We are happy that VSHN is once again a Matterhorn sponsor of the Swiss Software Festival 2026. The festival takes place on June 24, 2026, at uptownBasel in Arlesheim, bringing together more than 600 peers, two plenary sessions, and over 75 speakers across seven thematic tracks and two special tracks.

This year’s edition has a clear focus, and it is one close to our heart: in times of geopolitical uncertainty, Swiss companies and organizations are increasingly looking for autonomy-first, Swiss-made solutions that support digital sovereignty. That is exactly the conversation we want to be part of – not just as a sponsor, but on stage and behind the program.

Aarno Aukia keynotes the opening plenary

VSHN co-founder Aarno Aukia is one of the keynote speakers in Plenary Session 1, “The future of software development.” His talk, “Digital Neutrality: Switzerland’s Engineering Advantage in the AI Era,” looks at a question that runs through the whole festival: who will build software in the future, humans or machines, and what that means for Switzerland’s position in an AI-shaped world.

He shares the stage with keynote speakers from UBS, IMD, and ti&m, followed by a leadership panel with voices from Adnovum, Adobe, and Abacus Research – a strong lineup for a discussion about where the Swiss software industry is heading.

VSHN chairs Tech Track 2: Platform Engineering & Software Architecture

We are also the track chair of Tech Track 2, “Platform Engineering & Software Architecture.” Modern software systems need more than tooling – they need thoughtful architecture and resilient platforms. This track digs into platform engineering, internal developer platforms, distributed systems, and cloud-native runtime strategies, from Kubernetes-based control planes to distributed AI workloads.

Our Product Manager & Partner Tobias Brunner contributes a talk titled “From platforms to ecosystems – why software innovation is a team sport,” alongside speakers from Eficode, White Duck, Abacus Research, and Noser Engineering.

See you in Arlesheim

The Swiss Software Festival has become a unique meeting point for the Swiss software ecosystem, and the topics on this year’s agenda – sovereignty, platform engineering, and the role of AI in software development – are right at the center of what we do at VSHN. We are looking forward to good conversations, great talks, and meeting the community in person.

Join us on June 24, 2026, at uptownBasel in Arlesheim. Tickets are available here.

We have been supporting the Cloud Native community for many years and are excited to once again sponsor Cloud Native Zürich in 2026.

Over the years, Cloud Native Zürich has become one of the most important cloud native community events in Switzerland – bringing together platform engineers, Kubernetes practitioners, developers, operators, architects, startups, enterprises, and open source enthusiasts from across the ecosystem.

At VSHN, supporting and helping grow the cloud native community has always been an important part of who we are. From sponsoring and attending community events, to organizing the Cloud Native Computing Switzerland Meetups, to contributing to open source projects and Kubernetes ecosystems – community has always mattered to us.

That is why we are very happy to be back as sponsors again this year.

Meet Us at Our Booth

If you are attending Cloud Native Zürich, make sure to stop by our booth.

We are looking forward to many great discussions around:

• Kubernetes & OpenShift
• Platform Engineering
• Digital Sovereignty
• Cloud Native Operations
• Servala – Sovereign App Store
• APPUiO
• Codey
• Open Source & European cloud ecosystems

Or simply stop by for a chat and good conversations. And of course, you can once again win a nice LEGO set at our booth. 😉

👉 Event website: Cloud Native Zürich

Servala Hosts the Sovereignty Track

This year, Servala is also sponsoring and helping shape the dedicated Sovereignty Track at Cloud Native Zürich 2026.

The track brings together talks and discussions around sovereign cloud infrastructure, open ecosystems, digital sovereignty, and practical cloud native approaches for independent infrastructure strategies.

👉 Read more about the Sovereignty Track at CNZ on Servala

Not Just a Sponsor, But Also on Stage

We are especially excited to not only participate as a sponsor with our booth this year, but also to actively contribute to the program – as speakers and moderators of the Sovereignty Track.

Through talks, discussions, and the panel around digital sovereignty, we want to help bring topics like open source, sovereign cloud infrastructure, and independent digital ecosystems further into the cloud native community.

We are also especially looking forward to seeing keynote speaker Thomas Zurbuchen live again.

Get Your Ticket with 20% Discount

Want to join Cloud Native Zürich 2026?

Use our discount code:

VSHN-20

and get 20% off your ticket purchase.

Cloud Native Zürich is one of the best opportunities in Switzerland to connect with the local and European cloud native ecosystem, discover new ideas, meet maintainers and practitioners, and exchange experiences around Kubernetes, platform engineering, AI, security, operations, and digital sovereignty.

Whether you are deeply technical, leading platform teams, building products, or simply interested in where the cloud native ecosystem is heading – this event is absolutely worth attending.

👉 Get your ticket now

On May 6 and 7, 2026, the Swiss DevOps and cloud native community gathered once again at Alte Kaserne Winterthur for DevOpsDays Zurich 2026. Once again, it reminded us why this event has become such an important part of the community over the years.

For us at VSHN, DevOpsDays Zurich is something special. We have been part of it since the very first edition in 2016 – as sponsors, participants, speakers, and community members. Watching the event grow over the years, while still keeping its open and community-driven spirit, has honestly been pretty amazing.

And somehow, despite the industry changing massively over the last decade, the core idea of DevOpsDays still feels just as relevant as it did back then: bring people together, share real experiences, talk openly about challenges, and learn from each other.

This year’s edition once again had exactly that feeling.

