[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":459},["ShallowReactive",2],{"navigation-docs_en":3,"/en/blog/opendesk-municipal-mainstream-neuburg-oberkirch-swiss-federal-chancellery-2026-posts_en":51,"/en/blog/opendesk-municipal-mainstream-neuburg-oberkirch-swiss-federal-chancellery-2026-surround-posts_en":448},[4],{"title":5,"path":6,"stem":7,"children":8,"page":25},"En","/en","en",[9],{"title":10,"path":11,"stem":12,"children":13,"page":25},"Docs","/en/docs","en/1.docs",[14,26],{"title":15,"path":16,"stem":17,"children":18,"icon":25},"Getting Started","/en/docs/getting-started","en/1.docs/1.getting-started/1.index",[19,21],{"title":20,"path":16,"stem":17,"children":-1},"Introduction",{"title":22,"path":23,"stem":24,"children":-1},"Migration Roadmap","/en/docs/getting-started/migration-fahrplan","en/1.docs/1.getting-started/2.migration-fahrplan",false,{"title":27,"path":28,"stem":29,"children":30,"page":25},"Technologies","/en/docs/technologies","en/1.docs/2.technologies",[31,35,39,43,47],{"title":32,"path":33,"stem":34,"children":-1},"Nextcloud","/en/docs/technologies/nextcloud","en/1.docs/2.technologies/1.nextcloud",{"title":36,"path":37,"stem":38,"children":-1},"Matrix / Element","/en/docs/technologies/matrix","en/1.docs/2.technologies/2.matrix",{"title":40,"path":41,"stem":42,"children":-1},"ONLYOFFICE","/en/docs/technologies/onlyoffice","en/1.docs/2.technologies/3.onlyoffice",{"title":44,"path":45,"stem":46,"children":-1},"Ubuntu Linux","/en/docs/technologies/ubuntu","en/1.docs/2.technologies/4.ubuntu",{"title":48,"path":49,"stem":50,"children":-1},"Keycloak","/en/docs/technologies/keycloak","en/1.docs/2.technologies/5.keycloak",{"id":52,"title":53,"authors":54,"badge":60,"body":62,"date":410,"description":411,"extension":412,"faq":413,"howto":423,"image":440,"meta":442,"navigation":443,"path":444,"seo":445,"stem":446,"__hash__":447},"posts_en/en/3.blog/31.opendesk-municipal-mainstream-neuburg-oberkirch-swiss-federal-chancellery-2026.md","openDesk in Municipalities – How Towns Use Open Source Day to Day",[55],{"name":56,"to":57,"avatar":58},"Michael Wolf","/en/about",{"src":59},"/michael.webp",{"label":61},"News",{"type":63,"value":64,"toc":398},"minimark",[65,69,78,83,86,161,168,172,200,204,210,237,240,244,247,273,286,290,316,320,323,377,381,384,388,391],[66,67,53],"h1",{"id":68},"opendesk-in-municipalities-how-towns-use-open-source-day-to-day",[70,71,72,73,77],"p",{},"Towns and municipalities work with emails, appointments, documents and video calls every day – much like an office, just often on a bigger scale. More and more municipalities in Germany and in Switzerland are looking at ",[74,75,76],"strong",{},"openDesk"," and other open-source solutions for this. Some are testing, others have already switched. It's a nice development that small organisations can learn a lot from.",[79,80,82],"h2",{"id":81},"what-opendesk-is","What openDesk is",[70,84,85],{},"openDesk is an office suite that combines proven open-source programs into one shared workplace:",[87,88,89,102],"table",{},[90,91,92],"thead",{},[93,94,95,99],"tr",{},[96,97,98],"th",{},"Area",[96,100,101],{},"Building block",[103,104,105,113,121,129,137,145,153],"tbody",{},[93,106,107,111],{},[108,109,110],"td",{},"Files",[108,112,32],{},[93,114,115,118],{},[108,116,117],{},"Email and calendar",[108,119,120],{},"Open-Xchange",[93,122,123,126],{},[108,124,125],{},"Office in the browser",[108,127,128],{},"Collabora Online",[93,130,131,134],{},[108,132,133],{},"Chat",[108,135,136],{},"Element (Matrix)",[93,138,139,142],{},[108,140,141],{},"Video conferencing",[108,143,144],{},"Jitsi",[93,146,147,150],{},[108,148,149],{},"Projects",[108,151,152],{},"OpenProject",[93,154,155,158],{},[108,156,157],{},"Wiki",[108,159,160],{},"XWiki",[70,162,163,164,167],{},"It's maintained by the German ",[74,165,166],{},"Centre for Digital Sovereignty of Public Administration (ZenDiS)",".",[79,169,171],{"id":170},"why-municipalities-are-interested","Why