Swedish government switches to Microsoft and Windows 8

By Rich Edmonds
published

Microsoft has scored a big deal in Sweden with the Riksdag Aministration buying into Windows 8.1, Office 2013, Skype and Lync. The new environment will be rolled out across departments in March, with a pilot scheme initially taking on 100 participants. Post elections in the fall, all 1,650 positions at the Reichstag will be updated with Microsoft tech. This move should also look to include tablets and Windows Phones.

A bonus with Microsoft's environment is the ability for employees to utilise Windows and Windows Phone, with integration from the cloud and Office suites to create a feature-rich enterprise solution. The Swedish government also takes into account taxpayers funding and how to more efficiently spend available cash flow. It's a positive score for Microsoft, who is looking to beef up its business offering.

Source: Computer Sweden; thanks, David, for the tip!

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

78 Comments
  • Good move! Windows 8 is the future!
  • You mean 8.1
  • Good move for NSA ! https://www.google.ro/search?q=windows+8+unsafe+german&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp&gws_rd=cr&ei=qSojU6uKEqrY4QSAzoHQCA
  • You wish. I am not clicking that link.
  • Your sir are stupid your precious google was in on it to and Apple.
  • Google IS the NSA.
  • No. You're wrong!! Google is ... SkyNet :3
  • Correct!
  • Lies and propaganda. There is no backdoor. The NSA wouldn't need a backdoor anyways.
  • Typical scroogled search minded.
  • Completely unsubstantiated, besides the problem is clearly the chip, not Windows 8, according to that article.
  • Yes, but Sweden is co-operating, so maybe the already get this information and what is the option Google or Apple.
  • almost OSs have backdoors that the NSA knows about... even linux...   ones that don't are fairly insignifigant and obscure.
  • hahaha. all os contain backdoor including Linux. backdoor can be in anything including budled software.  if they dont comply they might end up in some gutter somewhere or may be implicated in some rape case http://www.salon.com/2013/09/19/linux_creator_admits_nsa_demanded_backdoor/
  • And more will follow soon :-)
  • What was it before?
  • iPads and iPhones. They will still be supported, but now Windows 8.1 and WP devices will also be supported.
  •   I would imagine they used older versions of Windows also before. Hard to imagine that even Swedes (just kid you Swedes, just kid you) would have been stupid enough to use only Apple before.
  • Sweden is more mostly a Windows country if we are talking about workstations and LAN servers. Apple doesn't have much market share, even Linux at workstations are pretty uncommon in government. You have right about what they was using before, that was Windows also but they might been using Novell for LDAP directories.
  • Yeah, there was mostly Novell. Also some Citrix systems is used by companies. Happy though that our government has finally taken a small step towards the future. Now some heavy WP usage is needed too. Btw, saw the first commercial here in Sweden showing an app with WP support.
  • Don't know where you have got the information that Apple has a small marketshare of workstations in Sweden, but if you compare Sweden against the rest of Europe, you will see that Apple products are more common in Sweden than in other countries.
  • Yay for Sweden and Microsoft!
  • Good news...entrenching the Windows 8 interface in the business environment is a great way to gain traction in the consumer arena. 'One Microsoft' definitely has the legs to take the lead in multiple sectors...simplifies things so much!
  • Swisser sweet
  • Most Swisher sweeter's don't work, they sleep,eat, play games, and smoke all day. It all they think about.
  • We're Swedes... Not Swiss. :P   It was funny when Sweden and Switzerland met during Hockey WC of 2012 I believe it was. The American narrators constantly confused us with them. :)
  • Sweden and M$ u guys rock!!!!!
  • Seriously...? If you were sincere, you wouldn't write 'M$', you childish fool.
  • Reichstag
    Really?
  • Duh
  • Hihi. "Riksdag" is the word he would be looking for.
  • The devices in the pic when ar you coming to India??????
  • When humans grow wings.
  • When you stop abusing women
  • What was that?
  • It was a typical troll.
  • Small correction: this concerns the Swedish parliament, not the Swedish government as written in the title. ;)
