Nextcloud: the Swiss Army Knife of Digital Cooperation
Nextcloud is not just a cloud storage service. It is a modular open source platform that can easily compete with tools such as OneDrive, Google Calendar, Microsoft Project, Teams – and hundreds more. Thanks to its flexible architecture, you can customize it to your liking. Whether you want to share files, edit documents together, manage tasks, or even make video calls: There is always a plugin that makes it possible.
“Software needs to adapt to you – not the other way around.”
Free, unless you're going big.
Nextcloud is free to download and install. In fact, I ran it myself on a server in my living room for a while. Nowadays, I just rent some capacity in the cloud, for a few euros per month – regardless of the number of users. That's quite a difference from many commercial alternatives where you pay per user. A tenner a month seems little, but calculate that for an organization of a hundred people. At Nextcloud you only pay for your infrastructure. More users? Then you just scale up your server.
“Freedom is not free – but it saves a lot.”
Freedom = making choices
The power of Nextcloud lies in freedom. But that freedom also demands something from you. You need to think about how you want to work, what features you really need, and which ones you don't. You decide which modules you install, how you set up the interface, and whether you want to add workflows, for example. Unlike Google or Microsoft, you do not have to do what is ‘the standard’. You are in charge of your digital workplace.
“Standard solutions are for standard problems – and standard organisations.”
The movement is growing
More and more organizations are finding their way to Nextcloud. Not only because it is cheaper, but also because it fits better with values such as digital autonomy, transparency and privacy. A good example is the SURF pilot, which, together with Algosoc and other partners, is experimenting with Nextcloud as an alternative to Big Tech tools.
See: Pilot with Nextcloud – SURF
“Digital sovereignty starts with the choice of technology.”
Do they find the knowledge?
Many organizations are discovering Nextcloud, but do they also know how to use it properly? Or are they unconsciously reinventing the wheel? I often see that the possibilities are enormous, but the translation into work processes is difficult. That's where I come into the picture. I help organizations with the design, furnishing and smart use of this digital toolbox. Because I believe in European, open source software. But mostly because I see how much better it can be.
“Freedom without direction is simply getting lost with extra steps.”
English (UK)