Only 12 percent converted: Berlin administration lags behind on Windows update

Berlin's public administration could once again have difficulties renewing expiring Windows licenses on time. By June 2, only twelve percent of the almost 100,000 computers in senate administrations and districts had been upgraded to Windows 11, writes the Tagesspiegel. This is worrying, as the standard support for Windows 10 ends on October 14 2025. After that, Microsoft 365 apps will only receive limited support under the outdated operating system.

Stefan Ziller, digitalization policy spokesperson for the Green parliamentary group in the capital's House of Representatives, expressed skepticism to the Tagesspiegel as to whether the deadline can still be met. According to him, the Senate could be forced to purchase expensive extended support after the deadline in order to close security gaps. Ziller fears additional expenditure of at least six figures. However, a spokesperson for the Senate Chancellery explained that the Berlin state government does not currently expect the deadline to be exceeded. The changeover is being worked on at full speed.

Significant differences between authorities

As of June 2, only 11,744 of the 96,613 Windows computers in Berlin had been converted to Windows 11. In both the Senate and district administrations, the rate was just over ten percent. The differences are considerable: while over 3,000 computers have already been updated in the Interior and Education Administration, the number in other Senate administrations is in the single-digit range in some cases.

The Senate Chancellery, which has been responsible for digitization since 2023, is particularly striking: only five of 534 computers there have been converted so far. There are also large discrepancies between the districts: In Lichtenberg and Marzahn-Hellersdorf, not a single computer has been updated, while the process is almost complete in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.

Compatibility unresolved

Another problem is the compatibility of the programs used with Windows [11]. State Secretary Martina Klement (CSU) admitted that the Senate cannot say for sure whether the majority of the 407 programs used are compatible with the latest version of Windows. So far, only 136 programs have been successfully tested for Windows 11 compatibility. The remaining 271 programs –, including those that have been in use for decades –, have yet to be tested. Nevertheless, Klement's spokesperson is optimistic that adaptation work will be decentralized and that web-based applications should be able to run under Windows 11 without any issues.

The Berlin administration is constantly struggling with the problem of keeping its workstations, most of which run on Windows, up to date. In summer 2019, for example, only 21.5 percent of the 80,000 or so PCs at the Senate and in the districts had been migrated to Windows 10. In the face of the Windows XP debacle, the Greens in opposition pushed in vain for the increased use of open source alternatives in Berlin. But even when they were in government, they achieved little. It became known in 2023: Dozens of Microsoft servers with Windows 2008 were still running in Berlin offices at the time, some of which were over 15 years old and no longer received any manufacturer support.

(ds)