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Posted by bwb 1/26/2026

France Aiming to Replace Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.(twitter.com)
900 points | 779 commentspage 3
astrolx 1/26/2026|
I work at a French research institute and our Zoom contract ends soon so we get to switch to Visio. It's not too bad but quite tier below Zoom. Noise cancellation is not great, being browser based also comes with limitations, in half my meetings people don't manage to find the permissions to allow mic and/or webcam ...
palata 1/27/2026|
> in half my meetings people don't manage to find the permissions to allow mic and/or webcam

They will learn :-)

astrolx 1/27/2026||
Judging by the amount of people who still suck at Zoom or Teams after 6 years ... I am not that sure :)
palata 1/27/2026||
But then they can suck at Visio all the same, right? :D
nbardy 1/27/2026||
They should probably fund their military first.

It’s petulant the way the EU is throwing a hissy fit after we’ve had lop-sided trade deals for years and funding the entire NATO alliance ourselves.

They act like we’re going to war with them when we’re asking for parity and for their self reliance to increase.

michaelsshaw 1/27/2026||
>They act like we’re going to war with them when we’re asking for parity and for their self reliance to increase.

The US is literally threatening to invade an EU overseas territory.

sambuccid 1/27/2026|||
That's because not everyone thinks that the trade deals were lop-sided, and it's difficult to objectively determine if they are, given that trade deals are just another lever in the relationship between 2 countries, one lever among millions of levers, one that is constantly calibrated and moved depending on the other ones. In a system like this I think it's pretty difficult to say who's getting more and who's getting less. But Trump doesn't care what is true of false, so for him it's easy to just say what suits him best.

Regarding the war, I can assure you that Trump not excluding to take Greenland my force has been seen by the EU as threat of starting a war, giving that Greenland is part of the EU. Also applying tariffs when European NATO countries sent some troops in Greenland has been perceived as: "Trump wanted to invade Greenland, he felt like EU countries wanted to defend it, so he imposed tariffs because he wanted to invade".

I'm not saying everyone in EU is thinking this, but I think a lot of people did, and this is some context for you to try and understand europe's point of view.

reactormonk 1/29/2026|||
> They act like we’re going to war with them when we’re asking for parity and for their self reliance to increase.

Threatening to take over Greenland by force isn't considered "going to war" for you?

varispeed 1/27/2026|||
Comrade, what is the weather in St. Petersburg?
perlgeek 1/27/2026|||
> They should probably fund their military first.

They should do both. Resilience must be achieved in depth.

> It’s petulant the way the EU is throwing a hissy fit after we’ve had lop-sided trade deals for years and funding the entire NATO alliance ourselves.

Most of the outrage in the EU right now is about Trump's threats against another NATO country (Denmark / Greenland). The funding of the NATO has been slowly shifting for a few years already.

urbandw311er 1/27/2026||
If you’re honestly OK with the maths Trump used to calculate the trade deficits then I’m not really sure you’re going to fit in here at HN.
ttoinou 1/26/2026||
Non-french might not realize that we have a huge free software community of france, made up in large part of communist state-funded scientists / researchers. They do a lot of cool stuff, you can see a few projects for example on Framasoft who has the explicit goal of un-Googling yourself : https://framasoft.org/en/ https://degooglisons-internet.org/en/

That said, having technical solutions isn't enough to replace USA / private solutions. The answer has to take into account the economical, social and political situation

Beretta_Vexee 1/27/2026||
French report: The project presented is not new; it is a continuation of the Tixeo project (https://www.tixeo.com/en/secure-video-conferencing-solutions... video-conferencing-service-tixeocloud/trial-tixeocloud/), which was already the recommended solution for French government officials, public companies and all large companies required to process confidential or classified data via video conferencing.

Tixeo was fairly limited in its use and imposed on critical businesses (defence, nuclear, transport, energy, etc.). The aim is to extend the service to more areas, such as SMEs, universities, NGOs, etc., for all sensitive communications.

I don't think the project is intended to replace Zoom and Teams for the general public. Most public ministries use Teams and the Office suite.

French industries have been the target of quite a few cases of espionage by ‘advanced North American actors’. They have therefore been trying to distance themselves from US services for some time now (Google Tchap and Olvide).

mg794613 1/27/2026||
We're not replacing services. We're replacing our dependence on the USA.

Every choice comes with a cost.

