Bechtle Index of Sovereignty: New Measurement Method for Digital Independence

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Author: Agnes Panjas
Source: IT-Business Original Article
Publication Date: 03.11.2025
Summary Reading Time: 3 minutes

Executive Summary

Bechtle is developing the "Index of Sovereignty," a software-based measurement method for systematically evaluating and enhancing digital sovereignty, which will be available from Q1 2026. The tool addresses the growing need of companies and public contractors for technological independence and offers concrete recommendations for reducing critical dependencies. Given current warnings about dependencies on US technology providers – such as the Swiss Army Chief's warning about Microsoft 365 – Bechtle is positioning itself as a strategic partner for sovereign IT architectures in the European context.

Critical Key Questions

1. How can organizations quantify their critical dependencies on individual tech giants, and what exit strategies are realistically implementable?

2. To what extent is digital sovereignty even achievable without proprietary European technology alternatives – or does it remain an illusion of choice?

3. Which regulatory developments at the EU level could massively accelerate demand for sovereignty assessments in the coming years?

Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives

Short-term (1 year)

  • Market entry Q1 2026: First pilot projects with DAX companies and federal agencies
  • Increased demand due to geopolitical tensions and data protection incidents
  • Competing consulting firms develop similar assessment tools

Medium-term (5 years)

  • Standardization: The sovereignty index becomes an industry-standard KPI
  • Emergence of a European ecosystem of sovereign cloud and software providers
  • Regulatory obligation for critical infrastructures to measure sovereignty

Long-term (10-20 years)

  • Fundamental reorganization of the global tech landscape into regional blocks
  • Digital sovereignty as competitive advantage and location factor
  • Possible technological fragmentation between EU, USA, and Asia

Main Summary

Core Topic & Context

Bechtle is responding to the growing need for orientation in ensuring digital sovereignty with a structured assessment procedure. The topic is gaining urgency due to geopolitical tensions and increasing dependence on non-European tech corporations.

Key Facts & Figures

• Market launch: Q1 2026
• Three core dimensions: Data sovereignty, technological independence, design freedom
• Three basic principles: Freedom of choice, robustness, resilience
• Distribution: Via Germany-wide Bechtle IT system houses
• Target audience: Companies and public contractors

Stakeholders & Affected Parties

  • Primary target group: CIOs, CTOs, and risk managers in companies
  • Public sector: Authorities and critical infrastructures
  • Industries: Particularly regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, energy)

Opportunities & Risks

Opportunities:

  • Early identification of critical vendor lock-ins
  • Building resilient multi-vendor strategies
  • Competitive advantage through demonstrable sovereignty

Risks:

  • Delayed response could lead to irreversible dependencies
  • Higher costs through IT landscape diversification
  • Possible performance losses with sovereign alternatives

Action Relevance

  • Immediate action: Inventory of current technology dependencies
  • Medium-term: Development of exit strategies for critical systems
  • Strategic: Integration of sovereignty KPIs into risk management

Source Index

Primary Source:

Supplementary Sources:

Verification Status: ✅ Facts verified on 03.11.2025

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