An organisation may change cloud services to control its data, costs or dependence on a supplier. Those objectives do not always point to the same replacement. Encrypted mail, a collaboration suite and a compute platform solve different problems even when their providers all advertise European hosting.
The decision starts with the work users must continue to perform. It then examines who processes the data, how the service will run and how the organisation can leave it.
Set the comparison criteria first
A registered office does not identify every processing location. The organisation checks the contracting entity, regions, subprocessors and administrative access. It also distinguishes data location from the laws governing the operator. The Federal Council report on the CLOUD Act explains why Swiss hosting alone does not settle foreign-access questions.
Functions need practical checks. A document opening correctly does not establish that an office suite is an equivalent replacement. Users test their formulas, collaboration and exchanges with partners. The technical team examines identity management and the integrations on which that work depends.
Operations are the third criterion. A hosted subscription and software installed by the organisation divide responsibility differently. Free software can still require substantial hosting, support and internal work. The comparison concerns an equivalent service over a defined period.
Compare families of services
The following names are candidates, not claims of general equivalence. Functions and locations depend on the exact offer.
| Use | Swiss or European candidates | Difference to test |
|---|---|---|
| Professional mail | Infomaniak Mail, Proton Mail | Domain administration, calendars and encrypted external exchanges |
| Documents and collaboration | kSuite, Nextcloud | File compatibility, integrations and operating responsibility |
| Storage and sharing | kDrive, Tresorit, pCloud | Permissions, recovery, encryption and processing region |
| CRM and business management | Odoo | Processes, extensions and data migration |
| Swiss accounting | Bexio, Banana, Abacus | Required VAT, billing, banking and payroll functions in the selected offer |
| Electronic signatures | Skribble | Signature level, formal requirements and applicable law |
| Audience measurement | Matomo, Plausible | Events, hosting and privacy settings |
| Infrastructure | Infomaniak, Exoscale, OVHcloud, Scaleway | Available services, regions and administration |
| Password management | Proton Pass, KeePass, Passbolt | Sharing, recovery and account management |
Some differences affect the workflow directly. Proton documents specific ways to send encrypted messages to external recipients. A Nextcloud installation may require operating work included in the previous subscription. Storage regions must be checked in the chosen offer.
Accounting comparisons need individual functions, including exchanges with the accounting practice. Electronic signatures need the level required for the document under the relevant law. OFCOM describes the Swiss conditions; choosing a brand does not establish compliance for every signing process.
Distinguish an AI application from its model and hosting
A consumer assistant such as Le Chat, an open-weight model such as Apertus and a self-hosted environment describe different things. The first is an application, the second a component, and the third an operating arrangement.
The organisation starts with the task and evaluates quality on its own cases. Hosting a model adds compute resources and operating responsibility. Using an API adds provider conditions governing the data sent to it.
A model served from a Swiss region still depends on its operator. Downloading weights does not remove dependencies in the runtime and updates. The article on internal AI deployment develops these architectural choices.
Prepare a migration with a verifiable result
A contract renewal can provide a migration window. For a limited scope, the team exports representative data and identifies the work the replacement must support. It tests the documents and permissions in the candidate system, along with metadata and required integrations.
Parallel running lets users compare results, but the team must identify where new records are created and how changes are reconciled during the trial. Otherwise the test creates two competing sources of truth.
The return path needs a test too. An export may omit history, attachments or permissions. The organisation checks what can actually be reimported before ending the previous contract.
An alternative becomes useful when it supports the required work, remains practical to operate and lets the organisation recover its data in a usable form. That evidence supports a gradual change matched to each service.
Sources and scope
- Federal Council | CLOUD Act report
- Proton | encrypted messages
- Odoo | offers and pricing
- OFCOM | electronic signatures
This comparison describes categories of use. Check features and contractual conditions against the actual products and versions selected.