Microsoft 365 exit

Migrate from Microsoft 365 to free software

We replace Microsoft 365 with free software, on servers rented in France in your organisation's name. Files, email, calendars and contacts are migrated, and our engineers train your teams before the switch.

Request a Microsoft 365 audit Our services

The Nextcloud dashboard with recent files and upcoming meetings — Nextcloud dashboard, with recent documents and this week's meetings.

Why now

On 1 July 2026, the price of Microsoft 365 E3 rose by 8%, from €36.65 to €39.67 excl. VAT per user per month (source: Azylis, read on 7 October 2026).
Between 2021 and July 2026, the list price of Microsoft 365 Business Basic went from 5 to 7 dollars per user per month, +40% (Petri, August 2021, and Microsoft, December 2025). Details in our article on costs and savings.
On 8 April 2026, DINUM announced it was moving its desktops to Linux and asked every French ministry for a plan to reduce non-European dependencies.
On 26 January 2026, the French government announced Visio would replace Teams and Zoom across all State services by 2027.
Microsoft is progressively blocking Exchange Web Services in Exchange Online from October 2026: software depending on it must be adapted.

A working day after the migration

Team folders replace OneDrive and SharePoint

Each department finds its folders, with the same permissions. Files sync to Windows, macOS or Linux desktops, as with OneDrive.

A text document open in Nextcloud Office

Word, Excel and PowerPoint files stay readable

.docx, .xlsx and .pptx files open in LibreOffice on the desktop, or are edited together in the browser. Complex files are tested during the pilot.

Meetings move from Teams to Talk

Team chats, video calls and screen sharing, from the browser or a phone. An outside guest joins a meeting through a link, with no account.

Mailboxes, calendars and contacts are migrated

Mailboxes, calendars and contacts are copied to a European provider. Everyone keeps their address and finds their messages in Thunderbird or webmail.

During the first conversation, we show you this working day on our demo space, with files, documents, video calls and email.

Several options, depending on your organisation

Nextcloud or La Suite numérique

Nextcloud brings files, editing, video calls and calendars together on one server. La Suite numérique (Docs, Fichiers, Visio) mainly suits the public sector. Both can run side by side.

LibreOffice, Collabora or OnlyOffice

LibreOffice on desktops, Collabora or OnlyOffice for online editing. OnlyOffice when Office files must keep an exact layout.

Hosted email or your own servers

Zimbra at OVHcloud or Infomaniak for email with no on-call duty, Mailcow or Stalwart on your servers if a team runs them.

Windows today, Linux later

The new tools run on Windows and macOS. Desktops can move to Linux later: Zorin OS, Ubuntu, Debian or Linux Mint.

The choice is made during the audit, based on your usage, budget and IT team.

Tool-by-tool mapping

Every Microsoft 365 tool has an open source replacement. The table gives the one we install by default, then the other options.

Microsoft 365	Default replacement	Alternatives
OneDrive	Nextcloud Files and desktop sync client	Fichiers (La Suite numérique)
SharePoint, documents	Nextcloud team folders, permissions per department
SharePoint, intranet	Nextcloud Collectives	XWiki
Word, Excel, PowerPoint	LibreOffice	OnlyOffice
Office for the web	Nextcloud Office (Collabora or Euro-Office)	OnlyOffice Docs, Docs (La Suite numérique)
Outlook, Exchange	Email hosted by a European provider (mail, calendars, contacts)	Free software mail server (Mailcow), Thunderbird as client
Teams	Nextcloud Talk	Matrix (Element), Visio and Tchap for the public sector
Planner	Nextcloud Deck
Forms	Nextcloud Forms
Excel used as a database	Nextcloud Tables	Grist
Entra ID	Nextcloud accounts with two-factor authentication	Keycloak, ProConnect
Intune	Central desktop management with Ansible	Landscape (Ubuntu)

Default choices, adjusted during the audit to how you work.

Migration steps

Audit and scoping: inventory of licences, data volumes, desktops and business applications. You receive a migration plan and a firm quote.
Foundation: servers rented in your name, collaboration tools (Nextcloud or La Suite numérique), video conferencing, email, backups and monitoring.
Pilot: a few volunteers use the new tools for 4 weeks.
Tool switch: copy of OneDrive and SharePoint files, mailboxes and calendars, user training, switch over a weekend.
Linux desktops (optional): reference image and rollout in waves.
Acceptance and handover: documentation and autonomous internal referents.

Tools change first, on the existing Windows desktops. Desktops then move to Linux if you want to. You sign off each phase.

Not migrated

Only the latest version of each file is copied, without its history.
Teams conversations, exported and archived separately.
Windows-only business applications: web version, a Windows desktop kept, or remote access, case by case.

Microsoft 365 stays available read-only for 2 to 3 months after the switch.

Hosting and reversibility

Servers are rented from a French host (OVHcloud by default), in your organisation's name. Hebeko operates them with delegated access. Data and accounts remain your property, and you can change provider.

SharePoint external sharing changes in 2026: see our article on the end of SPO OTP and the Nextcloud alternative.

Frequently asked questions

How much does leaving Microsoft 365 cost?

It depends on the number of users, data volume and business applications. The audit (2 to 5 days) ends with a firm quote. Nextcloud and LibreOffice have no per-user licence. Hosting, email and operations remain, priced in the quote. See our article on costs and savings.

How long does the migration take?

About 6 months for an organisation of around forty users, tools and Linux desktops included. Switching the tools alone is shorter.

Can we leave Microsoft 365 and keep Windows?

Yes. Nextcloud, LibreOffice and Thunderbird run on Windows and macOS. Moving desktops to Linux can come later, or not at all.

Will our Word and Excel files still open?

LibreOffice opens and saves .docx, .xlsx and .pptx. Files with VBA macros or complex layouts are tested during the pilot. OnlyOffice is offered when the rendering must stay identical.

Nextcloud or La Suite numérique?

For a company or a non-profit, Nextcloud covers files, sync, online editing, video calls and forms on one server. La Suite numérique, built for the French State, mainly suits the public sector.

Why Hebeko

Your servers, in your name

They are rented in France in your organisation's name, and your data stays there.
Documentation handed over

Audit reports and operations documentation belong to you, whether or not you keep working with us.
One engineer as your contact

The person who answers you is the one who works on your servers and desktops.

Request a Microsoft 365 audit

Tell us which Microsoft 365 tools you use and how many accounts you have. An engineer will reply by email.

contact@hebeko.fr · +33 6 52 89 53 00

How it starts

A one-hour first conversation By video call, with an engineer. You describe your context, tools and constraints, and we show you the relevant software running.
An audit or a scoping phase 2 to 5 days depending on the scope. You receive a report, an action plan and a quote. The report is yours, whatever comes next.
The project, then ongoing support Migration, installation or development, in stages you sign off. Then support, maintenance or managed services, at the level you choose.

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