The moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.
After more than a decade of advocacy, capacity building, and persistent evangelism for open source alternatives, a nation has finally taken the bold step that many of us have been championing since the early 2010s.
Denmark’s Minister of Digitalization, Caroline Stage, has announced that the Danish government will start moving away from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, with the entire Ministry of Digitalization expected to be Microsoft Windows free by fall 2025.
A Personal Journey – From Vision to Vindication
In 2012, I made what many considered a radical decision at the time to completely abandon Microsoft’s ecosystem in favor of open source alternatives. While colleagues and organizations around me continued to feed the Microsoft dependency cycle, I began building capacity, advocating for digital sovereignty, and developing solutions that would demonstrate the viability of open source ecosystems.
This wasn’t just about software preferences, it was about digital independence, economic sustainability, and technological self determination. My PasifikaOS project (https://github.com/EdwinLiavaa/pasifikaos) emerged from this vision, a commitment to proving that Pacific Island nations could chart their own digital destiny without surrendering control to foreign tech giants.
For over a decade, this advocacy often felt like swimming against the tide. But Denmark’s decision validates everything we’ve been working toward.
Denmark’s Wake-Up Call – The True Cost of Digital Dependence
The numbers tell a stark story that every government should heed. Copenhagen’s Microsoft software bill has soared from 313 million kroner in 2018 to 538 million kroner, about $53 million in 2023, a 72% increase in just five years. This isn’t just inflation, this is the price of digital colonialism.
David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), inventor of Ruby on Rails, captured the essence perfectly i.e. “Denmark is one of the most highly digitalized countries in the world. It’s also one of the most Microsoft dependent. In fact, Microsoft is by far and away the single biggest dependency, so it makes perfect sense to start the quest for digital sovereignty there.”
Digital Sovereignty – More Than Just Software
Denmark’s shift is taking place against the backdrop of a new digitalization strategy in which the Kingdom’s “digital sovereignty” is given priority. This isn’t merely about saving money, though the economic benefits are substantial. It’s about control, security, and independence.
The geopolitical implications became crystal clear when Microsoft allegedly locked the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, out of his email accounts following President Trump’s ICC sanctions. This incident exposed the vulnerability that comes with dependence on foreign controlled digital infrastructure.
As Copenhagen’s Henrik Appel Espersen noted i.e. “If we suddenly can’t send emails or communicate internally because of a political fallout, that’s a huge problem”.
The Implementation – Leading by Example
Denmark’s approach is methodical and smart. The Ministry of Digitalization plans for half of its employees to use Linux based computers by mid year, with LibreOffice replacing Office 365 as the standard office software. This phased approach allows for testing, training, and refinement, exactly the kind of thoughtful implementation that other nations should emulate.
Before the Danish government announced its move, Denmark’s largest cities, Copenhagen and Aarhus, had already announced plans to phase out Microsoft software and cloud services. This grassroots to government progression demonstrates that the movement has solid foundations.
A Model for the Pacific Islands
Denmark’s decision should serve as both inspiration and instruction for Pacific Island States. These nations face unique challenges that make the case for open source adoption even more compelling:
Economic Reality: Pacific Island nations often struggle with limited budgets for technology infrastructure. The escalating costs of Microsoft licensing represent an unsustainable drain on public resources that could be redirected to education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
Digital Sovereignty: Small island developing states are particularly vulnerable to having their digital infrastructure controlled by foreign entities. Denmark’s experience with geopolitical service disruptions should resonate strongly with nations that understand the importance of self determination.
Capacity Building: My PasifikaOS project and years of advocacy have demonstrated that Pacific Island nations don’t need to remain digital colonies. We have the talent, the vision, and increasingly, the proven alternatives to chart our own course.
Cultural Alignment: Open source development models, with their emphasis on community collaboration and shared ownership, align naturally with Pacific Island values of collective responsibility and mutual support.
The Ripple Effect: Beyond Denmark
Denmark’s move could have a ripple effect across the continent, with other countries looking at Denmark’s example as a blueprint for digital independence. This is exactly what the open source community has been working toward, not just individual adoption, but systemic change that demonstrates the viability of alternatives.
The European Union’s broader push for digital sovereignty creates momentum that Pacific Island States can leverage. As more nations demonstrate successful transitions, the path becomes clearer and the arguments more compelling.
The Technology is Ready
One of the most significant aspects of Denmark’s decision is the implicit acknowledgment that open source alternatives have reached full maturity. LibreOffice, Linux, and the broader ecosystem of open source tools are no longer experimental alternatives, they are production ready, enterprise grade solutions that can handle the full spectrum of government operations.
This technological maturity removes the last major barrier to adoption. The question is no longer “Can open source software meet our needs?” but rather “Why are we still paying premium prices for inferior solutions that compromise our sovereignty?”
A Call to Action for Pacific Island Leaders
Denmark’s bold move should inspire immediate action across the Pacific. Every day we delay this transition is another day we surrender economic resources and digital sovereignty to foreign corporations. The path has been proven, the alternatives are mature, and the economic and strategic arguments are overwhelming.
I call upon Pacific Island leaders to:
- Audit Current Costs: Calculate exactly how much public money is flowing to Microsoft and other foreign tech giants annually
- Pilot Programs: Begin small scale trials with LibreOffice and Linux in select government departments
- Capacity Building: Invest in training local technicians and administrators in open source technologies
- Regional Collaboration: Work together to share resources, expertise, and solutions across Pacific Island nations
- Policy Development: Create frameworks that prioritize open source solutions in government procurement
The Vindication of Persistence
For those of us who have been advocating for this transition since 2010s, Denmark’s decision feels like vindication of more than a decade of persistent effort. It proves that the vision we’ve been promoting, of digital independence, economic sustainability, and technological self determination, wasn’t just idealistic dreaming.
It was prophecy.
Denmark has shown the world that nations don’t have to accept digital colonialism as inevitable. They can choose independence, sovereignty, and economic sustainability. The only question now is i.e. which Pacific Island nation will be next to follow Denmark’s courageous example?
The technology is ready. The economic case is clear. The strategic imperative is urgent. The time for action is now.
Let’s Go!
