Should we fear Microsoft's monopoly?
4 days ago
- #Microsoft
- #Data Sovereignty
- #European Alternatives
- Geopolitical unrest is driving the search for alternatives to American IT services like Microsoft and Google.
- TU/e and SURF are exploring replacements, but a full European alternative isn't available yet.
- Concerns exist about US sanctions potentially blocking access to data under political pressure.
- Departments at TU/e are testing alternatives like Nextcloud, a German cloud solution.
- Microsoft's extensive services (security, servers, AI, etc.) make a complete replacement challenging.
- Dutch universities are collaborating in a consortium to develop alternatives, though TU/e is not directly involved.
- Building a European alternative requires joint efforts from governments and knowledge partners, likely taking years.
- The financial impact on US companies may deter them from cutting off European access abruptly.