Support for Windows 10 has ended, and the Ministry of Digital Affairs has long since lost track of the transition to Windows 11. Neither figures on affected computers nor clear plans exist. This demonstrates the extent of government failure in Germany’s digital landscape. The state’s IT infrastructure appears outdated, uncoordinated, and inefficient. While companies have long since switched to the new Microsoft system, the federal digital authority clings to excuses and bureaucracy. Chaos also reigns in license management – a symbol of the overall administrative chaos in the public sector. (netzpolitik: 22.10.25)
No Strategy for the Windows 11 Transition
The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernization doesn’t even know the number of affected devices. According to the Ministry of Finance, determining this number would require “extensive surveys”—an embarrassing finding for an institution that has declared digitalization a top priority. Left Party politician Sascha H. Wagner made it clear that the ministry has no idea about the state of its own IT infrastructure. This irresponsibility demonstrates the extent of the government’s failure.
As early as 2019, the German federal government promised a central license management system to track software inventories and reduce costs. However, to this day, no functioning system exists. The Federal Digital Agency justifies this with a lack of resources, while each ministry goes its own way. This results in an expensive patchwork system that offers neither control nor efficiency.
Permanent Construction Site: License Management
The Federal Court of Auditors has been criticizing the lack of transparency for years, stating that it leads to both over- and under-licensing. Millions of euros are wasted due to a poor software management system. Authorities buy programs twice or leave expensive licenses unused. The promised central data pool remains a paper tiger. No clear responsibilities, no timetable – just another example of structural administrative chaos.
A functioning license management system is long overdue. It could make the federal government more independent and simultaneously reduce costs for Microsoft systems. But instead of initiating reforms, the Ministry of Digital Affairs remains mired in administrative bureaucracy.
Security Risks and a Cascade of Costs
With the end of Windows 10 support, the pressure is increasing. Computers that have not been upgraded to Windows 11 quickly become a security risk. Microsoft does offer paid updates, but these add up to immense sums for the federal administration. Instead of actively managing the transition, the state is paying for its own inertia.
There is no real plan for the digital future. This bureaucratic failure permeates all levels of government. Instead of building modern IT structures, the administration is entangled in jurisdictional issues. The Federal Digital Agency is wasting time – and with it, losing touch with the present.
Symbol of Digital Stagnation
The delayed transition to Windows 11 reveals the full extent of Germany’s digital disaster. The federal government has failed to build a modern infrastructure. The Ministry of Digital Affairs has no control over its systems, no concept, and no sense of responsibility.
The end of support could have been an opportunity for a fresh start. Instead, it shows that Germany’s administration is stuck – in administrative chaos, in outdated IT structures, and in license management that doesn’t deserve the name. Digital stagnation thus remains the true hallmark of the Federal Republic of Germany.