France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
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France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams
@i47i The French Ministry for Education already started using a similar tool based on BigBlueButton that enable seamless audio/video webconference for over 4 years. I'm using it monthly.
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France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams
@i47i That didn't take long...
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France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams
1/3
France's "software bundle" isn't brand-new code—it's a carefully curated stack of existing, mature free and open-source software (FOSS) being integrated and supported at national and municipal levels.LYON EXAMPLE (June 2025):
Lyon—France's 3rd largest city with 10,000 government employees—is replacing Microsoft's entire stack with proven FOSS:
• Windows → Linux (Ubuntu-based)
• Microsoft Office → OnlyOffice (AGPL license, developed by Latvian firm Ascensio)
• SQL Server → PostgreSQL
• Microsoft 365 → Territoire Numérique Ouvert (TNO) collaboration platformNATIONAL LEVEL - "La Suite numérique":
France's national digital suite assembles existing open components:
• Tchap: Matrix-based secure messaging (600,000+ public agents using it)
• Grist: Collaborative spreadsheets/databases (Apache 2.0)
• Docs: Real-time collaborative editing (built on BlockNote, developed with Germany)
• Meet: Video conferencing (LiveKit)
• Webinaire: Webinar platform (BigBlueButton)All hosted in France, all open standards, single sign-on via ProConnect.
Lyon details:
La Suite:
https://lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr/en(1/3)
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1/3
France's "software bundle" isn't brand-new code—it's a carefully curated stack of existing, mature free and open-source software (FOSS) being integrated and supported at national and municipal levels.LYON EXAMPLE (June 2025):
Lyon—France's 3rd largest city with 10,000 government employees—is replacing Microsoft's entire stack with proven FOSS:
• Windows → Linux (Ubuntu-based)
• Microsoft Office → OnlyOffice (AGPL license, developed by Latvian firm Ascensio)
• SQL Server → PostgreSQL
• Microsoft 365 → Territoire Numérique Ouvert (TNO) collaboration platformNATIONAL LEVEL - "La Suite numérique":
France's national digital suite assembles existing open components:
• Tchap: Matrix-based secure messaging (600,000+ public agents using it)
• Grist: Collaborative spreadsheets/databases (Apache 2.0)
• Docs: Real-time collaborative editing (built on BlockNote, developed with Germany)
• Meet: Video conferencing (LiveKit)
• Webinaire: Webinar platform (BigBlueButton)All hosted in France, all open standards, single sign-on via ProConnect.
Lyon details:
La Suite:
https://lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr/en(1/3)
2/3
THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD:
France isn't experimenting—they've been doing this successfully for 20 years. The French Gendarmerie (national police, 100,000+ employees) pioneered this approach:
TIMELINE:
• 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice
• 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu)
• 2014: Majority migration complete
• 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)FINANCIAL IMPACT:
• €2 million/year in licensing cost savings
• Additional savings from eliminating 4,500 servers
• Total 2004-2008: ~€50 million savedSTRATEGIC INVESTMENT:
In October 2025, France became the FIRST national government to officially partner with the Matrix Foundation—not just using it, but funding its development and participating in strategic decisions. This ensures the protocol evolves to meet European government needs.So when we say France is "building bundles," they're really packaging, hardening, and supporting mature upstream FOSS (Linux, PostgreSQL, Matrix, etc.) with French hosting, governance, and integration—not reinventing everything from scratch.
GendBuntu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GendBuntu
Gendarmerie case study: https://canonical.com/blog/la-gendarmerie-nationale-upgrades-85000-pcs-to-ubuntu-desktop-edition
#Matrix
(2/3) -
2/3
THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD:
France isn't experimenting—they've been doing this successfully for 20 years. The French Gendarmerie (national police, 100,000+ employees) pioneered this approach:
TIMELINE:
• 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice
• 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu)
• 2014: Majority migration complete
• 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)FINANCIAL IMPACT:
• €2 million/year in licensing cost savings
• Additional savings from eliminating 4,500 servers
• Total 2004-2008: ~€50 million savedSTRATEGIC INVESTMENT:
In October 2025, France became the FIRST national government to officially partner with the Matrix Foundation—not just using it, but funding its development and participating in strategic decisions. This ensures the protocol evolves to meet European government needs.So when we say France is "building bundles," they're really packaging, hardening, and supporting mature upstream FOSS (Linux, PostgreSQL, Matrix, etc.) with French hosting, governance, and integration—not reinventing everything from scratch.
GendBuntu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GendBuntu
Gendarmerie case study: https://canonical.com/blog/la-gendarmerie-nationale-upgrades-85000-pcs-to-ubuntu-desktop-edition
#Matrix
(2/3)3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSSBottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
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3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSSBottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
@i47i + Linux Mint
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3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSSBottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
@i47i Technically, it's very possible but, in reality, most people don't have the intestinal fortitude to figure things out on their own without hand-holding. I've been on Linux Mint for about 3 years and still have some things on Win10 because trying to learn even minor programming is a PITA at this point in my life. Even when tools are available, eg GIMP for Affinity Photo or LibreOffice instead of MSO. converting existing systems, documents and files is often challenging.
