Schleswig-Holstein: 80% Microsoft Exit – Breakthrough for Digital Sovereignty

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🎯 Overview

  • Author: Christian Wölbert, heise online
  • Source: https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Schleswig-Holstein-Fast-80-Prozent-der-Microsoft-Lizenzen-gekuendigt-10960941.html
  • Publication Date: 13.11.2024
  • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

📊 Article Summary

What's it about?

Schleswig-Holstein is the first German federal state to consistently rely on Open Source and has already canceled almost 80% of all Microsoft licenses. The state administration with 30,000 workstations is being systematically converted to free software – a milestone for digital sovereignty in Germany.

Key Facts:

  • 44,000 mailboxes with 110 million emails successfully migrated to Open-Xchange
  • 80% of Microsoft Office licenses already canceled (exception: tax administration)
  • Target by summer 2026: Convert relevant number of workstations to Linux
  • KDE Plasma as likely desktop environment
  • Technical problems in the judicial sector due to faulty load balancer [⚠️ September 2024]
  • Trade unions and staff councils were involved late
  • Schleswig-Holstein additionally uses X-Road standard from Estonia for data exchange

Affected Groups:

  • 30,000 state employees (direct conversion)
  • IT industry (loss for Microsoft vs. opportunities for open source providers)
  • Citizens (improved digital services planned)
  • Other federal states (role model or deterrent effect)

Opportunities & Risks:

Opportunities:

  • Increased digital sovereignty and independence
  • Cost savings on licenses
  • Support for local IT economy
  • More transparent administrative processes

Risks:

  • Migration problems with specialized applications
  • Training requirements for employees
  • Compatibility problems with other administrations
  • Resistance due to late involvement of employee representation

Recommendations:

  • Early involvement of employees and unions in IT projects
  • Gradual migration with clear milestones
  • Backup strategies for critical systems

🔮 Looking Ahead

Short-term (1 year):

  • First Linux workstations in production
  • Other federal states observe success/failure
  • Adaptation of specialized applications to open source environment

Medium-term (5 years):

  • Complete migration to Linux possible
  • Development of own open source solutions
  • Possible copycat effects in other federal states

Long-term (10-20 years):

  • Germany could become pioneer for open source administration in Europe
  • New standards for digital administration
  • Complete independence from proprietary systems

✅ Fact Check

  • Migration of 44,000 mailboxes confirmed ✓
  • 80% license cancellation plausible [⚠️ Exact figures not independently verified]
  • X-Road system from Estonia is established technology ✓
  • Other federal states (Bremen, Hamburg, Bavaria) are indeed increasingly focusing on Microsoft ✓

📚 Additional Sources

  1. Dataport Press Release on open source migration
  2. IT Planning Council - Decisions on digital administration
  3. European Commission - Open Source Software Strategy 2020-2023

📌 Brief Summary

Schleswig-Holstein is making a historic step toward digital sovereignty with its 80% Microsoft exit. The success could become a turning point for Germany's IT strategy. However, the late involvement of employee representation shows that technical innovation without social responsibility remains problematic.

❓ Three Key Questions

  1. Freedom: How can it be ensured that the new digital freedom is not replaced by new dependencies (e.g., on individual open source providers)?

  2. Responsibility: Why were trade unions and staff councils involved so late – and what lessons are other federal states drawing from this?

  3. Transparency: Will the costs and challenges of the migration be fully disclosed so that other administrations can make informed decisions?

ℹ️ Meta

  • Version: 1.0
  • Author: press@clarus.news
  • License: CC-BY 4.0
  • Retrieved: 13.11.2024
  • Facts checked: on 13.11.2024

Source List

  • Original Source: Schleswig-Holstein: Fast 80 Prozent der Microsoft-Lizenzen gekündigt - heise online https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Schleswig-Holstein-Fast-80-Prozent-der-Microsoft-Lizenzen-gekuendigt-10960941.html
  • Additional Sources:
    1. Dataport AöR - Official Website
    2. IT Planning Council of the Federal Government
    3. European Commission - Open Source Strategy
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