I’m excited to join the Schedar team at VSHN as a DevOps Engineer. In my new role, I’ll be working on building and maintaining AppCat Services. I recently completed my apprenticeship in July as part of the first generation of platform engineers at the Canton of Aargau.
Computer science has always been a big part of my life. I grew up in a family of computer scientists, and as a kid, I would go to work with my dad and help him with small tasks like replacing server disks or installing new hardware. From that point on, I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
During my first year of apprenticeship, I discovered containerization and instantly fell in love with it. I was able to support the team maintaining our Kubernetes environment, helping build it from the ground up, automating processes with Crossplane, and providing customers with the best possible experience. This work has always been more than just a job for me – it’s a growing passion.
Outside of work, I play baseball and serve as an umpire for the Swiss Baseball and Softball Federation. I also have a nerdy hobby: I’m a speedcuber. Solving Rubik’s cubes never fails to turn heads!
I’m looking forward to growing with the team and contributing to the excellent work here at VSHN!
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
The Path to Digital Sovereignty – Kickoff Event of the SDS Network in Bern
28. Aug 2025
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.
What is Kubernetes? The Engine of the Digital World, Simply Explained
22. Jul 2025
1. For the Curious but Non-Technical – What Are Containers, and What Is Kubernetes?
Imagine Switzerland’s world-famous logistics system: trains, trucks, planes, and, well, not too many ships – all reliably moving goods through mountains, valleys, cities, and across borders.
Now picture a few freight trains: each wagon is loaded with a container, and each container holds a specific product – cheese from Gruyères, watches from Biel, or chocolate from Bern.
In the digital world, software containers work the same way. Each container carries a specific application or service, along with everything it needs to run – the code, settings, and dependencies – so it can be moved and operated anywhere, whether that’s a laptop, a data center, or the cloud.
But what if you had hundreds or thousands of these containers running at once – all needing to be loaded, routed, monitored, restarted if they fail, and scaled up when demand grows?
That’s where Kubernetes comes in.
Just like a logistics control center coordinates trains, planes, and trucks across Switzerland and beyond, Kubernetes coordinates software containers. It decides where they should run, makes sure they’re healthy, scales them up and down, and restarts them if something goes wrong – all automatically.
Originally developed by Google, Kubernetes was inspired by the company’s internal system “Borg” and released as open source in 2014. Today, it’s maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation and backed by a global community.
And even if you’ve never heard of Kubernetes before, it’s likely already part of your life. From online banking to e-commerce shops to streaming services – many of the apps you use every day are running on Kubernetes behind the scenes.
Just one example:
In short:
A container is a standardized software package that runs anywhere
Kubernetes is the smart system that operates thousands of containers efficiently
Without Kubernetes, companies would have to manage each container manually – like sending cargo across Switzerland without signals, schedules, or a central control tower.
A few ideas on how to explain Kubernetes in one sentence: 😊
2. A bit more technical – What Kubernetes actually does
Modern applications are no longer monolithic – they’re modular, cloud-native, and increasingly built around DevOps workflows. Instead of installing software directly on static servers, teams now package their applications into containers – lightweight, isolated units that include everything an app needs to run.
Now imagine you’re running:
50 services
500 containers
Across multiple environments (development, testing, production)
In a mix of public cloud, private servers, and edge locations
Managing that manually is not just difficult – it’s nearly impossible. That’s where Kubernetes comes in.
Kubernetes solves problems like:
Automatically starting and stopping containers based on real-time demand.
Restarting containers when something goes wrong.
Ensuring services are available and responsive.
Rolling out updates without downtime.
Distributing workloads to avoid overloading servers.
Real-world examples:
In retail: online shops use Kubernetes to handle traffic spikes, such as those on Black Friday. Kubernetes scales up – and then back down again to save costs.
In finance: Banks use Kubernetes to run apps that need high security and zero downtime, while continuously deploying new features.
In healthcare: Patient data platforms use Kubernetes to ensure compliance, redundancy, and secure access.
In SaaS: Tech companies use Kubernetes to ship updates faster, run multiple versions in parallel, and reduce infrastructure overhead.
Without Kubernetes, teams would still rely on scripts and manual steps to deploy and maintain software – slowing down innovation and increasing the risk of failure.
