Austria military ditches Microsoft for open-source LibreOffice - here's why

"Austria's military has completed a major IT overhaul, replacing Microsoft Office with the open-source LibreOffice suite across all its desktop systems. The change, finalized this month, affects approximately 16,000 workstations in the Austrian Armed Forces. This move will substantially reduce Austria's software bill. At $33.75 per user per month, a Microsoft 365 E3 subscription for 16,000 workstations costs approximately $6,480,000 per year, compared to LibreOffice's zero cost."

"But this move isn't about saving money. The real motivation is to gain digital sovereignty and control over critical data. As Michael Hillebrand of Directorate 6 information and communications technology (ICT) and Cyber Defense, explained: "It was very important for us to show that we are doing this primarily to strengthen our digital sovereignty , to maintain our independence in terms of ICT infrastructure and to ensure that data is only processed in-house.""

"This concern is not unique to Austria. Many EU governments are dumping Microsoft to protect their data. The German state of Schleswig-Holstein is replacing all Microsoft software with Linux and LibreOffice in government offices. Austria's move comes shortly after Danish officials said they'd be leaving Microsoft behind for the same reasons. The French city of Lyon is also moving to Linux and LibreOffice from Windows and Office to protect its citizens' data."

Austrian Armed Forces completed an IT overhaul replacing Microsoft Office with the open-source LibreOffice across roughly 16,000 desktop workstations. The migration eliminates Microsoft 365 E3 subscription costs estimated at about $6.48 million per year for those workstations. The primary stated motivation is strengthening digital sovereignty, maintaining ICT independence, and ensuring that data is processed only in-house. Officials emphasized that the change is not primarily about cost savings. Several other European governments and municipalities are making similar moves, with Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark, and the French city of Lyon switching from Microsoft products to Linux and LibreOffice to protect citizen data.

Read at ZDNET