The French government has taken a major step towards modernizing the information technology used in government agencies and reducing foreign dependence. Under the new plan, the country aims to gradually switch government systems from the Microsoft Windows platform to Linux, while also preparing to abandon software of American origin.
According to the official instructions, all ministries must prepare plans to abandon non-European software in their main IT infrastructure by the fall of 2026. This change is not limited to computer operating systems. The plan also covers cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, databases, virtualization, network equipment and communication tools used for daily work.
DINUM, France’s digital governance agency, has already presented some local alternatives. Tchap, a messaging service designed for government agencies, Visio for videoconferencing and FranceTransfer for document exchange are listed as key elements of this strategy. How this transition will be implemented will be discussed in more detail at meetings to be held in June with representatives of the public and private sectors.
This step is not unique to France. In recent years, European Union countries have been trying to reduce their dependence on US companies' products in order to become more independent in the field of technology. Although programs from giants such as Microsoft and Google are widely used in Europe, the new policy aims to reduce this dependence.
