The German state (Schleswig-Holstein) trying to break free from Microsoft

36 pointsposted 8 hours ago
by throwaway2037
(ft.com)

9 Comments

bradley13

2 hours ago

They have been trying to switch to Linux and LibreOffice for years now. The brakes were applied, not so much for technical reasons, but more because the "right" decision makers were wined and dined by Microsoft. The last thing MS wants is a successful precedent showing that their products are not necessary for government.

Also, you really have to make a clean break. Users are comfortable with what they know. If you leave the door open to use the old-and-familiar, they will fight changing to the new. Train them on LibreOffice and then take away any and all access to MS Office.

pjmlp

4 hours ago

Microsoft Office, that is.

They will keep using everything else that is touched by Microsoft.

Github, Typescript, Windows, Active Directory, Open AI servers on Azure, Visual Studio, possibly contractors using .NET, npm infrastructure,...

bradley13

2 hours ago

There is an increasing movement to find European or OSS solutions. GitHub can be replaced by GitLab. Azure by any of a number of European cloud services. Some are more difficult, but Visual Studio can at least be replaced by IntelliJ.

I don't understand why you name things like Typescript. Microsoft may have created it, but afaik they do not assert ownership. You can certainly write Typescript in non-MS IDEs.

pjmlp

36 minutes ago

How much Visual Studio can be replaced by InteliJ, depends on the underlying programming stack.

If it is to write Windows games in C++ that are then consumed in Linux via Proton, is a kind of Phyrric independence.

Who pumps the money into the Typescript team, and calls the shots on its evolution?

Naturally you can have your own compiler and trail behind its development, with the sponsorship of the likes of Vercel or Anthropic.

4gotunameagain

2 hours ago

One step at a time from disentangling from a former ally in decline.

If only now Germany would decouple from the influence of Israel as well..

faangguyindia

2 hours ago

I work in india, most village panchayats are running Ubuntu without any issues and we don't pay anyone any money.

barrkel

7 hours ago

I think I've been reading about federal Länder breaking up with Microsoft for the past 15 years.

(Actually 15 years is mentioned in the article now that I scanned it)

vovavili

4 hours ago

The article is paywalled.