0118 359 2220 Plan your exit
The stack Self-custody How it works FAQ 0118 359 2220 Plan your exit

The stack

What replaces
Microsoft.

These are the usual swaps. We choose with you, based on what your business does, and everything here is open source, so it stays yours whoever runs it.

01

Desktops

Windows Ubuntu LTS
  • Each desk is built for a role: the apps and websites that person needs, and nothing else.
  • Full-disk encryption, a firewall and malware protection on every machine.
  • Security updates applied overnight and checked by us. Each Ubuntu LTS release has five years of standard security updates.
  • Older business PCs that can't take Windows 11 usually run it well.
02

Email and calendars

Outlook and Exchange Your own mail server
  • A mail server in your company's name, or a UK or EU mail host on an account you own.
  • Thunderbird on the desk, webmail in the browser, and the mail apps already on your phones.
  • Shared calendars and contacts over open standards (CalDAV and CardDAV).
  • Your existing mail moves across, folders and all.
03

Files and sharing

SharePoint and OneDrive Nextcloud
  • Shared folders with permissions, sync to laptops and phones, and sharing links for people outside.
  • Version history and a recycle bin, so mistakes can be undone.
  • Runs on your server, so your files are on hardware you control.
04

Documents

Word, Excel and PowerPoint LibreOffice and Collabora Online
  • LibreOffice on the desk; Collabora Online for editing together in the browser.
  • Opens and saves Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Most look exactly the same.
  • Complex macros and some advanced Excel features may need rework. We find them in the exit plan.
05

Chat and calls

Teams Nextcloud Talk
  • Team chat, video calls and screen sharing, on your own server.
  • Matrix (Element) is an option if you want a separate chat platform.
  • When a client sends a Teams meeting, it opens in your browser.
06

Sign-in

Entra ID Authentik
  • One sign-in for mail, files, chat and business apps, with MFA and passkeys.
  • New starters get access to everything on day one, and leavers lose it all at once.
  • Works with the cloud apps you keep through standard single sign-on (SAML or OpenID Connect), where the app supports it.
07

Passwords

Your current password manager Vaultwarden
  • A Bitwarden-compatible password vault on your own server, with the Bitwarden apps and browser extensions.
  • Shared vaults for teams, and your admin credentials in a vault only you control.
08

Device management

Intune Managed centrally by us
  • Every desk is set up the same way from written configuration, which we hand to you.
  • Updates, settings, apps and monitoring, handled from one place.
  • A lost laptop is encrypted, so whoever finds it can't read the data.
09

Servers and hosting

Azure Your own server
  • A server in your office, or UK hosting rented in your company's name.
  • Either way the bill, the login and the data are yours.
10

Backups

Microsoft 365 backup add-ons Encrypted backups you own
  • Encrypted, versioned backups to storage you own, plus an off-site copy.
  • We test that restores work.

Something not on the list?

Ask us.

Accounts packages, CRM, design tools, industry software: most business apps now run in a browser, and those work as they do today. For the ones that only run on Windows, we keep a Windows machine or a hosted app for that one job and move everything else.

Tell us what you use →

Next step

Book your
exit call.

It takes 30 minutes. We'll tell you what can move, what should stay and what it would cost.

Plan your exit → Or ring 0118 359 2220