Compatible with digital sovereignty? Microsoft logo painted in London.
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The Swiss government is aiming to gradually move away from reliance on Microsoft products, according to NZZ M Sonntag Newspaper.
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A spokesperson for the Federal Chancellery told the newspaper that the federal administration aims to “step by step and in the long term reduce its dependence on Microsoft”.
This is a surprise, as Microsoft 365 was recently installed on approximately 54,000 administration workstations – despite concerns about data security. The demand for alternatives had earlier faced internal resistance and allegations of “manipulation”. NZZ M Sonntag Writes.
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Swiss AI
‘Switzerland should not succumb to the Big Tech narrative’
This content was published
November 12, 2025
Switzerland could be more independent than tech giants like Microsoft when it comes to artificial intelligence, a leading digital sovereignty expert says.
Read more: ‘Switzerland must not succumb to the Big Tech narrative’
Germany as a model?
However, former army chief Thomas Susley called for alternative solutions to be examined more rapidly. A feasibility study now shows that replacement with open-source software is possible. Germany serves as a reference: there, work is underway on an independent open-source solution that Bern is also interested in.
The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has already changed its administration. Open-source software can be used freely, while it can also be developed independently of corporations.
Swiss authorities have spent significant sums on Microsoft software in recent years: an investigation by SRFExternal Link Last year it was revealed that the federal government and cantons spent more than CHF1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) on licenses with the tech giant over the past ten years.
The Trump administration and its approach to the rule of law are raising concerns among users of American technology. That’s because US law – thanks to the 2018 Cloud Act – allows the government to access all the data stored by US tech corporations.
This means that if data is stored on the servers or clouds of US companies like Microsoft, Apple or Adobe – no matter where in the world – US authorities can request this data from US corporations. This situation may occur even if the servers are located in Switzerland. Users usually have no idea which authority is accessing the data nor what is being done with it.
Adapted from German by AI/dos
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