Danish Govt trials replacing Microsoft 365

[Infinite Chaos]

First trialled in Germany a year or two ago, now another European nation is trying to break free of the vice-like grip of Microsoft.

"Denmark is moving one of its government ministries from Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 to the open-source LibreOffice.
It’s another sign that large organizations, especially ones in Europe, are trying to move away from locked-down digital services.

Caroline Stage Olsen, the minister for Digital Affairs in Denmark, confirmed that the country’s Ministry of Digitalization is
switching to LibreOffice. The migration from Microsoft 365 and Office will begin in July, and it’s expected to be complete
within a few months."​

LibreOffice Is Replacing Microsoft 365 in Denmark's Government

Denmark's Ministry of Digital Affairs is switching to the open-source office suite.

www.howtogeek.com

Actually think this is great news. If companies and corporations are not careful, the office productivity software market will belong to to Microsoft alone - especially with the heavy integration of TEAMS and Sharepoint. GDPR requirements demand that European nations do their digital processing in Europe and although Amazon and other nations have data centres here in Europe - Amazon Polly for example does its processing in Virginia.

 

[Allan]

I've used LibreOffice for years. It works great imo.

 

[Safiel]

I switched to Libre Office years after Open Office started going to shit.

Libre Office works great.

 

[Allan]

I switched to Libre Office years after Open Office started going to shit.

Libre Office works great.

I find it's very well supported.

 

[NatMorton]

They're picking exactly the wrong time. Microsoft today has as coherent and as compelling a product strategy as I've seen them have since the early 90s when they broke free of IBM with Windows 3.0. There is so much cool stuff with Copilot right now, and plenty more coming, any business not on M365 is going to be left behind.

 

[Allan]

They're picking exactly the wrong time. Microsoft today has as coherent and as compelling a product strategy as I've seen them have since the early 90s when they broke free of IBM with Windows 3.0. There is so much cool stuff with Copilot right now, and plenty more coming, any business not on M365 is going to be left behind.

Libreoffice is free.

 

[NatMorton]

Libreoffice is free.

And you often get what you pay for. The productivity gains from an AI-enabled office application suite are remarkable, and at least for now Microsoft is way ahead of everyone else integrating AI into that environment.

Alan, I believe you said you're retired from business, but I'm sure you can think back to coworkers who used to write those rambling emails and memos, i.e. the ones that cram four sentences of useful information into 5 or 6 pages of text. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is now to get those bloated documents and just click "summarize."

And then there's the automatic meeting summarization in Teams. If you arrive 15 mins late to a Teams meeting you just type into Copilot's chat window "Summarize the meeting so far" and you're caught up in seconds. Wonderful stuff.

 

[Allan]

Alan, I believe you said you're retired from business, but I'm sure you can think back to coworkers who used to write those rambling emails and memos, i.e. the ones that cram four sentences of useful information into 5 or 6 pages of text. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is now to get those bloated documents and just click "summarize."

That would be useful as hell.

Also an app that punches someone in the face if they use "reply all".

And a power point limit of 5 slides.

 

[NatMorton]

That would be useful as hell.

Also an app that punches someone in the face if they use "reply all".

And a power point limit of 5 slides.

Hear hear.

A quick little Copilot demo. I just asked Copiot to summarize the recent news story of NHL player Nick Tarnasky getting into a fight on a golf course, and do it in the form of a sea shanty. Five seconds later:

*A Tarnasky Tale on the Alberta Green*
*(To the tune of a classic sea shanty)*

> **Oh the sun was high and the pace was slow,**
> At Alberta Springs where the golfers go,
> Nick Tarnasky, tough and bold,
> Faced a drunk with a temper cold.

> **“Move along!” the enforcer cried,**
> But the man just jeered and snide replied.
> With fists like anchors and voice like brass,
> Tarnasky hurled him in the grass.

> **Into the pond the challenger flew,**
> Soaked and sputtering, he came back too.
> “Bang!” cried Nick with every blow,
> Five quick punches in a row.

> **The RCMP came, but found no charge,**
> The brawl was loud, the crowd was large.
> No one pressed, so the case was closed,
> But youth league coaches now deposed.

> **Red Deer Hockey’s in review,**
> Tarnasky’s fate they’ll soon construe.
> But let this tale be caution’s call—
> Don’t pick a fight near a water hazard’s wall!