3. For the Tech-Curious – Clusters, Distributions, and What VSHN Does
What is a Kubernetes Cluster?
A single Kubernetes system is called a cluster. It includes:
Control plane: the brains of the operation, deciding what should run where.
Worker nodes: the servers where containers actually run.
Services and tools to keep things secure, observable, and resilient.
You can have a small cluster on your laptop or a massive multi-cluster setup across global data centers.
What is a Kubernetes Distribution?
Kubernetes is open source, but it comes in different versions called distributions – similar to how Linux has different flavors like Ubuntu or Red Hat. These are tailored variants of Kubernetes with added features, support, or integration.
Example Kubernetes distributions include:
Vanilla Kubernetes – the plain open source version.
Red Hat OpenShift – adds developer tools, hardened security, and enterprise support.
Rancher – focuses on multi-cluster and edge use cases.
EKS, AKS, GKE – managed Kubernetes services by AWS, Azure, and Google.
Each distribution serves different needs. Some focus on governance and compliance, others on developer experience or cost efficiency.
What VSHN Does with Kubernetes
At VSHN, Kubernetes is the backbone of everything we do.
We were the first Swiss Kubernetes Certified Service Provider (KCSP) and the first Swiss Red Hat Premier Certified CCSP Partner – official recognitions of our deep expertise and long-standing commitment to the Kubernetes ecosystem.
VSHN manages hundreds of Kubernetes clusters for customers of all sizes – from startups to banks and public institutions – running in public cloud, private cloud, on-premises, or Swiss or EU sovereign clouds like Exoscale, Cloudscale or IONOS.
We offer:
Managed OpenShift – We set up and operate your OpenShift cluster and take care of its entire lifecycle: security, monitoring, upgrades, and backups.
APPUiO – Expert hosting for expert software engineers. Our OpenShift Project-as-a-Service offering, ideal for getting started with Kubernetes at low cost. Try APPUiO for free at appuio.cloud/register with the code: K8s2025
Servala – Sovereign App Store – Our newest platform lets you deploy fully managed services – like databases, developer tools, and monitoring – in just a few clicks, all powered by Kubernetes.
Over the years, we’ve developed automation frameworks, monitoring tools, and proven best practices to help our customers focus on building software – not managing infrastructure.
Out of this experience, we’ve also launched two Open Source projects:
K8up – A Kubernetes backup operator and CNCF Sandbox project.
Project Syn – A modular, secure toolbox to manage fleets of Kubernetes clusters.
Where do Red Hat, OpenShift, and VSHN fit in the railway analogy?
Let’s stay with our Swiss railway analogy.
Kubernetes is the Swiss railway infrastructure – tracks, switches, schedules, and the control center. It ensures all trains (containers) run safely and efficiently.
Red Hat OpenShift is the premium freight rail operator – it adds polished locomotives, cargo workflows, and integrated safety systems to the tracks.
VSHN is your logistics partner and train operator – we run and maintain the network, the trains, and even the cargo. We make sure everything is on time, scalable, and secure.
Even better: with our Solutions, we don’t just operate the trains – we help you load, monitor, and optimize the containers inside.
And Servala? Think of it as the logistics warehouse next to the railway yard – a place where you can grab pre-packed cargo (managed services) and deploy it directly onto your Kubernetes rail network with a few clicks.
In this picture:
Red Hat builds the system and provides the premium trains (OpenShift).
VSHN operates the system reliably for you (Managed OpenShift, VSHN Solutions).
You focus on your cargo (apps) – while we ensure everything runs like a Swiss clock.
Why You Should Care – Even If You’re Not a Dev
Kubernetes is behind many of the services you use every day:
Online banking
E-commerce shops
Streaming services
Public digital services
Kubernetes is also a key technology for teams adopting DevOps – helping developers and operations work together more efficiently through automation, self-service infrastructure, and repeatable workflows.
For businesses, Kubernetes enables:
Faster time to market – deploy features daily, not quarterly.
Higher reliability – systems recover automatically from failure.
Cost optimization – only use the resources you need, when you need them.
Vendor flexibility – avoid cloud lock-in by running your workloads anywhere.
