Digital Sovereignty and Open Source Shaping an answer to geopolitical instabilities FOSS Backstage, Berlin | 10.03.2025 | Jutta Horstmann, CEO ZenDiS GmbH
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Open Source in the Public Sector
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2019
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96% 96% of German federal government agencies use Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows. (Source: Strategic market analysis, PwC, 2019)
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80% Around 80% of the virtualisation solutions used by the federal government are from VMware. (Source: Federal government response to a parliamentary enquiry)
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75% 75% of federal administration data is managed with Oracle solutions. (Source: Analyse der Abhängigkeit der Öffentlichen Verwaltung von Datenbankprodukten, 2021)
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Cost Explosion
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€13.6 bn The current IT framework agreements between the federal government and the ten biggest contractual partners have totalled 13.6 billion euros since 2023. (Source: Federal government response to a parliamentary enquiry)
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€4.6 bn The German federal government signed a general contract with Oracle on 4.6 billion euros. (Source: Federal government response to a parliamentary enquiry)
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Loss of Control
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The answer
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Digital Sovereignty Having a choice Being free to adapt Having a voice
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Digital Sovereignty Having a choice Provide alternatives Being free to adapt Ensure adaptability Having a voice Build competence
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Digital Sovereignty Having a choice Provide alternatives Being free to adapt Ensure adaptability Having a voice Build competence
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Our role Public administration Open source providers
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Plattform Products Plattform for sovereign public sector software Office & Collaboration Suite for the public sector www.opencode.de www.opendesk.eu
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0,5% Only 0,5% of all federal spendings on software and related services went into Open Source related efforts. (Source: Federal government response to a parliamentary enquiry, Dec 2023)
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An end to digital strategy
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An end to proper funding
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And now?
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From threat to opportunity
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A plan 1. Focus on a sovereign digital strategy. 2. Close ranks with European partners. 3. Stop public spending on proprietary US technologies. 4. Make procurement of Open Source software a „must“. 5. Create an updated overview on all dependencies. 6. Procure or develop Open Source alternatives. 7. Create migration strategies. 8. Implement them.
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Digital sovereignty does not stop on national borders
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What’s it going to take?
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A call to action
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Let’s make sure digital sovereignty and Open Source make it into the coalition contract and the list of projects to be funded by the special funds for defense and infrastructure.
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Let’s work together to provide Open Source solutions that governments, companies and individuals now need to regain their agency.
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Any questions? Let’s make a difference together! Jutta Horstmann CEO ZenDiS GmbH E-Mail: jutta.horstmann@zendis.de LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhorstmann/ Centre for Digital Sovereignty of Public Administration E-Mail: hallo@zendis.de Web: www.zendis.de
