Open Source Momentum: Major Trends and Opportunities for 2025

Across the European Union, a deliberate transition is underway as public institutions and governments seek to reduce their dependence on proprietary software (especially from American tech giants like Microsoft) in favor of open-source solutions. This shift is no longer just a question of tech preference; it’s a matter of digital sovereignty, economic security, and regulatory independence. The pressures fuelling Europe’s migration are multifaceted: rising licence costs (with Microsoft 365 increasing as much as 25-40% in some configurations since 2020), recent geopolitical events, and a deeply felt need to control and safeguard sensitive public data in accordance with European standards and laws.

Digital sovereignty is now a top priority for the EU. Public and political debate increasingly revolves not just around regulation, but around building and investing in homegrown alternatives. As highlighted at the 2025 EU Open Source Policy Summit, “Open source is not just compatible with Europe’s goals of competitiveness and sovereignty, it is fundamental to achieve them.” Reducing Big Tech’s market dominance and vendor lock-in is seen as key to resilience in the face of foreign interference. These debates will only intensify following the recent sworn testimony of Microsoft France’s legal director before the French Senate, where he admitted the company cannot guarantee that French citizen data, stored in EU datacenters, is fully protected from access by US agencies.

• Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein: This German region is migrating 30,000 government computers away from Microsoft Office and Windows, opting for Linux and LibreOffice, and aiming to create a Microsoft-free IT environment.
• Denmark: The Danish Ministry of Digital Technology is transitioning at least one ministry from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice.
• France’s City of Lyon: is transitioning government offices to OnlyOffice. France already has a good experience with open-source solutions, as their national gendarmerie has long relied on custom Ubuntu-based systems.

• Reduced Big Tech Dominance: Open-source adoption lessens the overwhelming influence of single-vendor ecosystems and insulates the EU from regulatory and market changes in other countries.
• Customisability and Innovation: Open-source solutions are adaptable to the unique needs of institutions. As more agencies contribute code and features, these benefits ripple outward to the global open-source community.
• Educational Effects: Introducing open-source tools in schools and public administration fosters a generation familiar with alternatives, gradually shifting workforce demand away from proprietary platforms.
• Public Value for Tax Money: When taxpayer funds are directed toward developing and improving open-source software, the resulting tools and enhancements are made freely available, not only to government institutions but also to all citizens, ensuring that everyone can benefit from public investment and reducing barriers to access quality digital resources at home.

Free and open-source software has reimagined Linux as an accessible, modern operating system for the masses. Now, distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and Linux Mint offer familiar, intuitive interfaces, streamlined setup, and software stores with one-click installations rivalling any commercial alternative. The learning curve has flattened dramatically; even users without a tech background can get started as easily as they would with a new tablet or a smartphone.

As Windows 11 rolls out with stiffer hardware demands and deeper cloud integration, millions of Windows 10 users find themselves forced to upgrade hardware or face limited support. The introduction of controversial features like Copilot Recall, which periodically screenshots users’ desktops, has lifted privacy and surveillance worries to new heights. In response, grassroots initiatives like “End of 10” are gaining momentum, helping users migrate to Linux and putting practical resources at their fingertips.

The impact is measurable and significant. By July 2025, Linux surpassed 5% of the U.S. desktop market share for the first time, its highest ever. This milestone highlights a shift from Linux as a niche solution to a mainstream option, embraced by privacy-conscious users, gamers, and anyone eager for more control and fewer restrictions over their devices.

Now, Linux stands out as a practical, secure, and truly free operating system for everyone, not just technology experts. Whether you’re curious or hesitant, there’s never been a better opportunity to explore the possibilities of open source.

• Open-Source Ecosystems Are Ready: Open-source ecosystems and tools are more mature and reliable than ever, and rising proprietary costs have created a powerful incentive for change.
• Pathways to True Sovereignty and Cost Control: With the right commitment and strategy, your business can harness open source to strengthen its sovereignty, enhance security, boost economic competitiveness, and achieve better control over costs.
• Employee Readiness: With both institutes in the EU and individual users increasingly switching to Linux, there is a high chance that your employees are already familiar with and know how to use it, simplifying adoption and reducing training needs.

• As software costs keep climbing, what will your IT budget look like if subscription fees for big tech rise another 25–40% in the next five years?
• Is your sensitive data safe on U.S. servers or with platforms that routinely sync back to American headquarters?
• Is your company’s sensitive information being used to train AI models? If so, could your competitors or rivals end up benefiting from AI tools trained in part on your proprietary data?
• If your business operates in a controversial sector or holds views that might not align with prevailing political sentiment, are you comfortable relying on providers that could restrict access based on shifting policy or regulation?
• How easily can you migrate your business operations to another platform if your current vendor changes pricing, terms of service, or introduces unwanted features?

Is now the right time to consider migration? We’ll leave that decision to you. Here’s how we can assist:

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• The EU Open Source Policy Summit 2025 - https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/event/eu-open-source-policy-summit-2025
• Taking Control: What Is Digital Sovereignty & Why Does It Matter For Your Business? - https://stefanini.com/en/insights/news/what-is-digital-sovereignty-why-does-it-matter-for-your-business
• The Foundations of Digital Sovereignty: Why Control Over Data, Technology and Operations Matters - https://www.suse.com/c/the-foundations-of-digital-sovereignty-why-control-over-data-technology-and-operations-matters/
• Microsoft can't protect French data from US government access - https://ppc.land/microsoft-cant-protect-french-data-from-us-government-access/
• German state gov. ditching Windows for Linux, 30K workers migrating - https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/04/german-state-gov-ditching-windows-for-linux-30k-workers-migrating/
• From Word and Excel to LibreOffice: Danish ministry says goodbye to Microsoft - https://www.heise.de/en/news/From-Word-and-Excel-to-LibreOffice-Danish-ministry-says-goodbye-to-Microsoft-10438942.html
• This city is dumping Microsoft Office and Windows for OnlyOffice and Linux - here's why - https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-city-is-dumping-microsoft-office-and-windows-for-onlyoffice-and-linux-heres-why/
• GentBuntu - Linux used by French Gendarmerie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GendBuntu
• Sharp price hike for Microsoft 365 cause for irritation - https://www.techzine.eu/news/applications/127706/sharp-price-hike-for-microsoft-365-cause-for-irritation/
• That groan you hear is users’ reaction to Recall going back into Windows - https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/04/microsoft-is-putting-privacy-endangering-recall-back-into-windows-11/
• Windows 11 System Requirements - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-system-requirements-86c11283-ea52-4782-9efd-7674389a7ba3
• Can’t upgrade to Windows 11? This Linux project wants to save your old PC from the scrapheap when Windows 10 support ends - https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/cant-upgrade-to-windows-11-this-linux-project-wants-to-save-your-old-pc-from-the-scrapheap-when-windows-10-support-ends
• EndOf10 - https://endof10.org/press/2025-05-28-press-release/
• Linux surpasses 5% market share on US desktops for the first time - https://www.techspot.com/news/108701-linux-surpasses-5-market-share-us-desktops-first.html
• Trump’s sanctions on ICC halt tribunal's work, staffers claim - https://www.euronews.com/2025/05/15/trumps-sanctions-on-icc-halt-tribunals-work-staffers-claim