The study focuses on three main topics: Utilisation and strategic anchoring of open source, policy & compliance and the role of open source for artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty. The results are based on a representative survey of 1,152 companies with 20 or more employees in Germany and 103 people from the public sector, which the digital association Bitkom commissioned for the current edition of the monitor.

Open source as a driver of innovation

73% of companies confirm that they use open source software. This is a further increase compared to previous years.
"The open source community is a driver of innovation, for example in cloud technologies or artificial intelligence," emphasises Bitkom President Dr Ralf Wintergerst in the foreword to the report.
Open software accelerates technological development and at the same time strengthens control over critical digital infrastructures. A double advantage that we in the OpenCloud community also experience on a daily basis. This is where expertise and practical exchange come together.

Why companies rely on openness

The motives for using open source go far beyond cost benefits. Although savings (26%) come first, access to source code (19%) and the possibility of customisation and security checks are almost as important.

73% of respondents also see open source as a key tool for ensuring digital sovereignty.
Open software is increasingly seen as a strategic approach - with advantages in terms of flexibility, compatibility and update speed.
The challenges remain the shortage of skilled workers and the necessary training requirements. However, professional solutions are in no way inferior to proprietary software in terms of functionality and user-friendliness. This is also confirmed by Peer Heinlein, founder of the Heinlein Group and OpenCloud:

"Nobody has ever been able to explain to me why the licence of a software should say anything about whether it is user-friendly or not. There is light and shade on every side. But it is often used as an argument - because everything else speaks in favour of open source.
Today's open source solutions are highly professionally developed software. Our OpenTalk and OpenCloud in particular are expressly praised for their user-friendliness and accessibility. Switching is not that difficult - and we have decades of experience in supporting both administrators and users. Specialised service providers are available for data migration and can manage this with little effort."
- Peer Heinlein, founder of the Heinlein Group and OpenCloud

Openness needs structures

Open software creates opportunities, but also responsibility. According to the Bitkom Open Source Monitor 2025, around 60% of companies do not have a documented open source strategy or a regulated compliance process. Openness is practised, but rarely managed in a targeted manner. 
Public administration is already further ahead here: 63% of public authorities use open source. It is also striking that public authorities provide an average of four full-time positions for open source management, around twice as many as companies. This underlines how seriously administrations are now taking the strategic importance of open software.

Openness is therefore there, the next step lies in consistent implementation and structural anchoring. With the growing importance of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, this professionalisation is becoming increasingly important. Open models create trust, reduce dependencies and promote innovation. Values that are also central to Europe as a business location.

OpenCloud - How digital sovereignty succeeds

As part of the Heinlein Group, OpenCloud fulfils the vision of digital sovereignty.
The platform offers powerful file management and collaboration and shows how digital collaboration, genuine data protection and sustainable IT are possible on the basis of open source. Functions such as shared file rooms, differentiable access rights, integrated web office applications and a smart search function enable an efficient working environment - without dependence on non-European infrastructures.

Professional service and support contracts ensure operation, maintenance and integration into existing infrastructures. This gives companies, public authorities and research institutions the support they need to shape their digital infrastructure in a sovereign and self-determined manner.

Conclusion: Strategy is the key to sovereignty

The Open Source Monitor 2025 shows that open source has arrived on a broad scale. But if you want to achieve digital sovereignty, you need to strategically organise openness with clear responsibilities, policies and resources. Otherwise, the potential of open source will remain untapped.

At the same time, issues such as artificial intelligence, new regulatory requirements and geopolitical dependencies are increasing the pressure to promote technological alternatives and secure European room for manoeuvre.

Digital sovereignty means being able to use and shape technology in a self-determined way - instead of just consuming it.