Switzerland Builds Open-Source Workplace Platform to Operate Alongside Microsoft 365

Switzerland’s Federal Chancellery is advancing a sovereign digital workplace initiative following a feasibility study that demonstrated how open-source collaboration and office software can effectively support essential workflows within the federal administration.

This initiative, announced to the Federal Council on September 2, aims to establish an open-source workplace platform that will operate alongside Microsoft 365 without an immediate replacement.

By the end of 2027, approximately 3,000 selected employees involved in critical business processes are expected to access the new environment.

The program aims to enhance the federal administration’s digital sovereignty and improve operational resilience during crises, including potential outages of Microsoft 365 services. Digital sovereignty has been highlighted as a priority in Switzerland’s Digital Switzerland strategy.

Core Services Targeted

The sovereign workplace platform will support standard productivity and communication functions, such as:

• Email and calendar services
• Document and presentation editing
• File storage and collaboration
• Telephony
• Audio and video conferencing

This project follows the Proof of Concept for Office Automation with Open-Source Software (PoC BOSS), which included 172 test participants from various federal departments. The feedback was particularly positive regarding document editing, file storage, collaboration, email, and calendar functions.

The Federal Chancellery concluded that the browser-based solution is fundamentally suitable for core standard processes. Officials noted that the platform could serve as a significant contingency option if Microsoft 365 services become unavailable.

The proof of concept also revealed some technical and operational constraints, particularly with large-scale video conferencing, indicating that the platform is not yet a one-to-one replacement for all Microsoft 365 workloads.

Switzerland expects to invest approximately CHF 9 million in the initial phase, using funds that Parliament has already approved for developing a sovereign Swiss open-source office automation platform.

This first phase will focus on development, assessment, and refinement of the environment while also generating data needed to estimate costs for broader deployment and long-term operations.

Security and platform assessments, major customizations, and enhanced internal expertise will be necessary before the system can support sensitive federal use cases on a larger scale. Authorities have also pointed out that additional funding may be needed for both development and ongoing operations.

A complete migration to the new platform has not yet been decided. The Federal Chancellery will evaluate whether the federal administration should fully transition to a sovereign workplace environment as the program evolves.

One central challenge is the numerous specialized government applications that are closely integrated with Microsoft’s architecture. Maintaining interoperability while reducing reliance on a single vendor will be crucial to the program’s success.

During the feasibility study, Switzerland consulted the Schleswig-Holstein state government in Germany, leveraging its experience implementing open-source workplace software across public-sector operations.

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