Software autonomy with enterprise tools?!

When public sector staff hear the term enterprise software, it often raises eyebrows. It evokes images of global corporations, high licence fees and complex systems that seem far removed from the day-to-day workings of a local authority. The usual objection quickly follows: "We’re not a corporation. We’re a public service."

What is "enterprise software" even doing in the public sector?

Let's rewind for a moment, because the term "enterprise" has undergone a semantic change in the context of software development. In the 1990s, software manufacturers began labelling their products for large companies as enterprise solutions or EAS. Not just as a buzzword, but because these applications had to meet the very specific requirements of complex organisations.

Today, however, "enterprise" stands for a quality spectrum that extends beyond the purely private sector application domain:

• Scalability is just as crucial for public authorities with staff numbers in the three to four-digit range and millions of interactions and contacts.

• Security, too, is a non-negotiable when it comes to handling personal data.

• Critical processes can't afford downtime; reliability is essential for government processes with continuous operational requirements.

• Integration and technical interoperability in heterogeneous IT environments also play an important role for public organisations.

Municipalities, ministries and federal agencies face many of the same tech challenges as enterprises: multiple users, complex workflows, strict security requirements, and the need to connect diverse systems.

Software autonomy as the key to digital sovereignty

For the public sector, this means having full control over its own IT infrastructure, from data sovereignty to the self-determined further development of systems.

Proprietary software can create problematic dependencies, as several documented cases show. One well-known example was Munich's LiMux project. After a massive, eight-figure migration, the city began its return to Windows in 2017, citing employee dissatisfaction as one big reason. In a surprising turn since then, they've flip-flopped back to Linux yet again.

Rising licensing costs are another burden for public institutions operating within strict budgets. Germany’s federal government acknowledged this in its 2019 "Strategic market analysis to reduce dependencies on individual software providers" (German-language link), highlighting the risks of commercial software monopolies.

The study "An open source ecosystem for public administration" (German-language link) by the Kompetenzzentrum Öffentliche IT (competence centre for public IT) also underlines the particular importance of data protection in the public sector.

Open source solutions such as openDesk provide a clear alternative. They combine enterprise-grade performance with true software autonomy. Open code equates to transparency, lower risk, and protection against unilateral changes to terms of use. Most importantly, it enables long-term planning and self-determined IT strategies.

Digital autonomy doesn’t mean compromising on modern tech. It allows the public sector to pursue purposeful, needs-driven digitalisation within a stable legal and operational framework. In government, after all, data protection, reliability and responsible use of public funds are essential, not optional.

Parallels in business and administration

Public administration and private enterprise differ in mission and structure, but the underlying tech challenges they face are strikingly similar. Both need systems that scale, connect, and secure critical processes.

That said, public institutions do operate under tighter constraints. Data privacy and security carry greater weight. Budgeting is stricter. While businesses can move quickly, administrations have to plan across fiscal years and maintain cost transparency. With different federal states often following separate paths, interoperability becomes even more critical.

What works is software that’s built to the same professional standards as the private sector, but tailored to the realities of public service.

Enterprise-grade software without the vendor lock-in

openDesk was designed precisely for this balancing act. It offers enterprise-class quality and performance, without the dependency on commercial vendors. Its open-code base adds an extra layer of security and guarantees public sector organisations full control over their IT roadmap.

Whether a solution is ultimately labelled "enterprise" is beside the point. What matters is how well it fits organisational needs, how reliably it performs, and how much autonomy it enables. Data protection, cost control and independence are not peripheral issues, but central criteria. Real digital sovereignty starts when the tech serves the mission, not the other way around.