  • Haha, yes, if the whole government would switch the figure would be more like 165,000 or even 1,650,000 positions! :D
  • Funny the article says MS is looking to beef up its business offering when most of the world uses some form of Windows. I thin you meant to write "beef up its Windows 8 business offerings"
  • Yeah, some "kommuner" have just finished upgraded to W7. And there all in on every MSFT product except phones and tablets.
  • Municipalities is the word you're looking for.
  • Nice!!! W8.1 is growing up ^^
  • Nice!‼❕❕❕❕
  • Off topic but what type of servers do Apple use? It'll be funny if they use windows servers.
  • I guess Apple would use its own Apple servers, based on OS X. Yes, they do exist...
  • I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong, but I believe that yes, Apple do use Microsoft's Azure cloud solution...and Bing for Siri.
  • There are older Apple hardware for servers, but most of their "cloud" is run on Azure (Microsoft) servers and Bing is the backend in most of their information services.
  • Apple had OS X Server... HAD. Now they are, indeed, using Windows Azure and Microsoft Bing for a lot of their platforms.
  • Yeah!! Maybe now the population and other major services in Sweden will follow! More Windows Phones on the streets and more apps from Swedish services and companies!
  • Hopefully this will speed up the development of official Windows apps for swedish agencies.
  • What were they using before? Apple?
  •   I would imagine they used older versions of Windows also before. Hard to imagine that even Swedes (just kid you Swedes, just kid you) would have been stupid enough to use only Apple before.
  • Yaasss! Hopefully more and more adoption by business and consumers spreads and happens quickly and soon! Windows4Life!!
  • Great news! :)
  • I'm moving to Sweden.
  • If you don't mind the cold climate, you'll love Sweden. I mean, they have free education, beautiful women and awesome foods!
  • Please don't xD I wanna leave xD All tech is really late here. The 920 hasn't even been available for a year yet, and 1020 was released in November.
  • Learn swedish too XD   Jag prata lite grann Svenska och Engelska!
  • Reichstag...ahhaha. Swedes are going to love that one.
  • He he, yeah. All German on that one. But hey, I'm happy to get some news from Sweden so I take it. Thumbs up for Rich.
  • Reichstag... Pff...
  • Thanx for the news Rich.
    I hope this can grow something in this iPhone Galaxy land.
  • I think you meant Riksdag or Riksdagen (Swedish parliament) instead of Reichstag (German parliament).
  • Nice, i live in Sweden :D
  • Gratulerer til broderfolket, dere har tydeligvis smartere politikere enn oss... ;)
  • Förhoppningsvis kan ju bytet visa på styrkan bakom Windows 8 så att fler hänger efter oss. :) Heja Norden!
  • Hej! :)
  • To me, all 3 Windows, iOS and Android are the key to the future lifestyle. Working together and sharing of ideas is all you need for a successful future. What makes technology evolves? Is when you have a competitor and creativity. I think it's time for Microsoft to take back its throne. My company is updating their software's and web to test on Windows 8.1. Currently the intranet only support IE 8 & 9. Company will sooon migrate to Windows 8.1 :D
  • Kan bara hålla med, goda nyheter :)
    Can only agree, good news :)... Hope that this is the "turning Stone" so WP finally becomes more spread than Before herr in Sweden...
  • Wasn't there a report that the U.K. Govt is thinking of moving away from Microsoft. Maybe they should take a leaf out of this
  • reichstag? Didn't know Sweden spoke German ;). Should be Riksdag as you wrote at first.
  • At our VW workshop in Sweden we recently switched to Win 7. Some diagnostic tool are still to be upgraded from Win XP.
  • Yep, car manufacturers are not early adopters when it comes to software. I guess they don't find the urge to change their programs from the model of direct control of the hardware that was possible in WXP, to use the abstraction layer that is used in Vista and above.
  • Sweet.
  • Bjork bjork bjork!
  • Is Rich Edmonds not from the UK? Is he not allowed to say autumn?!
  • When Microsoft pitched the sale they sang ABBA If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
    Honey I'm still free
    Take a chance on me
    If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
    If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down.  
  • Bright future for clever people