The problem
Most businesses depend on a handful of American providers without having decided to: messaging, documents, storage, hosting, and now AI. The canton of Geneva published its digital sovereignty strategy in 2026; for a business, the question is the same. It is not a matter of principle but of control: knowing who you depend on, being able to change, and hosting sensitive data under a chosen jurisdiction.
What I put in place
The method is described in detail in the series of articles on digital sovereignty; here is how I run it with your teams.
The inventory, with the people who use the tools
Half a day with your teams to list the services, the real uses and the data that flows through them. There are always tools nobody had declared. The result fits on one sheet: it is the basis for everything that follows.
One solution per service, ranked by sensitivity
For each service, the Swiss or European equivalents, their origin, their pricing model, the ability to export. Client, patient or financial data comes first; monitoring and public communication can wait. One solution retained per service, to stay readable.
Staged migration
Browser, search and office software in a day; messaging and video in a week; e-mail, storage and hosting in a quarter, with a period of parallel running. Teams do not lose their habits all at once, and nothing is cut off before it has been checked.
AI, reversible from the start
For AI chains, I place a gateway between the application and the model provider: sensitive data goes to a Swiss or European API, the rest to the most suitable model, and you change provider without rewriting. Tracing and the knowledge base are hosted with you.
Sovereign does not mean Swiss at any price
Free software of American origin hosted in Zurich is often more sovereign than a closed Swiss service whose data cannot be exported. The criterion is control: being able to read, export, change. That is what I document for each choice. For hosting in Switzerland, I host with Infomaniak, in Geneva.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to replace everything?
No. I rank by data sensitivity and migrate first what is simple and what is critical. Some tools stay, knowingly.
How long does a migration take?
Everyday tools change in a few days. E-mail, storage and hosting take a quarter, with a period of parallel running. The pace is set with your teams.
Will my teams lose their habits?
That is the main risk, which is why I migrate in stages, starting with what most resembles the current tools. Short training accompanies each switch.
What if I want to go back?
The solutions retained allow data to be exported in open formats. Going back is possible; it is rarely asked for.
A concrete case on your side?
Tell me what costs you time; I get back to you within 24 business hours with a first read, no obligation.