This is precisely the development that Microsoft is currently experiencing. With the end of the standalone plans for SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, many organisations are asking themselves which solution they actually need and how much control they retain over their infrastructure.

What it's actually about

Many organisations are looking for a service for file management and collaboration: storing files securely, sharing them internally and externally, editing them together, controlling permissions cleanly and mapping processes reliably. The decisive factor is not how large a solution portfolio is, but how well file storage and collaboration fit into an organisation's own infrastructure, processes and requirements. If such a need can only be covered together with other services, functions or licence components, it is not just about the immediate scope of functions, but also about controllability, cost control and digital sovereignty.

Companies and public authorities will only remain sovereign if they can control their data, processes and technical foundations legally, technically and organisationally.

When convenience becomes a model of commitment

The increased focus on Microsoft 365 suites can lead to less customised and potentially more expensive procurement for organisations that have previously only used individual services.
An environment in which as many functions interlock as possible can have many advantages: File storage, collaboration, communication, identities and security interlock seamlessly, interfaces are familiar and administration remains centralised. In practice, what looks like simplification can also lead to more complexity, greater commitment and less room for individual decisions.

Convenience can gradually turn into commitment. Switching becomes more complex, more expensive and strategically riskier. This is precisely why openness, interoperability and exit capability are not peripheral issues, but key requirements for a future-proof IT strategy. Open technologies help to avoid vendor lock-in and make digital structures more flexible in the long term.

Why now is the right time to reassess

With the announced discontinuation of the standalone plans for SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, it is clear how quickly the framework for services that could previously be used independently can change. What appears to be a clearly defined component today may be more closely linked to more comprehensive package and licence models tomorrow. This is precisely why it is worth reviewing the actual requirements, cost-effectiveness and long-term controllability of your own infrastructure at an early stage.

Those who categorise this development at an early stage can make more informed decisions:

• Which functions are really business-critical?
• Where does an independent, clearly controllable service make more sense than a more comprehensive model?
• What are the requirements in terms of openness, integration capability and exit capability?
• How can costs be kept predictable without creating unnecessary complexity?

These questions do not only affect large corporations. For medium-sized companies, public institutions, educational establishments and regulated organisations in particular, it is becoming increasingly important to evaluate digital structures not only in terms of functionality, but also in terms of controllability and long-term fit.

OpenCloud as a conscious alternative

OpenCloud focuses on what many organisations actually need: Managing files securely, editing them together, sharing them in a structured way, controlling rights in a traceable manner and organising workspaces clearly. Spaces, open interfaces and a modern architecture create the basis for this without tying companies to a closed ecosystem. OpenCloud can be used as SaaS via trusted providers or operated in your own data centre. This decision is not a secondary aspect, but part of strategic control over your own infrastructure. This not only makes technical sense, but also makes economic sense. After all, if you view file storage and collaboration as independent components, you can map requirements more precisely, manage investments in a more targeted manner and better align your own infrastructure with actual needs.

Place actual needs at the centre

If you want to reduce dependencies, you also need to keep an eye on the structure of the solutions used. After all, digital sovereignty is not only reflected in legal or technical issues, but also in how investments can be targeted and solutions aligned with actual needs. The real question is therefore not how comprehensive a package is. The decisive factor is how well a solution matches actual needs and how much control over data, processes and infrastructure is retained in the long term.