{"id":107016,"date":"2026-07-23T07:23:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/107016\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T07:23:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:23:37","slug":"can-switzerland-work-without-microsoft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/107016\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Switzerland work without Microsoft?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Persona<\/p>\n

Microsoft has become essential to workplaces across much of Switzerland. Cutting the cord is not always easy. <\/p>\n

Keystone <\/p>\n

From the public broadcaster to railways and government offices, Microsoft has become deeply embedded in Swiss\u00a0organisations. Breaking that dependence can take years. Here\u2019s why digital sovereignty is so difficult to achieve.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

This content was published on <\/p>\n

July 23, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n I analyse the risks, opportunities and concrete impacts of artificial intelligence on society and everyday life. Since joining SWI swissinfo.ch in 2020, I translate the complexity of science and technology into stories that speak to a global audience.
\nBorn in Milan to an Italian-Egyptian family, I have been passionate about knowledge and writing since childhood. I worked between Milan and Paris as a multilingual editor for technology magazines before transitioning to international journalism with SWI swissinfo.ch.\n <\/p>\n


\n More from this author <\/a><\/p>\n


\n Italian Department <\/a><\/p>\n

Other language: 1 <\/p>\n

EN original <\/p>\n

\n Italiano <\/p>\n

\n it <\/p>\n

La Svizzera pu\u00f2 fare a meno di Microsoft?\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

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Read more: La Svizzera pu\u00f2 fare a meno di Microsoft?\u00a0
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

At the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), our work depends on Outlook, Teams and Office. Replacing Windows \u2013 or even just one of Microsoft\u2019s workplace tools \u2013 simply isn\u2019t an option.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t just us. Microsoft says it has more than 50,000 business customersExternal link<\/a> in Switzerland, including organisations in highly regulated sectors such as finance and healthcare. From the SBC to Swiss Federal Railways, from Siemens to federal administration, Microsoft has become essential across much of the country.<\/p>\n

Last year, standing next to Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin, Microsoft executives announced a $400 million (CHF325 million) investmentExternal link<\/a> to expand the company\u2019s artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure in Switzerland.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Swiss officials say they want greater digital sovereigntyExternal link<\/a> \u2013 meaning less reliance on technology controlled by foreign companies. That raises a question: if Switzerland wants greater independence, why do so many of its organisations rely on a single US company?<\/p>\n

\"parmelin<\/p>\n

Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin, left, next to Microsoft executives Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne in Bern. <\/p>\n

Keystone \/ Peter Schneider <\/p>\n

Microsoft\u00a0vs\u00a0open-source\u00a0alternatives\u00a0<\/p>\n

When we asked the SBC\u2019s IT managers why the broadcaster relies so heavily on Microsoft, the answer had little to do with ideology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t choose Microsoft because we love Microsoft,\u201d says Martial Challandes, head of IT at the SBC.<\/p>\n

For a company with thousands of employees, Microsoft offers standardisation, interoperability, and around-the-clock support. \u201cYou give employees the tools and they simply work,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Open-source alternatives exist for some Microsoft products, including LibreOffice as an alternative to Office. As their source code is open, anyone can inspect, modify and adapt them, offering greater flexibility without licence fees. But organisations often have to take on more responsibility for operating these systems. The SBC uses some open-source software in its technical infrastructure, which most employees don\u2019t interact with.<\/p>\n

Can Switzerland \u2013 and the Swiss \u2013 live without Big Tech? <\/p>\n

In this multi-part series, Swissinfo journalists Kristian Foss Brandt and Sara Ibrahim attempt to replace core technologies from major US tech companies in their daily and professional lives \u2013 including Windows, Android, Google services, cloud platforms and AI tools \u2013 with Swiss or European alternatives where possible.<\/p>\n

The goal is to test whether digital sovereignty is realistic at the individual level and what this reveals about Switzerland\u2019s broader technological dependence and the possibility of reducing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you have a problem with Microsoft, you call Microsoft. With open-source, you first have to understand the problem yourself,\u201d says Nicola Marangoni, head of IT at RSI, the Italian-language branch of the SBC.<\/p>\n

Both Challandes and Marangoni believe organisations underestimate the cost of supporting open-source software.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe organisations that succeed are those that treat it as a strategic capability, not as a way to save money,\u201d Challandes says. \u201cThose that adopt open-source simply to cut costs often discover the hidden bill two years later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Replacing Microsoft with LibreOffice, Marangoni says, would be difficult because it affects almost every employee\u2019s daily work.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would run into people who have worked with Office and its ecosystem for years and suddenly have to change,\u201d he argues.<\/p>\n

>> Two Swissinfo journalists tried cutting ties with US tech giants.\u00a0Here\u2019s\u00a0what happened:<\/p>\n

\n More<\/p>\n

\"Sara<\/p>\n

More <\/p>\n

Swiss AI\n <\/p>\n

Can Switzerland live without Big Tech? We put it to the test <\/p>\n

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This content was published on <\/p>\n

Jun 6, 2026 <\/p>\n

Switzerland wants digital sovereignty, but can it really distance itself from Big Tech? Two Swissinfo journalists tried cutting ties with US tech giants. Here\u2019s what happened. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Read more: Can Switzerland live without Big Tech? We put it to the test
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

In Switzerland \u2018no trains\u00a0would run\u2019 without\u00a0open-source\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many other firms operate similarly to the public broadcaster: they rely on Microsoft for employees\u2019 tools, but use open-source software in the systems that keep their operations running.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout open-source, no trains would run,\u201d says Peter Keller, who works on digitalisation and IT architecture for the Swiss Federal Railways.<\/p>\n