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@i47i Technically, it's very possible but, in reality, most people don't have the intestinal fortitude to figure things out on their own without hand-holding. I've been on Linux Mint for about 3 years and still have some things on Win10 because trying to learn even minor programming is a PITA at this point in my life. Even when tools are available, eg GIMP for Affinity Photo or LibreOffice instead of MSO. converting existing systems, documents and files is often challenging.
Valid.
And the answer is to have helpdesk trained in hand-holding, and writing little "did you know" PSAs to publish in whatever timeline is being used from time to time.
People don't have the attention span to take in all the little tips and tricks at one.
Focus on big things, then add the polish in controlled increments.
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France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams
@i47i And how soon will Microsoft jump in with bribes just like they did in Munich?
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Valid.
And the answer is to have helpdesk trained in hand-holding, and writing little "did you know" PSAs to publish in whatever timeline is being used from time to time.
People don't have the attention span to take in all the little tips and tricks at one.
Focus on big things, then add the polish in controlled increments.
1/2
@Yoshi @androcat
Excellent points about hand-holding and support! Here's the reality: the cost of support staff is actually LESS than Microsoft licensing fees —and creates local employment.
THE NUMBERS:
Microsoft E3 (1,000 employees):
• licensing: $432,000/year
• Software Assurance: +$125,000/year
• Hidden costs (license management, sprawl): +$40,000-90,000/year
• TOTAL: $597,000 - $647,000/yearFOSS + Support Staff Alternative:
• Licensing: $0
• Support staff (3-5 FTE @ $66K-90K): $200,000-350,000/year
• Training (one-time): $50,000-100,000
• Infrastructure: $20,000-50,000/year
• TOTAL: $270,000-500,000/year*NET SAVINGS: $97,000 - $377,000/year
Plus you get:
- 3-5 skilled local jobs created
- Institutional knowledge (not vendor-dependent)
- No license audits or compliance penalties
- Data sovereignty
- Protection from forced upgradesPROVEN AT SCALE:
French Gendarmerie (103,000+ workstations):
• €2M/year savings in licensing alone
• 20-year migration (2005-2024)
• 97% migrated to open source
• Local expertise built over timeThe "hand-holding" cost is actually an investment in self-sufficiency that pays for itself while creating employment.
(1/2)
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1/2
@Yoshi @androcat
Excellent points about hand-holding and support! Here's the reality: the cost of support staff is actually LESS than Microsoft licensing fees —and creates local employment.
THE NUMBERS:
Microsoft E3 (1,000 employees):
• licensing: $432,000/year
• Software Assurance: +$125,000/year
• Hidden costs (license management, sprawl): +$40,000-90,000/year
• TOTAL: $597,000 - $647,000/yearFOSS + Support Staff Alternative:
• Licensing: $0
• Support staff (3-5 FTE @ $66K-90K): $200,000-350,000/year
• Training (one-time): $50,000-100,000
• Infrastructure: $20,000-50,000/year
• TOTAL: $270,000-500,000/year*NET SAVINGS: $97,000 - $377,000/year
Plus you get:
- 3-5 skilled local jobs created
- Institutional knowledge (not vendor-dependent)
- No license audits or compliance penalties
- Data sovereignty
- Protection from forced upgradesPROVEN AT SCALE:
French Gendarmerie (103,000+ workstations):
• €2M/year savings in licensing alone
• 20-year migration (2005-2024)
• 97% migrated to open source
• Local expertise built over timeThe "hand-holding" cost is actually an investment in self-sufficiency that pays for itself while creating employment.
(1/2)
And here's the game-changer: modern FOSS AI chatbots can automate 60-80% of Tier 1 support queries right now.
FOSS LLM CHATBOT SOLUTIONS (Available Today):
1. AnythingLLM (MIT license, fully open)
• Runs ANY local LLM (no cloud/API needed)
• Built-in RAG for documentation
• Desktop + server deployment
• Works on CPU or GPU
• Cost: $0 + hardware2. LobeChat (Open source)
• Multi-agent design
• Voice interaction (TTS/STT)
• Self-hosted, full privacy
• Multi-device sync3. Open WebUI
• Lightweight, fast
• Ollama integration
• Perfect for quick helpdesk queriesBACKEND LLMs (Self-Hosted):
• Mistral 7B / MiMo-V2-Flash: Run on consumer hardware
• DeepSeek-V3.2: GPT-level reasoning, fully open (MIT)
• LLaMA 4: Fine-tune on your org's support ticketsTHE MAGIC: These can be trained on:
• Linux documentation
• LibreOffice guides
• Your organization's procedures
• Historical support ticketsRESULT:
24/7 instant responses
Context-aware (knows user's history)
Handles common queries automatically
Escalates complex issues to humans
Zero per-query API costs
Complete privacy (no data sent to vendors)REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE:
Manufacturing company case study showed chatbot deflected 70% of password reset/basic config tickets, freeing support staff for strategic work.IMPLEMENTATION:
• Phase 1 (3 months): Deploy pilot with AnythingLLM + Mistral 7B
• Phase 2 (12 months): Scale to 60-80% Tier 1 automation
• ROI breakeven: 6-12 months@androcat You're absolutely right—incremental "did you know" PSAs work. But imagine those delivered 24/7 by a chatbot that learns your patterns and proactively helps. That's available NOW with FOSS tools.
