The deals are worth CHF110 million ($111) and limited to five years, the government wroteExternal link on Tuesday. It added that the framework conditions outlined in each of the five contracts are identical, and that the Federal Chancellery is looking into the legal possibility of making them publicly available.
The Swiss decision to outsource a certain amount of data storage sparked attention when announced last summer, notably due to the appearance of a Chinese firm (Alibaba) in the final list and the absence of any Swiss provider. General security fears were also raised, including by the Swiss Data Protection Commissioner, who said some of his concerns had not been properly addressed during the tender process.
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Digital identity scheme shot down by voters over data privacy concerns
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A clear majority of voters in Switzerland have rejected a law governing a proposed electronic identity system.
On Tuesday, the government still didn’t say exactly what data would be involved, but clarified that the clouds will be used to store public information which is “not in need of particular protection”. It also said that federal departments which wish to use the clouds will first have to clarify why, as well as to verify that their outsourcing complies with Swiss laws on data protection.
Meanwhile, although the contracts are now finalised, the government is not going to officially buy or use the cloud storage yet: it first has to wait for a federal court verdict on a citizen complaint about giving national data to foreign-based cloud operators.
The Federal Administrative Court also previously looked into a separate complaint brought by Google after it lost its bid to win a part of the contract. Google later dropped the appeal.
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Life & Aging
Switzerland no longer wants to foot the bill for ‘suicide tourism’
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss federal office sees no reason to end deportations of asylum-seekers to Croatia
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Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) continues to deport asylum-seekers to Croatia. It thus rejects a demand from the Swiss Refugee Council in mid-February, which called for a halt to the returns.
ChatGPT responds to negative emotions and therapy, research shows
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Stressful information can also cause anxiety in artificial intelligence (AI). As scientists in Zurich have shown, it's even possible to calm the GPT-4 AI model with mindfulness exercises.
Mortgage benchmark fall paves way for potential rent cuts in Switzerland
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Switzerland’s national benchmark for mortgage costs dropped to the level it had before the global inflation surge, paving the way for potential rent reductions.
Switzerland ‘deeply concerned’ by Trump’s death penalty order
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Switzerland has told the UN Human Rights Council that it is "deeply concerned" by US President Donald Trump's recent executive order to strengthen capital punishment at federal and state level.
Blatter, Platini return to court for new fraud trial over CHF2 million FIFA payment
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Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini appeared in court in Switzerland on Monday accused of fraud - 2.5 years after they were cleared.
Israel criticises Swiss decision to host Middle East conference in Geneva on Friday
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Israel has condemned Switzerland for planning to host a meeting on international humanitarian law in the Middle East next Friday in Geneva.
Centre Party’s Franziska Biner elected to Valais government
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Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland elected Franziska Biner to the cantonal government in the first round of voting, beating off more established politicians.
Google challenges Swiss data cloud contract decision
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Google has appealed a recent Swiss decision to award a cloud-computing contract to five other Internet service providers.
Switzerland outlines digital foreign policy strategy
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The four-year plan will also boost Geneva’s credentials as a centre for international digital governance, the government said on Wednesday. Geneva is already home to several global digital bodies that set international standards, such as the Internet SocietyExternal link, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANNExternal link) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITUExternal…
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