Every euro country or agency that has done or announced this has simply used it to extract concessions from Microsoft and either stayed with or switched back to windows.
Doubtful. Us hostility to Europe is overwhelmingly in rhetoric rather than deed and on the off chance that tech independence is a European ambition (to the extent that a European identity, let alone European governing body survives prolonged American hostile deeds) the smart play is to use an open software test case to figure out what your requirements are then get a contractor like Microsoft to fulfill them even if that means making a spinoff company.
Even if the idea of some kind of libre Europe wasn’t idealistic utopian thinking, its actual existence would be just another elephant on the open source dance floor to be avoided, not a powerful ally to be celebrated.
It is idealistic utopian thinking because the nations in question have a long history of using free software alternatives as bargaining chips with the contractors they’re actually chasing as opposed to seriously committing to free software use, not because of my expectations.
Every euro country or agency that has done or announced this has simply used it to extract concessions from Microsoft and either stayed with or switched back to windows.
There are cases of but also on going programs.
I thought this program was still going no? https://www.raconteur.net/technology/schleswig-holstein-open-source
Afaik it is, but it only started in 2024…
Right, but I would imagine now there’s going to be more pressure to become less dependent on US tech with the US becoming openly hostile to Europe.
Doubtful. Us hostility to Europe is overwhelmingly in rhetoric rather than deed and on the off chance that tech independence is a European ambition (to the extent that a European identity, let alone European governing body survives prolonged American hostile deeds) the smart play is to use an open software test case to figure out what your requirements are then get a contractor like Microsoft to fulfill them even if that means making a spinoff company.
Even if the idea of some kind of libre Europe wasn’t idealistic utopian thinking, its actual existence would be just another elephant on the open source dance floor to be avoided, not a powerful ally to be celebrated.
I’m not sure how governments using open source software is somehow ‘idealistic utopian thinking’, but it suggests your expectations are pathetic.
It is idealistic utopian thinking because the nations in question have a long history of using free software alternatives as bargaining chips with the contractors they’re actually chasing as opposed to seriously committing to free software use, not because of my expectations.