Real Talks Instead of Buzzwords

The program covered many of the topics currently shaping our industry – from platform engineering and AI to software supply chain security, observability, developer experience, and organizational culture. But what made the event valuable was not just the topics themselves, it was the way people talked about them: practical, honest, and grounded in real-world experience.

Some talks focused on scaling engineering organizations and platforms, others on AI-assisted operations and the growing importance of observability and verification. Security and software supply chain topics were also everywhere this year – from SBOMs and dependency management to secure coding practices in the age of AI-generated code.

One thing that stood out across many sessions was how much the industry is shifting from “just running infrastructure” towards building platforms, workflows, and ecosystems that actually help developers move faster without losing control or reliability. Platform engineering clearly continues to mature from a trend into a real discipline.

Really Fun Ignite Talks

One highlight this year were definitely the ignite talks. The new format with auto-advancing slides made the sessions feel even more dynamic, entertaining, and challenging for the speakers at the same time.

The format forced people to get straight to the point, which led to many talks feeling more personal, honest, and memorable. From AI and security to team culture and engineering realities, the ignites brought a great mix of technical insights, humor, and community spirit.

Aarno Aukia’s Sponsor Talk About VSHN

DevOps Is Still About People

At the same time, many talks also reminded us that DevOps has never only been about tooling. Sessions around leadership, collaboration, communication, and team dynamics showed once again that most technical challenges eventually become organizational challenges at scale.

That has honestly always been one of the strengths of DevOpsDays: it is one of the few technical conferences where people openly talk not only about successes, but also about failures, friction, and the messy reality behind engineering work.

And that openness continues outside the talks themselves.

Our Booth, Great Conversations, and the LEGO Winners 🎁

Of course, we also want to thank everyone who stopped by our booth. It was two days full of really interesting conversations – about Kubernetes, Servala, Codey, platform engineering, open source, AI, digital sovereignty, community topics, and everything in between.

That is honestly what makes events like DevOpsDays so valuable for us every year. Some of the best ideas and connections happen outside the talks themselves – somewhere between coffee breaks, sticker exchanges, and spontaneous discussions at the booth.

We were also very happy about the huge interest in our LEGO giveaways 👀

The winners of the two LEGO sets:

• LEGO The Simpsons Krusty Burger
• LEGO Red Hat Fedora

Congratulations again to the winners and have fun building. 😊

The Community Aspect Matters

The open spaces are still one of the best parts of DevOpsDays. Some of the most valuable conversations happen outside the official talks: spontaneous discussions in hallways, small groups debating architecture decisions, or people openly sharing what did not work in production.

That willingness to exchange experiences without pretending everything is perfect is what makes community events like this so valuable.

It was also simply great seeing so many familiar faces again and many new ones joining the community for the first time. The Swiss cloud native ecosystem has grown enormously over the last years, and DevOpsDays Zurich has definitely played a role in that journey.

Looking Ahead to 2027

A huge thank you to the organizers, volunteers, speakers, sponsors, and everyone involved. Community events like this require a massive amount of work behind the scenes, and it showed throughout the entire two days.

And now we are already looking forward to next year: the 10th anniversary of DevOpsDays Zurich. That is honestly quite wild to think about.

See you in 2027. 🎉

DevOpsDays Zurich is back – and of course we’re joining again. We’re happy to announce that VSHN is once again Gold Sponsor of DevOpsDays Zurich 2026, taking place on May 6 and 7, 2026 at the Alte Kaserne in Winterthur.

Two Days of DevOps, Community, and Good Conversations

DevOpsDays Zurich is one of our favourite events of the year – and for good reason. This is where the Swiss DevOps community comes together for two days of talks, open spaces, workshops, and the hallway conversations that sometimes move things more than any presentation. If you care about software delivery, infrastructure, platform engineering, or simply building better teams, this is the place to be.

Come Find Us at the Booth

Come by, ask us anything, and find out how we at VSHN help teams run their applications on Kubernetes and OpenShift – reliably, securely, and with a great developer experience.

Whether you want to learn more about what we offer, geek out on specific topics, or just say hi – we’d love to see you.

Win a Lego – Yes, Really

A VSHN booth without a Lego raffle? Unthinkable. Stop by, enter the draw, and maybe you’ll walk away with something to keep you busy for a while. It’s become a little event tradition of ours – and we’re keeping it going, of course. 🙂

See You in Winterthur!

You can find the full programme at devopsdays.ch. We’re looking forward to great conversations, good coffee – and of course finding out who takes home the Lego this year.

On January 14, 2026, the Swiss enterprise IT and open source community came together in Zurich for Red Hat Summit: Connect Switzerland 2026. The event offered a full day of insights, discussions, and exchange around hybrid cloud, OpenShift, automation, DevSecOps, AI, and above all, digital sovereignty.

For us at VSHN, it was a strong start into the new year and, as a Silver Sponsor, another clear signal of how relevant open source, cloud native platforms, and sovereign IT architectures have become for Swiss organizations.

VSHN in the opening keynote by Red Hat Country Manager Richard Zobrist

The day kicked off with a special moment right away: a strong quote about VSHN and our collaboration with HIN (Health Info Net), shared by Richard Zobrist, Red Hat Country Manager Switzerland, during the opening keynote. Aarno later summed it up with a wink: “Its not every day that the Red Hat country manager Richard drops my name during the opening keynote 🥰” – a great start to an exciting event day.

