CEBA Project

The aim of the Cloud Enabling Office Automation project is to roll out ‘Microsoft 365’, the cloud-based version of Microsoft services, as a new standard in the Federal Administration. This ensures that staff continue to have access to the latest Office applications. Technical and organisational protection measures ensure that the software can be used within the administration so that it is protected from access by third parties.

Microsoft is pursuing a ‘cloud first’ policy. The further development of new office and collaborative functions will only be possible in the public cloud. In the medium to long term, many existing or new functions will no longer be provided by the Administration’s own data centre (on-premises). However, with Microsoft 365, it will still be possible to store documents in proprietary data centres.

The lifecycle of many key Microsoft applications will expire at the end of 2025, which is why the CEBA Microsoft 365 project has chosen that point to introduce the Public Cloud. The aim is to ensure that:

the Federal Administration can continue to function once the products can no longer be offered on-premises (in proprietary data centres),
staff have modern applications at their disposal to collaborate with internal, but also external partners.

Microsoft 365 (M365)

The following Microsoft 365 products and services will be introduced:

Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote. These will be installed locally on the workstation, but also be available as web-based apps via a browser. If documents are created or opened in GEVER (Federal Administration business management system and central data archive) or in a specialist application, this will still be local on the workstation even with Office365. That is particularly relevant when handling data classified as CONFIDENTIAL. Emails and personal calendars of Federal Administration staff will continue to be processed and stored on premises by the Federal Administration in its proprietary data centres.
Microsoft Teams for collaboration and web conferencing – likely not connected to the public telephone network. Skype for Business will initially continue to run in parallel. In the medium term, only one application will be available. Clarifications on this are currently under way outside the CEBA project.
SharePoint Online & OneDrive for Business
Productivity apps such as Planner, Tasks, Form, Viva Engage and others.

You will find a full overview of the M365 Portfolio here.

Project planning

As at the end of 2023, the CEBA project had determined the feasibility of introducing M365. Key documents are available for download. Test operations have been conducted within the Federal Administration to gather experience. From 2024, the focus will be on rolling out M365. Microsoft 365 will be rolled out in the administrative units of the Federal Administration presumably by the end of 2025.