Microsoft 365 alternative for companies: choose files, chat and video with reasons
You want to move away from Microsoft 365, Teams or Slack but do not yet know what to move to? We record how your team shares files, chats and meets today. During the selection you try the candidates for files, office, chat and video in your own demo instances, we compare them with your workflows and deliver a reasoned decision. Afterwards we roll out the solution and, if you wish, operate it in Germany.
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The following are trademarks of their respective owners: Nextcloud (Nextcloud GmbH), OpenCloud (OpenCloud GmbH), Collabora Online (Collabora Productivity Ltd.), Element (Element Software Ltd.), Mattermost (Mattermost, Inc.), Rocket.Chat (Rocket.Chat Technologies Corp.), Zulip (Kandra Labs, Inc.), Jitsi (8x8, Inc.), OpenTalk (OpenTalk GmbH). WZ-IT is an independent service provider and has no business, partnership, or contractual relationship with these companies. We offer independent migration, installation, hosting, and operations services.
Starting point
You know what you want to leave, but not yet where to go
- License costs for Microsoft 365, Teams, Slack or Zoom keep rising, and the data sits with US providers
- File storage, office, chat and video conferencing should fit together instead of becoming four separate tools
- The feature lists of the alternatives look alike; the differences only show in daily work and in operations
- You do not know yet which tool fits and want to try it before committing
A decision paper instead of a feature list
The result is a reasoned decision per area that management, business units and IT can stand behind together. The paper belongs to you and is fully usable without a follow-up order.
Weighted decision matrix
Your criteria weighted by importance: file storage and sharing, office editing, chat, video conferencing, mobile devices, external guests, sign-in and operations.
License and cost picture
License costs from vendor information, limits of free editions, for example for push notifications or office editing in production, operating model and running costs.
Migration path and recommendation
How files move from OneDrive, SharePoint or Dropbox, what happens to chat history from Teams or Slack, and which combination we recommend and why.
Vendor-neutral among self-hostable software: if a SaaS product clearly fits better, including Microsoft 365 itself, the recommendation says so. WZ-IT offers rollout and operations; the decision remains yours.
Four steps to a decision on your Microsoft 365 alternative
The selection runs remotely; on-site meetings are possible plus travel costs. Your existing systems remain unchanged.
- 01
Record how you work
How your team shares files, chats and meets today, which identities such as Active Directory or Entra ID exist and which protection requirements apply.
- 02
Weight the criteria
Agree with business units and IT on what matters: file storage, office, chat, video, mobile devices, external guests, sign-in and operations.
- 03
Try all candidates
You receive demo instances of Nextcloud, OpenCloud, Collabora Online, ONLYOFFICE Docs, Matrix with Element, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Jitsi Meet and OpenTalk with sample content. In parallel we check editions, license costs, single sign-on, migration paths and the operating model.
- 04
Demonstrate the finalists
In addition we demonstrate the finalists per area with your own sample content, collect feedback and hand over the decision paper.
What we need for the selection
- Contacts from the business side and IT
- An overview of today's tools and licenses, e.g. Microsoft 365, Teams, Slack or Zoom
- Departments and groups that will use the solution, including external partners
- A few test users who try the demo instances
- A few typical files and workflows for the finalist demonstration
What the collaboration selection covers
The selection covers three areas: files and office, chat, and video conferencing. Depending on your situation we assess all three or only the areas you want to replace. All candidates are available to you as demo instances during the selection.
Current-state review and criteria
Today's tools, user groups, identities and protection requirements; criteria weighted together with business units and IT.
Demo instances of all candidates
Files and office: Nextcloud, OpenCloud, Collabora Online, ONLYOFFICE Docs. Chat: Matrix with Element, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip. Video: Jitsi Meet, OpenTalk. Provided by WZ-IT with sample content to try for the duration of the selection.
License check
Editions and costs from vendor information, limits of free editions and subscriptions that are required or advisable for production.
Migration path
The way out of OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox or network drives including shares; handling of chat history from Teams or Slack.
Operating model
Hosting in German data centers, your infrastructure or a local server, with update and backup concept.
Finalist demonstration
In addition, the finalists per area with your own sample content before you decide.