TL;DR
In 2025, Kubernetes is no longer a luxury – it’s the foundation of modern IT. Not just for tech giants – but for any team that wants to work faster and better. Kubernetes automates the deployment, scaling, and reliable operation of modern applications – in the cloud, on-premises, or in hybrid environments.
At VSHN, we make Kubernetes simple, reliable, and accessible – so you can build great digital products.
VSHN Joins the ‘Sovereign Digital Switzerland (SDS)’ Network
17. Jul 2025
SDS Network – The Network for a Sovereign Digital Switzerland
Zurich, July 17, 2025 – VSHN is proud to announce its membership in the SDS – Sovereign Digital Switzerland – network. As a company committed to openness, transparency, and digital self-determination since day one, we’re excited to further strengthen this mission alongside other forward-thinking organizations in the SDS community.
For us, digital sovereignty means having the freedom to decide where data is stored, how software is operated, and which technologies are used – without lock-in, and without relying on proprietary ecosystems. Achieving this requires open standards, interoperable systems, and a trusted ecosystem built on collaboration. These principles are at the core of everything we build:
and our open source projects K8up (Kubernetes backup) and Project Syn (DevOps automation).
Joining the SDS network is a natural next step. We believe that ensuring digital sovereignty can’t be done alone – it requires strong partnerships between the private sector, public institutions, academia, and civil society. The SDS network offers a unique platform to exchange ideas, develop joint solutions, and promote independent alternatives.
At VSHN, we embrace Open Source because we believe openness is the foundation of trust, innovation, and long-term independence. Through our involvement in SDS, we want to actively contribute to shaping a sovereign digital future for Switzerland – pragmatic, open, and responsible.
I joined the Nunki team in July as DevOps Engineer and already feel welcome. At Nunki I will support their AppOps efforts and help improve AppFlow.
My first job as Software Engineer was for schulNetz. After a quick break in Cameroon where I taught a PHP course at LinuxFriends (The site was put together by themselves after some hours of HTML4). I continued as Software Engineer at Supercomputing Systems. There, I retrofitted ticket vending machines for public transport and was involved in all stacks, from the provisioning of the vending machines over the Java application selling the tickets to the backend services. When we moved some parts over to Kubernetes, my previous knowhow from eCamp came handy.
My first steps with Kubernetes were with eCamp https://www.ecamp3.ch/en/, an open source platform to plan camps for boy and girl scouts, Jubla and other youth organsiations. Here I can live the developers dream: a good CI pipeline allows automated dependency updates with renovate, feature branch deployments simplify review and testing, and the deployment to prod is also mostly automated.
That’s more or less what’s left of my boy scout career. Once a week I am at my Judo club first lecturing a children’s training and then training myself in the evening. I am also always available for a board or card game.
I am eager to learn even more and help VSHN succeed. Lucius
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
Success Story with the Frankfurt Public Health Authority: VSHN wins GA-Lotse tender to support the digitalization of German health departments
1. Jul 2025
How a Swiss SME is helping to digitalize Germany’s public healthcare system
VSHN wins public tender for GA-Lotse – a milestone for digital sovereignty and open source in public administration
Digitalizing Germany’s public healthcare infrastructure is a massive undertaking – complex, federally organized, and security-critical. That makes it all the more remarkable when a small, highly specialized company from Switzerland plays a central role: VSHN – The DevOps Company won the 2024 public tender issued by the City of Frankfurt am Main to host the unified software platform for Hesse’s public health departments. Since then, VSHN has been supporting the rollout of the digital infrastructure behind the open source GA-Lotse project.
VSHN was able to build the infrastructure in a short time – the public launch took place on schedule on October 1, 2024.
From Swiss DevOps specialist to digitalization partner in Germany
VSHN contributes its expertise in cloud-native operations, DevSecOps, and open source architecture – providing the GA-Lotse platform as a secure, scalable managed service. The project demonstrates clearly: small companies with the right know-how, experience, and modern practices can achieve great things – even in the highly regulated public sector.
