Schleswig-Holstein ditches Microsoft for open-source tools like LibreOffice, Linux, and Open-Xchange to gain digital control, lower costs, and end reliance on U.S. tech. This bold move may inspire a wider European shift toward digital independence. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is Schleswig-Holstein breaking up with Microsoft now? LibreOffice is replacing Microsoft Word and Excel Open-Xchange is taking over Outlook for email and calendars Plans are underway to replace Windows with the Linux operating system Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Is digital independence the real goal here? Are costs driving the move away from Microsoft? Will this shift be smooth for government workers? Are other governments also ditching Microsoft tools? France's gendarmerie (about 100,000 personnel) has been using Linux for years. India's Defence Ministry introduced its own operating system, Maya OS, in 2023. Local governments in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark are reportedly exploring similar options. The EU's Interoperable Europe Act, passed last year, actively encourages open-source software use across public bodies. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Is this the beginning of a wider shift in Europe? FAQs: In a bold digital transformation move, Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state is cutting ties with Microsoft. Within the next three months, civil servants, judges, and police officers across this northern state will no longer use Microsoft tools like Teams, Word, Excel, or Outlook at work. Instead, the state government is shifting completely to open-source software, aiming to achieve what officials call 'digital sovereignty' and to reduce reliance on U.S.-based tech Minister Dirk Schroedter made the announcement on a video call using an open-source platform—not Microsoft Teams—and declared, 'We're done with Teams!'The shift began in 2023, but it's now gaining momentum. Out of the state's 60,000 public servants, half—about 30,000 employees—will be fully transitioned to open-source tools in this first phase. The rest, mostly schoolteachers, will follow isn't just about software. It's about control over sensitive data. Schleswig-Holstein wants to stop depending on U.S. companies for its digital infrastructure, especially amid rising geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and EU, and concerns about surveillance, data ownership, and monopolistic According to Schroedter, the aim is to 'take back control' of the state's digital operations. He cited concerns over "digital dependencies"—especially in light of how Europe realized its energy dependencies during the war in Ukraine. Now, digital infrastructure is being seen through a similar state also plans to move all data storage away from Microsoft servers to German-owned cloud infrastructure. This aligns with broader European efforts to protect user data and public sector IT operations from foreign The cost of Microsoft licenses and mandatory software updates has long been a financial burden for many governments and organizations. Benjamin Jean, from the consulting firm Inno3, told AFP that many feel 'taken by the throat' when forced to pay unexpected fees just to keep software up to contrast, open-source alternatives not only offer more transparency and flexibility but also come at a lower long-term cost. Schleswig-Holstein officials estimate this transition could save tens of millions of euros in the years to the tricky part. Any major software change risks user resistance, especially if employees aren't trained or supported properly. Francois Pellegrini, an IT professor at Bordeaux University, warned that without guidance, people may simply want to revert back to what they know. Change is always tough—especially on this precedent too. The city of Munich once led an open-source revolution but reversed course in 2017 due to political pressure and integration issues. So while Schleswig-Holstein's vision is ambitious, it'll need to navigate this change not just in Germany. This move from Schleswig-Holstein is part of a growing global trend:Schroedter said his team has already received international requests for guidance, showing how closely this digital independence movement is being starting to look like it. The European Commission is already investigating Microsoft over antitrust concerns related to how it bundles Teams with its Office suite. These developments, combined with increasing political tensions and data privacy concerns, are pushing more public institutions toward open, transparent, and locally controlled software Schleswig-Holstein, this isn't just a tech update—it's a signal to the world that digital sovereignty is now a priority. Whether other states and countries follow will depend on how smoothly this transition goes and whether the benefits—financial, political, and technological—prove worth the cut costs, protect data, and gain digital control using tools like LibreOffice and Open-Xchange, and Linux are replacing Microsoft's Office, Outlook, and Teams.