Focus on real enterprise challenges

Red Hat Summit: Connect Switzerland once again delivered a well-balanced mix of strategic perspectives and hands-on implementation topics. Across keynotes, breakout sessions, and partner talks, one thing became clear: organizations are no longer asking whether they should adopt hybrid cloud and Kubernetes, but how to operate these platforms reliably, securely, and in line with regulatory and sovereignty requirements.

Topics that were particularly in demand included:

• Hybrid and multi-cloud architectures with OpenShift
• Platform engineering as an enabler for developer productivity
• Automation and Day-2 operations
• Security and compliance in regulated environments
• AI workloads on enterprise Kubernetes platforms
• … and all of these topics in the context of digital sovereignty

Digital sovereignty is built, not bought

One of the highlights for us was the Partner Spotlight talk by Aarno Aukia, CTO & Partner at VSHN. In his lightning talk “Data Sovereignty Is Built, Not Bought“, Aarno addressed a topic that ran like a common thread through many conversations throughout the day.

The key message: sovereignty is not a label you can buy. It is an architectural and operational capability that must be intentionally designed and operated. OpenShift plays a key role here by decoupling applications and data from individual infrastructure providers and enabling consistent operations across on-premises, private cloud, and trusted public cloud environments.

This is exactly where platforms like Servala come into play – delivering managed services to OpenShift environments where the data already lives, without unnecessary data movement or lock-in.

Many great conversations at the VSHN booth

Throughout the day, our booth was a meeting point for customers, partners, and community members. We had many exciting conversations around:

• Operating OpenShift platforms in enterprise environments
• Managed Kubernetes and OpenShift services
• Servala – the Sovereign App Store
• APPUiO – expert hosting for expert software engineers
• Platform engineering and internal developer platforms
• Sovereign cloud strategies for Switzerland and Europe
• Operating workloads and managed services on Kubernetes

Once again, it was striking how concrete the questions have become. Many organizations are deep into implementation and are looking for proven operating models rather than theoretical concepts.

Community, partners, and exchange

Beyond the sessions and breakout talks, Red Hat Summit: Connect Switzerland is first and foremost a community event and is rightly regarded as the largest open source event in Switzerland. The open exchange with Red Hat experts, partners, and peers made it easy to share experiences, challenges, and learnings.

A big thank you goes to Red Hat and the local team for organizing such a well-rounded and successful event in Zurich.

Looking ahead

The conversations clearly showed that 2026 will be another decisive year for digital sovereignty. We look forward to continuing to build reliable, open, and sovereign platforms together with our customers and partners – and to keeping the dialogue going at future community events.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, joined the sessions, and shared their perspectives. We are already looking forward to the next Red Hat Summit: Connect.

Contact VSHN

Would you like to learn more about what we do or how we can support you?
Then get in touch with us – we look forward to the exchange.

The year 2026 starts with a highlight right away: Red Hat Summit: Connect Switzerland 2026 will take place on January 14 in Zurich and we are very happy to be part of it again this year as a Silver Sponsor. A full day of digital sovereignty, hybrid cloud, automation, DevSecOps, OpenShift, AI and enterprise IT innovation – right in Zurich.

The event brings together IT leaders, developers, platform engineers, architects and open source enthusiasts to learn from each other, exchange experiences, and connect with Red Hat experts. This fits perfectly with what we do every day at VSHN: running Kubernetes and OpenShift platforms reliably, enabling developer productivity, and supporting teams in modern infrastructure operations.

What to expect

The program is packed with keynotes, breakout sessions, labs, and plenty of networking time. A few highlights:

• Keynotes on Open Hybrid Cloud, AI, platform strategy and digital sovereignty
• Insights into RHEL 10, OpenShift AI and security in hybrid cloud environments
• Sessions on IT automation, DevSecOps, platform engineering and infrastructure security
• Hands-on labs in the afternoon
• Networking opportunities for deep technical conversations and new connections

If you are interested in AI architectures, modern infrastructure, automation, delivery speed, or hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, you will definitely find what you are looking for.

VSHN and Red Hat

VSHN is the first Kubernetes Certified Service Provider (KCSP) in Switzerland and the first Swiss Red Hat Premier CCSP Partner. We are ISO 27001 certified, operate under strict FINMA guidelines, and hold an ISAE 3402 Report Type 2 audit. As a long-standing Red Hat partner with deep expertise in OpenShift and managed services, our focus is on security, reliability and professional 24×7 operations.

Meet VSHN on site

Visit our booth and talk to us about:

• Servala – the Sovereign App Store that connects enterprises, developers and cloud providers with secure, scalable and user-friendly cloud-native services and applications
• Managed OpenShift – we handle everything from setup and configuration to monitoring, maintenance and backups. Our goal: free your mind and simplify operations
• Application Catalog – a wide selection of managed services that integrate seamlessly into your development workflow
• APPUiO – expert hosting for expert software engineers based on OpenShift
• VSHN Solutions – your DevOps enabler – individual, modular, scalable

We look forward to inspiring conversations, knowledge exchange from real projects, and exploring together how we can help teams operate modern software efficiently.

See you on January 14 in Zurich

If you are attending – stop by and say hello. Let us connect, learn, and shape the cloud-native future together.

DINAcon 2025 took place on Tuesday, November 18 at the Kongresszentrum Kreuz in Bern, and VSHN was right in the middle of it. Tobias Brunner was invited as a panelist, joining Henry Poole, Nina Müller from Nextcloud, and Rahel Estermann to discuss digital sovereignty. The message was clear: we are moving in the right direction, but we are far from finished.

And the atmosphere? A mix of curiosity, realism, and momentum.

AI is everywhere. But it is not sovereign yet.

