IT-Security - Apr 15, 2026

Bechtle Index of Sovereignty (BIOS):The new standard for strategic IT orientation

by Oliver Sieber

Today, companies must develop their IT landscapes with foresight in an area of tension between regulatory, technological and geopolitical influences. At the same time, many decision-makers lack an instrument that makes their actual independence, ability to act and transparency objectively measurable and thus makes the actual maturity of digital sovereignty visible. With the Bechtle Index of Sovereignty (BIoS), we are closing this gap. The assessment provides a fact-based basis for making dependencies visible, supporting strategic decisions and planning investments in a targeted manner.

Written by

Oliver Sieber

Head of Sales Public Switzerland

E-Mail: oliver.sieber@bechtle.com

BIoS: An assessment that provides orientation.

BIoS assesses the maturity of an organization based on three dimensions that have proven to be crucial in practice:

Data sovereignty:

Full clarity about data locations, access chains and regulatory requirements. This is a topic that is becoming increasingly critical, especially for Swiss administrations and educational institutions.

Technological independence:

Transparency about architectures, platform dependencies, interoperability and exit scenarios. In areas such as healthcare or energy supply, these parameters are closely linked to security of supply and operation.

Competencies:

Skills, roles and organizational requirements that are necessary to be able to make and implement sovereign decisions in the first place.

The combination of these factors enables a holistic view that goes beyond individual technologies and provides a clearly measurable, objective assessment of the current situation for the first time.

Practical perspectives from public and enterprise.

In numerous projects, I see how challenging it is for public organizations to weigh up between technological possibilities, legal requirements and financial framework conditions. Many IT managers work with complex interconnected systems, historically grown platforms and limited resources.

At the same time, the pressure to make sustainable decisions in the long term is increasing. In particular, in the context of:

NIS2 and DSG
Increasing cloud usage
International licensing and pricing models
increasing requirements for transparency and traceability

Our project practice shows that similar issues also arise in other industries. One example is manufacturing industries, whose IT/OT interdependencies are strongly influenced by proprietary platforms, global supply chains and high compliance requirements. Here, too, there is often a lack of transparency about dependencies and risks.

A tool for strategic decision-making.

The resulting index value provides orientation and provides a basis to:

Align IT strategies for the long term
Implement security and compliance requirements in a targeted manner
Prioritize modernization programs
Plan investments in a well-founded manner
Communicate risks transparently

BIoS is independent of product interests, reproducible and practical, and thus an instrument that strengthens those responsible in their strategic management.

Conclusion.

BIoS is more than an assessment. It is an objective measurement tool that enables private and public organizations to recognize their maturity level and strengthen their digital ability to act. For all those who want to gain clarity about their status quo and consciously shape their technological future, BIoS is a central starting point.

Contact.

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This article was written in collaboration with Netzwoche.

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This post was published on Apr 15, 2026.