Govt wants to cut Microsoft ties

Switzerland is looking to reduce its reliance on the US tech giant Microsoft, according to reports.

The federal administration says it plans to scale back dependency on the company’s software over the long term.

The move comes despite the recent rollout of Microsoft 365 across tens of thousands of government workstations, a decision that had already raised data security concerns.

A new feasibility study has found that switching to open-source alternatives is possible, with inspiration drawn from projects in Germany.

Swiss authorities have spent more than CHF 1bn on Microsoft licences over the past decade.

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