Swiss authorities have launched a pilot project to determine whether Microsoft 365 can be replaced with similar open source services, RTS reports. This follows a proof-of-concept project in which 172 civil servants tested the German open source platform openDesk.
According to Matthias Stürmer, a professor at the University of Bern, there are three main reasons for the switch: reducing dependence on US services, increasing operational reliability and reducing costs.
In the first phase, 3,000 computers are involved in the migration, corresponding to 7% of the Swiss federal workforce. The government operates more than 54,000 workstations. According to RTS, the pilot will give priority to employees with access to highly sensitive data.