Why Governments Are Looking Beyond Windows

The move away from Microsoft Windows is no longer confined to China. Across Europe, governments and public institutions are increasingly evaluating Linux and open-source software as strategic alternatives, driven by concerns around digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, cost, vendor dependence and control over critical data infrastructure.

Germany's Schleswig-Holstein has become one of the clearest examples. The state government is migrating public-sector systems toward open-source technologies, including Linux. By December 2025, nearly 80% of relevant government workstations had shifted to LibreOffice, replacing Microsoft Office, while thousands of email accounts have also moved away from Microsoft's ecosystem. 

France is moving in a similar direction. The City of Lyon is progressively replacing Microsoft applications with alternatives including Linux, OnlyOffice and PostgreSQL, explicitly citing technological sovereignty and reduced dependence on U.S. software providers. 

This trend is becoming broader European policy. In June 2026, the European Commission introduced an Open Source Strategy as part of its technological-sovereignty agenda, aiming to reduce dependence on non-EU technologies while increasing control, interoperability and resilience across critical digital infrastructure. 

The strongest reason for moving away from Windows, therefore, is not simply licensing cost. It is control.

Governments increasingly want greater visibility into software, control over updates and data, freedom from vendor lock-in, and the ability to continue operating critical systems even when geopolitical, commercial or supply-chain conditions change. Open source can provide greater architectural transparency and flexibility, although it does not automatically guarantee better security.

There are also economic advantages. Linux can extend the useful life of older hardware and reduce some proprietary licensing dependencies, while open standards can make it easier to change suppliers and develop domestic technology ecosystems.

However, abandoning Windows is not straightforward. Governments must address application compatibility, legacy systems, employee training, technical support and cybersecurity management. Windows also benefits from an enormous enterprise application and support ecosystem.

The emerging model may therefore not be “Windows versus Linux,” but “dependence versus choice.”

For governments, banks and critical infrastructure, the strategic objective is increasingly clear: no single foreign technology provider should become an unavoidable point of dependency for national digital infrastructure.