We know both worlds
We have built Microsoft environments from Active Directory to Azure, and the same on Linux. We are not pushing one side.
Microsoft 365 Alternative for Your Company
We replace Microsoft 365 and Azure with open-source tools running on servers you control: Nextcloud for files and teamwork, Talk for meetings, an online office suite and your own e-mail. Your data stays in your company or in a data centre you choose, and costs stop depending on licence price lists. We run our own company this way.
Service by service
What replaces what
Every Microsoft service has a mature open-source counterpart. Where the switch needs preparation, we say so up front.
| Today | Replaced by | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
|
Today
SharePoint, OneDrive
|
Replaced by Nextcloud Files | Worth knowing Folder structure and permissions are migrated |
|
Today
Teams
|
Replaced by Nextcloud Talk | Worth knowing External guests join via a link, no account needed |
|
Today
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
|
Replaced by Nextcloud Office in the browser, LibreOffice on the desktop | Worth knowing Complex Excel macros (VBA) need checking |
|
Today
Outlook
|
Replaced by Thunderbird | Worth knowing Calendars and contacts sync with Nextcloud |
|
Today
Exchange Online
|
Replaced by Your own mail server (mailcow) or an EU mail provider | Worth knowing We recommend which fits your size |
|
Today
Entra ID, Active Directory
|
Replaced by Samba Active Directory | Worth knowing Windows PCs join it like a normal domain |
|
Today
Intune
|
Replaced by Fleet and Headwind MDM | Worth knowing Fleet for computers and phones, Headwind for Android-only and kiosk devices |
|
Today
Planner
|
Replaced by Nextcloud Deck | Worth knowing Boards, cards and due dates shared with the team |
|
Today
Azure virtual machines
|
Replaced by Your own Linux servers with KVM | Worth knowing Sized to real load, not to a price list |
|
Today
Windows
|
Replaced by Linux (optional, last step) | Worth knowing Industry software for Windows only is checked first |
Try before you decide
Test Nextcloud with your own team
We create up to five trial accounts for you and your colleagues on our own Nextcloud at office.exonslovakia.com, valid for 30 days. Call each other in Talk, send messages, share files, edit documents together and see whether the interface suits your company.
- Video calls and chat in Talk
- Shared folders and files
- Editing documents together in the browser
- Calendar and task boards
Request trial accounts
Please use test data only, not real or sensitive documents. The accounts are deleted after the trial.
When it makes sense
When companies move away from Microsoft 365
Licence and cloud costs grow every year
Data must stay in the company, in the EU or in Switzerland
Customers or auditors ask where your data is stored
You depend on a single vendor and its prices and terms
Your IT runs steadily, without large seasonal peaks
Roughly 50 or more people work in the company
A responsible approach
When the cloud is the better choice
We do not move everything at any cost. The result is often a mix, and we will tell you which parts belong where.
A company of a few people, where licences cost less than running a server
Critical software that only works with Microsoft 365
Workloads with large, unpredictable peaks
No one to take care of the servers, and no wish to hand it over
How we work
How the move works
1
Cost and dependency review
What you use, what it costs, and what is tied to Microsoft.
2
Design and pilot
The new environment for one team first, while everyone else keeps working as before.
3
Gradual migration
Service by service, no big-bang weekend. Data, permissions and calendars move with it.
4
Operation
Monitoring, updates and backups with a regular report.
Why us
Why choose EXON Slovakia
We use it ourselves
Exon runs on Linux and Nextcloud every day. We show you a working system, not a brochure.
Enterprise discipline
Experience from 1,900 servers and 60,000 users at Yanfeng, applied at the size of your company.
Try it yourself first
Before you decide, your team tests a working Nextcloud with its own trial accounts.
We stay after the move
Updates, backups and monitoring on a monthly hour budget, so the new environment never lacks an owner.
Frequently asked questions
What companies ask most often
Is a self-hosted server more secure than Microsoft 365?
Not automatically. Security depends on how the server is run: updates, backups, monitoring and access control. That is exactly the part we take over. What you gain for certain is control: you know where your data is and who can reach it.
Can we try it before we decide?
Yes. We create up to five trial accounts on our Nextcloud for 30 days, so you and your colleagues can test calls, chat, file sharing and documents in practice.
How much will we save?
It depends on the number of users, the licences you use and the hardware you already have. We calculate it in the first review, with real numbers from your company rather than a promise.
Will our Word and Excel files still work?
Yes. Standard .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files open and edit normally. Files with complex macros or unusual formatting are checked before the switch.
Where will the servers run?
In your own server room, or in a data centre of your choice in the EU or Switzerland. You decide; we set it up and run it.
Can our data stay in Switzerland?
Yes. If the servers are located in Switzerland, your data never leaves the country.
Can we keep some Microsoft services?
Yes. Many companies start with files and meetings and keep e-mail where it is for now. A partial move is often the sensible first step.
How long does the migration take?
For a mid-sized company usually several weeks, done in stages without stopping your work. The exact plan comes out of the first review.
Who looks after the system afterwards?
We do, on a monthly hour budget with a clear report, the same model as our IT outsourcing.
Related services
What we usually combine it with
IT Systems Management
Servers, cloud, backups and stable infrastructure operations.
Linux and open source
Linux environments, custom software and drivers.
IT outsourcing
An external IT department — user support, accounts, devices, reporting.