openDesk opens to private cloud providers
The Centre for Digital Sovereignty now lets private providers sell and operate openDesk. The hurdles to operating it are high.
openDesk, the federal government’s office and collaboration suite, has been available since October 2024. Only public IT service providers could sell it until now. Nine months late, the Centre for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS) is opening sales to private cloud providers and system houses.
Key takeaways
- Private providers may now sell and operate openDesk. On 23 September, ZenDiS introduced three partner categories for this.
- Anyone offering openDesk as a cloud service needs BSI (Federal Office for Information Security) C5 and SEAL level 3. Both attestations require extensive audits.
- The programme is arriving much later than planned. ZenDiS had announced it for the end of 2025 and in January postponed it to the first quarter of 2026.
The federal suite enters the open market
openDesk bundles email, calendar, file storage, word processing, chat and video conferencing in a suite of European open-source components. ZenDiS, a GmbH owned by the federal government, develops and sells it. It is meant to give public authorities an alternative to Microsoft 365.
Until now, sales ran only through public IT service providers. Since 23 September, private cloud providers and system houses can also build their own offerings on the openDesk Enterprise Edition. “With the openDesk partner programme, we are responding to the enormous demand for our sovereign office and collaboration suite,” says ZenDiS managing director Pamela Krosta-Hartl in the announcement.
What is openDesk? openDesk is the office and collaboration suite of the Centre for Digital Sovereignty, a company owned by the federal government. It combines European open-source applications for email, calendar, files, documents, chat and video conferencing. Public authorities have been using it since October 2024 as an alternative to Microsoft 365.
Three routes to partner status
The programme sets out three roles. Official distributors supply cloud providers and IT service providers with openDesk subscriptions. Approved system integrators handle deployment and operation for the customer and must demonstrate experience with open source, Kubernetes and openDesk itself.
The third role is the most demanding. As an Approved Sovereign Service Provider, a provider runs openDesk as software as a service in its own cloud. ZenDiS plans to add further categories, including consulting partners, in the coming weeks.
Strict attestations for cloud operation
Anyone who wants to offer openDesk as a cloud service needs an attestation against the C5 catalogue of the Federal Office for Information Security. ZenDiS also requires level 3 of the European Cloud Sovereignty Framework, abbreviated as SEAL. Both attestations require external audits.
System houses without these attestations are not excluded. They can offer openDesk as resellers through an official distributor, with no approval process of their own. An approved provider then handles operation.
Two deadlines have passed
ZenDiS originally wanted to launch the sales programme by the end of 2025. In January 2026 the centre admitted it had missed that target. It named the first quarter of 2026 as the new date. The centre cited the complex, time-consuming coordination with the parties involved.
That date passed as well. The launch on 23 September is about half a year behind the second commitment.
A second route for public authorities
In parallel, ZenDiS is expanding access for public administration. Together with the govdigital cooperative, a SaaS offering is being created that authorities can obtain via the Deutschland Digital marketplace and the cloud broker gd.Cloud, Kommune21 reports. For private providers, this also creates competition from the public-sector camp.
ZenDiS is accepting applications for the partner programme via the openDesk website.
Common questions
Can companies buy openDesk now?
Yes, through private partners. Since 23 September, distributors and approved cloud providers may also offer openDesk subscriptions outside public administration.
What attestations does a cloud provider need to run openDesk?
The provider needs a C5 attestation from the BSI and level 3 of the European Cloud Sovereignty Framework. Without these attestations, the only route is resale through a distributor.
Why is the programme so late?
In January, ZenDiS cited the complex, time-consuming coordination with the parties involved as the reason. The launch was originally planned for the end of 2025.
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