The German government has signed a cybersecurity agreement with Microsoft, the software giant revealed on Wednesday. The agreement with the Federal Office for Information Security will aim boost security in critical IT infrastructures for the German government. The two parties will collaborate through an "intensive exchange" of information on the topic of IT security, according to the statement from Microsoft, adding that the company would work with the government on expanding interoperability between Microsoft products and those of other suppliers, including open source software. The agreement is a coup for Microsoft, which has been losing market share to rival Linux in the German public sector. In 2002, the government approved the purchase of Linux hardware and software from IBM, and hundreds of departments and agencies signed up for the deal.