Tag: Rechenzentren

The dependency of companies and administrations on non-European technology providers has become very apparent in recent years. Large companies, which provide virtually indispensable software and hardware for everyday academic life with little or no competition, also appear to be deliberately exploiting their position vis-à-vis universities: They raise prices, impose complicated licensing models, force new product types into existing systems – and stabilise their presence in the everyday lives of users, almost automatically training students to become permanent customers of Google, Microsoft, Adobe & Co. Finding a way out of this dilemma is difficult because universities have little bargaining power. Their mission is ‘research and teaching’, and there is no provision for additional investment in expensive change processes. As a result, more and more of their limited budgets are being used to provide much-needed technology. Money for IT is starting to be scarce elsewhere, and the privacy standards and terms of use under which the IT giants offer their products are questionable in many places – a danger to free research and teaching. There are alternatives, such as open source solutions or European products that could be used on more favourable terms, but switching all staff and systems to previously untested innovations would be complex, almost impossible to implement in day-to-day operations, and not without risk for individual institutions. Does joining forces help? Do politicians need to act – in a different way? And do all those involved understand what is at stake?