// PC GAMER — GAMING
Switzerland trials ditching Microsoft and using free and open-source software, available for 'around 3,000 employees' from the end of 2027
The European country joins some others in moving away from Microsoft 365.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Microsoft has benefited from its services being used by many different governments and state agencies around the world. In many places, it's become ubiquitous. Some aren't happy about that, however, not least because it keeps you locked into an ecosystem that Microsoft can dictate the price for. As such, some states around Europe have been moving away from Microsoft services and towards open-source ones, and Switzerland now looks to be the latest in considering this.
The Federal Chancellery in Switzerland recently studied, as a proof-of-concept, whether it's feasible for its Federal Administration (part of the executive branch) to function with open-source software instead of Microsoft 365 and concluded yes, it can (via International Cyber Digest). As such, It's going to launch a follow-up program to trial it.
For the study, the whole software caboodle was tested: "document editing, email, calendar, contacts, tasks, file storage, audio and video conferencing, chat, and identity and access management."
Despite "technical, operational, and organizational hurdles that prevent widespread productive use", the study concludes that "the tested browser-based solution is fundamentally suitable for core standard processes."
In other words, while there might be other reasons preventing widespread adoption for now, the study shows it doesn't cause any fundamental problems when switching from MS 365 to other open-source options.
The follow-up program will make such software available for thousands of employees.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
According to the Swiss Federal Council, "From the end of 2027, around 3,000 employees should be able to use sovereign workplace software with core office functions. Funding will come from resources that Parliament has approved for the development of a sovereign Swiss open-source platform for office automation."