A dominant theme across the conference was Artificial Intelligence. Nearly every session, conversation, and coffee break circled back to it. The key realization: AI is already here, but it is not yet sovereign.

One highlight was the demo of MeLODy – Der intelligente Linked Open Data Chatbot, developed for public administration in the City of Zurich and the Canton of St. Gallen. Here, AI is not only being discussed in theory, but actively used in real applications. That is encouraging and shows that progress is not just conceptual, but operational.

Switzerland already has strong foundations: law, infrastructure, and community

There was also positive news. Tobias pointed out during the panel that Switzerland already has several important building blocks in place.

• EMBAG creates clear legal requirements for the use of open source in public administration
• GPU capacity for sovereign AI is already available, for example at Stepping Stone, and providers like Exoscale and Cloudscale also offer AI compute
• With Apertus, a Swiss LLM is emerging. It is not finished yet and not on the level of large foundation models, but it is a start and publicly testable at Public AI Inference Utility

So the foundation exists. Now we need to build on it together.

Ecosystems are forming. Companies are investing.

Another key takeaway from DINAcon was the momentum in the European tech landscape.

• The Heinlein Group is investing heavily in Open Cloud, a fork of ownCloud and direct competitor to Nextcloud, and is expanding its presence with a new office in Switzerland
• Open source culture was visible not only in technology, but also creatively. There was even open source music: Music Album Open Up | Open Source | MD Systems GmbH

Solche Entwicklungen zeigen, dass Open Source längst kein Nice-to-have mehr ist, sondern StThese developments show that open source is no longer a nice-to-have. It has become a strategic differentiator.

Panel insights from Tobias Brunner

During the panel, Tobias addressed three key questions.

What was the worst misuse of the term digital sovereignty?

Tobias began with a clear definition of sovereignty, summarised in three pillars:

• Confidentiality: Who has access to my data and under which jurisdiction?
• Availability: Do I always have access or is there a technical or legal kill switch?
• Control: Am I free to move or export my data, or am I locked into proprietary licenses, APIs, or opaque operating models?

Many providers today fulfil only one or two of these pillars, yet still label their solutions as sovereign. Unfortunately, many such offerings already exist and there is even a name for it: Sovereignty Washing.

Ein Beispiel, das er nannte: Ein Anbieter betreibt Infrastruktur in einem Schweizer Rechenzentrum und Tobias shared an example: a provider runs infrastructure in a Swiss data center and advertises Swiss hosting and data portability. Yet the provider is subject to a foreign jurisdiction with extraterritorial access laws. The result: the solution looks sovereign on the surface, but underneath it is not. These grey areas make decision-making extremely difficult for organisations striving for sovereignty.

How can Switzerland take a sovereign role in global software supply chains?

His answer was clear: not by doing everything alone, but by working together. Tobias stressed that historically, Switzerland has always found ways to be part of global value chains, even when production physically happened elsewhere. The same applies to software. To achieve this, three things are needed:

• open standards instead of proprietary protocols
• open source software as a shared foundation
• shared ecosystems and collaboration between cloud providers, developers, and operators

For years, hyperscalers have repeated the narrative that data must move to them. Today, this has led to dangerous centralisation of power and infrastructure. Tobias flipped the logic: why not bring the services to the data?

This idea was the spark for Servala – The Sovereign App Store. An open platform that connects cloud service providers, software vendors, and enterprise clouds while giving customers true freedom of choice.

At the end of the discussion, the panelists were asked for their call to action for organisations and public institutions.

Tobias closed with a simple but clear message:

Understand the value of sovereign software services for your organisation and start using them. It is never too late to become sovereign.

Conclusion

DINAcon 2025 made one thing clear: we have the expertise, the community, the infrastructure, and the legal frameworks. But we need more courage and more collaboration to achieve real digital sovereignty.

Not just marketing terms. Not just buzzwords. But real control over data, infrastructure, and value creation.

At VSHN, we will continue to drive this vision forward. And we look forward to building this sovereign future together.

If you would like to continue the discussion or have questions, get in touch. We are happy to continue the conversation.

Yesterday we were at the Red Hat Summit: Connect in Darmstadt – and the trip was absolutely worth it. The event brought together cloud native specialists, platform engineers, partners, and long-time Red Hat users to discuss what’s next in AI, automation, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and enterprise open source.

For us at VSHN, events like this are always more than talks or product updates. They’re an opportunity to connect with the community, build new relationships, and exchange ideas with people who are actively shaping the future of digital infrastructure.

Aarno and Markus were at the VSHN booth, handing out delicious popcorn and talking with attendees about:

• VSHN Managed OpenShift in public cloud and on-premises
• Servala – The Sovereign App Store and how open ecosystems are shaping the future

We had many great conversations with organizations expanding their OpenShift landscape, modernizing legacy applications, or taking on topics like digital sovereignty, automation, and hybrid cloud strategies.

A big thank you to the Red Hat team for the excellent organization, hospitality, and the strong community atmosphere we’ve come to appreciate.

Events like this remind us why open source continues to grow – because people come together, share knowledge, and build better technology together.

We’re already looking forward to Red Hat Summit: Connect in Zurich in January 2026, where we’ll once again be joining as a sponsor.

The Smart Country Convention 2025 (#SCCON25) has come to an end – and what an inspiring three days it was. From September 30 to October 2, hub27 at Messe Berlin became the central meeting point for everyone driving the digital transformation of government and public administration in Germany and beyond.