The technology exists. The economics work. Europe's proving it at government scale. The question is: do organizations have the will to invest in long-term self-sufficiency over short-term convenience?
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France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams
-
3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSSBottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
@i47i I’ve just read a conversation between several Matrix users who agreed not to recommend it to non-technical users…
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3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSSBottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
@i47i Microsoft SQL server hits me every time.
Such a unnecessary piece of technology. Why would anyone want to pay a license for THAT?!?
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@i47i I’ve just read a conversation between several Matrix users who agreed not to recommend it to non-technical users…
-
3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSSBottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
@i47i @matrix There are alternatives for ALMOST everything. What about screen readers for blind users?
Windows has an open source screen reader called NVDA, which can be an alternative to the closed JAWS. But the Linux one, Orca, has still a lot of issues. And blind users have very few references about pros and cons. -
France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams
They are using a Microsoft "diagramming/drawing" tool - as videoconferencing?
Guessing they just named it the same. But that will certainly result in confusion.
-
Microsoft Visio = diagramming/flowchart software (desktop application for creating technical drawings, org charts, floor plans, etc.)
France's "Visio" = videoconferencing platform (their sovereign alternative to Zoom/Teams)
This is definitely going to cause confusion, especially in international contexts. The name likely comes from: -
And here's the game-changer: modern FOSS AI chatbots can automate 60-80% of Tier 1 support queries right now.
FOSS LLM CHATBOT SOLUTIONS (Available Today):
1. AnythingLLM (MIT license, fully open)
• Runs ANY local LLM (no cloud/API needed)
• Built-in RAG for documentation
• Desktop + server deployment
• Works on CPU or GPU
• Cost: $0 + hardware2. LobeChat (Open source)
• Multi-agent design
• Voice interaction (TTS/STT)
• Self-hosted, full privacy
• Multi-device sync3. Open WebUI
• Lightweight, fast
• Ollama integration
• Perfect for quick helpdesk queriesBACKEND LLMs (Self-Hosted):
• Mistral 7B / MiMo-V2-Flash: Run on consumer hardware
• DeepSeek-V3.2: GPT-level reasoning, fully open (MIT)
• LLaMA 4: Fine-tune on your org's support ticketsTHE MAGIC: These can be trained on:
• Linux documentation
• LibreOffice guides
• Your organization's procedures
• Historical support ticketsRESULT:
24/7 instant responses
Context-aware (knows user's history)
Handles common queries automatically
Escalates complex issues to humans
Zero per-query API costs
Complete privacy (no data sent to vendors)REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE:
Manufacturing company case study showed chatbot deflected 70% of password reset/basic config tickets, freeing support staff for strategic work.IMPLEMENTATION:
• Phase 1 (3 months): Deploy pilot with AnythingLLM + Mistral 7B
• Phase 2 (12 months): Scale to 60-80% Tier 1 automation
• ROI breakeven: 6-12 months@androcat You're absolutely right—incremental "did you know" PSAs work. But imagine those delivered 24/7 by a chatbot that learns your patterns and proactively helps. That's available NOW with FOSS tools.
The technology exists. The economics work. Europe's proving it at government scale. The question is: do organizations have the will to invest in long-term self-sufficiency over short-term convenience?
And users will hate using those AI chatbots exactly as much as they already hate the MS-based chatbots.
Value for money.
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2/3
THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD:
France isn't experimenting—they've been doing this successfully for 20 years. The French Gendarmerie (national police, 100,000+ employees) pioneered this approach:
TIMELINE:
• 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice
• 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu)
• 2014: Majority migration complete
• 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)FINANCIAL IMPACT:
• €2 million/year in licensing cost savings
• Additional savings from eliminating 4,500 servers
• Total 2004-2008: ~€50 million savedSTRATEGIC INVESTMENT:
In October 2025, France became the FIRST national government to officially partner with the Matrix Foundation—not just using it, but funding its development and participating in strategic decisions. This ensures the protocol evolves to meet European government needs.So when we say France is "building bundles," they're really packaging, hardening, and supporting mature upstream FOSS (Linux, PostgreSQL, Matrix, etc.) with French hosting, governance, and integration—not reinventing everything from scratch.
GendBuntu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GendBuntu
Gendarmerie case study: https://canonical.com/blog/la-gendarmerie-nationale-upgrades-85000-pcs-to-ubuntu-desktop-edition
#Matrix
(2/3)Hey #Canada (and everyone non-US), the French police did this. What are our plans
"TIMELINE:
• 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice
• 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu)
• 2014: Majority migration complete
• 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)"