With allies like the USA, you don't need enemies.

gsky 1/26/2026||
Every country should ban American social networks and messaging tools ASAP
natas 1/27/2026||
> France Aiming to Replace Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.

The odds that France will provide a competing offering is pretty high, because, in this day and age, and with AI, it's fairly straightforward to do so. The problem is adoption, do you think people in the USA or elsewhere will install it? Does that mean that only French companies and the French will be able to talk to eachother? Seems somewhat limiting and will limit business expansion.

Will the French government embed spyware in it, they can, since they'll be sponsoring this initiative, they've been intending to do with whatsapp and all the other messengers for years. Worrisome for the end user.

I'm all for competition, and I hope France succeeds in building a good product, because competition is great for everyone and creates jobs, and I hope it's going to take off soon, we'll see, bonne chance!

phtrivier 1/27/2026||
The EU commission would be in an interesting position to mandate American platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, etc...) to support interoperability in order to avoid "market distortion".

Meaning the US based companies would bear _some_ of the burden of making it easier to ditch them, and switch to "sovereign" solutions.

The rest of the world would have a vested interest in letting this happen, since it would also reduce _their_ dependence on the US.

The question then becomes "what happens first":

1 - European commission pressuring the Irish government to send its police to seize AWS servers in Dublin (when fines are not enough any more)

2 - US administration pressuring the tech companies to shut down service in Europe (when threats are not enough any more)

k_bx 1/27/2026|||
So I've opened their AWS replacement website (Outscale), Computing page.

No dedicated servers (VM only). Ok let's check VM price https://en.outscale.com/customized-virtual-machines/

Press the "Do you have a Cloud Project?" which is the only button? Oops! Something went wrong here.

Is this supposed to be an AWS replacement?

tuetuopay 1/27/2026|||
Outscale is kind of the stereotypical bureaucratic French thing. It's made by Dassault, that's better known for industrial stuff (like SolidWorks), not for modern-ish software.

For a more of an AWS replacement, look at Scaleway. It really is more what we think about when talking "public cloud": self-serve compute, with lots of managed services, actual API and Terraform, actual K8s, etc. (managed services is why I don't mention OVH, which is often touted as a "cloud provider", yet lacks a large managed services offering).

k_bx 1/27/2026||
I love Scaleway, been using it since micro ARM64 bare metal offerings they've now deprecated. Just saw Outscale in one of the announcements thus the reason I've checked them out.

Obviously, Hetzner is also great, as a European example.

tuetuopay 1/27/2026||
I'd put Hetzner in the same bucket as OVH: solid infra company at a more than competitive price, but lacking in managed products. In my experience, they're more reliable than OVH though.

Outscale has the advantage of a huge pile of money behind them, as well as a natural endorsement from gov agencies. They'll lack the niceties, but provide certifications from day one. Different motivations. They're not really meant to be a public cloud in the same sense as the big three. It's kind of the same deal as the Lidl "cloud", which is more of a private cloud managed by someone else meant to run SAP monsters.

ares623 1/27/2026|||
France’s govt can probably mandate adoption in the guise of national security (which would be true tbh) and with the current rhetoric their people will be welcoming of it. It’ll probably suck but the tradeoffs could be worth it, not too unlike rationing during WW2 times. And I’m sure there are a lot of engineers and companies looking forward to getting that sweet govt contracts.
simgt 1/27/2026||
For all these there are protocols that could allow interoperability in-between offers, EU policy makers seem to be aware of the issue given what was mandated to Whatsapp. Let's hope for the best outcome!
Moldoteck 1/26/2026||
De Gaulle strikes back)
idontwantthis 1/26/2026|
I wonder if the EU will begin trying to recruit American software engineers. I’d love to move to France.
captain_coffee 1/26/2026||
I doubt Americans will even pick up the phone or respond to LinkedIn messages / emails when they will se the budgets for the software Engineering roles in the EU.

I am saying that as an European, just to be clear.

swiftcoder 1/26/2026|||
I know several folks who've migrated from US -> EU tech roles in the last few years. Yes, you earn less and pay (somewhat) more taxes. But if you have a few kids the difference in cost of education pretty much wipes out the difference, and some folks really value the stress reduction of a robust social safety net (layoff protections, healthcare coverage while unemployed, etc)
idontwantthis 1/26/2026||||
With a baby on the way, I'd seriously consider it for their lifetime benefits. Where does one begin looking?
jeppester 1/26/2026||
I don't know about France, but here in Denmark you'd generally find tech jobs on LinkedIn.

