It’s not returning to the Linux desktop, however — not yet, anyway. Instead, it’s switching its infrastructure programs from proprietary software to open-source software … Rather than making desktop Linux its center pole, the city is replacing individual layers of proprietary infrastructure where it can make a practical case.

It seems Munich has learned from its failure in the past? The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has been managing its transformation from MS to Linux in a similar way, and it’s reportedly very successful.

What is important is the sequence of events. Before ditching the Microsoft OS, you’d go for the software and services that ties yout to the broader Microsoft system. The OS is the last turn, not the first.

There are many good points in the article imo.

The answer to getting politicians to support open-source software in the long run is to connect open source with priorities they understand. These include budgets, public services …

The new Munich IT plan also embraced the “public money, public code” principle: software developed with public funding should, where appropriate, be available for others to inspect, use, and improve …

The city is also investing in the open-source ecosystem. Its Open Source Sabbatical program supports developers working on open-source projects. The broader purpose is to support improvements and funding components used in open-source municipal services …

[Edit typo.]