SCCON25 in Numbers and Highlights

• Thousands of participants from government, politics, research, and technology
• Numerous keynotes, panels, and workshops on topics such as digital government, AI and cloud, cybersecurity, smart cities, mobility, energy and sustainability, digital inclusion, and international cooperation
• International delegations from over 140 countries took part in the matchmaking program
• Startup competitions, awards, and best practice showcases

Among the most important political and industry voices were:

• Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
• Karin Prien, Federal Minister for Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth
• Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Federal Employment Agency
• Bernd Wagner, CEO of STACKIT (the sovereign cloud of the Schwarz Group)
• Dr. Markus Noga, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at IONOS
• Philipp Amthor, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernisation

Other ministers, political leaders, and technology experts helped shape the program and made SCCON25 a key milestone on Germany’s path toward a digital future.

Day 1: Opening, Smart City Index, and Political Impulses

The event was officially opened under the patronage of the new Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and State Modernisation. In a video message, Dr. Karsten Wildberger emphasized:
“The Smart Country Convention has long been the hotspot for the digital state and our digital society – an innovation hub, think tank, and networking platform in one.”

A highlight of the first day was the presentation of the Smart City Index 2025, where Munich successfully defended its position as Germany’s leading digital city.

On the Plaza Stage, State Secretary Dr. Markus Richter and Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder made it clear that digitalization has now reached the core of political strategy – it is not just about technology, but about the future viability of the state.

Day 2: Digital Government in Focus and Startup Energy

The second day focused on leadership, inclusion, and innovation:

• Andrea Nahles opened with a keynote emphasizing that digital administration must be a leadership priority – not just a technical task for IT departments
• Karin Prien called for stronger digital inclusion, highlighting the connection between public services, education, and trust in democracy
• In the evening, the Smart Country Startup Award was presented – GovIntel won the competition, showing how agile innovation is essential for modernizing public administration

Day 3: Keynote and Outlook

The third day featured one of the most anticipated highlights:

• At 13:30, Dr. Karsten Wildberger delivered his closing keynote outlining Germany’s digital priorities – from interoperable platforms to secure infrastructures and citizen-oriented services
• Numerous workshops and sessions explored topics such as the Germany-Stack, AI in public administration, cybersecurity, and digital participation
• During the international matchmaking sessions, more than 140 delegations engaged in targeted exchanges – a clear sign that digital government is a global topic

VSHN at SCCON25: GA-Lotse in the Spotlight

For VSHN, SCCON25 was the perfect opportunity to showcase our collaboration with the Public Health Authority of the City of Frankfurt am Main (Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt) and the open-source project GA-Lotse.

At the A1 Digital booth (Hall 25, Booth 100G), Aarno Aukia presented how GA-Lotse is helping to digitally transform the public health sector:

• Created during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the need for secure communication and scalable infrastructure
• EU-funded and live since 2024 – already supporting several districts in the state of Hessen with modern, efficient digital services
• Built on cloud-native infrastructure, zero-trust security, and DevOps practices provided by VSHN
• Modular, sovereign, and open source – ensuring long-term reliability, data protection, and trust

👉 For more information about how VSHN supports the Frankfurt Health Department, read our success story.

Our presence at SCCON25 also highlighted the strength of our partnerships with A1 Digital and Exoscale, which enable us to deliver sovereign, cloud-native services for public institutions across Europe.

Key Takeaways from SCCON25

• Digital transformation is a leadership responsibility – it must be driven from the top, not left to individual departments
• Sovereign, open infrastructures are essential – especially for sensitive areas such as health and government
• Startups are key partners – GovIntel’s success shows how agile innovation can strengthen the public sector
• Education and inclusion go hand in hand – digital services must be accessible, trustworthy, and inclusive
• International cooperation is becoming increasingly important – with over 140 delegations, it is clear that digital administration must be approached globally
• Cities are the drivers of digital innovation – the Smart City Index shows where municipal transformation is already happening

Looking Ahead

SCCON25 was more than just a conference – it was a showcase of how Germany and Europe are shaping the digital state. For VSHN, it was a strong confirmation of our mission: to provide open, secure, cloud-native managed services that empower public institutions and citizens alike.

Our next steps:

• Expanding GA-Lotse to additional regions and use cases
• Strengthening partnerships with public authorities, governments, and technology providers
• Applying the lessons learned to new public sector projects

A big thank you to everyone who visited us, joined Aarno’s talk, or connected with us at the booth. We are already looking forward to SCCON26 and to continuing the digital transformation together.

Contact VSHN

📬 Want to learn more about what we do or how we can support you?
Get in touch – we look forward to hearing from you.

We’re excited to announce that VSHN (represented by Aarno Aukia) will be participating in the Smart Country Convention (SCCON) from 30 September to 2 October 2025, at hub27 on Messegelände Berlin. SCCON is Germany’s premier event for the digital state and public services.

What is the Smart Country Convention?

Smart Country Convention is a three-day congress, expo, and workshop format gathering public administrations, private sector innovators, researchers, and technology experts. It’s focused on:

• Digital Government
• AI & Cloud Technologies
• Cybersecurity
• Smart Cities & Regions
• Mobility
• Energy & Sustainability
• Digital Inclusion & Skills
• International Cooperation

Key Political Speakers & Agenda Highlights

Some of the top politicians and government leaders confirmed as speakers for SCCON25 include:

• Dr. Karsten Wildberger – Federal Minister for Digitalization and Government Modernization (Germany)
• Karin Prien – Federal Minister of Education, Family etc.

