{"id":7301,"date":"2025-11-28T14:48:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T13:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/villpress.com\/?p=7301"},"modified":"2025-11-28T14:48:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T13:48:46","slug":"seven-years-on-airbus-still-struggles-to-break-free-from-microsoft-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villpress.com\/de\/seven-years-on-airbus-still-struggles-to-break-free-from-microsoft-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Years On, Airbus Still Struggles to Break Free from Microsoft Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a story that has sparked global tech conversations, Airbus is once again in the spotlight for its prolonged and complicated effort to move away from Microsoft Office. The phrase \u201cSeven Years Later, Airbus is Still Trying To Kick Its Microsoft Habit\u201d<\/strong> originates from a November 26, 2025, report by The Register<\/em>, which detailed the aerospace giant\u2019s continued challenges in completing its migration to Google Workspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airbus first announced the major shift in March 2018<\/strong>, outlining plans to migrate more than 130,000 employees<\/strong> from Microsoft Office to Google Workspace within 18 months. Former CEO Tom Enders described the switch as a push toward a more user-friendly interface rather than a cost-saving initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven years later, the company\u2019s workforce has grown to 150,000<\/strong>, and although more than two-thirds have transitioned, significant pockets of the organization remain dependent on Microsoft tools. Airbus executives now acknowledge the initial timeline was overly optimistic. Catherine Jestin, executive vice president of digital, described the 18-month target as \u201cextremely ambitious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several major barriers continue to slow Airbus\u2019s departure from Microsoft:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Google Sheets Limitations<\/strong>
Large-scale financial models containing up to 20 million cells<\/strong> still outperform in Excel. Finance teams and some engineering units are unable to replicate this performance in Sheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Compatibility Gaps<\/strong>
Core commercial, procurement, and legal workflows depend heavily on advanced change-tracking features in Microsoft Office. Mixing Google and Microsoft tools creates document integrity issues. Google has promised 100% compatibility by 2026<\/strong>, but the gap remains today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Regulatory Restrictions<\/strong>
Airbus divisions handling military-classified data are legally prohibited from using cloud-based platforms. This forces continued reliance on on-premises Microsoft applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Engineering Complaints<\/strong>
Anonymous engineers cited persistent compatibility issues, saying Excel remains essential for complex calculations and legacy models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also Read:<\/strong> Microsoft Rolls Out Experimental AI Agents in Windows 11 Amid Warnings of Security Risks and Hallucinations<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the shift, Airbus still pays substantial, though undisclosed, licensing fees to Microsoft to support remaining teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google has committed to improving Workspace\u2019s enterprise capabilities. According to Jestin, upcoming updates will focus on larger file support<\/strong>, more functions in Sheets<\/strong>, and better traceability tools<\/strong>. The goal is to eliminate the recurring document mismatches that have crippled key workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French media,<\/strong> including Numerama, Clubic, Le Monde Informatique, and Le Journal \u00c9conomique, offered deep analysis, citing European concerns about sovereignty and tool reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German (Golem.de)<\/strong>, Russian (ServerNews)<\/strong>, Turkish (\u00c7\u00f6z\u00fcmpark)<\/strong>, and Spanish tech feeds also reported the story, underlining global interest in large-scale enterprise migrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YouTube creators quickly picked up the narrative, publishing videos titled \u201cWhy Airbus Still Can\u2019t Quit Microsoft\u201d<\/em> and \u201cAirbus\u2019 7-Year Struggle to Leave MS Office\u201d<\/em><\/strong>. These videos highlight technical limits, compliance barriers, and the heavyweight dominance of Excel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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