Switzerland tests OpenDesk on 3 000 federal workstations – 9,4 Mio. € investment

The Swiss federal administration launched an extensive pilot project in spring 2026 that aims to roll out the open‑source office suite OpenDesk on 3 000 workstations. This will migrate roughly 7 % of the entire federal IT stock from Microsoft 365 to an independent solution. The investment totals around 9,4 Mio. €. The initiative is part of a broader strategy for digital sovereignty and the protection of sensitive government data.

Scope and cost of the pilot project

The Confederation’s decision to test open‑source office software was confirmed in an official statement. According to the specialist portal Les Numériques, the current test phase covers exactly 3 000 workstations, representing about 7 % of the total federal IT stock. The cost is quoted at roughly 9,4 Mio. € – an amount that experts say could be recouped quickly if Microsoft product licence fees are reduced.

The pilot follows a smaller trial in which 172 employees of the Federal Chancellery already used the OpenDesk suite. That test showed the software runs stably in security‑critical environments and meets the required data‑protection and access specifications.

Motivations: data protection, data access and licence costs

A key advocate of the project is Matthias Stürmer, professor at the Berner Fachhochschule (BFH). In an interview with Les Numériques he cites three main reasons for moving from Microsoft 365 to an open‑source solution:

“The protection of sensitive data, unrestricted access to our own data and rising licence costs are the driving forces behind the decision to test OpenDesk.”

Stürmer stresses that OpenDesk not only strengthens independence from US tech giants but also should allow the source code to be inspected and adapted to the federal government’s specific security requirements.

Outlook: military cyber‑command and civilian administration

While the civilian federal administration proceeds cautiously with the 3 000‑workstation pilot, the military Cyber‑Command plans a much faster transition. Internal plans call for the entire military IT infrastructure to be migrated to OpenDesk by October 2026. The civilian side, by contrast, expects a full roll‑out only by the end of 2027, provided the pilot results are positive.

Both systems – Microsoft 365 and OpenDesk – are currently running in parallel, allowing critical processes to continue uninterrupted while new workstations are switched over gradually.

Analysis: what does this mean for Europe?

Although the claim that this is the “largest migration in the public sector in Europe” is not substantiated in the source text, a significant trend is evident. Switzerland is positioning itself as a pioneer in a growing movement of European states seeking alternatives to US tech giants. Other countries, such as France and the Netherlands, are also evaluating open‑source solutions for their administrations. The financial outlay of 9,4 Mio. € appears moderate compared with the annual Microsoft licence costs for a comparable user base – a sign that the project’s economics could be attractive in the long term.

A potential stumbling block remains the integration of existing document‑ and workflow‑systems. OpenDesk must communicate seamlessly with established platforms such as SAP, ERP solutions and specialised domain applications. The federal administration has set up a dedicated evaluation team to examine technical interfaces and define any necessary adaptations.

Overall, the Swiss pilot demonstrates that a phased, well‑funded approach to digital sovereignty is feasible. It provides valuable data for other European nations contemplating similar paths.