Other important names from politics, several ministers and corporate leaders will also be on stage, making SCCON25 a key meeting point for the digital future of Germany.

Success Story: Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt & GA-Lotse

One of VSHN’s flagship projects is its collaboration with the Public Health Authority of the City of Frankfurt am Main (Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt), in the open-source initiative called GA-Lotse.

Highlights:

• Why it started: COVID-19 accelerated the need for secure communication, scalable infrastructure, and better digital tools for health authorities
• GA-Lotse: An EU-funded, open-source platform that provides modular, secure, scalable digital infrastructure for public health management
• VSHN’s role: In 2024, VSHN won a public tender to provide platform engineering & DevOps for GA-Lotse, including cloud-native infrastructure, Zero-Trust security, and managed services
• Results: The platform launched in October 2024 and is now supporting districts across Hessen with modern, efficient, and secure digital services

Read the full success story here: Public Health Authority of the City of Frankfurt am Main – VSHN Success Story

What We’ll Do: VSHN & Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt at SCCON

At the convention, VSHN’s Aarno Aukia will be giving a talk about our work with Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt. We’ll be at the A1 Digital booth, so if you are in Berlin, come by to chat. Topics we plan to cover:

• The digital transformation process at Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt: challenges, lessons, outcomes
• Cloud technologies, infrastructure, security: ensuring reliability, scalability, and privacy in public health services
• Citizen-oriented services: what makes digital public health tools accessible, trustworthy, and resilient
• Future outlook: what comes next, and what collaboration opportunities exist across government, technology providers, and citizens

Strong Partnerships: A1 Digital & Exoscale

We’re particularly happy to be present at the A1 Digital booth. This highlights our long-standing partnership with A1 Digital and Exoscale, which has been instrumental in building cloud-native, sovereign, and reliable services for enterprises and public institutions across Europe. Together, we empower customers with scalable infrastructure and trusted managed services.

Come Visit Us

If you’re planning to attend SCCON 2025:

• 📅 30 September – 2 October 2025, Berlin
• 📍 Hall 25, Booth 100G – hub27, Messe Berlin – at the A1 Digital booth, together with our partners A1 Digital & Exoscale
• 👋 We’ll have stories and insights ready – come by and let’s talk about the future of digital public services

We’d love to meet you, exchange ideas, and explore how we can together move forward the digital transformation of public health in Germany and beyond.

Today, on August 28, 2025, the kickoff event of the SDS Network – Sovereign Digital Switzerland took place at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Numerous representatives from politics, public administration, and research shared valuable insights into current projects, challenges, and visions on the path toward greater digital sovereignty in Switzerland. Our colleague Tobias Brunner was on site and reported back from an inspiring morning.

Political and Strategic Perspectives

After the welcome by Matthias Stürmer and Pascal Stöckli from the Institute Public Sector Transformation (IPST), Nationalrat Gerhard Andrey presented the political dimension of digital sovereignty. It became clear: the demand for independence, transparency, and control over digital infrastructures is broadly supported and increasingly urgent.

Further contributions came from Matthias Schmutz of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD), and from Dominika Blonski, Data Protection Officer of the Canton of Zurich, who both emphasized the importance of governance and security architecture. Valentina Sulmoni from the Swiss Federal Office for Cybersecurity (BACS) highlighted the contributions of the National Cybersecurity Strategy to strengthening digital sovereignty.

Practical Examples from Federal and Local Authorities

Particularly interesting were the insights into concrete implementations:

• Erica Dubach Spiegler from the Federal Chancellery presented the proof-of-concept “Office Automation with Open Source Software” (BOSS), based on open-source office software.
• Werner Kipfer from the City of Zurich (OIZ) showed how the administration evaluates and pilots open-source solutions to reduce long-term dependency on proprietary systems.

International Impulses from Germany

A highlight of the event was the visit from the German Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS). Managing Director Alexander Pockrandt, Pamela Krosta-Hartl, and Leonhard Kugler presented the key solutions openDesk and openCode. The focus was not only on software but also on strengthening open-source communities and fostering cross-border cooperation in Europe.

Networking and Exchange

The event concluded with a panel discussion and a networking lunch – a valuable opportunity for participants to ask questions and make new connections. Tobias reported on an inspiring atmosphere and a clear message: digital sovereignty in Switzerland is moving from vision to practical implementation.

Official Review by the SDS Network

The SDS Network itself draws a very positive conclusion: more than 200 participants attended the kickoff event in Bern and online. A key outcome was the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Bern University of Applied Sciences (IPST) and the German ZenDiS. The two institutions plan to cooperate closely in the future on openDesk, the OSS Directory, and the planned Sovereignty Check.

All presentations, the event recording, and additional media coverage are publicly available. You can find the detailed review here: 👉 SDS Network Kickoff Event Recap

What does SDS mean?

The official definition of the SDS Network – Sovereign Digital Switzerland is as follows:
“Digital sovereignty of a state or an organization necessarily includes full control over stored and processed data, as well as the independent decision about who may access it. It also encompasses the ability to independently develop, modify, control, and complement technological components and systems with other components.”

VSHN and Servala – The Sovereign App Store

For VSHN, digital sovereignty has been a key topic for many years. With Servala, our Sovereign App Store, we provide a platform where enterprises and public institutions can instantly and securely consume dozens of open-source services as managed services – with full control over data, infrastructure, and compliance. Servala combines the principles of digital sovereignty with the flexibility of modern cloud and DevOps technologies, making open source easy to use.

