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A German state is ditching Windows and Microsoft Office for Linux and LibreOffice on the 30,000 PCs it uses for local government functions (www.theregister.com)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's most northern state, is starting its switch from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, and is planning to move from Windows to Linux on the 30,000 PCs it uses for local government functions.

Concerns over data security are also front and center in the Minister-President's statement, especially data that may make its way to other countries. Back in 2021, when the transition plans were first being drawn up, the hardware requirements for Windows 11 were also mentioned as a reason to move away from Microsoft.

Saunders noted that "the reasons for switching to Linux and LibreOffice are different today. Back when LiMux started, it was mostly seen as a way to save money. Now the focus is far more on data protection, privacy and security. Consider that the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) recently found that the European Commission's use of Microsoft 365 breaches data protection law for EU institutions and bodies."

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[–] Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 11 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Writer and Calc look almost identical to ms word and excel on my Debian 12 system... Congratulations by the way, you should be proud of your state!

[–] RecluseRamble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 7 months ago

As someone using LibreOffice at home and MS Office at work (both daily): nope, unfortunately, Calc is pretty shit compared to Excel. It's enough for my personal needs but I wouldn't want to rely on it professionally.

[–] TalesFromTheKitchen@lemmy.ml 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Good to know, maybe it's just the port then and their website (shudders) has been a year or so since I tried it. Yeah, I think it's a good move and if it convinces other States even better.

[–] Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 7 points 7 months ago

Yeah, check it out. I'm not a power user of spreadsheets, so I can't address what the previous commenter said about functionality but the UI looks good on mine and my girlfriend's systems. She's been using Calc to run her catering business for over a year without any complaints, so I would feel good about recommending it.