municipalities are interested",[173,174,175,182,188,194],"ul",{},[176,177,178,181],"li",{},[74,179,180],{},"Open standards:"," Data is easy to exchange and take along.",[176,183,184,187],{},[74,185,186],{},"Free choice of operation:"," In their own data centre, with a municipal IT provider or with a commercial provider.",[176,189,190,193],{},[74,191,192],{},"Better together:"," Experience and improvements can be shared with other administrations.",[176,195,196,199],{},[74,197,198],{},"Predictable costs:"," No per-seat licensing model.",[79,201,203],{"id":202},"how-municipalities-go-about-it","How municipalities go about it",[70,205,206,207,167],{},"What you can learn from many reports: successful switches almost always happen ",[74,208,209],{},"step by step",[211,212,213,219,225,231],"ol",{},[176,214,215,218],{},[74,216,217],{},"Trial phase:"," A small group tries out the new environment.",[176,220,221,224],{},[74,222,223],{},"One area first:"," For example email or file storage.",[176,226,227,230],{},[74,228,229],{},"Support:"," Short training sessions and contacts for questions.",[176,232,233,236],{},[74,234,235],{},"Expand:"," Only when things are going well are more areas added.",[70,238,239],{},"Very important: bring people along. A new program is quickly installed – but getting used to new habits takes time.",[79,241,243],{"id":242},"what-you-can-take-away","What you can take away",[70,245,246],{},"Whether club, law firm, practice or small business – the municipalities' approach works on a small scale too:",[173,248,249,255,261,267],{},[176,250,251,254],{},[74,252,253],{},"Not everything at once:"," Start with one area.",[176,256,257,260],{},[74,258,259],{},"Test in parallel:"," Try first, then switch.",[176,262,263,266],{},[74,264,265],{},"Learn together:"," A short introduction makes a lot easier.",[176,268,269,272],{},[74,270,271],{},"Building blocks as needed:"," You don't need the whole suite – often Nextcloud, Element and an office program are enough.",[70,274,275,276,281,282,167],{},"You'll find an overview of suitable tools under ",[277,278,280],"a",{"href":279},"/en/alternativen","Alternatives",", and I offer an introduction for your team as a ",[277,283,285],{"href":284},"/en/training","workshop",[79,287,289],{"id":288},"a-few-terms-briefly-explained","A few terms, briefly explained",[173,291,292,298,304,310],{},[176,293,294,297],{},[74,295,296],{},"Municipal IT provider:"," A data centre that runs IT services for several towns and municipalities.",[176,299,300,303],{},[74,301,302],{},"Pilot phase:"," A trial with a small group before something is rolled out widely.",[176,305,306,309],{},[74,307,308],{},"Groupware:"," Software for team email, calendars and contacts.",[176,311,312,315],{},[74,313,314],{},"Reuse:"," When a solution one administration has developed or introduced can be adopted by others.",[79,317,319],{"id":318},"what-good-switches-have-in-common","What good switches have in common",[70,321,322],{},"Many experience reports show a few patterns that apply on large and small scales alike:",[87,324,325,335],{},[90,326,327],{},[93,328,329,332],{},[96,330,331],{},"Success factor",[96,333,334],{},"What it means in practice",[103,336,337,345,353,361,369],{},[93,338,339,342],{},[108,340,341],{},"Clear goal",[108,343,344],{},"Everyone knows why things are changing and what should improve",[93,346,347,350],{},[108,348,349],{},"Small steps",[108,351,352],{},"One area after another instead of everything at once",[93,354,355,358],{},[108,356,357],{},"Good preparation",[108,359,360],{},"Data, templates and accounts are ready before the start",[93,362,363,366],{},[108,364,365],{},"Support",[108,367,368],{},"Contacts and short training sessions",[93,370,371,374],{},[108,372,373],{},"Patience",[108,375,376],{},"A settling-in period of a few weeks is normal",[79,378,380],{"id":379},"an-example-from-a-small-office","An example