Austrian military adopts LibreOffice as its preferred office suite software
The Austrian Armed Forces have made a significant shift in their IT infrastructure, transitioning from Microsoft Office 365 to the open-source LibreOffice suite. This change, which began in 2021, was primarily driven by the need to strengthen digital sovereignty, maintain independence in terms of ICT infrastructure, and ensure data processing within their own premises.
Prior to the switch, Microsoft 365 was deeply entrenched in the work processes of the Austrian Armed Forces. In 2021, the forces were using Microsoft Office 365 2016 Professional and VBA solutions for official duties. However, by the current year, all computers within the Austrian Armed Forces had Microsoft 365 removed.
Employees were given the option to switch to LibreOffice as early as 2022. Detailed planning and training of internal developers for improvements and additional software were carried out in the same year. The software suite was made mandatory in the first Austrian Armed Forces departments in 2023.
Internal applications can still be made for the installation of specific Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC modules for official duties, indicating that Microsoft Access may still be in use by the Austrian Armed Forces.
To support and develop the LibreOffice suite for the Austrian Armed Forces, detailed planning and training of internal developers were carried out in 2022. In 2023, the support and development of the LibreOffice suite was managed internally with the involvement of Michael Hillebrand from Directorate 6 ICT and Cyber of the Austrian Armed Forces, and a German company was contracted for support and external development.
More than five man-years have already been paid for adaptations and improvements to LibreOffice. These adaptations and improvements made by the Austrian Armed Forces can benefit all LibreOffice users.
The Austrian Armed Forces have also made changes to their email and collaboration solutions. In 2021, they started using self-hosted Linux servers with Samba instead of Microsoft's email or collaboration solutions. Their smartphones are from Apple.
The Austrian Armed Forces have also acquired separate licenses for certain fonts to ensure compatibility with their new software suite. This switch from Microsoft's Office programs to the open-source LibreOffice suite is a significant step towards digital independence for the Austrian Armed Forces.
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