It Was Unthinkable Until Recently: 3,000 Swiss Federal Employees to Test a Sovereign Alternative to Microsoft

The Swiss Confederation is preparing to disconnect around 3,000 employees from a range of Microsoft services and place them in a large-scale trial of a sovereign alternative. The participants include staff linked to the Federal Council and others who work with sensitive data.

The decision carries an unmistakable irony. On Thursday afternoon, the Confederation invited media to hear about its partial move away from Microsoft, while the press conference itself took place on Microsoft Teams. The detail offered a fitting illustration of the transition Switzerland is now attempting.

The federal administration has faced years of criticism for its heavy dependence on the American technology giant. This week, officials in Bern decided to test whether everyday administrative work can instead rely on open-source software. The trial will not amount to a total abandonment of Microsoft, but it represents a substantial change for the employees involved.

The central question is whether federal office requirements can be handled by software whose source code is open. A feasibility study carried out by the Federal Chancellery forms the basis for the test. For the Confederation, the issue is not simply which programs employees use, but how much control the administration retains over the digital tools supporting sensitive government work.