Open source and Nextcloud in government: Insights from Sven Thomsen, Schleswig-Holstein’s CIO

Oktober 23, 2024

Brent Gervais

In this episode, we explore how open source solutions are revolutionizing the way governments work, from collaboration and knowledge sharing to digital sovereignty and artificial intelligence.

Join us as we learn about the world of open source in government with Sven Thomsen, CIO of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Sven shares the factors that influenced their decision to adopt open source solutions, their implementation strategies along the way, and lessons learned from the adoption of open source in Munich.

We also discuss Schleswig-Holstein’s 10-year journey into open source, from desktop solutions to database systems, and how it has become a key part of their digital sovereignty strategy. Sven shares his insights on the current discussion in Germany about the importance of open standards, open source, and open interfaces in promoting the idea of European IT resiliency.

We also hear about the political and technical challenges they faced, including the successful implementation of Nextcloud as a central hub for collaboration and knowledge sharing in their federal state. Sven will share his thoughts on the „hidden champions“ of open source and how Nextcloud’s new data automation platform has helped them solve some of the most difficult challenges in implementing the Online Access Act (OZG).

With AI based tools in Nextcloud, we were able to close an automation gap that we weren’t able to close with rule-based automations. Implementing AI-based microservices into the ecosystem of Nextcloud, and following Nextcloud’s very good AI strategy, we were able to implement something that is perfect for an organization like Schleswig-Holstein.

Sven Thomsen
CIO of Schleswig-Holstein
Sven Thomsen

Tune in to hear Sven’s words of advice for public sector adoptions, including the importance of community support and giving back. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in open source solutions in government or curious about the future of technology in the public sector.

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