GA-Lotse: Digitalization with sovereignty
GA-Lotse was created through EU funding aimed at modernizing public health offices. It deliberately focuses on:
Open source instead of vendor lock-in
Sovereign cloud instead of hyperscalers
Zero-trust architecture instead of outdated IT
Federated structures instead of centralization
Each county in Hesse runs its own GA-Lotse instance – compliant with data protection laws, adaptable, and interoperable. At the same time, anonymized statistics can be securely shared with state authorities. This model combines autonomy with collaboration – a prime example of digital sovereignty.
Why Frankfurt chose VSHN
By awarding the platform engineering and DevOps operations contract to VSHN, Frankfurt chose not just technology, but a mindset: openness, transparency, collaboration, and security at the highest level.
This SaaS-based approach relieves local health departments from infrastructure burdens, giving them more time to focus on their core mission – and lays the foundation for a modern, resilient IT infrastructure in the public sector.
A project with impact
The successful implementation of GA-Lotse shows what is possible when European values like data protection, sovereignty, and open source meet modern IT expertise. For VSHN, this is not just a technical project, but a contribution to the digital resilience of public infrastructure.
“I’m proud to help shape such an important part of our society together with our partners,” says Aarno Aukia, Co-Founder of VSHN.
Conclusion
Digital sovereignty starts with bold decisions – such as the choice to rely on open technologies. The fact that a Swiss SME like VSHN can help drive this development in Germany shows: expertise knows no borders. And neither does successful collaboration.
Read the full Success Story
Learn how VSHN and the Frankfurt Public Health Authority are driving digital transformation – read the full Success Story now.
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
DevOps Meetup at Zühlke: Launching the DevOps in Switzerland Report 2025
27. Jun 2025
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
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! 💪
Swiss Software Festival 2025 – A Celebration of Software, Community, and Innovation
26. Jun 2025
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)
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
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!
Now Available: DevOps in Switzerland Report 2025 🚀
25. Jun 2025
We’re absolutely thrilled to release the sixth edition of our “DevOps in Switzerland” report – and this time with a special focus on Platform Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (AI)! 🤖
From January to April 2025, we conducted a study with professionals from the Swiss tech community. The result: valuable insights into how DevOps teams in Switzerland work today – what tools they use, how their teams are structured, the challenges they face, and where AI is already being used in practice.
💡 Want a sneak peek?
💡Swiss companies are no longer asking whether to adopt DevOps – they’re asking how to scale it.
📈 Platform Engineering and AI are reshaping how teams ship software faster, safer, and smarter.
💡1 in 3 Swiss DevOps teams already use AI in production – for code reviews, CI/CD optimization, and architecture support. Another third are gearing up to follow.
💡54% of Swiss companies now have dedicated Platform Engineering teams.
Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) are becoming the secret weapon for enabling autonomy and reducing complexity.
💡 Devs say yes to AI! 79% of Swiss developers are comfortable using AI in their workflows – but only 20% believe it’s fully ready.
The report shows: AI is promising, but needs better measurement and trust to scale.
You’ll find all of this (and much more!) in our compact PDF report (available in English only). Just like last year, the report begins with an executive summary – perfect for those short on time.
Recap: Cloud Native Zürich 2025 – A Day Full of Insights, Innovation, and Community
13. Jun 2025
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
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
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.
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
Redis 8 Now Available in the VSHN Application Catalog – Open Source Is Back!
We’re thrilled to announce that Redis 8 is now available through the VSHN Application Catalog – and this release is a special one: Redis is officially open source again!
But that’s not all: Redis is now also available on Servala – the open, cloud-native service hub operated by VSHN, connecting developers, software vendors, and cloud providers across multiple infrastructures.
Why This Is a Big Deal
For years, Redis has been one of the most popular in-memory databases for developers and DevOps teams alike. However, licensing changes in previous versions created friction for open ecosystems and cloud-native users. With version 8, that’s finally changing: Redis has returned to its open source roots, now licensed under the GNU AGPLv3.
“Redis 8 brings Redis back to its open source roots. All future development of Redis will happen under the AGPLv3 license.” – Redis team, official announcement
This means greater transparency, broader collaboration, and long-term sustainability for users who rely on Redis as a key part of their stack.
