Why Barcelona is Replacing Windows with Linux: A City‑wide Open‑Source Shift

Why Barcelona Chooses Linux?

According to Francesca Bria, the city’s Technology and Digital Innovation Commissioner, moving from Windows to open‑source software encourages reuse because applications can be deployed in other Spanish cities or worldwide, and it prevents large expenditures on proprietary software.

The decision also aims to support local small‑ and medium‑size IT firms; the city plans to outsource IT projects to them and will hire 65 new developers to build custom software.

Barcelona’s Migration Plan

The city will first replace all user‑side applications with open‑source alternatives, continuing until the only remaining proprietary software is Windows, which will eventually be replaced by a Linux distribution.

It intends to allocate 70 % of its software budget to open‑source solutions within the next year, with the transition slated to finish by spring 2019, before the current administration’s term ends.

Francesca Bria emphasizes that taxpayers’ money should not fund expensive licensed products but should be invested in reusable, open‑source systems that benefit the local ecosystem.

The move is seen as a boost for the open‑source community, especially after Munich announced it would abandon its long‑standing Linux deployment, incurring high costs to revert to Windows.

Barcelona also became the first municipal authority to join the European “Public Money, Public Code” initiative, reinforcing the open‑source momentum.