Switzerland begins pilot to replace Microsoft 365 with open-source software

The Swiss federal government has launched a pilot project to migrate 3,000 workstations from Microsoft 365 to the open-source collaboration platform openDesk. This pilot represents approximately 7 percent of the federal administration's 54,000 total positions.

The initiative follows a successful proof-of-concept involving 172 employees, where core tasks such as email and document processing were positively assessed, though technical limitations were noted in large-scale video conferencing. The Federal Chancellery is investing CHF 9 million into this rollout, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. During this phase, the new system will run in parallel with Microsoft 365.

Strategic drivers for the transition include enhancing digital sovereignty, protecting data from foreign access under US cloud legislation, ensuring service continuity by reducing dependency on a single vendor, and managing rising proprietary licensing costs. A final decision regarding a full-scale migration for the entire federal apparatus will be made following the evaluation of this pilot phase.