Switzerland trials ditching Microsoft and using free and open-source software, available for 'around 3,000 employees' from the end of 2027
The European country joins some others in moving away from Microsoft 365.
Switzerland is considering a trial of free and open-source software for its federal administration in place of Microsoft 365, which is used by around 3,000 employees from the end of 2027. The Federal Chancellery conducted a proof-of-concept study, testing various software components such as document editing, email, calendar, contacts, tasks, file storage, audio and video conferencing, chat, and identity and access management.
While there were technical, operational, and organizational challenges, the study concluded that the open-source solution is fundamentally suitable for core standard processes. The software suite being tested includes Collabora Online for document editing, Open-Xchange for email, calendar, contacts, tasks, and file storage, Next Cloud for project management, XWiki for knowledge management, Nordest (Jitsi) for audio and video conferencing, Element for chat, and Univention for identity and access management.
The Swiss Federal Council plans to make the open-source software available for thousands of employees, funded by parliamentary approval for developing a sovereign Swiss open-source platform for office automation. This move follows other European countries, such as France and the EU, that are also transitioning away from Microsoft services to promote digital sovereignty and potentially save costs in the long run.
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