>Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s most northern state, is starting its switch from
Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, and is planning to move from Windows to Linux
on the 30,000 PCs it uses for local government functions. >Concerns over data
security are also front and center in the Minister-President’s statement,
especially data that may make its way to other countries. Back in 2021, when the
transition plans were first being drawn up, the hardware requirements for
Windows 11 were also mentioned as a reason to move away from Microsoft.
>Saunders noted that “the reasons for switching to Linux and LibreOffice are
different today. Back when LiMux started, it was mostly seen as a way to save
money. Now the focus is far more on data protection, privacy and security.
Consider that the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) recently found that
the European Commission’s use of Microsoft 365 breaches data protection law for
EU institutions and bodies.”
Let’s see how this will pan out, Munich did something similar, but between conservative opposition, lobbying efforts by Microsoft and people complaining about compatibility issues and changes in workflow, it ended up being reversed. That was a while ago, though, and Linux on desktop only got better since then.
EDIT: Yeah, they mention that in the article, seems it really is going at it from a different angle this time.
According to Investigate Europe, it had nothing to do with opposition or compatibility issues. Was a backroom deal between the mayor and Microsoft to kill the initiative in exchange for their German HQ being moved to Munich.
Edit: Just double-checked, looks like Munich was considering migrating to Linux again, but critics believe this may just be a negotiating tactic to extract more concessions from Microsoft.
With people after a certain age working in administrative bodies you can be sure of one thing. Someone will whine and complain either “we never did it this way” or “we always did it this way”.
I’ve noticed this a lot working for the federal government. Some people just can’t be bothered to keep up with the times. They just piss and moan about any changes, even if it’s beneficial and more efficient.