2026-06-02

Paris, Orange, and the inversion of the open source default

At OW2Con in Paris I heard Orange describe open source as their main strategy, not an experiment. The bar has inverted: you now need a good reason not to choose open source.

This week I was in Paris for OW2Con, the annual conference of the OW2 open source community. I attended as a speaker and as a participant. In between sessions, I had meetings at Orange Gardens with coworkers from Sofrecom. Dropsolid works with Orange via Sofrecom, so this was a chance to connect in person.

Orange and open source independence

The OW2Con keynote from Orange was one of those moments where you sit up straight. The message was clear: open source is not an experiment at Orange. It is the main strategy. Even the CEO is telling this.

One line from the keynote stayed with me. The French army says: "Don't be a pawn on another man's chessboard." It sounds like a proverb, but in the context of digital sovereignty it is a strategic position. If your critical infrastructure runs on software you do not control, you are not running your own game.

Orange has operationalised this. They have taken full control of their network stack using open source, with fast time to production and no dependence on external vendor pressure. The results are concrete: up to 20% cost savings overall, and up to 50% in VoIP specifically.

The mindset shift is what struck me most. The bar has inverted. You no longer need a good reason to choose open source. You need a good reason not to.

La Suite numérique

For those outside France: La Suite numérique is the French government's sovereign digital workspace. It is built entirely on open source, covering messaging, document collaboration, video conferencing, and more. The French government did not just talk about digital sovereignty. They built it. La Suite is the evidence that when the French say they will invest in open source, they mean it.

I love the French for this. They protest like hell, and when they decide to move, they move.

Slides by Jean-Louis Le Roux, Orange, OW2Con 2026

What this means in practice

Being at OW2Con and sitting across from Orange and Sofrecom reminded me why this work matters. The conversations happening in Paris are not theoretical. These are large organisations making real bets on open source infrastructure and building the business case as they go.

The team

Four Dropsolid team members at the Dropsolid booth at OW2Con 2026 in Paris, with the Dropsolid banner visible behind them

We are fully remote, so we rarely meet in person. When we do, it is in hotel lounges at midnight.

Four Dropsolid team members meeting in a hotel lounge in Paris late at night, with drinks and snacks on the table