The Canton of Vaud has announced its membership in the network for a sovereign digital Switzerland (SDS), according to ICTjournal. It thus becomes the first Romandy canton to join this initiative, following several German-speaking cantons and numerous Swiss technology companies.
For a Romandy SME leader, this news deserves attention. It legitimizes a question many of you already ask: where to host your data, your business tools, your AI assistants? The answer "in Switzerland" gains institutional credibility. It can also help you convince your board of directors, your accounting firm, or your IT manager.
What Vaud's Membership Contains
The canton intends to compare its practices with those of other administrations and private actors to identify solutions strengthening control over its information systems and data. This approach follows a consistent path: as early as 2018, the Vaud State Council had enshrined digital sovereignty in its strategy. The canton has participated since 2019 in the Latin Conference of Cantonal Digital Directors (CLDN), which published three studies on sovereign cloud in 2023.
Valérie Dittli, head of the Department of Agriculture, Sustainability and Climate and of Digital Affairs, states according to the source: "The SDS network offers us a chance to work with partners at all levels for concrete solutions." The canton clarifies that it will continue its work in parallel with the CLDN and the Swiss Federal Administration of Digital Services (ANS).
The SDS Network in Brief
The network was launched in July 2025 by several public sector actors, including the Confederation, the City of Zurich, Swiss Post, and Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). It now counts more than 100 affiliated organizations. The founding members — 31 in total — include authorities (Cyber Command, cantons of Solothurn, Bern, Basel-Stadt, City of Zurich) and Swiss technology companies such as Infomaniak, Swisscom, Adfinis, Cloudscale, and VSHN.
Participants cooperate around four axes: open source software, alternatives to Microsoft 365, Swiss cloud offerings, and artificial intelligence. They financially support the center, with contributions totaling more than CHF 200,000. The stated objective is to demonstrate that Switzerland has both demand and supply for sovereign digital solutions, then to correct in the long term the dominant position of a small number of foreign providers.
The network aims to become a "Center for a Sovereign Digital Switzerland," modeled on the German center Zendis. It had initially requested funding from Innosuisse, which was refused; work therefore continues with member resources.
What Changes Concretely for Your Romandy SME
| You are concerned if… | What is evolving |
|---|---|
| You hesitate between Swiss and foreign hosting | Vaud's membership strengthens the "sovereignty" argument with your stakeholders |
| Your accounting firm or board of directors demands guarantees | You can rely on a structured cantonal approach, not an isolated choice |
| You use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace | The network works on alternatives; migration remains complex, but the issue is taken seriously |
| You are considering an AI assistant or agent | The question of hosting training and inference data becomes more visible |
Typical case: imagine a property management company in Lausanne that stores lease contracts, tenant files, and accounting in the cloud. Its board of directors worries about the Swiss nFADP (nLPD) and American contractual clauses. Vaud's membership in the SDS network gives it a reference point: the canton itself seeks to control its infrastructures. This does not solve everything, but it legitimizes an approach of Swiss hosting or self-hosting.
Who is not concerned? SMEs whose activity is lightly regulated, which have no sensitive data, and which prioritize cost and simplicity. For them, digital sovereignty remains a secondary issue. Companies strongly integrated into foreign ecosystems (e-commerce on Amazon, marketing on Meta) will also gain little from it in the short term.
A Hypothetical Scenario: The Joinery in Sierre
Imagine a joinery in Sierre, about fifteen employees. It uses a quotation and invoicing software hosted in Germany, file storage with an American giant, and is starting to test an AI assistant to respond to quotation requests by email.
The owner, wary since a competitor had billing problems due to an outage at its foreign host, wonders whether he should bring everything back to Switzerland. He reads that Vaud is joining the SDS. He discusses it with his accounting firm, which knows little about the subject. Together, they decide to:
- Identify the three most critical tools (quotation-invoicing, storage, emails)
- Check where data is physically stored and who has access
- Request quotes from two Swiss hosts for these three functions
- Test Swiss hosting for storage for three months, without touching other tools
- Reassess after this period, measuring time lost or gained
This gradual approach avoids a big bang. It costs time — perhaps half a day per week during the test — but limits risk. The final decision might be to stay with the foreign host for some tools, migrate others to Switzerland, or even opt for a Swiss-hosted AI assistant for the most sensitive data.
Points of Caution
Hosting and the Swiss nFADP (nLPD). The new Federal Act on Data Protection (nLPD) imposes guarantees on data transfers abroad. Vaud's membership in the SDS does not change the law, but it confirms that the issue is taken seriously at the highest cantonal level. For precise obligations, consult the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or your legal advisor.
Hidden costs. Sovereign solutions are not always more expensive, but migration is. Count training time, process adaptations, possible loss of functionality. A Swiss equivalent to Microsoft Teams does not really exist yet. The SDS network itself acknowledges this: according to ICTjournal, Thomas Fischer of the canton of Bern warns that "there is currently no truly adequate alternative to Microsoft's integrated solution for public administration."
Maturity of offerings. The SDS is young, launched in 2025, and was created despite Innosuisse's initial refusal. Work is progressing, but concrete solutions for SMEs are not yet standardized. Do not bet everything on this initiative in the short term.
Vendor lock-in. Switching from one ecosystem (Microsoft, Google, Salesforce) to another, even Swiss, creates new dependency. Check exit conditions, data portability, and the financial viability of the chosen host.
What to Do Now
- Take inventory. List your cloud tools and their hosting locations. A simple table suffices: tool, storage country, data type, criticality for operations.
- Read your providers' commitments. Where do they promise to store your data? Do clauses change? This takes one or two hours per contract.
- Test Swiss hosting on a limited scope. For example, backup of your accounting documents or an internal automated workflow. Measure the difference in performance and cost.
- Document your approach. If the nLPD or an audit questions you, show that you evaluated options. This is better than a default choice without justification.
- Evaluate your AI needs. A Swiss-hosted AI assistant reduces questions about data transfer. Our two-minute AI quiz helps you identify what is realistic for your SME.
FlowBiz.ai, based in Sion, designs AI assistants, agents, and automations hosted in Switzerland for Romandy SMEs. We deliver in small steps, at fixed prices, with no multi-year commitment. Contact us for an initial exchange or use our selection assistant to identify what matches your situation.
