ASE Cloud Services Chatbot Interface
Sovereign Workplace: A European alternative to Microsoft 365
Put together your own workspace, with complete freedom and the option to cancel at any time on a monthly basis
The ASE Sovereign Workplace is a fully managed Nextcloud environment provided by a Dutch company, hosted within the European Union and outside the scope of the US CLOUD Act.
Your team works with emails, documents, meetings and notes every day. However, in most organisations, this still relies on systems provided by non-EU tech companies. Without you realising it, your company data is therefore subject to foreign legislation such as the US CLOUD Act.
This conflicts with the GDPR, with European regulations and, above all, with the principle that you should be the one to decide what happens to your data. The ASE Sovereign Workplace is the fully-fledged alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It solves that problem. A single environment in which you can collaborate, communicate and document, without your data ever leaving the EU.
Hosted in Europe, managed from the Netherlands by MIT-certified experts and fully compliant with European laws and regulations. No dependencies, no uncertainty, no data ending up elsewhere. Simply work in an environment that is yours.
What is a sovereign workplace?
A sovereign workplace is a digital working environment for email, calendars, documents and video calls that is hosted entirely within Europe, falls under Dutch and European jurisdiction, and runs on an open-source foundation without vendor lock-in. Unlike Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, this allows you to decide for yourself where your data is stored and who has access to it under which legislation.
In practical terms, this means four things:
- EU hosting: your data does not leave the European Union.
- Dutch jurisdiction: no foreign law can compel access.
- An open foundation: as the workspace runs on open standards, you can always take your data with you and are not tied to a single provider.
Want to go further? You can.
For organisations with specific requirements, we build the entire environment as code. This makes your workplace reproducible and portable: to our EU cloud, to a European cloud provider of your choice, or to your own data centre. This is a bespoke solution and falls outside the scope of the standard workplace. We’d be happy to discuss the options with you during an introductory meeting.
Why are organisations switching away from Microsoft 365?
More and more organisations are looking for an alternative to Microsoft 365, and this is rarely down to a single reason. It is usually a combination of legal concerns, rising costs and increasing compliance pressures. Below are the three reasons we hear most often.
1. The CLOUD Act and what it means for your data
The US CLOUD Act obliges US companies to hand over data to US authorities, regardless of where in the world that data is stored. This therefore also applies to data stored by Microsoft or Google in a European data centre. Even with an EU data region, the parent company remains US-based, and your data therefore remains subject to US law. For organisations handling sensitive or confidential information, this is a risk that is not always apparent, but which does exist. A sovereign workplace under EU jurisdiction eliminates that risk.
2. Cost control and licence dependency
As well as the legal aspects, there’s the financial side to consider. Licence fees for Microsoft 365 are rising steadily, and you’re locked into the tiers and bundles determined by the supplier. What’s more, proprietary file formats make it expensive and difficult to ever switch providers. An open workplace, on the other hand, gives you predictable costs and the freedom to make your own choices, without a price rise on the other side of the ocean dictating your budget.
3. GDPR, NIS2 and BIO: the pressure to comply is mounting
Finally, the regulatory burden is increasing. The GDPR sets out requirements regarding where and how personal data is processed, NIS2 raises the cybersecurity requirements for many organisations, and public authorities are also working under the BIO. Demonstrating that you are in control is therefore no longer a luxury but an obligation. A sovereign workplace makes this easier, as data location and jurisdiction are clear and verifiable.
YOUR COMPLETE COLLABORATION ENVIRONMENT WITHIN A SINGLE SECURE EUROPEAN WORKPLACE
What can you expect from the ASE Sovereign Workplace?
The ASE Sovereign Workspace is a fully managed Nextcloud environment, built on Nextcloud Business and supplemented with validated open-source components, ensuring your team has everything they’re used to.
Secure email, calendar and contacts
All your business communications in one place, organised and secure. Your inbox, calendar and contacts work together seamlessly, without separate systems or accounts. And more importantly: you know exactly where your data is stored.
Edit documents without Microsoft 365
You can create and edit files directly in your browser, collaborating with colleagues in real time. The ASE Sovereign Workspace is a fully-fledged alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace for your day-to-day documents, spreadsheets and presentations. The files remain compatible with the formats you already use, but without licence arrangements or hidden dependencies.
