Microsoft 365 CloudExit: Take back control

We believe that modern IT should not involve the outsourcing of sensitive communication and company secrets, or extensive tracking of users. We therefore implement secure tools that respect your privacy.

Your path to greater sovereignty

There is no general solution for moving away from Microsoft 365. A detailed analysis of the current use and subsequent development of alternatives is essential. We are happy to provide advice.

A key concern we often encounter is the availability of contemporary collaboration and communication tools and alternatives to Teams and Outlook. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for this:

• Remote work and collaboration
• Cross-platform e-mail and groupware solutions
• Cross-platform telephony CTI (Computer Telephony Integration)

Let’s talk about your environment

Problem definition

Competency reduction in companies: a fatal trend

We are concerned about a trend that has persisted for many years towards reducing skills in companies and at the same time allowing uncontrolled growth of dependencies, especially on US software giants. foundata relies on the strengths of open source, open standards and interoperability. We can develop comprehensible solutions and organize a sustainable transfer of knowledge to our customers.

IT is also part of your core business

Consultants say: CapEx for core business, OpEx for everything else. We get that.

However, we believe that in an organization which cannot function without IT or which cannot supply its customers, IT should inevitably be regarded as core business. And that employee communication and company secrets do not belong on third-party servers.

Microsoft 365

Of course, the cloud also has its place as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), especially for operating open source software which can be migrated to another provider or a private cloud. A programmable infrastructure is also a prerequisite for a DevOps approach.

However, many Software-as-a-Service offerings fall short of our portability and standards requirements. We at foundata are particularly critical of Microsoft 365, the use of which results in a high degree of dependency due to the lack of open standards and protocols. Even customers who are adamant that they will stick with Microsoft software are less and less likely to get a version to run on their own servers and sometimes notice not quite so subtle compulsion to outsource (e.g. the missing local storage option for files of newer OneDrive versions or the uncertainties with Exchange licensing). Please also note that Microsoft is making the operation of Exchange on-premises (i.e. in a version that is hosted at your company) increasingly unattractive, especially in terms of licensing types and costs.¹

The use of Microsoft 365 in companies where professional data protection is involved can also generate an enormous amount of effort and thus costs. The recording of processing activities and legal bases, as well as the data protection impact assessment required in many environments prior to introduction, are extremely time-consuming. Furthermore, the legal basis for data transmission remains unresolved.