If you have a decent amount of experience I don't think you'd be looking for very long.

But as stated by other commenters, the salaries and lower and the taxes higher.

What you get back is great worker protection, child care, free education and generally a feeling of safety for yourself and family. We also have a democracy that offers more than two choices!

toomuchtodo 1/26/2026|||
Not everyone is optimizing for total comp. Some are optimizing for better lives. It's not a wild concept considering how many people get pulled into startups, 90% of which fail, under the guide of "mission" and lower market comp. Do you pick a mostly assured better quality of life? Or an equity payout lottery ticket/fairy tale? Certainly, there is a minority of folks making wild comp at FAANG, but that is a privileged minority of total tech and IT workers.
baal80spam 1/26/2026|||
> Some are optimizing for better lives

Of course. I just hope these people know that for example healthcare in Europe is by no means free.

ceejayoz 1/26/2026|||
It's not free, but it's much cheaper. (And yes, that includes taxation.)

https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/health-spending.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OECD_health_expendit...

As a bonus, all that spend doesn't make us better in outcomes.

https://ourworldindata.org/us-life-expectancy-low#life-expec...

jansper39 1/27/2026||||
Nobody in Europe thinks that healthcare just exists for free, but that it should be available to who need it for free and are happy to pay for that via tax.
toomuchtodo 1/26/2026|||
My health insurance for a family of four in Spain is $2k/year. In the US, it was exceeding $25k/year with premiums, copays, deductibles, etc. While not free, it is accessible.

There was a time in my life we had to decide in the middle of the night if we could afford to take one of our children to the ER in the US when they were a newborn. I will never have that feeling in Europe, and that is priceless. Tax me more, I will happily contribute to a functioning governance system. I like taxes, with them I contribute to civilization. As an American, I am all in on Europe. It's not perfect, but the bar is in hell.

We Asked 300 People About Health Care Costs. The Numbers Are Shocking. - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/opinion/health-insurance-... | https://archive.today/MnYz9 - January 22nd, 2026

durkie 1/27/2026|||
i have questions about this! is there a way to get in touch with you?
znkynz 1/26/2026||||
That article is just mindblowing. My countries Health Service is far from perfect, but that is insanity.
toomuchtodo 1/26/2026||
This is a component of what those who can qualify for some sort of visa are fleeing. The economics are undeniable.
tick_tock_tick 1/26/2026|||
I mean the issue here is your arguing on hackernews. The vast majority of people on this site in the USA just don't have these issues. Health care is taken care by the employeer and they are paid more.
tick_tock_tick 1/26/2026|||
I think you're not quite understanding just how bad EU pay is for software. Frankly with the $$ you basically always going to come out ahead with the more comp especially since USA software companies normally offer great healthcare and comparable vacation.
the_sleaze_ 1/26/2026|||
They've been incentivizing it for years. Talent passport, EU Blue card and the Tech Visa. As I have heard they'll pay you to move there.

Expect 50% salary and taxes that will make your eyes water. French bureaucracy is kafkaesque even in 2026.

Other than that I agree I'd love to move there.

eloisant 1/26/2026|||
Taxes are not really an issue because of the services you get out of it: free healthcare, free education for your kids, etc.

But yes, salary before taxes is much lower than in the US. If your goal is to make as much money as possible, either stay in US or move to a different European country (Northern Europe or Switzerland).

nxm 1/26/2026|||
As a software engineer in the US you're not really worrying about access to health care, and have access to public schools as well.
traceroute66 1/26/2026|||
> As a software engineer in the US you're not really worrying about access to health care

You're "not really worrying" ... whilst you are in a job.

There fixed that for you.

As I am sure you are acutely aware US is the home of lay-offs and is generally easy to fire people.

If you loose your job in the US it becomes panic stations because you loose that precious employer-paid healthcare overnight.

Meanwhile in Europe ? Take your time job hunting a new job, healthcare is still free.

adev_ 1/26/2026||
> Meanwhile in Europe ? Take your time job hunting a new job, healthcare is still free.

Currently, healthcare coverage tend to be better in several European countries when you are jobless... because the system try to compensate the fact you do not have income anymore.

Don't get me wrong, their is many 'flaws' in several European healthcare systems and it is far from perfect. but it tends to be more "human" and less "for profit".

znkynz 1/26/2026||||
What happens to your health insurance if you get too sick to work?
msla 1/27/2026|||
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_and_Medical_Leave_Act_o...

