OpenDesk
OpenDesk (branded as openDesk) is an open-source, sovereign digital workplace solution designed for public administration under the coordination of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI, Bundesministerium des Innern) and developed by the Centre for Digital Sovereignty of the Public Administration (ZenDiS GmbH, Zentrum für Digitale Souveränität der Öffentlichen Verwaltung). It bundles established open-source applications into a single collaboration suite so that organisations can retain full control over their data, identities and infrastructure while avoiding dependence on large proprietary vendors.
Key Components
OpenDesk integrates the following core applications as a unified digital workplace:
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Nubus | Identity & Access Management (IAM) and web portal |
| Nextcloud | File sharing, storage and synchronization |
| Collabora Online | Online office suite and web-based document editing |
| OX App Suite | Email, calendar and groupware |
| Element/Matrix | Secure messaging and real-time communication |
| Jitsi | Secure video conferencing |
| OpenProject | Project and task management |
| XWiki | Knowledge management and wiki |
| CryptPad | End-to-end encrypted collaborative editing |
| ClamAV | Antivirus |
| Dovecot | IMAP server |
| Postfix | Mail transfer agent |
Benefits
Based on the official project description, openDesk is designed to give public-sector organisations a modern workplace while maximising digital sovereignty and independence:
- Digital sovereignty for public administration: openDesk reduces dependence on large international platform providers by relying on open standards and free/libre open-source software. Data, identities and configurations remain under the control of the operating organisation.
- Integrated collaboration suite: Instead of a patch-work of isolated tools, openDesk combines mail, calendar, chat, video conferencing, file storage, office editing, project management and knowledge management into a coherent workplace with single sign-on.
- Open standards and interoperability: The platform uses open protocols and interfaces, making it easier to integrate into existing infrastructures and to switch components where needed without lock-in.
- Cloud‑native, scalable architecture: openDesk is built for Kubernetes and can run on sovereign cloud infrastructures, supporting horizontal scaling and resilient operation.
- Security and compliance: By design, openDesk supports operation in environments with high security and data-protection requirements (e.g. GDPR, public sector security baselines).
Getting Started
- Evaluate OpenDesk on T Cloud Public: Quick-start guide for evaluation purposes. Uses minimal resources and bundled internal services. Perfect for Proof of Concepts (PoC).
- Deploy OpenDesk on CCE: Comprehensive guide for a secure, scalable production setup using T Cloud Public managed services.