👉 Learn more about Servala here: www.servala.com

What an evening! On Wednesday, June 25th 2025, 50 DevOps professionals, platform engineers, and tech enthusiasts gathered at the Zühlke offices in Schlieren for a special edition of the DevOps Meetup – and the big reveal of the DevOps in Switzerland Report 2025.

🧩 Opening Talk: Simplicity – the Key to Survival for a 3‑Person DevOps Team

The evening kicked off with an inspiring talk by Urs Enzler, who shared lessons learned from running a time tracking application with a lean DevOps setup: just three developers and two business stakeholders – for nearly ten years!

Their secret? Simplicity.

• Radical simplification across the board – from architecture and testing to communication and monitoring.
• Minimal tooling – every tool must prove its value before being adopted.
• Fast feedback cycles – enabling agility and continuous improvement.

The result: a low-maintenance, high-impact system with fast decision-making and sustainable DevOps practices. A powerful reminder that small teams can achieve big things – when they keep things simple.

📊 Report Presentation: DevOps in Switzerland 2025

Next up, Patrick Mathers and Romano Roth presented the findings of our brand-new DevOps in Switzerland Report 2025, based on input from hundreds of practitioners across the country. Key takeaways included:

• Continued growth in automation, cloud maturity, and of course, AI
• The rising importance of platform engineering and developer experience
• Ongoing challenges with legacy modernization and organizational change

🧠 If you haven’t seen it yet – download the full report here and join the conversation!

💬 Networking, Drinks & Great Conversations

After the talks, the meetup transitioned into open discussions, snacks, and drinks. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who joined, shared insights, and helped make this a true community event. Huge thanks to the Zühlke team for hosting!

Thanks again to everyone who made this evening a success – here’s to building the future of DevOps in Switzerland, together! 💪

Let’s stay in touch

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🧭 Learn more about VSHN and how we support teams on their cloud-native journey

Wow – what a day! On June 24, 2025, the very first Swiss Software Festival took place in Basel – and it was absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere was inspiring, the conversations open and honest, and the program packed with top-tier content. At VSHN, we were proud to support the event as a Matterhorn Sponsor – and we’re already incredibly excited for the next edition! 🎉

Powerful Keynotes – Real Impulses for the Future

The two plenary sessions framed the day perfectly – with visionary perspectives on the future of software development and pressing questions around digital sovereignty.

Plenary 1 – The future of software development

• Beat Fluri (CTO, Adnovum)
  • Staying Relevant in the Age of AI-Native Software Engineering
  • How AI-native approaches are transforming software development practices.

• Egle Bronzini (Global Head of Informatics Chapters, Roche)
  • Future Skillset for Software Developers
  • What skills developers will need in the future.

• Claudio Hintermann (Co-CEO, Abacus / CEO, Deepcloud)
  • Creating a New Breed of Business Software for a New Generation of Users
  • What modern business solutions look like for today’s users.

• Marc Stöcklin (Principal Research Scientist & Head of Security Research, IBM Research)
  • Cybersecurity in the Age of Quantum Computing
  • What security risks emerge in the era of quantum computing.
• David Nüscheler (Adobe Fellow & VP Enterprise Technology, Adobe Systems)
  • Taking Digital Experience to a Next Level – Chat with David Nüscheler
  • How digital user experiences are evolving through new technologies.

Plenary 2 – Digital sovereignty versus global tech
This session explored the tension between local control and global technology dependence – and how Switzerland can secure its digital future through open standards, resilient infrastructure, and political will.

• Gerhard Andrey (Nationalrat, Grüne / Co-Founder & Verwaltungsrat, Liip)
  • The Importance of Digital Sovereignty for Democracy and the Economy
  • Why digital autonomy is strategically vital for Switzerland.

• Marcel Salathé (Professor & Co-Director, EPFL AI Center)
  • Open Standards and Open Source as Foundations of Digital Independence
  • How tech ecosystems must be built to remain sustainable, open, and independent.

• Safia Agueni (Präsidentin, Women in Tech Switzerland)
  • Sovereignty Begins with Diversity
  • Why true digital sovereignty is not possible without inclusion and diversity.

Panel Discussion with:

• Patrick Geiser (Managing Director, Phoenix Technologies AG)
• Özlem Civelek (COO, Basler Kantonalbank)
• Alain Gut (Public & Regulatory Affairs, IBM Switzerland)

The panel explored how businesses, politics, and society can jointly develop solutions for digital independence – and how realistic it is to establish Swiss alternatives to global platforms.

This session clearly demonstrated how Switzerland can shape its digital autonomy – balancing regulation, technological sovereignty, and international competition.

While Switzerland – like Europe as a whole – is unlikely to compete directly with hyperscaler clouds or global hardware and chip production in the next 5 to 10 years, our talent, innovative strength, and collaborative spirit can help us build focused, valuable alternatives.

Gerhard Andrey summed it up well – just like Airbus was Europe’s answer to Boeing’s dominance, ambitious visions can succeed when driven by cooperation.

Cloud Native Track – Curated by Aarno Aukia

We were especially proud of the Cloud Native Track, curated by our Co-Founder Aarno Aukia (VSHN) – featuring a strong program of real-world challenges and practical solutions.

