Switzerland's Federal Government Is Replacing Microsoft on 3k Computers

Switzerland's national authorities has launched a aviator programme to switch Microsoft 365 pinch unfastened root alternatives crossed 3,000 workstations. That's astir 7% of the national workforce. The target is to complete the migration by extremity of 2027.

This move follows a successful proof-of-concept and a caller integer sovereignty law. A abstracted fast-track subject migration is besides already underway.

The awesome migration goes into the aviator phase

The Federal Chancellery is investing CHF 9 cardinal successful an open-source workplace rollout for 3,000 national employees.

On September 3, 2026, the Federal Council published results of "PoC BOSS", a feasibility proof-of-concept involving 172 national labor who tested the openDesk suite, a German open-source collaboration platform.

During the proof-of-concept phase, halfway agency tasks for illustration archive processing and email received affirmative assessments, while large-scale video conferencing still showed method limitations.

Based connected the 'success' of the PoC shape pinch 172 employees, the aviator is now launched for 3,000 employees.

Do statement that during the aviator phase, the caller strategy runs successful parallel pinch Microsoft 365 alternatively than replacing it outright. That's okay, I think. Migration of specified benignant should beryllium gradual alternatively than sudden.

If the aviator is successful, we mightiness expect the migration to proceed connected each the 54,000 workstations owned by the national administrations. That's my guess.

Why?

According to Matthias Stürmer, professor astatine the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), Microsoft’s supremacy successful nationalist institutions poses 3 problems that are driving this migration.

First is the consequence of overseas access. US unreality authorities could expose Swiss authorities information to overseas authorities.

Second is the consequence to work continuity, arsenic dependency connected a azygous overseas vendor creates operational risk.

The 3rd consequence is the escalating costs arsenic proprietary licensing fees are rising pinch nary Swiss leverage.

Swiss Army is already moving faster

Switzerland's subject cybersecurity unit, Cyber Command, is not waiting for the civilian pilot. It is already poised to switch Microsoft 365 wholly pinch openDesk by October 2026.

It is beautiful overmuch the aforesaid reason. Military doesn't want overseas governments accessing delicate Swiss data.

Part of a bigger plan

Back successful 2024, the EMBAG Law came into effect. It requires each Swiss national agencies to people government-developed package arsenic unfastened root by default. The rule besides intends to beforehand integer sovereignty and promote invention and collaboration wrong the nationalist sector.

Then successful December 2025, the Federal Council designated integer sovereignty arsenic a superior attraction theme. It defines integer sovereignty arsenic "the national authorities being capable to fulfil its basal ngo without depending connected an outer supplier aliases country."

Which is fundamentally moving distant from large tech companies from the USA.

Neighboring France and Germany person besides been trying akin moves. Let's dream that the awesome Swiss migration succeeds and sets an illustration for different countries who whitethorn velocity up their ain scheme of moving distant from Microsoft.

By the way, Microsoft has heavy pockets, truthful they are besides investing complete CHF 325 cardinal to grow AI and unreality infrastructure successful Switzerland, partially to trim the sovereignty argument.

Let's spot really things move from here, but truthful far, it is looking affirmative for america unfastened root supporters.

Source: RTS

About the author

Abhishek Prakash

Created It's FOSS 13 years agone to stock my Linux adventures. Have a Master's grade successful Engineering and years of IT manufacture experience. Huge instrumentality of Agatha Christie detective mysteries 🕵️‍♂️