The key facts
- The Microsoft 365 outage (Outlook, Teams, Copilot) began on Thursday and affected 74 countries and territories
- Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski called the incident an illustration of the risks of digital dependence on global corporations
- Poland is preparing a competition for pilot open-source projects in local governments; timelines, costs, and the products to be replaced have not been named
Microsoft Outage Becomes a Reason for a Change of Course
Poland plans to expand the use of open-source software in public administration to reduce dependence on global technology companies. This was announced by Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski after a large-scale outage in Microsoft services that disrupted businesses and government services worldwide.
What Happened
The outage began on Thursday and affected the Outlook email service, the Teams messenger, the AI assistant Copilot, and other Microsoft 365 applications. Disruptions were recorded in 74 countries and territories. Gawkowski called the incident 'a vivid illustration of the problems associated with digital dependence on global corporations,' adding that diversifying suppliers and open solutions help reduce such risks.
What the Ministry Plans
According to the minister, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is working on implementing open-source solutions in public administration and on Thursday held an Open Technologies Day. In the near future, the government will announce a competition for pilot open-source implementations in local governments. In the long term, centrally verified software solutions will be available to government institutions across the country.
What Remains Unclear
Gawkowski did not specify which Microsoft products could be replaced, what the program's cost would be, or when alternative systems would become widely available. The Polish initiative is developing amid growing European interest in open-source and in diversifying digital infrastructure to reduce operational risks and strengthen technological independence.