Redis 8 with VSHN and Servala: Fully Managed, Highly Available
With Redis 8 now available in both the VSHN Application Catalog and on Servala, you get more than just the latest open source release:
Production-grade deployments on Kubernetes and OpenShift
Guaranteed availability, monitoring, and automated failover
Lifecycle management, including upgrades and security patches
Cloud provider flexibility – deploy in your infrastructure or through partners
Self-service provisioning via Servala with built-in automation
Whether you’re running Redis as part of your internal platform, or offering it to teams and customers, we’ve got you covered.
Supported Versions
We continue to support the most widely used Redis versions, with Redis 8 now part of our officially maintained portfolio. Check out the complete list of supported versions on the VSHN Redis product page and the Servala Redis page.
Why Choose Redis 8 via VSHN or Servala?
✅ Fully open source and community-driven again
✅ Kubernetes-native, GitOps-ready deployments
✅ High availability, failover, and backup strategies included
✅ Integrated with your infrastructure, or offered as a managed service
✅ Supported by VSHN, the DevOps experts behind Servala
Redis 8 is a major milestone for the open source world – and we’re proud to bring it to your production environment through VSHN and Servala.
I’m Luca, and I’m thrilled to be joining VSHN as part of the Nunki team as a DevOps Engineer. In this role, I’ll be focusing on delivering AppOps and AppFlow services to our customers.
My journey began as a Software Engineer in the financial sector, but over time, I transitioned into DevOps. Most recently, I worked at a financial institution where I helped build a scalable platform from the ground up, paving the way for the company to obtain a FINMA license.
Outside of work, I’m a big fan of football and sports in general – both watching and playing. I also love getting together with friends for board games or similar activities. Lately, I’ve also been learning a new language, and while it’s definitely a challenge, I’m enjoying the journey.
I’m really looking forward to growing with the team and contributing to VSHN’s continued success!
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
VSHN Supports the First Swiss Software Festival in Basel as Matterhorn Sponsor
23. May 2025
We’re beyond excited to support the very first-ever Swiss Software Festival on June 24, 2025 in Basel – and even more proud to do so as Matterhorn Sponsors. 🏔️
This brand-new flagship event will bring together the entire Swiss software scene: from developers 👩💻 and digitalization experts 📲 to tech leaders and curious minds from all over the country. One day, one place, endless inspiration. 💡 The event is conceived and organized by Swiss Made Software – a community we’ve proudly been part of since VSHN’s early days.
🧠 One Festival. All of Swiss Software.
The Swiss Software Festival is designed to connect and showcase the people and companies that drive digital innovation in Switzerland. 🇨🇭 Expect exciting talks, interactive sessions, networking zones, and plenty of opportunities to learn and collaborate.
Whether you’re into code, product, business, or tech strategy – this is the event for you.
🎤 VSHN on Stage: Leading the Cloud Native Track
We’re not just sponsoring – we’re shaping the event as part of the Advisory Board and leading the Cloud Native track! 🌐
💬 Aarno Aukia, Co-Founder of VSHN, will take the stage to share:
Expect bold insights, real-world examples, and a look at what’s next in the world of Kubernetes, platforms, and cloud-native infrastructure.
❤️ Why We Support It
At VSHN, we believe in open collaboration, sharing knowledge, and the importance of partnerships. Events like the Swiss Software Festival create the perfect environment for ideas to grow, for people to connect, and for software to truly evolve.
We’ve always embraced the power of community. That’s why we’ve been organizing the Cloud Native Computing Meetup Switzerland for years – now with more than 2’800 members! Whether it’s meetups, conferences, or spontaneous chats over coffee, we’re always eager to exchange ideas and grow alongside the vibrant Swiss tech scene.
That’s exactly why we’re so excited about the first Swiss Software Festival – a brand-new space to bring brilliant minds together and spark the next wave of innovation.
We’re proud to contribute to the Swiss software ecosystem – with solutions like APPUiO, K8up, Project Syn and Servala, our latest initiative, paving the way as an Open Cloud Native Service Hub.
Join us for a full day of learning, networking, and celebrating the future of Swiss software. Let’s shape the digital Switzerland of tomorrow – together!
Are you passionate about Kubernetes, DevOps, or anything cloud native? Then Cloud Native Zürich 2025is the event you don’t want to miss – and guess what? We’re giving away free tickets to the biggest cloud-native gathering in Switzerland (which is already sold out)!
