BWI, the IT service provider for the German Armed Forces, has developed the BundesMessenger, a secure messaging platform based on open source technology. This platform, which has been in use by the Bundeswehr since 2021 under the name BwMessenger, is now being expanded for use in public administration.
The BundesMessenger app ensures digital sovereignty by storing all data on its own servers, encrypted throughout, eliminating the need for public cloud storage. It offers end-to-end encryption for secure communication and includes a built-in virus scanner to check attachments for malware. The platform's structure allows for the use of non-business hardware, enabling secure communication on personal devices (BYOD). BWI will handle the maintenance and further development of the system, providing monthly updates. The source code for the backend and apps was made available on the open source repository Open CoDE.
BundesMessenger, is a modified version of Element, and serves as the front-end application for a modern communication platform tailored to the needs of Germany's public administration. It is built on the Matrix communication protocol, which is decentralized and open source. Matrix enables large-scale federation across government organizations, allowing secure and instant communication while ensuring data and application sovereignty. Each organization can host its own Matrix server and join the federated network, using Matrix-based clients like BundesMessenger or other compatible options. This has already been done in France with the Tchap messenger app which is also Matrix-based, meaning federation between Tchap and BundesMessenger could be easily achieved also allowing for the interoperability of these two solutions.
BWI will not operate the federal messenger itself, as each authority will have the freedom to set up and maintain its own infrastructure, including running its own Matrix server. BWI offers simplified cloud deployment options for organizations seeking a straightforward setup, and it provides Kubernetes-based reference implementations for the application server, approved by the German Administration Cloud Strategy (DVS).
The wider development of BwMessenger to BundesMessenger shows the high promises of reusability between public administrations. This is also reinforced as public IT service providers Dataport and BWI have signed a cooperation agreement to work together in the realm of digitally sovereign IT infrastructures and services. The agreement focuses on areas such as cloud computing, open-source software, cybersecurity, and the digital workplace for public administration. The partnership will leverage the expertise gained from previous and ongoing projects, such as Dataport's "dPhoenixSuite" and BWI's "BwMessenger." This agreement, signed during an in-house exhibition in Hamburg, forms the basis for future collaboration between the two organizations.