On-Premises

Three cases argue for hardware in-house: software without a cloud edition, such as industry applications or machine controllers; an operation that has to keep running without an internet connection; and large files that move between workstation and storage every day.

Almost everything else – email, calendars, file storage, telephony – is a candidate for the cloud today. That is why most SMEs end up with a hybrid cloud.

Your own server is only as secure as its updates, its access rules and its backup. In its shared responsibility model, Microsoft gives typical examples of what goes undone in-house: delayed patching, inadequately secured server rooms, incomplete monitoring and untested backups.

Then there is the expiry date. Extended support for Windows Server 2016 ends on 12 January 2027; for Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 it ended on 14 October 2025 (Microsoft Lifecycle). After that, regular security updates stop; for Windows Server 2016 Microsoft has announced a paid extension programme (Extended Security Updates).

The Swiss Data Protection Act does not require data to be kept in-house or in Switzerland. Disclosure abroad is permitted if the Federal Council has found that the destination country offers adequate protection, or if appropriate safeguards are in place (Art. 16 FADP).

On-premises is therefore a choice, not a legal duty – a sensible one where industry rules, contracts or professional secrecy narrow the circle of possible access particularly tightly.

We look after servers on site just as we do in the cloud, and decide system by system what belongs where. The trade-offs in detail are in the article On-premises or cloud; we take over day-to-day operations as IT outsourcing.