German government plans to phase out Microsoft, German media: the culprit is Trump
According to a report by the German newspaper Bild on August 20, Germany is considering abandoning Microsoft software in government work and adopting open-source alternatives. With the continued uncertainty of the Trump administration's policies, countries around the world are seeking to enhance digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on American tech companies.
The German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and the National Modernization (referred to as the "Digital Ministry") confirmed that they plan to increase the use of European solutions and open-source software in government operations. It is reported that this plan covers tens of thousands of public employees, including teachers, civil servants, and police officers.
The department told Bild that it has started testing Open Desk as an alternative to Microsoft Office. The report suggests that this may signal the end of Microsoft products such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint within federal government agencies.
At the same time, the German Digital Ministry stated: "We must never disconnect ourselves from the latest technological developments. We realize that increasing our digital sovereignty and reducing dependency is not a process that can be completed with a single click."
It was reported that the state of Schleswig-Holstein has already taken action, gradually phasing out Microsoft products in administrative departments, replacing Office with LibreOffice, Windows with Linux, and Microsoft Exchange and Outlook with Nextcloud, Open-Xchange, and Thunderbird.
"The culprit is Trump," Bild pointed out, indicating political implications. The report mentioned that due to the "twisting path" of the US President Trump's administration in economic and political terms, relying on American products is now seen as risky.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841162432917508/
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