France to Phase Out Microsoft Teams, Fully Switch to Domestic Video Platform Visio

On January 27, it was reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing tools became lifelines for businesses and institutions. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and similar platforms were widely deployed to support remote and hybrid work. Even in the post-pandemic era, these tools remain highly popular.

Recently, the French government announced plans to gradually phase out Microsoft Teams and other American video conferencing tools, fully transitioning to the domestic platform Visio, with a goal to cover all government agencies and departments by 2027.

Visio is a key part of France’s “Digital Suite” (suite Numérique) initiative, which develops productivity tools designed to replace American services like Teams and Slack. Currently, these tools are limited to government employees, and no public launch date has been set.

This move aims to reduce France’s reliance on foreign tech providers and strengthen its digital sovereignty. David Amiel, France’s Minister for Public Service Reform, emphasized that adopting strong, autonomous tools will end dependence on non-European solutions while ensuring the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications.

The Visio platform has been tested for over a year and now has more than 40,000 users. In recent months, Europe has expressed serious concern over frequent cloud outages in U.S. IT services. According to the French government, replacing Teams with Visio could save roughly €1 million per 100,000 users annually (about RMB 8.26 million).

Amiel added, “Against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions and increasing risks of foreign surveillance and service interruptions, this strategy clearly demonstrates France’s firm commitment to defending its digital sovereignty.”