Particle.news
Download on the App Store

International Criminal Court Plans Switch From Microsoft to Germany’s OpenDesk

Court officials say reducing vendor dependence is necessary after a sanctions-related email disruption.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets report the ICC is close to signing with Germany’s Zendis to deploy the OpenDesk suite across roughly 1,800 workstations.
  • Registrar and IT lead Osvaldo Zavala Giler says the court must cut dependencies and strengthen technological autonomy despite short‑term cost and inconvenience.
  • Reporting links the planned migration to U.S. sanctions on ICC personnel and a temporary loss of Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s access to his Microsoft-hosted email.
  • Microsoft executive Brad Smith says the email case was an isolated response targeting an individual, not the institution, and that internal procedures were reviewed.
  • The move fits a broader European push for digital sovereignty, with EU and national initiatives backing open-source platforms such as OpenDesk.