France Shifts 40,000 Officials to Homegrown Video Tools as Europe Pushes to Cut US Tech Reliance
Updated
Updated · WIRED · May 21
France Shifts 40,000 Officials to Homegrown Video Tools as Europe Pushes to Cut US Tech Reliance
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 21
More than 40,000 French government staff have begun using the state-backed Visio platform, with the rest due to leave Zoom, Microsoft Teams and similar services by 2027.
DINUM is pairing that rollout with LaSuite—messaging, email, file-sharing and office tools built on open source software—while requiring government data to be processed and stored in France with ANSSI-approved providers.
420,000 users already rely on Tchap, France’s secure messaging app, and all central government agencies must submit plans by this fall to reduce dependence on US office software, antivirus, AI and databases.
France has also decided to move its health data platform from Microsoft to Scaleway, while Lyon says it has shifted about 70% of employees off Microsoft Office and is preparing broader Linux adoption.
The push reflects wider European anxiety over US legal reach and political risk under Trump, but the shift faces limits: US firms still control about 70% of the EU cloud market and 80% of European software spending.
With the US demanding EU citizen data, is a transatlantic 'data war' the inevitable next step?
Is Europe’s quest for digital independence creating a more fragmented and vulnerable global internet?
Can Europe's homegrown tech truly compete with Silicon Valley's established giants?
France’s Visio Migration: Inside the 200,000-User Shift to Domestic Digital Platforms by 2027
Overview
France is making a major push for digital sovereignty by moving its public sector to Visio, a homegrown communication platform. This transition, set to finish by 2027, is driven by the government’s desire to secure critical communications, reduce reliance on foreign technology, and protect against risks like foreign surveillance. The shift also promises significant cost savings, with the government expecting to save €1 million annually for every 100,000 users who switch from foreign services. France’s strategy highlights a broader effort to strengthen national digital independence and set a new standard for secure public sector communications.