- 3,000 Swiss government devices will use open source software instead of Microsoft 365
- 172 workers already tested Germany's openDesk software in an earlier proof-of-concept
- The next stage should be complete by the end of 2027, at the cost of $11.1 million
Switzerland's federal government has launched a pilot program to explore the feasibility of ditching Microsoft 365 in favour of open source alternatives, and it's starting with 3,000 machines of the government's estimated 54,000 total computers.
The government is looking to move around 7% of its machines away from M365 by the end of 2027, the chancellery confirmed, but it's not the first time the Swiss government has explored open-source alternatives.
An earlier proof-of-concept, the details of which have just been released, demonstrate 172 federal employees testing German-made openDesk for document processing and emailing.
Switzerland is progressing with its open-source plans
Crucially, the government doesn't look to be removing M365 outright from all 3,000 machines, but rather, workers will be given openDesk to run in parallel in order to avoid any disruptions.
Central to the migration isn't necessarily an anti-Microsoft initiative, but rather a pro-digital sovereignty push. Switzerland wants critical government operations to be less dependent on foreign tech companies, especially US tech giants given ongoing geopolitical tensions.
US cloud legislation potentially allows American authorities to gain access to Swiss government information, and with Microsoft being an American firm, its 365 platform is naturally under assessment.
More broadly, Switzerland isn't the only country to be walking away from Microsoft and other US tech vendors in favor of local, open source alternatives. France and Germany have also introduced similar schemes.
Microsoft is already working on a solution to pacify Swiss sovereignty requirements - in 2025, it announced a $400 million investment in Switzerland to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure, with a major focus on government, finance and healthcare customers.
The ongoing project covering 3,000 devices is expected to cost $11.1 million, per the chancellery, with funding coming from pro-sovereignty initiatives.
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