Keller explains that critical Swiss railway infrastructure relies on Linux and on other open-source software, which have become the industry standard for the sector. \u201cOpen-source systems are the gears inside the watch that nobody sees.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Railways also develops some strategic software jointly with other European railway companies as open-source projects. Keller says this makes collaboration easier than if every organisation relied on proprietary systems. This collaborative development model has accelerated innovation in software that runs trains, he says.<\/p>\n

Siemens followed a similar path decades ago. \u201cYou can\u2019t innovate without open-source,\u201d says Roger Meier, distinguished engineer at Siemens Switzerland.<\/p>\n

While most employees still rely on Microsoft and other proprietary software for everyday work, more than 90,000 developers of the German multinational company collaborate internally on a software platform inspired by open-source communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, every department worked in isolation. Today everyone can contribute,\u201d Meier says. For him, collaborative coding is a little like going to a barbecue: \u201ceveryone has to bring something\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Open-source\u00a0is already everywhere.\u2019 So why doesn\u2019t everyone switch?\u00a0<\/p>\n

This style of open collaboration has allowed innovations that are everywhere today. Much of the modern internet was built on open-source technologies. Linux, an open-source operating system, powers most of the world\u2019s servers. Open-source AI frameworks such as PyTorch are used even by companies like Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI, which build their own AI tools.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen-source is already everywhere,\u201d says Nicolas Christener, CEO of the Swiss company Adfinis, which provides open-source IT solutions globally. \u201cWhen thousands of developers can collaborate freely,\u201d he adds, \u201cinnovation happens much faster\u201d.<\/p>\n

Christener compares open-source to Lego bricks. Instead of buying a finished product, organisations can build exactly what they need. \u201cOpen-source means freedom of choice,\u201d he says. \u201cThere isn\u2019t one big company telling you what is or isn\u2019t possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet many organisations considering open-source alternatives face a difficult dilemma. \u201cShould we pay 20% more for licences next year? Or should we invest in migrating away from Big Tech services?\u201d says Pascal St\u00f6ckli, co-founder of Netzwerk SDS, a Swiss initiative promoting digitally sovereign solutions.<\/p>\n

Proprietary systems often make switching expensive. The deeper they become embedded in an organisation, the harder and more costly it is to leave \u2013 a phenomenon known as vendor lock-in. For large organisations, both annual software licences and large-scale migration projects can cost millions of francs.<\/p>\n

>> We set out to break free from Big Tech on our phones. Here is how it all began:<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean organisations never switch suppliers, especially as prices climb. After Adobe raised its fees, the SBC replaced its creative software with lower-cost proprietary alternatives. The broadcaster retained Microsoft after negotiating lower licensing costs last year but declined to disclose the figures.<\/p>\n

Security and support are also often cited as reasons to avoid open-source \u2013 because anyone can look at the code, some organisations may fear that hackers will find and exploit vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n

Christener disagrees. When the source code can be independently audited, he argues, vulnerabilities are often easier to detect and fix. He also notes that many open-source companies, such as Adfinis, are beginning to offer enterprise-grade support, including 24\/7 assistance.<\/p>\n

Still, many organisations remain cautious. The Swiss Federal Chancellery told Swissinfo that the long-term sustainability of some open-source projects, especially those that are maintained by voluntary communities of IT experts, remains one of the main obstacles to reducing its dependence on proprietary software.<\/p>\n

Rather than attempting radical overhauls, Christener advises organisations to replace one tool at a time \u2013 for example, swapping Microsoft Teams with an open-source collaboration platform such as Nextcloud Talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwitching to open-source isn\u2019t a sprint,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a marathon that can take years.\u201d<\/p>\n

How one German State said goodbye to Microsoft\u00a0<\/p>\n

One European government is in the middle of this marathon.<\/p>\n

The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has replaced Windows with Linux and Microsoft\u2019s main workplace applications with open-source alternatives across much of its administration.<\/p>\n

\"Schleswig-Holstein<\/p>\n

\u201cFreedom, democracy and sovereignty increasingly depend on our ability to shape and control our own digital infrastructure,\u201d says Dirk Schr\u00f6dter, Digitalisation Minister of the German state Schleswig-Holstein. <\/p>\n

Keystone \/ DPA <\/p>\n

Initially the goal was to reduce licence costs. Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine transformed the project into a question of national security. \u201cWe saw how dependent we had become in the energy sector \u2013 and we are just as dependent in the digital sphere\u201d, Schleswig-Holstein\u2019s Digitalisation Minister Dirk Schr\u00f6dter told Swissinfo via email.<\/p>\n

\u201cFreedom, democracy and sovereignty increasingly depend on our ability to shape and control our own digital infrastructure,\u201d Schr\u00f6dter says.<\/p>\n

The transition has taken around seven years, from early testing to the rollout across the administration. About 20% of workstations still need Microsoft licences for specialised applications, even if the goal remains full independence, Schr\u00f6dter underlines.<\/p>\n

The government says it has already saved more than \u20ac15 million (CHF13.85 million) in licence costs against an investment of \u20ac9 million for the migration and further development of open-source solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe path to digital sovereignty is long and challenging,\u201d Schr\u00f6dter says. \u201cBut it is achievable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edited by Gabe Bullard\/vm\/ds<\/a><\/p>\n

Articles in this story <\/p>\n

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