Utrecht University wants its own email system instead of Outlook

The Dutch education sector has realised that it relies too heavily on American tech companies. Without competition, prices can skyrocket, users are forced to put up with all sorts of AI rubbish, and they can only hope that the software will continue to work if international relations deteriorate.

For these reasons, Utrecht University wants to build its own email platform as an alternative to Outlook, Microsoft’s widely used email app. It is not that the whole university needs to switch to it immediately, but UU must have something else to fall back on in case of an emergency, explains Marije de Vries, Strategic Facilitator for Digital Autonomy at Utrecht University, in a press release.

The university has reviewed 125 software applications for dependency, security and geopolitical risks. “A little more than 50 percent were found to be ‘safe’”, the university writes. The remaining software renders Utrecht University “too dependent” on others, particularly on Americans.

Political instability
Political instability in the United States is seen as a particular risk of relying on software from Google and Microsoft. In addition, the Dutch higher education sector is suspicious of US legislation that grants the government access to users. 

Utrecht University wishes to further investigate whether it can offer staff a digital workspace running on Linux, rather than on Microsoft Windows. Such an alternative could ensure that institutions are less easily held hostage by big tech, even if it is not yet widely used. The university is also investigating whether a Fairphone would be a good alternative to Apple and Samsung phones for university staff.

UU is already taking part in a pilot to test Nextcloud, an open-source platform for storing, sharing and collaborating on files.