Europe is making a bold move to ditch US tech giants and it's gaining steam, thanks to open-source software. The continent is shifting towards digital sovereignty, driven by a loss of trust in American tech companies and the government. Thierry Carrez, OpenInfra Foundation general manager, emphasizes that this move is all about resilience, not isolation. Several EU governments have already dumped Microsoft software for open-source solutions, including Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state, Austria's military, Denmark's government organizations, and France's city of Lyon.
Companies like OVHcloud, SUSE, and NextCloud are leading the charge, offering digital sovereignty solutions using OpenStack and other open-source programs. OVHcloud founder Octave Klaba emphasizes that open source ensures no one can lock you up or take it away, providing control over applications, data, and destiny while benefiting from global collaboration. The European Commission is also backing this move, with Henna Virkkunen, the EU's first executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, working to combat security threats and over-reliance on non-European tech services.
The sovereign cloud movement is reaching critical mass, with European organizations seeking private infrastructure capacity and local talent. This shift is driven by concerns over US government policy changes, Microsoft's price increases, and Broadcom's acquisition of VMware. As a result, open-source solutions are becoming increasingly attractive, allowing Europe to maintain control over its digital infrastructure while still benefiting from global innovation.
By embracing open source, Europe aims to ensure digital sovereignty without sacrificing collaboration and innovation. This approach enables the continent to reduce its reliance on US tech giants and build a more resilient and secure digital ecosystem. As the movement gains momentum, it's likely to have far-reaching implications for the global tech industry and Europe's digital future.
