Austria’s military has finalised its transition to open source solutions. However, the organisation did more than simply switch to open source — it also became an active contributor to the projects it adopted.
In September 2025, just four years after making the decision, the Austrian Armed Forces announced the completion of their transition away from proprietary software. This change affects over 16,000 workstations within the organisation.
“It was very important for us to show that we are doing this primarily (...) to strengthen our digital sovereignty, to maintain our independence in terms of ICT infrastructure and (...) to ensure that data is only processed in-house," emphasized Michael Hillebrand from the Austrian Armed Forces' Directorate 6 ICT and Cyber on ORF radio station Ö1.
This case stands apart from typical government migration stories because the Austrian Armed Forces invested in improving the open source projects it adopted, creating public benefit from military technology decisions. This demonstrates how digital transformation in the public sector can strengthen the global open source ecosystem.
From Consumer to Contributor: A Multi-Year Commitment
The transition of the Austrian Armed Forces to open source did not happen overnight. Rather, it was the result of a carefully planned project spanning several years.
Following an assessment in 2020 which identified risks associated with cloud dependency and the need for digital sovereignty, the project was decided in 2021. The migration officially kicked off the following year, in 2022, with the launch of the voluntary migration phase. During this time, employees were given the option to make a gradual transition if they wished.
In order to ensure its digital sovereignty, the Austrian military not only implemented open source software, but also actively contributed to the projects it intended to use. In particular, the institution created new features and functionality specifically tailored to military operational needs. These improvements, although driven by internal needs, have considerable value to the community and the public as they are now available to all users, contributing back to the projects.
The institution has already paid for over 5 years to improve the software. Additionally, in 2023, external developers were contracted to facilitate the transition and establish a mandatory migration path. They helped provide training and bolster the open source projects with the specific features needed for military workflows.
Migration was finally completed across all military systems by September 2025. This multi-year process reflects careful planning and coordination, resulting in what the institution presents as a successful transition to open source while simultaneously contributing to the projects it adopted.
Sovereignty, the Driving Force behind the Transition
Proprietary solutions used to cost around €5.61 million per year for use on all the workstations of military institutions. By contrast, the chosen open source alternatives require no licence fees. While important, cost was only a secondary consideration in the motivations behind the change operated by Austrian Armed Forces.
'We are not doing this to save money,' Hillebrand told ORF.
Rather, the real goal behind the transition is digital sovereignty and control over the institution's critical data. For a military institution, dependency on foreign-controlled IT infrastructure raises particular concerns about access to sensitive operational data, command systems, and strategic communications. In a report published in 2020, the military identified the specific risks of dependency on external cloud services, particularly those controlled by US-based companies. These systems could potentially be subject to foreign government pressure or interference, compromising the confidentiality and security of Austria's defence operations.
Recent geopolitical events have intensified these concerns. Rising global tensions have increased worry about foreign interference and data breaches, and have driven broader European reconsideration of reliance on non-European technology providers. For Austria and other European nations, the stakes are particularly high: maintaining independent control over military data and infrastructure is essential to strategic autonomy and operational security.
Another significant motivation is security. Because of their monopolies and growth, some IT companies have been repeatedly targeted by cyber attacks, endangering clients’ data and infrastructure security. Vulnerabilities of some popular proprietary systems have led to important security breaches and exploits. In contrast, pairing open source solutions together can help reduce this risk, notably because of less zero-day attack vectors than traditional software. Furthermore, bugs are more rapidly discovered and patched in open source environments, thanks to the community, overall increasing the security of the applications. For a military institution where data breaches could have operational consequences, the shift to open source is not merely beneficial but strategically essential.
The transition operated by the Austrian Armed Forces is part of a growing trend across European institutions to move away foreign, proprietary software. In April this year, the BWI — the German Armed Forces' IT infrastructure provider — also announced its adoption of open source.