Session 1 – Cloud-Native Software in Practice

• Aarno Aukia (VSHN) – Cloud Native in Switzerland 2025 – Definition, Benefits, and Outlook
• Corsin Decurtins (CTO, G+D Netcetera) – Business-Critical Applications in the Cloud
• Lena Fuhrimann (Founder, bespinian / Coalist) – Learnings from Ten Years of Cloud-Native and Serverless
• Andreas Ruppen & Daniel Hogg (Adnovum) – Application Modernization and Migration from Legacy Mainframes

Session 2 – Cloud Infrastructure and Organisational Transformation

• Mike Mannion (Senior Software Engineer, Karakun) – Organizational Shift to the Cloud
• Stephane Barbey (Head of Product Development & Partner, Opacc) – Cloud Platform Design for High Standards
• Michael Dudli (CEO, Xelon / Swiss Startup Association) – Swiss Cloud Sovereignty
• Ramon Bisswanger (Senior Software Engineer, Adobe Switzerland) – AEM as a Cloud Service – Seamless Upgrades at Scale

From platform building to sovereignty and modernization – these talks covered everything that truly matters in Cloud Native today.

Why VSHN Supported the Festival

At VSHN, it’s clear to us: the Swiss tech community is unique – and it deserves a stage like this. We had the opportunity to showcase VSHN, APPUiO, and Servala – Open Cloud Native Service Hub – while connecting with many inspiring new people. The Swiss Software Festival brings people together, sparks innovation, and strengthens Switzerland’s digital future. As a Matterhorn Sponsor, we were proud to support this mission – and thrilled by the energy, ideas, and open exchange throughout the event.

A Big Thank You ❤️

A huge thank you goes to the organizing team – you turned the Swiss Software Festival into a real highlight. From the carefully curated program to the smooth execution – everything was top-notch. The event clearly showed – there’s a genuine demand for formats like this.

We truly hope – and are confident – that there will be a sequel. Because when a premiere goes this well, the next step should be a no-brainer. 😊

Looking Ahead to 2026 – And Staying Involved 👋

Thank you to all the speakers, attendees, partners, and organizers – you made this day truly special. We’re already looking forward to the next edition of the Swiss Software Festival!

Let’s stay in touch

📬 Contact us if you want to learn more about our solutions
📸 Follow us on LinkedIn or other social media channels
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🧭 Learn more about VSHN and how we support teams on their cloud-native journey

On June 12, 2025, the Swiss cloud-native community gathered at SOHO / Abaton Zürich for Cloud Native Zürich 2025 – and what a fantastic day it was! As a proud sponsor and active part of the cloud-native scene, the VSHN team was thrilled to meet so many engineers, developers, platform teams, and cloud enthusiasts.

Inspiring talks and engaging networking

From the opening keynotes to the final sessions, Cloud Native Zürich offered a diverse program with technical deep dives, real-world use cases, and forward-looking insights. Topics included Kubernetes optimization and scaling, platform engineering, and of course, the use of AI.

A true highlight was the closing keynote “From Voyager to JWST: The Evolution from Data-Poor to Data-Driven Exploration” by astrophysicist Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology at ETH Zürich Space and former NASA Associate Administrator for Science, which was not only inspiring but also thought-provoking.

Thanks for stopping by our booth 🎁

We were very happy to welcome so many of you at our booth, which we shared with Red Hat! Whether you chatted with us about Servala, APPUiO, Kubernetes oder Managed OpenShift, grabbed a LEGO set, or wanted to learn more about our DevOps solutions – we appreciated every single conversation.

Events like this always remind us how special our community is: many familiar faces, many new contacts – simply great people coming together in Zürich.

Highlights of the day

• 👋 Great encounters with the community, customers, partners, and tech enthusiasts
• 🧱 Our LEGO raffle was a big success – congratulations to the winners!
• 💬 Inspiring sessions – especially the keynote by Thomas Zurbuchen left a lasting impression
• 💡 Strong interest in Servala and how it helps companies standardize and consume cloud-native services

The grand prize was a LEGO Discovery Space Shuttle – a perfect match for this year’s keynote.

A big thank you 🙏

A heartfelt thank you to the organizers of Cloud Native Zürich – you put together a fantastic event in a great location! And thanks to all the speakers, helpers, and of course the community – this day wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Let’s stay in touch

📬 Contact us if you want to learn more about our solutions
📸 Follow us on LinkedIn for photos and updates
📧 Subscribe to our newsletters
🧭 Learn more about VSHN and how we support teams on their cloud-native journey

See you – hopefully next year, or at one of the many upcoming events, such as the first ever Swiss Software Festival in Basel on June 24, 2025 (you can win a ticket here)!

On June 24, 2025, the Swiss software community will gather in Basel – and you can join for free! 🎉 We’re giving away several tickets worth CHF 259 each for the very first Swiss Software Festival.

✅ What’s in it for you

• 🎫 Free access to the festival at uptownBasel, including talks, lunch, networking apéro & dinner
• 🧠 Exciting content around software, cloud native, AI, technology & collaboration
• 👋 Meet the VSHN team on-site and attend our talk

🔥 How to enter

Just enter your email address below. For double the chance to win:

• Share the giveaway using the hashtag #SwissSoftwareFestival
• Follow us on LinkedIn or other social media channels

ℹ️ More Info

Find out why VSHN is supporting the Swiss Software Festival as a “Matterhorn Sponsor”.

🎟️Join our raffle and win tickets!

The raffle is open until Monday, June 16, 2025, 12:00 PM. Winners will be notified by Tuesday, June 17, 2025 via email.

Your data will only be used for this raffle. No spam, we promise.

📜 Prize Draw Terms & Conditions
Participants must be at least 18 years old. Employees of VSHN and their immediate families are not eligible to enter. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. Winners will be selected at random and notified by email or social media. By entering the raffle, you agree to these terms.