Microsoft Used a Campaign of Bribes and Lies to Derail GNU/Linux in Munich, Will the Same Be Attempted in Schleswig-Holstein?
Two days ago: statCounter: GNU/Linux Adoption in Germany Skyrockets to 7%
THE latest data from Germany (at least according to statCounter) was analysed above, but pay attention to how Vista 11 recedes to the same estimated usage levels as one year ago:
Yesterday the LibreOffice blog (Mike Saunders) said "German state moving 30,000 PCs to LibreOffice". To quote:
The term digital sovereignty is very important here. If a public administration uses proprietary, closed software that can’t be studied or modified, it is very difficult to know what happens to users’ data...
Announcements from LibreOffice (or TDF) focus on LibreOffice, but searching for old articles on the move - going back 3 years - "Linux" is mentioned a lot (7 times in this case). It is mentioned again this week, i.e. years later. From the past 24 hours:
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German state decides to move away from Microsoft to Linux and LibreOffice
In a significant shift towards open-source software, the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein has announced its decision to move 30,000 government computers away from Microsoft Windows and Office 365 to using Linux and LibreOffice (as well as other open-source software). This follows a successful pilot project in the region and follows the recent announcement that the European Commission's use of Microsoft 365 breaches data protection law.
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German state ditches Windows, Microsoft Office for Linux and LibreOffice
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's most northern state, is starting its switch from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, and is planning to move from Windows to Linux on the 30,000 PCs it uses for local government functions.
The announcement (in German) was made yesterday by the state's Minister-President Daniel Gunther, who has served in that position since 2017. According to a translated version of the announcement, independence was a key motivation for switching to open source software.
"Independent, sustainable, secure: Schleswig-Holstein will be a digital pioneer region and the first state to introduce a digitally sovereign IT workplace in its state administration," said Gunther. "[T]he government has given the starting signal for the first step towards complete digital sovereignty for the country, with further steps to follow."
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German state ditches Microsoft for Linux and LibreOffice
Thanks to hardware vendors working hand-in-glove with Microsoft, many people never realize there are alternatives to Windows and Office.
But that's not the case in the European Union (EU) and China, where computer users know all about Microsoft's dominance on the desktop -- and many don't like it. So, when Dirk Schrödter, digitalization minister for the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, announced the state government would switch from proprietary software "towards free, open-source systems and digitally sovereign IT workplaces for the state administration's approximately 30,000 employees," there was cause for rejoicing among Linux desktop fans.
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German State Migrating 30,000 Computers to Linux and LibreOffice
According to The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice, Schleswig-Holstein made the decision following a successful pilot program aimed at addressing issues with using commercial software. In particular, the state administration was concerned about digital sovereignty, as highlighted by the Minister-President’s website: [...]
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German State Moving Tens of Thousands of PCs To Linux and LibreOffice
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German state of Schleswig-Holstein abandons Microsoft, embraces Open-Source with Linux and LibreOffice
German state Schleswig-Holstein has announced its plans to move away from properitory software including Microsoft’s Windows, Office, and others. Generally, government organizations move to open source software to avoid huge licensing fees. But in this case, the state is concerned about data security.
“"As a country, we have a great responsibility towards our citizens and companies to ensure that their data is in safe hands with us, and we must ensure that we are in control of the IT solutions we use at all times and that we as a state can act independently. Ensuring digital sovereignty is at least as important as energy sovereignty",” says Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of Digitalization, Dirk Schrödter.
This German state also mentioned that by utilizing open-source software, organizations gain the benefits of transparent code – leading to greater IT security, financial efficiency, rigorous data protection, and adaptability across systems.
Watch carefully in case the criminals from Microsoft attempt to do what they did in Munich [1, 2]. Microsoft has probably already attempted to bribe officials several times in Schleswig-Holstein. When the bribes don't work they simply escalate, they don't give up. █