Austria military ditches Microsoft for open-source LibreOffice – here's why
16 hours ago
- #government-tech
- #open-source
- #digital-sovereignty
- Austria's military has switched from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice across 16,000 workstations.
- The primary motivation was digital sovereignty and data control, not cost savings.
- Other EU governments, like Germany's Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, are also moving away from Microsoft.
- Concerns over US-based companies' control and political influence drove the decision.
- Austria invested in LibreOffice development, contributing features back to the open-source project.
- Microsoft Office 2016 has been completely removed, with limited exceptions for specialized needs.
- European governments are increasingly prioritizing open-source solutions for data independence.