> The FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to care for a new child, care for a seriously ill family member, or recover from a serious illness.

There's limitations on that, but the common idea that Americans don't have healthcare is unfounded and appallingly ignorant.

LunaSea 1/27/2026||
So why is it that medical debt reached more than > $200B ?
lotsofpulp 1/26/2026|||
The bet is that you will earn enough prior to 50 or maybe even 40 so that you won’t have to work, and then you can live off the investments and wherever you want.

High risk, high reward and all that. Although, the previous 20 years of high compensation are obviously no indication of the next 20.

iamEAP 1/26/2026||||
I left the US, not because I was worried about healthcare for myself or my family, but because of how I felt it reflected on me that I was fine choosing to stay and cash a large check every month while others around me had to worry about healthcare.
Insanity 1/26/2026||||
What if you get laid off?
belter 1/26/2026|||
"Health Insurance Is Now More Expensive Than the Mortgage for These Americans" - https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/aca-health-insurance-c...
toephu2 1/26/2026|||
"free"... as in paid for with high taxes
eb0la 1/26/2026||||
But in the other hand you don't have to worry about mass shootings. You can freely walk (mostly) wherever you want without risking your life (that is not normal in most of the world). And you're not going bankrupt because of a minor/medium medical condition.

Europe is a _very_ different place.

Not everything here is so bad.

rapnie 1/26/2026|||
> They've been incentivizing it for years.

There is also NGI Sargasso which had EU grants being awarded to collaborations between parties in the EU and the US, working on internet innovation projects. Looks like that funding program has closed. Not sure if these open calls were slashed by the Trump government.

https://ngisargasso.eu/

dlahoda 1/26/2026|||
Will not. You should love to move youself to pay 30% more taxes and work for 30% less salary (not sure what percentage to apply first).
swiftcoder 1/26/2026|||
> pay 30% more taxes

This is scaremongering - taxes are in no way 30% higher in EU.

Someone pulling mid-6-figures in the Valley is already paying a ~35% effective tax rate (state + medicare + federal). That same person taking a low-6-figures job in Spain would pay ~40% effective tax rate - and Beckam's Law would likely cut that to 24% for the first 6 years in any case

captain_coffee 1/26/2026|||
more like 50+ % less salary, just saying
nehal3m 1/26/2026|||
Why wait? If you can get a work visa you might as well, independent of this push. English proficiency in France isn't amazing though (speaking as a Dutchman that visits France most summers), so learning French would be a big help.
idontwantthis 1/26/2026||
Do you have a suggestion of where to begin looking? Doesn't have to be France either.
nehal3m 1/26/2026||
I'm not sure, it depends on what kind of work you're looking for. For the Netherlands, I'd start here.

https://www.tech-careers.nl/job-seeker-visa-for-tech-roles-i...

ivolimmen 1/26/2026|||
In the Netherlands we return 30% of your taxes in the first 10. So we welcome you as well. We may pay less compared to the USA but we have health care, better work life balance and we all talk English.
captain_coffee 1/26/2026|||
the first 10 what? Years? It's actually not like that: https://www.government.nl/topics/income-tax/shortening-30-pe...

From 1 January 2024, expats who meet the conditions receive the following tax benefits:

- 30% tax free for the first 20 months;

- 20% tax free for the next 20 months;

- 10% tax free for the last 20 months.

So that's a tapered reduction over the first 5 years and the amount of money that you gain after tax is between negligeable and insultingly small.

Basically in its current form "The Dutch 30% ruling" is not really worth it, if you want to move to The Netherlands do it for other reasons, and the advertisment of this mechanism feels borderline disingenious in its current form.

mk89 1/26/2026||
I think it was like that some years ago. Now, as you said, it's really useless. 20 months are just the time to find an apartment, furnish it and get used to the place.

Afterwards you have to pay some of the highest taxes in the world....

toephu2 1/26/2026|||
Isn't the primary tongue of locals in the Netherlands Dutch? Yes you know English, but don't the locals speak Dutch or German to each other?
ifwinterco 1/26/2026||
Dutch people still speak Dutch to each other so if you were going to live there permanently and wanted to properly participate in society you would need to learn Dutch.

However the average level of English ability in NL is extremely good, you won't meet many people who don't have really good English especially for younger generations. Definitely not the case in e.g. France or Italy

well_ackshually 1/26/2026||
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