Digital sovereignty from a single source: sovereign open-source workstations for the public sector

How can the public sector shape its own digital future? How can modern collaboration, high security standards and digital sovereignty be reconciled? And how can greater independence be achieved, the user experience enhanced and technological progress harnessed?

These issues are currently a concern for many organisations. At SCCON, we will demonstrate how robust workplace solutions, featuring integrated collaboration and office tools, enable modern, secure and efficient collaboration. At the same time, they provide modern tools for communication, collaboration and mobile working.

Just imagine: a local authority can shape its own digital future. Decisions regarding data, applications and infrastructure are not dependent on individual manufacturers. The infrastructure and security keep pace with the exponentially growing challenges. At the same time, the authority is able to meet the needs of its staff by providing them with modern tools for communication, collaboration and mobile working.

This is precisely why we are laying the foundations: with open, secure and future-proof workplace solutions for the public sector.

At SCCON, we will be demonstrating how the federal government, the Länder, local authorities and public IT service providers can successfully implement digital sovereignty – from the workplace and communications right through to deciding on the operating model, all at their own pace. 

Let’s look at a recent example:

Employees need Office applications, secure communication channels, digital collaboration and reliable IT operations. At the same time, data protection, cyber resilience, vendor independence and control over their own IT are becoming increasingly important.

A new generation of digital workplaces is emerging in response to a wide range of requirements. There are various solutions available, offering different levels of integration, such as:

• SovereignDesk – the integrated digital workplace for public administration
• OpenDesk – the collaborative workspace for day-to-day administrative tasks
• BundesMessenger – secure communication for public authorities

These solutions create a modern and professional working environment. Staff can create documents, communicate securely and collaborate across organisations as usual – based on open standards and open-source technologies.

True autonomy is also characterised by the fact that, even given the current system landscape, it is possible to opt for a gradual and self-determined transition to the new world of work. 

When individual organisations come together to form a networked ecosystem, a communication platform is needed that combines security and autonomy to facilitate modern collaboration.

This is where the BundesMessenger comes in: it is a secure communication platform for public administration in Germany. It was developed for the federal administration, the federal states, local authorities and municipalities, and is used for confidential real-time text, video, voice and file communication.

The reference project carried out by the town of Rüsselsheim demonstrates how this approach can be successfully implemented in practice. Digital sovereignty is no longer a future scenario, but something that can be experienced in the here and now.

Come and visit us at SCCON 2026 and see for yourself, through live showcases, how digital sovereignty is a reality in public administration.