Video conferencing: a European alternative to Teams, Zoom and Meet
Chat, make calls and hold video meetings all within the same workspace. You no longer need to open separate tools, and your conversations do not run via external infrastructure. Everything remains secure and within Europe.
Sovereign notes and knowledge sharing
You can record ideas, conversations and knowledge within your own environment. Synchronised across your devices and always available to your team, without information being scattered.
This is included as standard
- Your data is not used to train AI models. What you store remains yours. No training, no profiling, no access by third parties.
- Collaborating with external parties costs you nothing extra. Share folders and files with clients, suppliers or supply chain partners via a secure link with a password and expiry date. They do not need an account or licence.
- Works with the apps you already use. Synchronise your calendar and contacts with Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and your phone. Your staff don’t need to change their habits.
- Shared team folders with role-based access. Departments only see what they’re authorised to see, with two-factor authentication in place.
- Everything under a single login. Email, calendar, files, chat, video and notes. No separate subscriptions that you have to manage and cancel individually.
Three guarantees for each of these components:
- 100% European data hosting, no exposure to the CLOUD Act and fully GDPR-compliant.
- Managed by specialists based in the Netherlands with years of IT experience.
- Quadruple ISO-certified, WCAG 2.2 AA-compliant, BIO-compliant and NIS2-ready.
Sovereign workplace vs. Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace
The main differences lie in where your data is stored, which legislation it is subject to, and how easy it is to move it elsewhere.
How much does the ASE Sovereign Workspace cost? For a full set-up, it costs 9.18 euros per workstation per month (excl. VAT), which is cheaper than Microsoft 365 Business Standard (12.13 euros) and Google Workspace Business Standard (13.60 euros). Sample calculation for 10 users, fully equipped: 91.84 euros per month excluding VAT. Each additional user costs from 1.82 euros.
| What Matters to You | ASE Sovereign Workplace | Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Data Location | EU | EU region available, globally accessible |
| Jurisdiction | EU law | U.S. law applies via the CLOUD Act, even with EU hosting |
| GDPR-compliant | Yes, by design | Yes, with additional agreements and reservations |
| Open source | Yes, built on Nextcloud and Collabora | No, proprietary |
| Vendor lock-in | Open foundation, you can always leave | Dependent on licenses and formats |
| Contact for Questions | Direct access to your own expert | Via support and account management |
| Certification | Fourfold ISO, BIO, NIS2-ready, WCAG 2.2 AA | Own certifications, not always EU-specific |
| Price per user | From €9.18 per workplace/month; additional user from €1.82 | Microsoft 365 Business Standard €12.13 and Google Workspace Business Standard €13.60 |
| Notice period | Cancel Monthly | Typically a one-year contract |
How the pricing works: Your team shares a single secure base environment, for which you pay just once. As a result, each additional user costs from just €1.82 per month. You only share this base environment within your own organisation: each customer receives their own, fully isolated environment (their own tenant), with no resources shared with other customers.
Create your own personalised workspace
There’s no need to wait for a quote any longer. In the configurator, you can put together your own workspace in just a few minutes: the number of users, the storage and the components your team actually uses. You’ll see the cost straight away and can get started whenever you like.
Don’t pay for features that nobody uses
No expensive packages where you end up paying for tools your team never uses. You choose what’s included yourself.
Storage that you share with your team
You purchase storage space for the entire organisation rather than the same number of gigabytes per employee. The colleague who stores a lot of data and the colleague who only uses email do not both pay for the same package.
European and sovereign, from day one
Hosted in the EU, managed from the Netherlands, outside the scope of the US CLOUD Act.
Monthly cancellable
No annual contract and no small print. If you’re not happy with it, you can simply take your data with you.
Easy to scale up and down
New colleagues joining or a project coming to an end? You can adjust it yourself whenever necessary.
A European alternative to Teams, Zoom and Meet
Chatting, making calls and holding video conferences all take place within the same workspace, fully integrated into the environment. You no longer need to open separate tools, and your conversations do not go via external infrastructure. Everything remains secure and within the EU.