Boundary
The selection decides, the rollout implements
- Setting up the target systems, migration and training (part of the rollout)
- Buying licenses or subscriptions such as Nextcloud Enterprise or Collabora Online; you purchase these directly from the vendor
- Choosing a mail server and moving mailboxes out of Exchange Online
- End devices and office desktop applications
Price
Selection with a defined scope, rollout after the decision
Scope and price of the selection are agreed before you order. The scope of the rollout is only known after the current-state review, so you receive the proposal for it together with the decision paper.
Collaboration selection
from €3,900
excl. VAT, one-time
Credited against the rollout if you order it within 6 months on the same topic.
For organizations before the decision, including preparation for replacing Microsoft 365, Teams, Slack or Zoom.
- Current-state review and weighted criteria
- Demo instances of all candidates for files, office, chat and video
- License and operating limits of the candidates
- Demonstration of the finalists with your content
- Decision paper with recommendation
Outcome: Decision paper with weighted matrix, license costs from vendor information, migration path, operating model and recommendation per area.
Collaboration rollout
On proposal
Proposal with the decision paper
Roll out the chosen tools with sign-in, pilot, migration and training, then hand them over to operations.
Building blocks
- Structure and role concept: areas, channels, shares and external guests
- Pilot group with single sign-on
- Migration, e.g. from OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox or network drives
- Rules for what belongs in file storage, chat and video calls
- In-house training for key users and admins
- Handover to managed operations
Outcome: Running solution with acceptance, migrated content and regulated operations.
Remote is the default; on-site meetings are charged plus travel costs. You buy licenses and subscriptions for paid editions directly from the vendor. The decision paper belongs to you and is usable without a follow-up order.
All prices are net and exclude statutory VAT. The offers are addressed to businesses.
Rollout and operations from one provider
After the decision we roll out the chosen tools and, if you wish, operate them in German data centers or on your infrastructure. A wiki for company knowledge and secured access for sites and mobile staff can be added.
Managed Open Source
Updates, backups with restore tests and monitoring for the chosen applications.
View operationsfrom €3,900 excl. VATWiki selection
Choose the right wiki for documentation and company knowledge, with demo instances of all candidates.
View wiki selectionfrom €349.90 excl. VAT / monthSecured access
Connect users, sites and systems through identity-based access without exposing services to the internet.
View accessFrequently asked questions about Microsoft 365 alternatives
Cost, demo instances, system choice, data migration and operations
The collaboration selection costs from €3,900 excl. VAT. It covers the current-state review, weighted criteria, demo instances of all candidates to try, the check of license and operating limits and a demonstration of the finalists. You receive the proposal for the rollout with the decision paper. The selection price is credited if you order the rollout within 6 months on the same topic.
Yes. During the selection WZ-IT provides demo instances of all candidates with sample content: Nextcloud, OpenCloud, Collabora Online and ONLYOFFICE Docs for files and office, Matrix with Element, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat and Zulip for chat, Jitsi Meet and OpenTalk for video. Your staff try the systems themselves without committing beforehand; the demo instances are available for the duration of the selection. In addition we demonstrate the finalists with your own sample content.
Usually it is not a single product but a combination per area. Nextcloud covers files, calendars, contacts and office editing in one platform and is correspondingly extensive to operate; OpenCloud is the leaner file platform. In chat, Matrix with Element supports communication across organizational boundaries, Mattermost and Rocket.Chat are messengers close to Teams and Slack, and Zulip organizes conversations by topic. For video, Jitsi Meet and OpenTalk are the options. The selection weights these differences against your requirements.
Self-hosted software in a German data center or on your own infrastructure keeps files and messages under your control, regardless of where the vendor is based. What matters then are permissions, encryption, updates and backups. All candidates in the selection are open source and self-hostable, and their licenses allow operation by a service provider.
That depends on the number of users, the editions required and operations. Most candidates can be used in free editions without license fees. For production a subscription can be required or advisable, for example for Collabora Online, whose development edition CODE the vendor does not recommend for production (Collabora, CODE), or for Zulip, whose free edition limits push notifications to 10 users for companies (Zulip, plans). The decision paper compares license and operating costs with today's setup.
