Austria's military just ditched Microsoft for open-source LibreOffice
6 hours ago
- #digital sovereignty
- #European ICT policy
- #open-source
- Austria's military has switched from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, affecting 16,000 workstations.
- The primary motivation was digital sovereignty and data control, not cost savings.
- Other European governments, like Germany's Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, are also moving away from Microsoft for privacy reasons.
- Concerns over US-based companies' political influence have driven European governments to seek independence in ICT infrastructure.
- Austria's military invested in LibreOffice development, contributing features back to the open-source project.
- Microsoft Office 2016 has been completely removed from military systems, with limited exceptions for specialized needs.
- European governments and companies are increasingly prioritizing open-source solutions for data independence.