SoftwareNov 3, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC·1 min read

Nextcloud and Ionos launch open-source school platform

Six German states are betting on an open-source education platform from Nextcloud and Ionos, aiming to make Microsoft and Google less of a default in classrooms.

Students using laptops in a German classroom with an open-source learning platform on screen. — Image: iX Magazin

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Nextcloud and Ionos have launched an education platform for schools, and six German federal states plan to use it. The goal is that Microsoft and Google become less of a given in everyday school life.

An open-source alternative

The platform is built on open-source software. For schools and education authorities, that is the central argument: the code is open, and the offering is meant to give them a European alternative to the cloud and office suites from the two US companies that dominate many classrooms today.

The fact that six states are backing the project at the same time gives it weight. School software is usually decided state by state, so a shared approach across several regions is a notable signal.

Why it matters

For teachers, students and parents, the choice of platform shapes daily work: file sharing, collaboration and communication. For policymakers, it is also a question of dependence on a small number of providers and of control over school data.

Which features the platform offers at launch, how quickly schools in the six states will be connected and what the rollout will cost were not detailed in the available information. Those points will determine whether the project can match the convenience that many schools know from Microsoft and Google.