Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state in Germany, has made a big change in its digital setup. They have stopped using Microsoft Exchange and Outlook and now use Open-Xchange and Mozilla Thunderbird instead. It took six months to move over 40,000 email accounts and 100 million messages smoothly.
Dirk Schrödter, the minister for digitalization, said this move is a big step toward digital independence.
He mentioned, “We want to be free from big tech companies and have control over our own systems.” He also said Schleswig-Holstein is leading the way, being one of the few governments that fully use open-source email systems.
This change is part of a larger plan to switch from private software to open-source options.
For example, they are also using LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office. The state’s strategy for open innovation and open-source software is meant to reduce reliance on large U.S. tech companies and give more control over citizens’ data.
Other European places, like Austria’s military and Lyon’s city government, are doing the same. In Europe, choosing open-source is not just a tech decision - it's also a way to show political and digital freedom.
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