In a determined bid for technological sovereignty and control of its digital infrastructure, The city of Lyon has announced that it will gradually end the use of Microsoft software and services. in local government. With this move, Lyon joins an observable trend in different regions of Europe, where concern about technological dependence on foreign suppliers, primarily American ones, has led governments to seek alternatives based on open source.
This decision, which impacts more than 10.000 public employees in France's third largest city, It is structured in two well-defined phases. On the one hand, The Windows operating system is replaced by Linux, and the Microsoft Office suite for OnlyOffice, thus opting for free tools untethered to large technology corporations. For municipal database management, the choice fell on PostgreSQL, a well-established alternative within the free software space.
Open Digital Territory: Lyon's collaborative platform
In addition to replacing the main Microsoft programs, the City Council is committed to the development and implementation of the platform Open Digital Territory (originally Territoire Numérique Ouvert), a collaborative environment based on open source software, is the result of a partnership between the public digital services operator SITIV and the metropolitan administrative authority. Designed to enable video calls, document co-editing, and collaborative work, this platform is presented as an alternative to solutions like Microsoft Teams, but managed locally and hosted in regional data centers.
La National Agency for Territorial Cohesion of France (ANCT) has supported this initiative with funding of 2 millones de euros, allowing thousands of employees from different municipalities in the Lyon metropolitan area to already be using the platform. What is important is that the system is designed to be scaled and shared at the national level, promoting interoperability and digital independence in the French administration.
A change that responds to European challenges
The digital transformation in Lyon reflects a broader trend in Europe, where regions such as Schleswig-Holstein in Germany and the Danish government have announced similar projects, seeking to greater control over public data and digital infrastructuresBeyond the technological aspects, these measures are a response to recent incidents, such as Microsoft's blocking of the email accounts of judges at the International Criminal Court, which has fueled the debate over European autonomy in digital matters.
Although LibreOffice has been chosen as the office suite in most countries, Lyon has preferred OnlyOffice, developed in Latvia, despite the controversy over alleged links between its commercial version and Russia. This detail has sparked debate in some quarters, but local authorities stress the priority of adopting solutions that promote technological autonomy and local development.
Lyon's transition to Linux and free software comes amid a context of change across Europe. French Gendarmerie has been using its own version of Ubuntu for years, and the German and Danish governments are undergoing similar processes, with the progressive training and adaptation of their staff and the creation of their own applications that cover administrative needs without depending on suppliers such as Microsoft.
Linux continues to make inroads into European administrations
This migration process, far from being immediate, It is gradual and requires staff trainingThe Lyon authorities emphasize that beyond the technical issue, these decisions point to a public administration more transparent, sustainable and aligned with citizen interests, which encourages the use of local tools and guarantees the protection and sovereignty of public data.
Lyon's transition to Linux and free software marks a new step on Europe's path to technological independence, reflecting a commitment to transparency, local development and digital security, and setting a precedent that could inspire other cities and countries in the field of public administration.
