From the cloud to the digital mailbox: STACKIT strengthens the sovereign IT ecosystem for public administration

• STACKIT is the first Approved Sovereign Service Provider in ZenDiS’s new openDesk partner program
• Collaboration with d.velop combines sovereign cloud infrastructure with digital document delivery
• Ecosystem approach incorporates key principles of the Deutschland-Stack for sovereign administrative IT in Germany and Europe

STACKIT is the first Approved Sovereign Service Provider in the new openDesk partner program of the Center for Digital Sovereignty in Public Administration (ZenDiS). With this, the cloud provider from Schwarz Digits is further expanding its role in the ecosystem for digitally sovereign administrative IT. The collaboration with d.velop demonstrates how sovereign cloud infrastructure can be combined with specific digital services. STACKIT provides data center services for the d.velop postbox, thereby supporting the secure digital delivery of documents to citizens. 

Both developments represent an approach that embodies the core principles of the Deutschland-Stack: sovereign infrastructure, interoperable software, and digital services are designed to work together in an open ecosystem. With the Deutschland-Stack, the federal government aims to create a common technological foundation by 2028 for easy-to-use, reliable, and secure digital services provided by the federal government, states, and municipalities. Open standards, interoperability, and European digital sovereignty are among the central guiding principles.

Digital sovereignty emerges from a strong ecosystem

With the openDesk Partner Program, launched in September 2026, ZenDiS is opening up new distribution channels for its sovereign open-source office and collaboration suite. The goal is to build a high-performance network of operations, sales, and implementation partners that accelerates the rollout of sovereign solutions in government and the private sector. Approved Sovereign Service Providers must meet particularly high standards for security and sovereignty. Among other requirements, ZenDiS mandates a BSI C5 certification. As the first Approved Sovereign Service Provider, STACKIT thus underscores its commitment to providing organizations with an infrastructure on which they can operate digital services with sovereignty and autonomy.

“To significantly advance digital sovereignty, the public sector and the free market must combine their strengths. Our goal is to create the technological foundation for this collaboration and, together with strong partners from the software sector, to provide sovereign solutions for public administration in Germany and Europe,” explains Bernie Wagner, Chief Revenue Officer at Schwarz Digits.

Pamela Krosta-Hartl, Managing Director of ZenDiS, adds: “Digital sovereignty does not arise from a single product. It requires a robust ecosystem in which various stakeholders contribute their expertise. ZenDiS’s new partner program addresses precisely this need. Together with the market, we are ensuring that openDesk can scale widely.”

STACKIT, openDesk, and the d.velop postbox are not to be equated with the officially defined components of the Deutschland-Stack. However, they illustrate how its fundamental vision can work in practice: On sovereign infrastructure, various interoperable applications and digital services are created that can be integrated into existing administrative landscapes.

Sovereign Cloud Meets Interoperable Mailbox Solution for Government

The collaboration between STACKIT and d.velop demonstrates how this approach can yield concrete benefits for government agencies and citizens. Many government agencies have already digitized their files and internal processes. However, at the end of the digital administrative process, there is often still a media discontinuity: the official notice is printed, placed in an envelope, and sent by mail. With its postbox, d.velop addresses precisely this “last mile” of the digital document cycle. STACKIT contributes to the infrastructure of the d.velop postbox by providing data center services. This brings together two elements that are crucial for end-to-end digital processes: a secure cloud infrastructure and an application capable of delivering documents digitally. “From the digital file to the digital mailbox, administrative processes must be designed to be end-to-end. A process isn’t truly digital if it ends up producing paper again. With STACKIT, we’re expanding our ecosystem to include a sovereign cloud provider and laying the groundwork not only for processing documents digitally but also for delivering them securely and conveniently to citizens,” says Philipp Perplies, Chief Operating Officer, Public Sector, d.velop.

Combining digital sovereignty with tangible everyday benefits

Cloud architectures, interfaces, and data centers often remain abstract concepts. For everyday use, it is therefore crucial that a government service functions simply, reliably, and entirely digitally: An application is submitted online, data is processed securely, a decision is generated digitally, and then made available in the user’s personal digital mailbox. Here, tangible benefits are combined with digital sovereignty. After all, sovereignty is not measured solely by where the digital infrastructure is operated. It is also crucial whether government agencies can control technologies, integrate different solutions, reduce dependencies, and continue to develop services over the long term. The collaboration between STACKIT and d.velop exemplifies this model: infrastructure and line-of-business applications do not have to come from the same provider. Instead, specialized companies can contribute their respective expertise to a shared digital ecosystem.

“The value of a sovereign digital ecosystem is not only evident in the data center but becomes tangible in the services created with that computing power. When open standards, sovereign cloud infrastructure, and high-performance applications work together, end-to-end digital processes are created. We want to build such a digital ecosystem together with our partners and make it interoperable across Europe,” summarizes Bernie Wagner.