German Military to Replace Microsoft Software

Germany's military, Bundeswehr, said it plans to remove all Microsoft software from its systems and replace it with software developed by Siemens and Duetsche Telecom. German newspaper Der Spiegel said the country suspects that the US National Security Agency (NSA) might have backdoor access into Microsoft's software. According to the news report, Bundeswehr will stop using all American software.

In addition, the German government had been working on a videoconferencing solution to connect overseas embassies when it learned that those conferences would be routed through ground stations in Denver, Colorado. This discovery prompted Germany to halt the videoconferencing project. Der Spiegel said Siemens and Duetsche Telecom will produce a secure, proprietary system specifically for the German government's use, which is expected to include videoconferencing capabilities