Overview
- Author: heise.de
- Source: https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Schleswig-Holstein-Fast-80-Prozent-der-Microsoft-Lizenzen-gekuendigt-10960941.html
- Date: [Not specified in text]
- Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Article Summary
What is it about? Schleswig-Holstein has completed a large-scale transition from Microsoft products to open-source solutions. The interview with Digital Minister Dirk Schrödter shows the current status of this ambitious IT migration.
Key Facts:
- 44,000 mailboxes with 110 million calendar entries and emails were migrated to Open-Xchange
- Nearly 80 percent of Microsoft Office licenses were cancelled (excluding tax administration)
- Migration from Microsoft Exchange to Open-Xchange completed
- Migration to LibreOffice implemented in administration
- Technical problems in September due to faulty load balancer (not caused by open-source software)
- Trade unions criticize lack of involvement in the process
- Minister conducts personal discussions about every remaining license
Affected Groups:
- Administrative employees in Schleswig-Holstein
- Trade unions and staff councils
- IT service providers and open-source vendors
- Other federal states as potential followers
Opportunities & Risks:
- Opportunities: Cost savings, digital sovereignty, independence from proprietary vendors
- Risks: Technical disruptions during transition, staff resistance, potential productivity losses
Recommendations:
- Early involvement of trade unions in similar projects
- Adequate technical preparation and testing before migration
- Establish clear change management processes
Looking to the Future
Short-term (1 year): Completion of agreements with trade unions, further optimization of migrated systems, possible improvements for remaining technical challenges.
Medium-term (5 years): Complete elimination of remaining Microsoft dependencies through development of open interfaces, other federal states could start similar projects.
Long-term (10–20 years): Schleswig-Holstein could serve as a pioneer for a Germany-wide open-source strategy in administration, which would strengthen Germany's digital sovereignty.
Fact Check
The cited figures (44,000 mailboxes, 110 million entries, 80% license reduction) come directly from the ministry and are plausible. The technical problems in September were communicated transparently and their cause (load balancer configuration) was explained comprehensibly.
[⚠️ Still to be verified]: Comparative data on cost savings and productivity impacts are not available.
Additional Sources
For a more comprehensive view, additional perspectives should be included:
- Statements from affected trade unions
- Technical assessments by independent IT experts
- Experiences of other federal states with similar projects
Source List
- Original source: Schleswig-Holstein: Nearly 80 percent of Microsoft licenses cancelled, heise.de
- Additional sources:
- [Additional sources would need to be researched]
- [Trade union statements]
- [Independent IT analyses]
- Facts checked: on [date of summary]
Brief Assessment
Schleswig-Holstein has achieved remarkable success with its migration to open-source solutions and eliminated 80% of Microsoft licenses. Despite technical challenges and criticism of communication, the project demonstrates that large IT migrations in public administration are feasible. Digital sovereignty has been strengthened, while also revealing the complexity of such transformation processes and the need for better stakeholder involvement.
Three Key Questions
Transparency and Participation: How can future large-scale IT projects in public administration be designed more transparently from the beginning and all stakeholders appropriately involved?
Digital Sovereignty vs. Practicality: To what extent does the goal of digital independence justify possible limitations in functionality and what responsibility do decision-makers bear toward users?
Innovation and Sustainability: What innovative approaches can other federal states derive from Schleswig-Holstein's experiences to accelerate their own digital transformation?