Files from OneDrive and SharePoint can be transferred with migration tools; shares and permissions are mapped anew. For Slack exports, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat and Zulip offer import tools. Chat history from Teams can usually only be transferred to a limited extent; often the old content is archived and the new messenger starts fresh. Which path works is part of the migration path in the decision paper.
Yes. If Nextcloud is already settled as the platform, we start directly with the rollout: structure, sign-in, office integration, migration and training; you receive the proposal after a free intro call. If it is still open whether Nextcloud or a leaner file platform such as OpenCloud fits, the selection settles that. If you wish, we take over operations via Nextcloud hosting.
Vendor-neutral among self-hostable software: you buy licenses and subscriptions directly from the vendor, not through us. If a SaaS product clearly fits better, including Microsoft 365 itself, the recommendation says so. WZ-IT offers rollout and operations, but the decision paper is usable without a follow-up order.
Yes. We operate all candidates as Managed Open Source from from €129.90 excl. VAT / workload and month per application in German data centers, on your infrastructure or on a local server, with updates, backups and monitoring.
Request collaboration selection
What does your team work with today?
Briefly name today's tools, approximate number of users and the reason. We confirm the scope of the selection before you order.
What clients say about our consulting
Clearly explained, properly assessed and then implemented.
“WZ-IT moved our studio infrastructure from decentralised individual devices to a central platform: every site is securely connected via VPN, new devices are onboarded automatically and an entire site is provisioned from a template, without manual steps on location. What impressed me most is the breadth and depth of their knowledge: Timo and Robin are not a typical IT provider who sets up a server and leaves. The two of them think their way into highly complex infrastructure and software topics, work through every requirement we put in front of them, and build networking, provisioning and operations so that everything fits together in the end. WZ-IT is an excellent partner for complex software, network and architecture projects.”
Steve Kirchner
Managing Director, nextGYM GmbH
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“Professional, honest and technically thoroughly sound: WZ-IT set up our Proxmox and backup infrastructure securely and future-proof. The consulting from Timo and Robin was objective and needs-driven, the implementation smooth and the final documentation exemplary. You can tell immediately that business-critical infrastructure is thought through holistically from the outset here and implemented with clear ownership.”
Pascal Block
Project Manager, Stadtwerke Brühl GmbH
Stadtwerke Brühl - municipal energy and infrastructure utility.
“Communication with WZ-IT was open, friendly and professional from the very beginning. Mr. Wevelsiep and Mr. Zins responded to every one of our questions patiently, promptly and respectfully, and contributed their own suggestions and good ideas on how to modernize our server infrastructure and adapt it even better to our needs. Throughout, WZ-IT consistently kept our need for data sovereignty and GDPR compliance in mind. Even short-notice adjustments and change requests from our side were implemented quickly and patiently and integrated consistently into the overall concept. From planning to the final handover, every step was documented transparently and comprehensively - so if a provider change should ever become necessary, the documentation would let us onboard a successor into our infrastructure very quickly. We are extremely satisfied with WZ-IT and hope to continue working together for a long time.”
Christoph Mußmann
Project Officer, DGHO e.V.
DGHO - German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology.
“While looking for a partner to integrate a local AI solution, we came across Timo and Robin - and could not have made a better decision. They quickly understood our requirements and solved technical challenges competently and pragmatically. We were particularly impressed by the straightforward collaboration, their high level of expertise and the speed of implementation. We are delighted to have Timo and Robin at our side as reliable business partners and look forward to our next projects together. (translated)”
Henrik Jeche
Head of IT Administration
ml&s - full-service provider for the electronics industry.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Aphy AG
Aphy AG - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“WZ-IT supported us professionally with the provisioning and setup of NetBird. Alongside the technical implementation, we also received well-founded advice on connecting our Kubernetes clusters. The recommendations were concrete and directly actionable. The collaboration was consistently reliable, fast and on equal terms. We can recommend WZ-IT without reservation.”
Kai Clauß
Head of Development, SweetConnect GmbH
SweetConnect - cross-manufacturer Industry 4.0 platform for confectionery production.
Let's Talk About Your Idea
Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea - we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
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