Schemes that you don’t need to arrange separately
You can create process diagrams, network diagrams and organisation charts in the same environment as your documents and notes. No separate tool, no additional licence required. You can simply open existing Visio diagrams and continue working on them. Your infrastructure diagrams also remain within the EU.
Sovereign Workplace for Government
For the government, a sovereign workplace is not a luxury, but a logical step. Citizens’ data and sensitive files should not be subject to foreign legislation, and the supervisory authorities expect you to demonstrate that you have this properly in place. The ASE Sovereign Workplace therefore meets the requirements set by the public sector.
The environment is BIO-compliant and fully GDPR-compliant, and is managed as standard within the EU under EU jurisdiction; for organisations with specific requirements, it can also run in a data centre of your choice or your own data centre, entirely within the Netherlands if desired.
Furthermore, an open, sovereign workplace fits in with the ‘Common Ground’ philosophy, whereby public authorities separate data from functionality and are not tied to a single supplier. Integrations with existing services, such as a DigiD context for citizen-focused processes, also fit within this approach. This enables you, as a local authority, implementing organisation or healthcare institution, to operate in a demonstrably secure manner, without compromising on ease of use for your staff.
The environment is BIO-compliant and fully GDPR-compliant, and is managed as standard within the EU under EU jurisdiction; for organisations with specific requirements, it can also run in a data centre of your choice or your own data centre, entirely within the Netherlands if desired.
Furthermore, an open, sovereign workplace fits in with the ‘Common Ground’ philosophy, whereby public authorities separate data from functionality and are not tied to a single supplier. Integrations with existing services, such as a DigiD context for citizen-focused processes, also fit within this approach. This enables you, as a local authority, implementing organisation or healthcare institution, to operate in a demonstrably secure manner, without compromising on ease of use for your staff.
How to switch
How to switch to the ASE Sovereign Workplace
You might be thinking: my whole organisation runs on Outlook and Teams, a migration would take months, my staff will complain, and what if the switch goes wrong? We understand those concerns. That’s precisely why we take the entire switch off your hands and leave nothing to chance.
Getting to know you and assessing your needs
You might be thinking: my whole organisation runs on Outlook and Teams, a migration would take months, my staff will complain, and what if the switch goes wrong? We understand those concerns. That’s precisely why we take the entire switch off your hands and leave nothing to chance.
Getting to know you and assessing your needs
We start with a free 30-minute consultation to assess how your organisation currently operates. Which tools do you use, how many people work with them, and what data do you want to transfer? You’ll gain immediate insight into what the switch entails, with no obligations.
Set-up and migration
We migrate your email, documents, calendars and contacts in a controlled manner, and we run your old and new environments side by side for a while. This way, your team can carry on working as normal, nothing is lost, and you’ll only notice the transition once everything is running smoothly.
Training and getting used to the new system
Your staff aren’t left to their own devices. With short, practical training sessions, they’ll quickly become familiar with the new workspace, in an environment that feels just like what they’re used to. This way, the switch isn’t a hurdle, but a smooth transition.
Training and getting used to the new system
Your staff aren’t left to their own devices. With short, practical training sessions, they’ll quickly become familiar with the new workspace, in an environment that feels just like what they’re used to. This way, the switch isn’t a hurdle, but a smooth transition.
Get started and stay supported
Your team logs in and gets straight to work in a familiar environment. You’re in direct contact with your dedicated point of contact, with no middlemen. And if anything comes up, we sort it out straight away. What if, against all odds, you’re not satisfied? Thanks to the open architecture, you’re not tied to anything and you can always take your data with you. So you run absolutely no risk.
DOWNLOAD OUR ONE-PAGER FOR THE ASE SOVEREIGN WORKPLACE HERE
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I configure the workplace myself without having to speak to someone first?
Yes. With the configurator, you can build your own workplace by selecting the number of users, storage, and the components you need. You’ll see the cost immediately and can get started whenever it suits you.
Would you prefer guidance with migrating your existing mailboxes and documents? Then we can schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
What does the ASE Sovereign Workplace cost?
You pay from €1.82 per user per month, excluding VAT. The final price depends on the number of users, shared storage, and the components you choose. The configurator shows the price immediately, with no quotation process required.
Can I migrate my existing email and documents?
