Data Sovereignty & Open Source Solutions

Your data. Your jurisdiction. Your choice of technology.

For organisations with specific requirements around data residency, privacy legislation, or supply chain independence, Twin Technology can design and deploy a fully open source IT environment — with the same expert support you’d expect from a managed service.

Twin Technology is a Microsoft Modern Workplace Accredited Partner. We support both paths — and we’ll always recommend what’s genuinely right for your organisation.

Why some organisations need an alternative

GDPR & UK GDPR

Uncertainty around US cloud providers and cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and successor frameworks.

CLOUD Act exposure

US federal law allows authorities to compel US companies to hand over data, regardless of where it is stored.

Supply chain independence

Avoiding strategic dependency on a single vendor or jurisdiction for critical business infrastructure.

Sector compliance

Legal, healthcare, public sector and defence organisations often face strict data localisation obligations

The open source stack

Zorin OS

📍Ireland

Replaces

Microsoft Windows 10 / 11

A professionally maintained Linux desktop that closely mirrors the Windows experience — minimising retraining while eliminating Windows telemetry and US OS dependency.

No Microsoft telemetry or data collection
Familiar Windows-style interface — low retraining burden
Long-term support releases for business continuity
Runs well on existing hardware — no forced refresh cycle

LibreOffice

📍Germany

Replaces

Microsoft Office / 365

A full office suite governed by a German non-profit. No subscription, no cloud sync, no data leaving your premises.

Full read/write compatibility with .docx, .xlsx, .pptx
Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base & Math included
No telemetry, no cloud account required
Documents stay local — never processed on a third-party server

Nextcloud

📍Germany

Replaces
OneDrive / SharePoint

Self-hosted file sync, sharing and collaboration. Deployed on your own servers — or Twin Technology’s UK-based infrastructure — data never touches a US platform.

Complete data residency control — UK or EU hosting available
Collaborative editing, video calls, shared calendars
GDPR-ready with full audit logging
No US jurisdiction — not subject to CLOUD Act requests

Thunderbird + self-hosted mail

📍Open source

Replaces

Outlook / Exchange Online

Open source email client paired with a self-hosted mail stack. Full control over communications infrastructure with no dependency on US mail platforms.

Self-hosted mail server — data stays in your environment
End-to-end encryption support via OpenPGP
Integrated calendar and contacts — no cloud sync required
Works alongside existing infrastructure during transition

Our commitment to impartial advice

As a Microsoft Modern Workplace Accredited Partner, we work with Microsoft technology every day — and we’re proud of that. But we believe the right technology decision starts with your requirements, not ours. If data sovereignty, privacy legislation, or supply chain independence is a genuine concern for your organisation, we’ll tell you honestly — and help you build accordingly.

Vendor-neutral assessment

We evaluate your needs before recommending a stack — not the other way around.

Full managed support

Open source deployments are covered under our standard MSP service and SLAs

Hybrid environments

We regularly support mixed estates — open source and Microsoft side by side.

Migration planning

Phased, low-disruption transitions with staff training and rollback options.

Common questions

Can we still exchange documents with clients who use Microsoft Office?

Yes. LibreOffice reads and writes Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats natively. In practice, day-to-day document exchange works without issue. We recommend testing any complex macros or templates during the pilot phase.

Does moving away from Microsoft mean losing access to Teams or other collaboration tools?

Not necessarily. Teams can still be run via browser on Zorin OS, and Nextcloud Hub provides a comparable collaboration environment. For organisations needing to communicate externally via Teams, we can configure guest access or hybrid arrangements.

What does the CLOUD Act mean for our Microsoft 365 data?

The US Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act allows US authorities to compel US companies — including Microsoft — to produce data held anywhere in the world, including EU and UK data centres. For most organisations this risk is theoretical, but for those in sensitive sectors it is a material compliance consideration. Self-hosted open source infrastructure is not subject to this legislation.

Is open source software reliable enough for business-critical use?

LibreOffice, Nextcloud and Zorin OS are all used by governments, healthcare systems and large enterprises across Europe. The software is actively maintained with regular security updates. Twin Technology provides the same managed support wrap we apply to any other technology in our portfolio.

Want to understand your options?

We offer a no-obligation consultation to assess your data sovereignty position and
what an open source transition would involve for your organisation.