France's Court of Audit urges the State to adopt a free cloud solution, stressing the need for flexibility and exit strategies from current providers like Microsoft.
Audit recommends cloud flexibility
The Court of Audit has advised the French government to prepare for a free, cloud-based office solution, stressing the importance of being able to switch providers and proving this capability through exit tests. The recommendation comes from a report published on October 22, which highlights the widespread use of office and collaboration tools across about 860,000 workstations.Current costs and provider reliance
The report notes that the French State spends around 100 million euros annually on these tools, which is less than 2% of its overall IT budget. Microsoft Office remains the dominant choice, accounting for more than half of the spending. However, the audit points out a lack of clear tracking of expenses and limited visibility into the costs of switching providers.Microsoft 365 restrictions and partial adoption
Microsoft 365 has been officially banned since 2021, with some temporary exceptions. Certain government entities, such as the gendarmerie and the DGFiP (Directorate General for Financial Information and Taxation), have moved to free software, while other ministries have not. The Court of Audit refers to this situation as a "debt of dependence," which becomes evident during renegotiations or disruptions.Proposed free cloud solutions and their limitations
The audit suggests that a free cloud solution, either developed internally or certified under the SecNumCloud program, could eventually replace proprietary software. However, it warns that hosting software in France does not necessarily mean the State controls it, as proprietary tools remain subject to the provider's development plans regardless of location.Cost savings and migration challenges
The Court estimates that switching to a free solution could save up to 130 million euros annually, but this is still a hypothesis. The transition would involve costs for training, compatibility checks, and managing both old and new systems. A migration plan, expected to take three to four years, would only be meaningful if the administration has truly regained the freedom to choose its tools.Three levels of freedom mastery
The audit outlines three levels of "freedom mastery": declared, where exit strategies are documented; mobilizable, where the necessary skills and contracts exist to act; and verified, where a migration or continuity plan has been tested and documented. Each ministry is expected to assess its own level of dependency on current tools. The focus is not on choosing one brand over another, but on ensuring the State can make and execute decisions independently, even if its current provider changes its policies.