We sometimes ask it summarize budget meetings in the same way.

 

[Allan]

Hear hear.

A quick little Copilot demo. I just asked Copiot to summarize the recent news story of NHL player Nick Tarnasky getting into a fight on a golf course, and do it in the form of a sea shanty. Five seconds later:


We sometimes ask it summarize budget meetings in the same way.

Lol that fight summary is brilliant

 

[PeteEU]

While I applaud the idea, I suspect the "retraining" and lack of viable co-op functions, cloud stuff and other things might be a deal breaker. Add in security issues and frankly people who can service systems/customer support..and you have potentially some massive issues. Rolling out LibreOffice to 10s of thousands ain't gonna be easy.

Let's put it this way.. the reason companies don't goto Linux or other open source stuff, is the loss in productivity in the short and medium term while retraining and bug fixing..this far far out weighs paying Micro$oft.

Ironically I think moving to Google Docs in the Google Suit system might be easier and better for large organisations like a government, but even that has its issues.

We shall see how it goes...

 

[PeteEU]

I know one problem they will have.. how to replace Outlook.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

They're picking exactly the wrong time. Microsoft today has as coherent and as compelling a product strategy as I've seen them have since the early 90s when they broke free of IBM with Windows 3.0. There is so much cool stuff with Copilot right now, and plenty more coming, any business not on M365 is going to be left behind.

I would argue the opposite. EU laws on security and data processes is tying every single corporation out there to Microsoft because they are the only ones who try to guarantee that data processing and personal data is done within the EU or UK only. No other company is trying to get into this sphere and 1) that helps make Microsoft into an even bigger monopoly and 2) sorry about the politics but Trump has shown us the danger of over-reliance on American services.
Europe needs to have its own digital products and services to that when Trump throws us under a bus again with tariffs, we can do something about the huge deficit we have against American digital products and services.

As an American business too - once you have M365 tendrils all around your business and data - you are never leaving, whether you want to or a better alternative turns up.

I'm sure you can think back to coworkers who used to write those rambling emails and memos, i.e. the ones that cram four sentences of useful information into 5 or 6 pages of text. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is now to get those bloated documents and just click "summarize."

If you're a business and you have a paid M365 enterprise solution - it is useful, otherwise you are handing your confidential email data over outside of the European digital footprint. As above - there needs to be an alternate European solution for businesses here.

And then there's the automatic meeting summarization in Teams. If you arrive 15 mins late to a Teams meeting you just type into Copilot's chat window "Summarize the meeting so far" and you're caught up in seconds. Wonderful stuff.

As above.

I know one problem they will have.. how to replace Outlook.

You can still have Outlook free accounts.

There needs to be greater competition and alternatives - not less and definitely not American. If Europe hasn't learnt from the Trump experience, then we deserve to be enslaved to the whims, random policies and reverses of an unfriendly, errant and contradictory American President.

 

[PeteEU]

You can still have Outlook free accounts.

Sigh.. Microsoft and their naming cluster****. Not talking about Hotmail/Outlook, but about the mail program called Outlook in the office package. If they use that, then it is damn hard to find an alternative that is just as "good", and ween them off Outlook. And no, Thunderbird aint it... it is horrible to use. Not to mention Outlook 365 is often integrated with email systems run on Micro$oft software. Moving from that to "open source" servers is a freaking nightmare.

There needs to be greater competition and alternatives - not less and definitely not American. If Europe hasn't learnt from the Trump experience, then we deserve to be enslaved to the whims, random policies and reverses of an unfriendly, errant and contradictory American President.

I dont disagree at all. Problem is an European alternative needs to be useable and viable, and LibreOffice aint that in its current condition and Thunderbird aint no alternative to Outlook for bulk email handling. Like it or not, Micro$oft and Google have had a decade of experience and infrastructure they can use to keep customers and prevent competition. It will take time and a lot of money to make alternatives..not sure any companies want to do that.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Not to mention Outlook 365 is often integrated with email systems run on Micro$oft software.

Well, we either resign ourselves to the velvet trap and keep quiet when a Trump turns up or we do something about US digital services and digital products.

LibreOffice

Wasn't LibreOffice a version of Open Office (i.e. American?) I know OpenOffice came out of Star (German) but this is part of the problem - European development being bought by American companies and then we are back to square 1 when it comes to digital trade deficit.

