I'm the sysadmin for a student formula racing team in Germany, and we've recently hit a big snag with Microsoft. We have around 100 active members and about 250 alumni who still use our domain. Until now, we were happily using Microsoft's nonprofit plan, which included 300 free E1 licenses for current members and 300 Business Basic licenses for alumni, but Microsoft recently informed us that they will discontinue the E1 grants in July, leaving us to pay around €4,000 for licenses instead.
This really stings as we're a student-run nonprofit with limited funds coming from sponsorships, all of which goes into building our racecar. We're not too keen on self-hosting again, but if we must, we want to find alternatives that aren't going to break the bank or require constant hassle. Can anyone suggest good alternatives to Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange that are ideally free or come with a one-time cost? We're looking for solutions that won't stab us in the back later either.
4 Answers
If you’re looking for alternatives, have you thought about Google Workspace Nonprofits? It's a popular choice, and while there’s some effort involved in migrating away from Microsoft, many groups have had success with it. I know it might seem like a hassle, but if you can get their nonprofit offer, you might save a lot in the long run. Just curious, do you still self-host email? That's one area where I've seen teams struggle. It can be a pain, so definitely weigh your options carefully!
If you’re really set against Microsoft and don’t want to rely on cloud solutions, maybe try something like Zendis OpenDesk? It’s tailored for schools and may offer what you need without the hefty price tag of Microsoft. Worth a look!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely check out Zendis.
I would suggest looking into Nextcloud combined with a mail server for your emails. It's a solid self-hosted alternative, though it does require some initial setup. Also, check with your university's IT department; they might offer tools and resources that could help you set something up. Plus, they've likely dealt with migration issues before!
Great idea! I’ll reach out to them and see what resources they might have available for us.
Honestly, transitioning in such a short time frame is tough. I'd recommend you pay the license fees this time and then spend the next year planning a solid migration strategy. If you look into options, Nextcloud could work well for what you need - it's pretty flexible and allows for a lot of customization. But keep in mind the time investment in setting it all up!
Good point! I guess with the time crunch, we might have to just bite the bullet this time and figure things out for the future.
Thanks for the suggestion! We’re looking to avoid self-hosting if possible, just to keep things manageable. I’ll check out Google’s nonprofit offerings for sure.