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Technical glitch: Schleswig-Holstein is struggling with the email transition
Schleswig-Holstein switches to open source software; Breakdown in email conversion affects 800 mailboxes, including Plön.
Technical glitch: Schleswig-Holstein is struggling with the email transition
A change that is attracting a lot of attention: Schleswig-Holstein has switched from Microsoft to open source software in its state administration. However, as stern.de reports, there was a technical glitch when migrating email inboxes that caused trouble. A total of 800 mailboxes were affected, including those of the Interior Ministry and the tax offices in Plön and Lübeck.
The reason for the breakdown? Human error. Fortunately, 11,000 mailboxes have so far been successfully switched to the new Open-Xchange and Thunderbird software solutions. The responsible service provider Dataport immediately informed about the difficulties and is doing everything in its power to restore the ability to work as quickly as possible. After the problem became known, access to the affected email accounts was blocked.
Comprehensive change
This move is part of a broader state government initiative aimed at achieving digital sovereignty through the use of open software solutions. The Open Source Program Office Schleswig-Holstein (OSPO SH) was launched as an important step towards digital independence. Digitization Minister Dirk Schrödter emphasizes how important OSPO SH is in breaking away from monopolistic providers. It will act as a central coordination point and support the strategic use and development of open source software in administration, as schleswig-holstein.de reports.
But while Schleswig-Holstein is making bold progress, the Open Source Business Alliance (OSBA) sees current federal policy efforts as inadequate. According to heise.de, key promises to promote open source software have not been kept, which seriously endangers digital sovereignty. In particular, projects like the Center for Digital Sovereignty, which urgently need financial support, do not come close to getting a chance.
Criticism and opportunities
The OSBA criticizes the fact that only minimal funds are made available for important projects. There are calls for an independent open source strategy and better financing of existing projects. Behind the scenes, there is a lot of thinking going on about how to reduce dependencies on US software - a topic that has come into increasing focus since Donald Trump's last presidency.
The discussion about open source is more lively than ever. Alexander Rosenthal, head of DigitalHub.SH, encourages companies to take advantage of open source solutions and free themselves from existing dependencies. The challenges described above also provide opportunities for future developments to ensure safer and more efficient administration.
Whether Schleswig-Holstein will manage to escape its digital dependency and how the state administration will overcome the challenges remains exciting. One thing is certain: the implementation of this digital strategy is being closely monitored and could serve as a model for other federal states.