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Switzerland launches 3,000-seat pilot to replace Microsoft 365 with open-source tools
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Switzerland's federal government has launched a pilot program testing open-source alternatives to Microsoft 365 on 3,000 workstations, about 7% of the federal workforce, with a target to complete migration by end of 2027.
This pilot signals a concrete move by a national government to reduce dependence on a single foreign vendor for core office software. The stated motivations include risks of foreign data access, service continuity, and rising licensing costs. If successful, the migration could extend to all 54,000 federal workstations.
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The pilot runs on 3,000 workstations, about 7% of the federal workforce, in parallel with Microsoft 365.
A prior proof-of-concept with 172 employees found core tasks like document processing and email positive, but large-scale video conferencing had limitations.
Switzerland's Cyber Command plans to replace Microsoft 365 with openDesk by October 2026, citing similar concerns about foreign access to sensitive data.
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