 

[joluoto]

They're picking exactly the wrong time. Microsoft today has as coherent and as compelling a product strategy as I've seen them have since the early 90s when they broke free of IBM with Windows 3.0. There is so much cool stuff with Copilot right now, and plenty more coming, any business not on M365 is going to be left behind.

**** AI.

 

[german hick]

Sigh.. Microsoft and their naming cluster****. Not talking about Hotmail/Outlook, but about the mail program called Outlook in the office package. If they use that, then it is damn hard to find an alternative that is just as "good", and ween them off Outlook. And no, Thunderbird aint it... it is horrible to use. Not to mention Outlook 365 is often integrated with email systems run on Micro$oft software. Moving from that to "open source" servers is a freaking nightmare.


I dont disagree at all. Problem is an European alternative needs to be useable and viable, and LibreOffice aint that in its current condition and Thunderbird aint no alternative to Outlook for bulk email handling. Like it or not, Micro$oft and Google have had a decade of experience and infrastructure they can use to keep customers and prevent competition. It will take time and a lot of money to make alternatives..not sure any companies want to do that.

we are using IBM Notes - no problems with that

 

[Infinite Chaos]

we are using IBM Notes - no problems with that

Wasn't IBM support for Notes discontinued in 2018?

Bit dangerous...

 

[german hick]

Wasn't IBM support for Notes discontinued in 2018?

Bit dangerous...

I am no expert. But to be honest - I can hardly imagine the use of my street plans for hackers

Kommunaler IT-Dienstleister Südwestfalen-IT

Die Südwestfalen IT ist ein kommunaler IT-Dienstleister mit Sitz in Hemer und Siegen. Der Fokus der Südwestfalen-IT liegt auf dem E-Government.

www.sit.nrw

these guys do safety for most south westphalian cities. And they are quite annoying

 

[Slartibartfast]

If Europe wants to get away from American companies, then my suggestion would be to work with the open source community to get nextcloud to the point that it’s a drop in replacement.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

If Europe wants to get away from American companies, then my suggestion would be to work with the open source community to get nextcloud to the point that it’s a drop in replacement.

Now I've had time to look at Nextcloud - it appears several branches of the EU have already started to use nextcloud as a budding alternative to Sharepoint.

EU Governments Are Looking to Nextcloud to Escape Microsoft

EU governments are turning to Nextcloud to provide an alternative to Microsoft SharePoint and Google Workspace.

www.webpronews.com

Even without Trump forcing this to happen - competition is important; all consumers will benefit from there being something that forces Microsoft to stay competitive but Trump's presence sort of pushes it beyond that to having Europe develop its own products and cut down the American digital footprint in Europe.

 

[PeteEU]

Now I've had time to look at Nextcloud - it appears several branches of the EU have already started to use nextcloud as a budding alternative to Sharepoint.

EU Governments Are Looking to Nextcloud to Escape Microsoft

EU governments are turning to Nextcloud to provide an alternative to Microsoft SharePoint and Google Workspace.

www.webpronews.com

Even without Trump forcing this to happen - competition is important; all consumers will benefit from there being something that forces Microsoft to stay competitive but Trump's presence sort of pushes it beyond that to having Europe develop its own products and cut down the American digital footprint in Europe.

Wait.. competition is important? Not that must go against EU rules or something...no wait.

The problem with competition in the tech space is money. A potential threat pops up, and the big 4 American Tech giants buy it up. Waze, Instagram, Whatsapp and so on.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Waze,

Who bought Waze? Great little App except that it keeps won't stick to the orientation I want it to.

Instagram, Whatsapp

Meta? (Facebook)

A potential threat pops up, and the big 4 American Tech giants buy it up.

True but the people who create these new threats don't have to sell, they do it out of their own choice.

 

[PeteEU]

Who bought Waze? Great little App except that it keeps won't stick to the orientation I want it to.

Google

Meta? (Facebook)



True but the people who create these new threats don't have to sell, they do it out of their own choice.

Of course.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Google

No wonder it reorients itself and goes from 2D to 3D when I don't want it to - that's what ruined Maps for me. If I like the map to orient the direction the car is facing then why does Google think it's clever halfway around a strange new town to suddenly go 3D view or orient to North?