Yes, we’ll make sure everything is migrated. The migration is carried out in a controlled manner so that you don’t lose anything and can continue working without interruption.
Do my current file formats still work?
Yes. You can continue working with the file formats you’re used to. Your files remain editable and compatible, so you don’t have to rebuild anything.
What is the ASE Sovereign Workplace?
A fully managed, full-featured alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace: an environment for email, collaboration, meetings, and document management. Built on an open foundation, hosted in the EU, and managed from the Netherlands.
Which devices can I use to work?
You work in your browser, without heavy installations. Documents, calendars, and notes are synchronized across your devices, so you have the same overview at the office, at home, and on the go.
Can I work on a document simultaneously with my colleagues?
Yes. You can create and edit files together in real time in your browser. Everyone sees the same version, without emailing separate copies back and forth.
How about email, chat, calls, and video conferencing?
It all happens within the same workplace, as a sovereign alternative to Teams, Zoom, and Meet. Your conversations do not run through external infrastructure but remain secure and within Europe.
Can we connect the workplace to our identity provider, such as Active Directory?
We connect role-based access to your existing login, and you sign in with multi-factor authentication. For specific integrations with Active Directory or LDAP, we assess the available options during implementation.
Does my data stay within Europe, and what if I want to switch later?
Your data stays 100% within the EU and is governed by EU law, with no dependence on non-EU providers and no exposure to the U.S. CLOUD Act. And you’re never locked in: the environment is built on an open foundation with no vendor lock-in, you retain ownership of your data, and you can export it in common open formats whenever you want.
How long does a migration take, and can I continue working during the process?
The migration timeline depends on the size of your organization, but your team can continue working as usual. We run the old and new environments in parallel, so there’s no downtime or disruption to your work.
Do my employees have to learn everything from scratch?
No. The workplace feels familiar, and with short training sessions, your employees can get up to speed quickly. We support the transition so that no one feels like they are starting from scratch.
What if we’re not happy with the switch?
You’re never locked in. Thanks to the open foundation, you can always take your data with you in commonly used formats, without vendor lock-in.
Can I scale up or down later?
Yes. You can adjust the number of users and storage yourself whenever needed. If your team grows, you can scale up. When a project ends, you can scale back down.
Can we run the workplace in our own data center?
Yes, you can. Because we build the environment as code, it can be moved to our EU cloud, a European cloud provider of your choice, or your own data center. This is a custom solution and falls outside the standard workplace offering. During an initial consultation, we’ll assess what’s needed for your specific situation.
Is the ASE Sovereign Workplace a managed Nextcloud environment?
Yes. The Sovereign Workplace is a fully managed Nextcloud environment. We take care of hosting, updates, backups, security, and support. You use Nextcloud, Collabora, and Talk without having to manage anything yourself.
Where is my data stored?
Your data is stored within the European Union, with a European hosting partner, and is subject to the GDPR—not the U.S. CLOUD Act.
How much does a Sovereign Workplace cost per user?
Starting from €9.18 per workplace per month (excl. VAT) for a full setup. An additional user costs from €1.82. This makes it more affordable than Microsoft 365 Business Standard (€12.13) and Google Workspace Business Standard (€13.60).
Can I migrate from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or Dropbox?
Yes, migration is an option. We can transfer your files, calendars, email, and permissions, with a clear exit agreement so you’re never locked in.
Ready to bring your workplace back to Europe?
Build your environment yourself and get started today, or let us first take a look at your migration. Either way works.
About the Authors
Alain van Zwol
Founder of ASE Cloud Services
Alain van Zwol is the founder of ASE Cloud Services and works daily on European, GDPR-compliant cloud and AI solutions. Through ASE, he guides organisations in their transition to a sovereign workplace free from dependence on US tech giants. You can read more about Alain and the team on the about-us.
Sebastiaan Hoogeveen
Co-founder of ASE Cloud Services
Sebastiaan Hoogeveen is co-founder of ASE Cloud Services and combines his background as a mechanical engineer with advanced expertise in AI engineering. His experience with C++ during his studies provides a strong technical foundation for his work as an AI engineer. Calm, precise, and composed, he likes to keep an overview. As a team player and connector, he translates complex technology into practical AI solutions. Learn more about Sebastiaan and the team on the About Us page.