The Great Migration: Why I’m Leaving Microsoft for a Sovereign European Stack

The Confession: I Actually Liked Windows.

Let’s get one thing straight before I start: I am not a Microsoft hater.

For the last decade, I was a satisfied, “spoiled” citizen of the Redmond ecosystem. I didn’t choose Microsoft because of ideology; I chose it because it worked. Windows 11 was polished, stable (opinion as enduser), and convenient. The integration was seamless—from the endpoint to Active Directory (now Entra ID), everything just “clicked.”

For a freelancer, the Microsoft 365 stack is a productivity monster, it has everything. I never liked Apple products—not because they aren’t good, but because the “luxury tax” never made sense to me. Microsoft was the rational, pragmatic choice.

The Geopolitical Sinus Curve

However, technology does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in a geopolitical context.

We are living through a shift. The reliance on American digital infrastructure has become a single point of failure—not just technically, but strategically. As a European security architect, I have begun to feel an urge and strategic obligation to support European Digital Sovereignty, even tiny bit.

It’s not about “radical decoupling.” It’s about recognizing that times change—like a sinus curve. Right now, the tide is turning toward local resilience. I want my data to be protected by European privacy laws, not American executive orders.

The Decision: Pulling the Plug on M365

Today, my Microsoft 365 subscription expired. After few years of usage, I didn’t renew it.

Instead, I am executing the first phase of a full stack migration: The Cloud Layer. I am moving my email, identity, and office collaboration suite to Switzerland by switching to Proton Unlimited.

Note: This is just step one. My strategic roadmap includes eventually moving my workstation to Linux and my mobile communications to GrapheneOS, but those are projects for another day. Today, the focus is replacing the M365 services.

The New Stack: A “Spoiled” User’s First Impressions

I am entering this experiment with open eyes. I know I will lose the slick, glossy integration of the Microsoft ecosystem. But what I gain is privacy and ownership.

Here is what the new “CyberPOPE sovereign stack” looks like right now:

1. The Core: Mail, Calendar & The “Meet” Question

The migration of email and calendar is straightforward, but for a consultant, scheduling is critical.

• Proton Meet: This is a brand-new addition to the suite. I am currently investigating whether it offers a native “Booking Page” feature (similar to Microsoft Bookings) to allow clients to schedule calls directly, or if I will need a workaround.

2. The Network: Proton VPN

Previously, I paid for a separate VPN service. Now, it is bundled into the Proton Business Suite.

• The Win: High-speed Swiss encryption integrated into the same subscription. One less vendor to manage, one less invoice to pay.

3. Identity: Proton Pass & Authenticator

I was never fully comfortable giving Microsoft or Google the “Keys to the Kingdom” via their Authenticator apps. It felt like too much power in one hand, but they were the only mature options at the time.

4. The Productivity Suite: Docs, Sheets & Lumo

This is the area I am most curious about.

• Docs & Sheets: I am not an Excel macro wizard; I just need reliable tools for administration and reporting. Proton has recently popped up with Proton Docs and Proton Sheets. I will be testing these extensively to see if they are robust enough for daily consulting work - should be.
• Lumo AI: Perhaps the most interesting wildcard is Lumo, Proton’s privacy-first AI. I am exploring how it compares to Copilot when it comes to drafting and summarizing, specifically looking at whether it can be helpful without feeding my private data into a training model.

The Road Ahead

This won’t be seamless. I expect friction. I expect to miss the way Microsoft integrated everything for me. But comfort is often the enemy of security.

I am starting a new series on this blog: “The Sovereign Migration.” I will document every broken dependency, every missing feature, and every victory as I retrain my muscle memory from Redmond to Geneva.

The subscription is cancelled. Let’s see if a European stack is ready for business.