from a small office",[70,382,383],{},"A planning office with eight people takes the municipalities' path as a model. It starts with shared file storage in Nextcloud. After four weeks, calendars and contacts follow, and after another four weeks a Matrix chat. Each stage starts with a short introduction in the team meeting. After three months, everyone works with the new tools as a matter of course – no big bang, but noticeably more clarity.",[79,385,387],{"id":386},"conclusion","Conclusion",[70,389,390],{},"The fact that more and more municipalities are trying openDesk and open source shows: open software is ready for everyday use. And the step-by-step path they take is a good blueprint for you too.",[70,392,393,394,167],{},"If you'd like to give it a try, I'm happy to help – ",[277,395,397],{"href":396},"/en/contact","just drop me a line",{"title":399,"searchDepth":400,"depth":400,"links":401},"",2,[402,403,404,405,406,407,408,409],{"id":81,"depth":400,"text":82},{"id":170,"depth":400,"text":171},{"id":202,"depth":400,"text":203},{"id":242,"depth":400,"text":243},{"id":288,"depth":400,"text":289},{"id":318,"depth":400,"text":319},{"id":379,"depth":400,"text":380},{"id":386,"depth":400,"text":387},"2026-09-29T00:00:00.000Z","More and more municipalities in Germany and Switzerland are trying openDesk and other open-source solutions. What that shows and what you can learn.","md",[414,417,420],{"q":415,"a":416},"What is openDesk?","openDesk is an office suite made of proven open-source programs like Nextcloud, Open-Xchange, Element, Jitsi, OpenProject and XWiki. It's maintained by the German Centre for Digital Sovereignty of Public Administration (ZenDiS).",{"q":418,"a":419},"Why are municipalities interested in openDesk?","Municipalities particularly value the open standards, the choice of data centre and the ability to share experience and improvements with other administrations.",{"q":421,"a":422},"How do municipalities typically go about switching?","Usually step by step: first a trial phase with a small group, then individual areas like email or file storage, and finally broader use.",{"name":424,"description":425,"totalTime":426,"steps":427},"Switching the way municipalities do","The step-by-step path many administrations take, applied to small organisations.","P12W",[428,431,434,437],{"name":429,"text":430},"Test with a small group","A few people use the new solution in parallel for a few weeks.",{"name":432,"text":433},"Switch one area","Move one clearly defined area first, for example email or file storage.",{"name":435,"text":436},"Gather experience","Collect feedback and adjust processes.",{"name":438,"text":439},"Expand","Gradually add more areas and people.",{"src":441},"/img/blog/photo-1467269204594-9661b134dd2b.webp",{},true,"/en/blog/opendesk-municipal-mainstream-neuburg-oberkirch-swiss-federal-chancellery-2026",{"title":53,"description":411},"en/3.blog/31.opendesk-municipal-mainstream-neuburg-oberkirch-swiss-federal-chancellery-2026","eE_nFlWCfjr9S3rvG1rJ3JX8lRt8bMYeKnCnANueB1U",[449,454],{"title":450,"path":451,"stem":452,"description":453,"children":-1},"Signal, Wire, Threema or Element? Secure Messengers Compared","/en/blog/wire-bund-signal-bundestag-vs-nfd-messenger-sovereign-2026","en/3.blog/30.wire-bund-signal-bundestag-vs-nfd-messenger-sovereign-2026","Four secure messengers in a friendly comparison – what they can do, how they differ and which one suits your team.",{"title":455,"path":456,"stem":457,"description":458,"children":-1},"The KBV IT Security Guideline – Simply Explained for Your Practice","/en/blog/kbv-it-security-guideline-390-sgb-v-medical-practices-microsoft-365-october-2026","en/3.blog/32.kbv-it-security-guideline-390-sgb-v-medical-practices-microsoft-365-october-2026","What the IT security guideline under § 390 SGB V means for medical, dental and psychotherapy practices in Germany and how to implement it step by step.",1792720367237]