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ZDNET Highlights
- Schleswig-Holstein has moved from Microsoft Exchange and Outlook to OpenExchange and Thunderbird for e-mail.
- Other EU institutions have opted for open-source alternatives.
- This switch isn’t just a technological change; This is a political move.
german state Schleswig-Holstein abandons its government email and calendar systems for open-source softwareSix-month migration replaces Microsoft Exchange and Outlook Open Xchange And Mozilla ThunderbirdThe transfer included over 40,000 mailboxes and over 100 million messages and calendar entries.
Digitalization Minister Dirk Schröder declared, “Mission accomplished. From the State Chancellery and ministries to the judiciary, police and other state authorities, our approximately 30,000 employees have embarked on a new path together. We want to become independent from big tech corporations and ensure digital sovereignty. Now we can also say: mission accomplished when it comes to email communication.”
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Schröder praised the employees who helped make the transformation possible: “The past weeks and months have shown that such a transformation is no small feat. We are true pioneers. There is hardly a comparable project of this magnitude around the world. Our heartfelt thanks to all the employees. Without their support, this transformation would not have been possible.”
Switched to open-source email after years of planning. States, in collaboration with open-source vendors such as nextcloudReplacing all proprietary systems with open-source software. For example, last year the government began launching LibreOffice as the default office suite to replace Microsoft Office.
The minister said Schleswig-Holstein’s experience will serve as a model for other administrations moving toward open technologies: “We can now use our knowledge from data analysis to data center monitoring to support others on the same path.”
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Several other EU government agencies have already removed Microsoft software from their computers. These include the Austrian military, Danish government agencies and the French city of Lyon. The explanation is that many European Union (EU) government agencies are tired of relying on American software companies.
As the government of Schleswig-Holstein stated in its April 2025 policy statement, Open Innovation and Open Source Strategy: Schleswig-HolsteinLooking ahead, “If the State is to maintain control over the IT systems it uses and mastery over the data of its citizens and enterprises, it will be more important than ever to avoid economic or technological dependence of a monopolistic nature on any individual. For this reason, it is essential to reduce current dependencies and move towards digital sovereignty.”
The state believes that open-source software (OSS) is the solution because it “on the one hand provides an alternative to existing systems and is also capable of addressing many changes that may occur in the future. This makes OSS one of the most important tools for achieving sovereignty.”
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Digital sovereignty is not a phrase that is heard often in the US, but it is a big deal in Europe and other countries. It’s not just a matter of proprietary software: bad and expensive; Open-source software: cheap and good.’ Digital sovereignty has become a major political issue.
European governments, companies and individuals are concerned that they cannot trust US-based companies And cloud services stay available when you need them, or keep your data secure. As Germany’s Digital Minister Carsten Wildburger said, Germany and The EU “needs to participate actively as players in this (sector)“Not as customers.
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The rise of digital sovereignty is not a new trend. ,We now need European solutions and European sovereignty for every innovation, in every sector,French President Emmanuel Macron said in 2020. He has made digital sovereignty a central issue in his policies.
You can expect to see many European governments, companies, and individuals moving from Windows to Linux and open-source software. This isn’t open-source fan wishful thinking; This is a fundamental change in the way people view and use office software.
