Author: Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO)
Source: Audit Swiss Government Cloud – CDF-25155
Publication Date: 2024
Reading Time: approx. 6 minutes
Executive Summary
The SFAO audits the key project Swiss Government Cloud (SGC), which is to build a hybrid multi-cloud for the federal government, cantons and municipalities by 2032. Despite a commitment credit of 246.9 million CHF and total program costs of 319.4 million CHF, the economic benefit for the entire federal administration has not yet been demonstrated. The Swiss cloud tier model (Public, Public CH, Private) is conceptually up-to-date; however, the SFAO recommends promptly providing proof of cost-effectiveness and carefully managing migration risks.
Critical Key Questions (liberal-journalistic)
Freedom: Does a strongly centrally controlled government cloud market unnecessarily restrict the technological choice of the administration?
Responsibility: Who bears the risk for misallocated investments – BIT, departments, cantons or taxpayers?
Transparency: Why is there no reliable business case for the entire federal administration despite procurement being underway?
Innovation: Does the multi-tier cloud model promote innovation – or does it cement legacy thinking in new structures?
Federal Expenditure: Is decentralized data classification more efficient than a uniform, risk-based Swiss standard?
Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives
| Time Horizon | Expected Development |
|---|---|
| Short-term (2025–2026) | SGC procurement becomes concrete; business case is submitted subsequently; governance and data classification remain subject to discussion. |
| Medium-term (2027–2032) | Migration of applications to new platform; shift towards higher public cloud share; federal government must balance sovereignty requirements with cost-effective operations. |
| Long-term (2032+) | Either an interoperable, sustainable solution emerges – or a patchwork of special regimes that drives costs and complexity. |
Main Summary
Core Topic & Context
The SFAO audit report examines the Swiss Government Cloud program as a replacement for the outdated Atlantica platform. The focus is on needs assessment, cost-effectiveness, governance and migration risks.
Key Facts & Figures
- Commitment credit: 246.9 million CHF
- Total program volume: 319.4 million CHF (2025–2032)
- ⚠️ Usage and migration costs are not included in these figures and are borne by service users (offices)
- Estimated load: 1,117 applications, 108.9 petabytes of storage
- ⚠️ Economic benefit for the entire federal government is to be calculated in 2026
Cloud Tier Model
The four-tier model differentiates according to sovereignty, location and protection requirements:
- Tier I (Public Cloud) – international public cloud services
- Tier II (Public Cloud Switzerland) – public cloud with data location in Switzerland
- Tier III (Private Cloud Federal) – dedicated infrastructure for sensitive data
- ⚠️ Additional tier for particularly protected data is under discussion
Stakeholders & Affected Parties
- Federal agencies as primary users and cost bearers of the platform
- Cantons and municipalities, whose needs are only estimated
- Citizens and companies, who depend on the availability and security of e-government services
- Cloud providers and hyperscalers, whose market access is controlled through governance and requirements
Opportunities & Risks
| Opportunities | Risks |
|---|---|
| Modernization of outdated infrastructure (Atlantica replacement) | Complex governance and unclear responsibilities |
| Scalable cloud usage reduces operating costs in the long term | Migration risks with 1,117 heterogeneous applications |
| Strengthening digital sovereignty | Business case is missing; investment risk unclear |
| Clear framework agreements and pay-as-you-use models | Service users have not made binding usage commitments |
Relevance for Action
Decision-makers should:
- Present and make transparent the government-wide business case without delay
- Proactively identify migration risks and equip service users with resources
- Define a uniform data classification for federal government, cantons and municipalities
- Clearly establish governance and competencies of the DTI sector in the program
Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking
- [x] Central statements and figures verified
- [x] Unconfirmed data marked with ⚠️
- [x] Official sources used
- [x] Information gaps explicitly identified
Source Directory
Primary Source:
Audit "Swiss Government Cloud with focus on Business Case" – Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) – efk.admin.ch
Supplementary Sources:
- Federal Chancellery: Cloud Strategy and Cloud Tier Model – bk.admin.ch
- Federal Office of Information Technology and Telecommunications (BIT): SGC Program – bit.admin.ch
- Parliamentary debates on commitment credit December 2024
Verification Status: ✓ Facts checked on 06.12.2025
This text was created with the support of Claude Haiku 4.5 Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 06.12.2025