No More Windows For The Dutch Government, Ze Kiezen Nu Linux

What happened

It comes complete with all the office and collaboration applications needed to replace Windows, and is reported to have been tested alreasy by a small group of Dutch government workers. The events of the last few years have caused many in Europe to re-evaluate their reliance on large offshore technology companies, with a corresponding move to home-grown EU-based alternatives.

It’s one thing when individuals or companies do this, but another entirely when it’s an entire country. So the news that the Netherlands is building their own Linux distribution to replace Microsoft Windows in government installations, is not inconsequential.

The Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid, or Digital Autonomous Work Environment, is a distro based upon NixOS, itself originally a product of a Dutch university. The influence of this move is likely to be a huge one for Microsoft, given that governments have huge numbers of operating system seats.