France’s third-largest city Lyon announced on June 27 it will replace Microsoft products—including Office and Microsoft SQL—with open-source alternatives like Linux, PostgreSQL, and OnlyOffice. The move aims to reduce reliance on U.S. software, extend hardware lifespans to cut environmental impact, and strengthen technical sovereignty in public services.
OnlyOffice, developed by Latvia’s Ascensio Systems under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPLv3), will take over as the city’s office suite. Lyon also plans to adopt the “Territoire Numerique Ouvert” (Open Digital Territory) collaborative suite for video conferencing and office automation tasks.
France’s National Territorial Coordination Agency has allocated €2 million to develop this suite, which will run on local data centers. Nine French communities already use it, with thousands of individual users, laying groundwork for Lyon’s transition.
The shift reflects a broader European push for digital autonomy. By prioritizing open-source tools, Lyon seeks to balance cost efficiency, data security, and environmental goals—setting a potential example for other cities seeking to reduce tech dependence on foreign corporations.