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Danish Precedent Fuels German State's Open‑Source Shift
Northern German state Schleswig‑Holstein has initiated a sweeping migration from Microsoft's proprietary ecosystem—including Windows, Office 365, SharePoint, Exchange, and Active Directory—to open-source platforms like Linux, LibreOffice, Nextcloud, Open‑Xchange, and Thunderbird. The policy will affect some 30,000 public-sector desktops and aims to bolster digital security, cut licensing costs and strengthen data sovereignty amid escalating concerns over foreign influence. Dirk Schrödter, Minister for Digitalisation, underscored the move as critical to ensuring citizen data remains under local control and to stand as 'digitally sovereign IT workplaces'—a benchmark as essential as energy sovereignty. He stated that reliance on closed-source systems leaves no guarantee over data transit or access, especially regarding servers outside the EU. The government's plan, originally launched as a pilot, has expanded into a full-scale transition. By 2026, all Microsoft Office applications will be replaced with LibreOffice, and Windows desktops will be phased out in favour of Linux distributions yet to be finalised. The replacement will also encompass communication and directory infrastructure, with Nextcloud, Open‑Xchange, Thunderbird and a custom Active Directory alternative stepping in for their Microsoft counterparts. ADVERTISEMENT Budgetary savings form a vital component of the rationale. The state projects substantial reductions in licensing outlays, redirecting funds to local digital firms and potentially reinforcing regional employment. The transition strategy emphasises incremental implementation, staff training and department readiness—lessons learnt from Munich's earlier LiMux experiment, which ultimately reverted back to Windows after facing cost and user-adoption challenges. Although LibreOffice is well regarded—with more than a million downloads weekly and earning praise for cost-effectiveness—critics highlight its limitations in collaboration features, user experience and familiarity compared with Microsoft's ecosystem. Open-source advocates argue that modern alternatives such as Collabora Online and Nextcloud-integrated suites bridge the gap in real-time co-editing and collaborative workflows. Private sector and civic supporters welcome Schleswig‑Holstein's move as a testbed for broader European open-source adoption. They suggest that public entities across the EU—especially in education and local administration—could benefit from cost efficiencies and reduced vendor lock-in. Yet sceptics point to the necessity of robust change management, user-centred design and clear fallback strategies to avoid repeating pitfalls faced in Munich. Several high-profile parallels exist elsewhere. South Korea aims for full Linux migration by 2026, while Barcelona pledged a city-wide shift to open-source tools in 2018. Dion Beltrami, a government IT expert, says that despite earlier setbacks, open-source strategies are gaining traction again—driven by rising concerns over licensing expenses, digital autonomy and software customisability. Analysts note that Schleswig‑Holstein's decision aligns with broader EU policy shifts. Regulators have recently scrutinised Microsoft 365 under data protection rules, adding impetus to domestic alternatives. Meanwhile, LibreOffice continues steady development, backed by the Document Foundation and commercial partners like Collabora, ensuring enterprise-grade support and regular updates. Internally, the transition roadmap includes ongoing pilot programmes, comprehensive training for administrators and users, and fallback mechanisms should specialised applications prove incompatible. The government acknowledges that certain niche tasks may still require proprietary apps.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Celebrating 20 Years Of The OASIS Open Document Format (ODF) Standard
Press Release – The Document Foundation A Milestone for Open Document Formats and Digital Sovereignty Berlin, 1 May 2025 – Today, The Document Foundation joins the open source software and open standards community in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Open Document Format (ODF) as an OASIS standard. Two decades after its approval in 2005, ODF is the only open standard for office documents, promoting digital independence, interoperability and content transparency worldwide. Originally created as an XML-based format to enable universal access to documents across platforms and software from multiple vendors, ODF has become a technology policy pillar for governments, educational institutions and organisations that choose open, vendor-independent formats to assert their digital sovereignty. 'ODF is much more than a technical specification: it is a symbol of freedom of choice, support for interoperability and protection of users from the commercial strategies of Big Tech,' said Eliane Domingos, Chairwoman of the Document Foundation. 'In a world increasingly dominated by proprietary ecosystems, ODF guarantees users complete control over their content, free from restrictions.' ODF is the native file format of LibreOffice, the most widely used and well-known open source office suite, and is supported by a wide range of other applications. Its relevance – twenty years after its creation – is a testament to the foresight of its creators and the open source community's commitment to openness and collaboration. ODF has been adopted as an official standard by ISO (as ISO/IEC 26300) and by many governments on all continents to support digital sovereignty strategies and public procurement policies to ensure persistent and transparent access to content. To celebrate this milestone, from today The Document Foundation will be publishing a series of presentations and documents on its blog that illustrate the unique features of ODF, tracing its history from the development and standardisation process through the activities of the Technical Committee for the submission of version 1.3 to ISO and the standardisation of version 1.4. In addition, representatives from the Document Foundation will participate in open source community events to talk about the Open Document Format and highlight its importance to the FOSS ecosystem. The LibreOffice conference will have an entire track dedicated to ODF, coordinated by the OASIS Technical Committee.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Celebrating 20 Years Of The OASIS Open Document Format (ODF) Standard
Berlin, 1 May 2025 - Today, The Document Foundation joins the open source software and open standards community in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Open Document Format (ODF) as an OASIS standard. Two decades after its approval in 2005, ODF is the only open standard for office documents, promoting digital independence, interoperability and content transparency worldwide. Originally created as an XML-based format to enable universal access to documents across platforms and software from multiple vendors, ODF has become a technology policy pillar for governments, educational institutions and organisations that choose open, vendor-independent formats to assert their digital sovereignty. "ODF is much more than a technical specification: it is a symbol of freedom of choice, support for interoperability and protection of users from the commercial strategies of Big Tech," said Eliane Domingos, Chairwoman of the Document Foundation. "In a world increasingly dominated by proprietary ecosystems, ODF guarantees users complete control over their content, free from restrictions." ODF is the native file format of LibreOffice, the most widely used and well-known open source office suite, and is supported by a wide range of other applications. Its relevance – twenty years after its creation – is a testament to the foresight of its creators and the open source community's commitment to openness and collaboration. ODF has been adopted as an official standard by ISO (as ISO/IEC 26300) and by many governments on all continents to support digital sovereignty strategies and public procurement policies to ensure persistent and transparent access to content. To celebrate this milestone, from today The Document Foundation will be publishing a series of presentations and documents on its blog that illustrate the unique features of ODF, tracing its history from the development and standardisation process through the activities of the Technical Committee for the submission of version 1.3 to ISO and the standardisation of version 1.4. In addition, representatives from the Document Foundation will participate in open source community events to talk about the Open Document Format and highlight its importance to the FOSS ecosystem. The LibreOffice conference will have an entire track dedicated to ODF, coordinated by the OASIS Technical Committee.
