Dutch Tax Authority Moves Microsoft 365 Data to Its Own Servers

Dutch Tax Authority is moving its email and calendar services away from Microsoft 365 cloud infrastructure and back to government-owned servers.

According to Tweakers, the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration has decided to host email and calendar data on its own infrastructure instead of Microsoft’s cloud.

The change also affects Dutch Customs and the Benefits Service, State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg confirmed.

The organizations will continue using Microsoft software for email and calendars, but the underlying data will remain on government-controlled servers. Increased capacity in internal data centers has made the move possible.

Microsoft 365 rollout was already paused

The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration had already paused its wider Microsoft 365 migration following a critical assessment by the Advisory Board on ICT Assessment.

The review raised concerns about information security, data processing, and long-term dependence on Microsoft.

Specific concerns included sensitive information potentially reaching US-based servers, email confidentiality, metadata aggregation, encryption, and insufficient backup arrangements.

The latest decision now keeps email and calendar data on government infrastructure while allowing the organization to continue using Microsoft’s software.

Government will examine open-source alternatives

For storage and collaboration services, the Dutch government plans to investigate European and open-source alternatives during 2027 and 2028.

The approach follows recommendations to reduce dependence on a single technology provider and platform.

European governments and institutions have increasingly explored alternatives to major US technology providers.

The European Commission is testing Element Pro as a Microsoft Teams backup, while Switzerland may move 3,000 government PCs away from Microsoft 365.

France is also pushing ahead with digital sovereignty plans that could replace Windows with Linux, while the European Commission is exploring alternatives to Microsoft Office, including Euro-Office for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Via Neowin