Re:Goodbye, Microsoft: Schleswig-Holstein Relies on Open Sou...
by GoblinSlayer on Sunday December 07, 2025 @12:23PM
(#46183325)
Apparently their tax administration has some extensive automation with Excel spreadsheets and VBA.
Re:Goodbye, Microsoft: Schleswig-Holstein Relies on Open Sou...
by jimnotgym on Sunday December 07, 2025 @12:29PM
(#46183375)
>dependent on Microsoft programs such as Word or Excel
This kind of suggests that they have a bunch of VBA scripts in the tax department and the legal team are dependent on sharing 'track changes' in contracts. It will do the world a favour if the VBA is forced out. Don't know what they will do about 'track changes', it is ubiquitous in the contract world. Hopefully they will force government suppliers onto the libre alternative.
Re:Goodbye, Microsoft: Schleswig-Holstein Relies on Open Sou...
by ho_schi on Monday December 08, 2025 @04:59AM
(#46190475)
Yep. That’s a hell. A hell to maintain.
And searching the web for “Excel government failure…” is an adventure.
Excel is a shell script containing data. Minus well defined syntax and a proper change log. I see the nice point behind using Excel, it is a “visual” shell script containing data.
I hope Holstein prepared the switch well and kill off any Microsoft stuff as quick as possible. Nothing is worse than co-existence with something hostile which doesn’t want to be compatible.
What to do, minimal list: If your answer doesn’t include either Debian, Red Hat, Canonical or Suse it is probably the wrong choice. You need support. A red flag. Soft migrations work only, if both side cooperate. If not, hard migration. Short pain is better than long suffering.PS: And don’t repeat Munich! Munich is “HOW NOT”. Three distinct IT-Departments. And the next major was “convinced ” with tax money and a Microsoft Headquarters. Result, it is worse than before.