Denmark has abandoned a pilot program that tested replacing Microsoft Office with the open-source Collabora suite, according to Danish publication Computerworld, as reported by Tom's Hardware. The experiment, launched in 2025 with 38 employees, had ended by the time the Danish government called an early election in February 2026.
The pilot was initiated by the then Digitization Minister Caroline Stage, who wanted to reduce Denmark's dependence on American technology. It involved employees at the then Ministry of Digitization, which has since been merged and is now called the Ministry for Research, Education, and Digitization. All participants were to use the British open-source Collabora office suite instead of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Employees reportedly complained about issues with style, paragraph formatting, blank pages, and challenges with tracking changes. The alternative also had to work with the ministry's central case management system, called F2.
Prof. Mikkel Flyberbom of the Copenhagen Business School said the project has not been properly evaluated. "It's a good idea to test alternatives in a pilot project," he said. "However, I wish that the ministry would take the opportunity to learn from the pilot project and share those experiences with other parts of the public sector."
Collabora is based on LibreOffice, one of the most popular and mature open-source alternatives to Microsoft's office suite. France and the Netherlands have also taken steps to replace Microsoft Windows. Computerworld noted that it is unclear why Collabora was chosen as the only alternative tested.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The failed pilot shows the practical difficulties governments face in reducing reliance on American software.
- Without a proper evaluation, the public sector may miss lessons that could inform future open-source migrations.
- Other European governments watching Denmark's experiment may adjust their own plans to move away from U.S. technology.
Background
Denmark's pilot was part of a broader European push toward digital sovereignty, with France and the Netherlands also taking steps to replace Microsoft Windows. Collabora is based on LibreOffice, a mature open-source alternative to Microsoft's office suite. The Danish experiment was tested against the ministry's central case management system, F2, but ended in under six months amid employee complaints about formatting and tracking changes.
Key Perspectives
- Caroline Stage: initiated the pilot to reduce Denmark's dependence on American technology.
- Mikkel Flyberbom: says testing alternatives in a pilot project was a good idea, but the ministry should learn from the experience and share it with other parts of the public sector.
- Employees: complained about issues with style, paragraph formatting, blank pages, and tracking changes.
What to Watch
- Whether the Danish Ministry for Research, Education, and Digitization publishes a formal evaluation of the pilot.
- Whether other European governments proceed with open-source office migrations or change course after Denmark's experience.
- Whether Collabora and similar suites address the compatibility and formatting issues that employees reported.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe headline says Denmark ended the open-source Microsoft Office pilot in less than six months.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Denmark’s bid to ditch Microsoft Office for open-source alternative Collabora collapses in under six months.”
- Partly supportedThe summary says the experiment encountered formatting problems.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “with some employees complaining about issues with style, paragraph formatting, blank pages, and challenges with tracking changes.”
- SupportedThe project was not properly evaluated, according to a professor.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Prof. Mikkel Flyberbom of the Copenhagen Business School complains that the project hasn’t been properly evaluated.”
- Partly supportedDenmark abandoned the pilot, according to Computerworld as reported by Tom’s Hardware.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “According to Danish publication Computerworld [machine translated], the pilot project was launched in 2025”
- SupportedThe pilot launched in 2025 and involved 38 employees.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “the pilot project was launched in 2025 and involved 38 employees”
- SupportedThe pilot had ended by the time Denmark called an early election in February 2026.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “It had reportedly ended by the time the Danish government called for an early election in February 2026”
- SupportedThen Digitization Minister Caroline Stage initiated the experiment to reduce Denmark’s dependence on American technology.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The experiment was initiated by the then Digitization Minister Caroline Stage, who wanted to reduce the country’s dependence on American technology.”
- SupportedThe Ministry of Digitization was merged with other ministries and is now called the Ministry for Research, Education, and Digitization.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Denmark’s Ministry of Digitization, which has since been merged with other ministries and is now called the Ministry for Research, Education, and Digitization”
- SupportedAll pilot participants were to use the British open-source Collabora suite instead of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “involved 38 employees, all of whom would start using the British open-source Collabora office suite instead of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.”
- SupportedSome employees reportedly complained about style, paragraph formatting, blank pages, and tracking changes.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “with some employees complaining about issues with style, paragraph formatting, blank pages, and challenges with tracking changes.”
- SupportedProfessor Mikkel Flyberbom said: “It's a good idea to test alternatives in a pilot project,” and “However, I wish that the ministry would take the opportunity to learn from the pilot project and share those experiences with other parts of the public sector.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: ““It’s a good idea to test alternatives in a pilot project,” the professor said in an email. “However, I wish that the ministry would take the opportunity to learn from the pilot project and share those experiences with other parts of the public sector.””
- SupportedThe alternative had to work with the ministry’s central case management system, F2.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The Microsoft Office alternative had to work with the then Ministry of Digitization’s central case management system called F2”