🏆 What’s up for grabs?
We’re raffling off 2 free tickets for Cloud Native Zürich 2025 worth CHF 180.00 each! Join hundreds of developers, platform engineers, architects, and decision-makers for a day packed with inspiring talks, hands-on insights, and networking with the Swiss cloud-native community.
📍 When: June 12th, 2025, 08:00 📌 Where: SOHO Zurich, Hardstrasse 260, 8005 Zürich 🧠 Why attend? Cutting-edge sessions, real-world case studies, open-source vibes, and a chance to meet the brightest minds in cloud-native tech. 🌌 Bonus for space fans: Former NASA science chief Thomas Zurbuchen will be there! Don’t miss the chance to hear his unique perspective on innovation, exploration, and technology – from outer space to cloud-native platforms.
🎟 How to enter the raffle
It’s simple, VSHN needs more newsletter subscribers and you can help us 😊:
Fill out https://www.vshn.ch/newsletter/ and subscribe (at least) to VSHN News by May 29th, 2025 (if you’re already a subscriber, you take part automatically)
As proud supporters of the Swiss cloud-native ecosystem, we’ll also be at Cloud Native Zürich 2025 – so stop by our booth, grab some swag, and say hi. We can’t wait to see you there!
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this vibrant event – and maybe even win your way in for free.
Good luck! 🍀
📜 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. Only one entry per person. Winners will be selected at random and notified by email. By entering the raffle, you agree to these terms.
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
Learn more about PostgreSQL with core team member Bruce Momjian
21. May 2025
Whether you’re running mission-critical databases or just getting serious about PostgreSQL, this is the session you don’t want to miss.
Join us for an exclusive talk with Bruce Momjian, co-founder of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group and one of the world’s foremost PostgreSQL experts, as he dives deep into PostgreSQL performance tuning with his two talks, “Explaining the Postgres Query Optimizer” and “Beyond Joins and Indexes”. You’ll walk away with actionable insights to optimize your database systems and supercharge performance.
🐘 What is PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system with over 35 years of development history. It originated in the 1980s as part of the POSTGRES project at the University of California, Berkeley, and has since evolved into one of the world’s most advanced and reliable database platforms.
It is known for:
💪 Strong standards compliance (ACID, SQL, and more)
🔄 Extensibility through custom functions, data types, and indexing methods
🔐 Focus on data integrity and security
☁️ Wide adoption across startups, enterprises, and cloud-native architectures
Today, PostgreSQL powers everything from lightweight web apps to critical enterprise systems and is backed by a vibrant global community.
🧠 What You’ll Learn
This talk is designed for PostgreSQL users who want to maximize performance of their database stack. Topics covered include:
How the PostgreSQL query optimizer works and makes execution decisions
How to read and interpret EXPLAIN output to analyze query performance
The role of optimizer statistics, joins, and indexes in query planning
Practical techniques to improve query execution and database performance
Insights into 42 advanced execution operations such as merge append, gather, memoize, and hash aggregate
How PostgreSQL handles complex queries and large datasets under the hood
Real-world examples of how different execution strategies impact performance
Bruce will also provide a short outlook on how PostgreSQL supports AI workloads with features like pgvector.
You’ll gain concrete skills to troubleshoot and improve PostgreSQL performance – from tuning configuration files to rethinking problematic queries.
🎤 About Bruce Momjian
Bruce Momjian is a co-founder and core team member of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group and has worked on PostgreSQL since 1996. Since 2006, he has been employed by EDB (EnterpriseDB) and has spoken at major open-source conferences worldwide. He is also the author of PostgreSQL: Introduction and Concepts, published by Addison-Wesley.
📅 Agenda
14:30 Doors open
15:00 Welcome and introduction
15:15 Bruce Momjian
16:30 Drinks
17:00 End
Event Hosts
This event is brought to you and sponsored by VSHN and EDB: EnterpriseDB, or EDB, is the #1 and biggest contributor to the PostgreSQL Community, with almost 20 years of experience and more than 1,500 customers who rely on us to support their success.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn directly from one of the key figures behind PostgreSQL. Whether you’re an experienced DBA or just beginning your journey with PostgreSQL, this talk will give you powerful tools to take your database performance to the next level.
