Switch Portfolio
Switch Portfolio is a web service for university members to document and present their achievements and expertise.
What Switch Portfolio is
Switch Portfolio is a web service for university members to document and present their achievements and expertise. Users can manage and share content, create websites and blogs, connect with others, set up groups and custom portfolios, and decide who can view their material. Each portfolio belongs to its user. The service is based on Mahara, a modular open-source project for managing artefacts, creating views, and controlling access to data. A university must subscribe for its members to use the service, and pricing is available on request. Users sign in with a Switch edu-ID account or an AAI login; an account is created automatically at first login. The service can be accessed in a browser directly at portfolio.switch.ch or through a school's platform. Users with a Switch edu-ID can continue using it after their studies. Switch stores personal data in its data centre in Switzerland and says it uses technical and organisational measures to protect that data. Participating universities provide local user help desks, while Switch provides second-level support to subscribing institutions. Switch may suspend accounts after at least four years of inactivity and automatically delete suspended accounts after at least one further year unless reactivation is requested.
Good
- Users control portfolio content and visibility.
- Supports websites, blogs, groups, and custom portfolios.
- Users can continue after studies with a Switch edu-ID.
- Personal data is stored in Switzerland.
Watch out
- A university subscription is required.
- Pricing is available on request.
- Access requires a Switch edu-ID or AAI login.
- Inactive accounts may eventually be deleted.
Who it suits
It suits university members who want to collect and present achievements, expertise, or other content online. Institutions can subscribe for their members, while users with a Switch edu-ID may continue using it after their studies.
Verdict
Switch Portfolio gives university members control over an online portfolio of achievements and expertise. Access depends on an institutional subscription and an eligible login, and users should note the inactivity policy.
The facts
Each one read from Switch Portfolio's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Access
- Access requires a Switch edu-ID account or an AAI login, and an account is automatically opened on the first login.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Access after studies
- With a Switch edu-ID account, users can continue using Switch Portfolio after their studies, for example for career planning.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Account inactivity
- Switch may suspend accounts after at least four years of inactivity and automatically delete suspended accounts after at least one more year unless reactivation is requested.checked 8 Oct 2026
- After studies
- Users with a Switch edu-ID account can continue using Switch Portfolio after their studies.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Features
- Users can manage and share content, create websites and blogs, connect with other users, and set up groups and custom portfolios.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Hosting
- Switch provides the software as a service and stores personal data in its data centre in Switzerland.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Hosting and data location
- Personal data is stored in Switch's data centre in Switzerland.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The service is designed for university members and institutions, with adoption typically initiated by programme heads, lecturers or e-learning managers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Login requirement
- Access requires a Switch edu-ID account or an AAI login, and an account is created automatically at first login.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Long-term use
- The service is designed for long-term use.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Mahara foundation
- The service is based on the modular open-source Mahara project, which manages artefacts, creates views and controls access to data.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Portfolio tools
- Users can manage and share content, create websites and blogs, connect with others, set up groups and custom portfolios, and control content visibility.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Switch Portfolio lets university members document and present their achievements and expertise online.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security measures
- Switch says it uses technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and continuously improves them as technology develops.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- Switch provides second-level support to subscribing institutions; participating universities provide local user help desks, and Switch does not provide first-level support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- University subscription
- A university must subscribe to the service for its members to use it; the page does not state a price.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- Content ownership
- Each portfolio belongs to its user, who chooses its content and who can view it.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 1987checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerlandchecked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker
- Switch is a non-profit foundation established in 1987 by the Swiss Confederation and eight university cantons.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Ownership and privacy
- Users own their portfolios and choose which content to include and who can view it.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platform
- The service is web-based and can be accessed through a browser, directly at portfolio.switch.ch or through a school's platform.checked 8 Oct 2026
