Communications of the ACM
Microsoft Poses Threat to Germany's Digital Sovereignty, Warns Study
A new study has confirmed the German government is too dependent on the software of just a few software providers.
Credit: Microsoft
An analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers has confirmed that the German government is too dependent on the software of just a few software providers.
The study found that was particularly the case with Microsoft, as nearly all German public officials run Office and Windows programs on their computers.
The report said such dependence creates "pressure points in the federal government that work in opposition to the government's [stated] strategic IT goals," adding that concerns about Microsoft's information security could "endanger the country's digital sovereignty."
Options detailed in the report include establishing a framework and rules for the future use of other software (such as open source) and negotiating deals with other software providers.
Said Dirk Riehle of Friedrich Alexander University in Nuremberg, "Digital sovereignty is possible, yes, but there will be high costs."
From ZDNet
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