France has announced plans to replace American video conferencing platforms Microsoft Teams and Zoom with its own domestically developed solution, Visio, across all government departments by 2027.
The initiative is part of France’s broader digital sovereignty strategy, aimed at reducing reliance on foreign technology, especially from the United States, and regaining control over critical digital infrastructure.
“The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool,” said David Amiel, Minister for the Civil Service and State Reform.
What is Visio?
Visio is a French-made video conferencing platform that has been in testing for a year, with around 40,000 users. It is part of France’s Suite Numérique plan, a digital ecosystem of sovereign tools designed to replace US services such as Gmail and Slack for government use.
Key features of Visio include:
- AI-powered meeting transcription and speaker diarization, powered by French start-up Pyannote.
- Hosting on Outscale’s sovereign cloud, a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, ensuring full European control over data.
- Significant cost savings, with potential to cut licensing fees by €1 million per year for every 100,000 users.
Why France is Acting
The switch comes amid growing concerns over US surveillance, service disruptions, and cloud outages in Europe. France’s move highlights the country’s commitment to digital sovereignty in the face of geopolitical tensions.
“This strategy highlights France’s commitment to digital sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions and fears of foreign surveillance or service disruptions,” Amiel said.
Meta Description (Yoast-friendly): France will replace Microsoft Teams and Zoom with its sovereign video platform Visio by 2027, aiming to enhance digital security and reduce reliance on US technology.