Spots are limited – reserve your seat now and level up your PostgreSQL expertise.
I’m excited to join the Schedar team at VSHN as a DevOps Engineer.
In my new role, I’ll be working on building and maintaining AppCat. I come from a Linux System Engineering background. My journey into tech was sparked by a curiosity about Linux, and that passion has shaped much of my career.
Over time, as the tech landscape evolved, so did my interests. I became increasingly drawn to Kubernetes, Cloud Native technologies, and eventually found myself diving into Go for software development. These areas aren’t just part of my job, they’re things I explore in my homelab and side projects too. Before VSHN, I worked on building a developer portal for a client in the Swiss financial sector, balancing both development and operational responsibilities.
Outside of work, I’m passionate about film photography. I often combine this with my love for hiking. I’m also passionate about music. I play several instruments, with guitar being my main one and I enjoy tinkering with my home recording setup.
I’m looking forward to growing with the team and contributing to the great work here at VSHN!
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
Strengthening Trust from Code to Deployment: Recap of Our Software Supply Chain Security Workshop
12. May 2025
Last Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting a hands-on workshop on the most pressing concerns in modern software development: Software Supply Chain Security. With Red Hat’s Manuel Schindler, VSHN’s Aarno Aukia, and Thomas Philipona from Tim&Koko, participants explored the why and how of building trust in modern development pipelines.
Why Software Supply Chain Security Matters
The session began with an engaging introduction by Thomas Philipona, Co-founder of Tim&Koko, who brought the topic to life using a relatable analogy: preparing a meal. For example, a chef needs clean tools, fresh ingredients, and trusted assistants to create a safe and tasty dish. In contrast, software teams need verified code, secure infrastructure, and transparent processes to build and deploy trustworthy applications.
This framing helped participants grasp the core risks: today’s complex development workflows, heavy use of third-party dependencies, and automated build systems can all be vulnerable to tampering or supply chain attacks, often with catastrophic consequences.
Turning the Supply Chain into a Trusted One
Following the introduction, Manuel Schindler (Red Hat) took over to dive into the tools and techniques that make up a Trusted Software Supply Chain. He outlined key practices and standards to reduce risk, increase visibility, and enforce integrity:
Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs): A detailed list of everything in your software, enabling traceability and vulnerability tracking.
SLSA (Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts): A framework for securing build pipelines from provenance tracking to tamper-resistant builds.
Artifact signing and attestation: Verifying that software components are authentic and unchanged.
Immutable infrastructure and secure artifact repositories: Locking down production environments to prevent post-deploy tampering.
From Theory to Practice
The hands-on portion of the workshop showcased how Red Hat’s Trusted Software Supply Chain toolset brings these concepts into action. Attendees were guided through a real-world DevSecOps pipeline integrating:
Red Hat OpenShift Pipelines & GitOps
Red Hat Quay & Advanced Cluster Security
Trusted Artifact Signer, Dependency Analytics, and Profile Analyzer
Automated generation of SBOMs and SLSA-compliant metadata
A live demo walked participants through the full lifecycle of securely integrating third-party software components — from scanning and signing to deployment with full traceability.
Looking Ahead
As software ecosystems grow increasingly interconnected, establishing trust across the entire software lifecycle is no longer optional. We’re proud to have facilitated this session with expert contributions from Tim&Koko, Red Hat, and VSHN, and to empower teams to take practical steps toward supply chain resilience.
Contact us for help applying these principles in your environment, to dive deeper, or to get a copy of the presentation.
Aarno Aukia
Aarno is Co-Founder of VSHN AG and provides technical enthusiasm as a Service as CTO.
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
As a proud sponsor and attendee of Uphill Conf 2025, I was excited to experience the event, and it did not disappoint. Focused on cutting-edge AI topics, the conference day revealed just how rapidly AI innovation is progressing, from agentic large language models (LLMs) to small LLMs, vision-language models (VLMs), and private LLMs, with appearances from some of the most renowned names in educational AI, including Joshua Starmer and Luis Serrano.
