---
type: entity
title: Microsoft Alternatives Project (MAlt)
tags: [project, open-source, migration]
related: [vendor-lock-in]
created: 2026-07-01
updated: 2026-07-01
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_support_dokumentation_it_informationssicherheit_opensource.md"]
---

# Microsoft Alternatives Project (MAlt)

The **Microsoft Alternatives Project (MAlt)** is an initiative started by **CERN** to migrate its computing infrastructure away from Microsoft products and toward open-source technologies.

## Context
The project was triggered by a significant increase in license costs (approximately tenfold) after CERN lost its academic status with Microsoft. This project serves as a primary example for the **Universitätsrechenzentrum (URZ)** of the risks associated with [[vendor-lock-in]].
