Three EU Officials Not Sold on Europe's Homegrown Alternative to Microsoft Teams
Politico EU reports: The European Commission has rolled out an alternative to Microsoft Teams — but officials using it aren't impressed, with one describing the tool as "absolute shit." The Commission introduced Element Pro over the summer as a "sovereign back-up to Teams," according to an internal staff memo seen by POLITICO. The platform is intended to provide a fallback for Commission…
The European Commission has launched an alternative to Microsoft Teams called Element Pro, but officials using it are not satisfied. According to an internal staff memo, one official described Element Pro as "absolute shit." Another official questioned the added value of the new system and whether it works well enough to serve as a genuine backup.
A third official argued that if the United States ever decided to switch off its technology, the U.S. would "instantly win the war." The Commission hosts Element Pro on its own infrastructure, which gives the institution greater control over its communications data and systems. Element Pro is developed by a U.K. company and is used by governments and public-sector organizations in Europe.
The Commission is still trialing the tool, acknowledging there may be some teething issues. Notably, the United Nations and NATO also use Element Pro. France plans to switch millions of civil servants to home-grown alternatives to American video-conferencing tools, including Teams, by 2027, while Austria's military replaced Microsoft Office with the German-made LibreOffice last year.
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