Agentic LLMs: From Passive Models to Autonomous Problem Solvers
Nicole Königstein opened the morning with a talk about agent-based LLMs, moving beyond simple prompting to the orchestration of multiple AI agents collaborating on tasks such as data analysis and debugging. The takeaway was clear: the future of AI isn’t just bigger models, but more innovative ecosystems — LLMs that reason, plan, and coordinate tasks independently.
SmolLMs: Small is the New Big
Next up, Loubna Ben Allal introduced us to the world of SmolLMs from Huggingface — small, efficient language models that punch far above their weight. Forget the narrative that bigger is always better. The new generation of smaller models can deliver comparable performance to larger models while being cheaper, faster, and greener to run — a critical advantage for businesses seeking powerful AI without the associated infrastructure costs or privacy concerns.
Private LLMs: AI Behind Closed Doors
One of the most relevant topics of the day for enterprises was the focus on private large language models (LLMs) — models that run entirely within an organization’s walls, rather than through public APIs. Multiple talks emphasized strategies for fine-tuning open-source models, such as Mistral, Phi-2, Llama, SmolLM, etc, which enable companies to have complete control over their data and AI workflows without exposing sensitive information externally. It’s a clear trend: private, tailored AI is no longer a luxury; it’s becoming the norm. Sandra Kublik had an excellent talk about this.
Teaching Machines to See: VLMs (Vision-Language Models)
Andrés Marafiotidelivered a fascinating talk on Vision-Language Models (VLMs), which integrate images and text into a unified AI system. From generating rich captions to answering questions about images, VLMs are a massive leap toward making AI truly multimodal. Fascinating was the emphasis on efficient VLMs that could soon run on even modest hardware, thereby democratizing access to powerful visual AI tools.
YouTube Superstars Light Up the Stage
The excitement was palpable when two YouTube legends took the stage:
Joshua Starmer, of StatQuest, showed how reinforcement learning is already making an impact in business environments, teaching systems to optimize for success through feedback and iteration. His signature blend of clarity and humor made even complex RL topics feel approachable.
Luis Serrano, of Serrano Academy, delved deeply into the mechanics of attention in neural networks. He peeled back the layers of AI’s “secret sauce,” showing how attention mechanisms power breakthroughs in language, vision, and more. True to his YouTube style, Luis made the session lively, intuitive, and highly memorable.
Having these well-known educators in person created an electric atmosphere, especially for the many fans who first learned about machine learning through their videos.
Final Thoughts
Uphill Conf 2025 was a strong signal that AI development is entering a more practical, efficient, and secure phase. Agentic LLMs, SmolLMs, private models, and VLMs are not futuristic dreams — they’re tools being built and deployed right now.
As a sponsor, in collaboration with our cloud infrastructure partner, Exoscale, it was gratifying to see the enthusiasm, critical thinking, and creativity on display — precisely the qualities that will drive the next wave of innovation. It was also lovely to give the Lego Batmobile to Maria Letizia Jannibelli.
Uphill Conf once again proved why it’s a must-attend event for anyone serious about staying ahead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
See you at the top — literally!
Aarno Aukia
Aarno is Co-Founder of VSHN AG and provides technical enthusiasm as a Service as CTO.
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
I’m Tobias and I’ve joined VSHN as a Solution Architect in the beginning of April. In the past couple of years, I’ve been working on process and user experience optimization for a pharmaceutical company, helped to create modular white label applications for customers in the energy industry, lead an interdisciplinary team in a start-up specialized in VR trainings and worked as a freelance Unreal Engine software engineer & technical artist.
My diverse technical interests range from creating innovative and reliable solutions to exploring the latest trends in 3D rendering, immersive technologies, autonomous systems and ML engineering. In the past, I have mostly been on the user or application side of software engineering. Therefore, I’m curious to dive deeper into the infrastructure and operation perspective at VSHN.
In my spare time, I’m part of a gymnastics club (Turnverein), enjoy doing sports outdoors or exploring a new country, binge-watch a funny sitcom or crime series, try to cook a new recipe or dive into a new fantasy world during a board game session with family & friends.
Looking forward to getting to know the various people and aspects of VSHN and to creating innovative solutions with all of you.
Markus Speth
Marketing, Communications, People
Latest news
General
Open Source
Sovereignty
Open Source as State Policy: What the EU Strategy and the Swiss Ständerat Vote Mean for IT Decision-Makers
