The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has completed a significant migration to open-source groupware solutions, utilizing Open-Xchange and Thunderbird for its email and collaboration systems. This move represents a major step toward digital sovereignty and cost savings, positioning the state as a pioneer in Germany. The state officials have described the migration as a major success, emphasizing the benefits of reducing reliance on proprietary software and adopting open-source alternatives.
As part of this transition, Schleswig-Holstein is now planning to shift its government desktop PCs to Linux, the open-source operating system. This phase of the digital transformation is expected to further enhance the state’s autonomy and reduce long-term software costs. The migration process has affected around 30,000 government employees across various departments, including the State Chancellery, ministries, judiciary, state police, and other state authorities. Over 40,000 mailboxes, containing more than 100 million emails and calendar entries, have been successfully moved to the new system.
Digitization Minister Dirk Schrödter emphasized the significance of this achievement, stating, “We are real pioneers. We can’t fall back on the experience of others—there is hardly a comparable project of this magnitude anywhere in the world.” The state’s decision aligns with a broader trend in European nations, where many countries have increasingly embraced open-source solutions for their government operations, as noted by the website It’s FOSS. The success of Schleswig-Holstein’s migration may serve as a model for other regions considering similar transitions to open-source technologies.