- The Swiss Army's Cyber Command and CEA units are switching from Microsoft to the open-source alternative OpenDesk by October, due to Microsoft's push towards its own cloud infrastructure.
- This move is driven by security concerns, as Microsoft's cloud-based Office 365 is deemed unsuitable for handling classified military data, with fears that U.S. laws like the Cloud Act could lead to data access by foreign intelligence agencies.
- Geopolitical risks, such as recent U.S. actions including sales bans and forced data handovers, have heightened urgency for digital sovereignty and reducing dependence on U.S. tech giants.
- OpenDesk, developed by Germany's Zendis, is part of a broader trend in German-speaking countries towards open-source solutions, with the Austrian Armed Forces migrating to LibreOffice and the Bundeswehr's IT system using similar software.