German State Schleswig-Holstein Ditches Microsoft for Open Source Software in 2025

With growing concerns over the power of global tech giants, the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is making headlines by moving away from Microsoft products in favor of open source software. By September 2025, civil servants, police officers, and judges across the state will no longer use Microsoft’s ecosystem, marking a dramatic shift toward digital sovereignty and cost efficiency.

Why Schleswig-Holstein Is Ditching Microsoft

According to Dirk Schrödter, Schleswig-Holstein’s digitalization minister, the switch is about “regaining control” of data and reducing dependence on foreign technology providers.

“We’re done with Teams!” — Dirk Schrödter

This change will impact 60,000 public servants and an additional 30,000 teachers in the coming years. The state began its transition in 2024, phasing out Microsoft Office in favor of LibreOffice and adopting Open-Xchange to replace Outlook for email and calendars. Over the next few years, Linux will replace Microsoft Windows as the primary operating system.

Open Source Software Defined

At its core, open source software allows users to access, modify, and adapt source code to meet their own needs. This freedom contrasts with proprietary software, where organizations must rely on vendors for updates, licensing, and support.

The Push for Digital Sovereignty

Schrödter emphasized that the move reflects wider geopolitical concerns:

The war in Ukraine revealed vulnerabilities in Europe’s energy dependencies, and similar risks exist in digital infrastructure.
Growing tensions between the U.S. and Europe, compounded by political developments, have renewed interest in reducing reliance on American tech giants.
The EU’s ongoing antitrust investigations into Microsoft highlight concerns over market dominance, particularly with Microsoft tying Teams to its enterprise software.

Schrödter confirmed that the government plans to migrate data to a German-owned public cloud infrastructure, ensuring data sovereignty and independence from Microsoft-controlled systems.

Economic Incentives: Lower Licensing & Training Costs

Beyond sovereignty, Schleswig-Holstein expects long-term cost savings. Licensing Microsoft software is expensive, while investing in open source technology and training staff is more cost-effective.

Benjamin Jean of Inno3 consulting noted that public entities are often “held by the throat” by unexpected software licensing costs, and open source helps mitigate that risk.

The state projects that this transition will save tens of millions of euros over time.

Challenges and Resistance

Large-scale IT migrations are not without challenges. François Pellegrini, an IT professor at Bordeaux University, warned that users resistant to change may push back:

“If people aren’t guided through it, there’s an outcry and everyone just wants to go back to how it was before.”

Similar challenges were seen in Munich, which pioneered open source adoption in the 1990s but reversed course in 2017 due to lack of political support and integration issues.

Global Momentum Toward Open Source

Other governments have successfully embraced open source:

France’s Gendarmerie has run on Linux since the early 2000s.
India’s Ministry of Defence launched its own Linux distribution, Maya OS, in 2023.
Denmark is exploring open source alternatives in cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus.

The EU’s Interoperable Europe Act, which came into effect in 2024, is expected to accelerate adoption across the European Union. According to Jean, within “two or three years,” more administrations will share their success stories, inspiring others to follow.

Conclusion

Schleswig-Holstein’s bold decision to drop Microsoft in favor of open source software highlights a growing European movement toward digital sovereignty, cost savings, and independence from big tech monopolies. While challenges are inevitable, the long-term benefits could reshape how governments worldwide approach technology adoption.