Core Viewpoint - The trend of "de-Microsoftization" is gaining momentum in Europe, particularly with the announcement from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, to completely transition from Microsoft software to Linux and open-source tools by October 2025, coinciding with the end of support for Windows 10 [1][5]. Group 1: Government Initiatives - Schleswig-Holstein's decision will impact approximately 30,000 government employees, with plans to extend the migration to other public service personnel, including teachers [1][2]. - The Danish Digital Affairs Department has also announced a similar transition to LibreOffice and Linux, indicating a broader movement across Europe [1]. Group 2: Reasons for Migration - The primary reasons for this migration include ensuring data localization to protect sensitive information and significant cost savings, with estimates of saving tens of millions of euros in licensing and upgrade costs [2][5]. - The transition aims to avoid the high hardware requirements and forced account bindings associated with Windows 11, which has become a pain point for many organizations [2][5]. Group 3: Migration Steps - The migration will occur in phases, starting with the replacement of Word and Excel with LibreOffice, followed by the deployment of Open-Xchange and Thunderbird, and finally replacing Windows with Linux [3][8]. - The desktop environment will utilize KDE Plasma, and tools like Nextcloud will fill the functionality gaps left by Microsoft [3]. Group 4: Open-Source Advocacy - The LibreOffice Foundation has actively promoted the benefits of transitioning to Linux and LibreOffice, emphasizing user control and privacy [4][5]. - The foundation argues that the combination of Linux and LibreOffice offers a modern, stable, and unrestricted computing environment, compatible with older hardware [6][7]. Group 5: Community Support and Resources - The LibreOffice community provides ongoing maintenance and support, ensuring the software evolves and addresses security issues without licensing fees or vendor lock-in [7]. - The foundation has outlined key steps for individuals and organizations to facilitate the migration process, including testing, compatibility checks, and training [8]. Group 6: Challenges and Considerations - Despite the momentum, there are concerns regarding the effectiveness of open-source software as a complete replacement for Microsoft products, with mixed opinions within user and developer communities [9]. - Historical precedents, such as Munich's previous migration to Linux and subsequent return to Microsoft, highlight the complexities and potential pitfalls of such transitions [9].