The Microsoft 365 alternative from Europe
Noveu offers email, documents and storage in one primarily EU-hosted platform, designed for NIS2 and NTA 7516. Do you work with Microsoft 365 today, or still with Office 365? Noveu is a Dutch company, and your data and backups are stored in Falkenstein (Germany), with Cloudflare (US) at the edge of the network.
The trade-off is no longer a technical one, but a legal and financial one
Since the Schrems II ruling (2020) it has been established that transferring personal data to the US under the current legal framework is problematic. The US CLOUD Act (2018) and FISA 702 theoretically give American authorities access to data managed by US companies, including within the EU. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework offers relief for now.
At the same time, NIS2 (implemented in the Netherlands through the Cybersecurity Act, in force since 15 August 2026, according to the Cybersecurity Decree in Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 2026, 189) requires medium-sized and large organisations in many sectors to have demonstrable cybersecurity governance, an early warning within 24 hours of a significant incident and control over the supply chain. For healthcare providers in the Netherlands, NTA 7516 adds requirements for secure email.
If you are reviewing your licences anyway, you can ask straight away where your data is stored. At Noveu the answer is short: in Falkenstein (Germany), with Cloudflare (US) at the edge of the network, with a Dutch company and a price per month.
Noveu alongside Microsoft 365
The table below compares the two platforms on the points that matter most to Dutch and European organisations in 2026. The Noveu rate is on our pricing page. For current Microsoft rates, we refer you to microsoft.com.
| Feature | Noveu | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Data residency (EU) | Data and backups in Germany, at Hetzner in Falkenstein. Cloudflare (US) edge for DDoS protection and CDN. | ~EU Data Boundary, some metadata in the US |
| Jurisdiction of core processing | Dutch company, core processing in the EU. Cloudflare (US) sits at the edge for DNS, CDN, DDoS protection and TLS. The AI generation layer runs at Mistral AI, a French entity under EU law. | Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd, subject to the CLOUD Act |
| Approach to Schrems II | ~Core processing in Germany (Falkenstein). Cloudflare (US) sits at the edge, under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses. The AI text is written by Mistral AI (a French company); according to Mistral, in the EU by default. | Risky: the Schrems II ruling concerns exactly this scenario |
| Price | Per month, see the pricing page; email and calendar included | ~Per user per month, depending on the plan; see the current prices on microsoft.com |
| Email (open IMAP and SMTP) | Stalwart, open protocols | ~Exchange, proprietary, migration is difficult |
| Documents and working together | Noveu Werkplek: Documents and Files live | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint |
| CRM | ~NoveuFlow: a separate product, sold on its own | ~Dynamics 365: separate licence |
| Switching and exporting | ~No long-term contract. Calendar as ICS, documents as DOCX or PDF, mail via IMAP | PST, proprietary OneDrive sync, Graph API |
| Jurisdiction | The Netherlands: Dutch GDPR Implementation Act (UAVG), Dutch Civil Code, Dutch law | Ireland and the US (Microsoft Corp as the ultimate parent company) |
Sources: microsoft.com/nl-nl/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products (consulted on 29-09-2026); Schrems II, case C-311/18; NIS2 Directive (EU) 2022/2555; Cybersecurity Decree, Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 2026, 189; Dutch government, news release of 07-07-2026; NTA 7516:2018.
Working with Word files
In Documents you import a Word file (.docx, up to 25 MB). You export a document as a Word file (.docx) or as a PDF in your house style, and your changes are saved automatically. How it works is explained in the help for Documents (in Dutch). All components and their status are on the Noveu Werkplek page, and for municipalities and implementing organisations there is the digital workplace for government (in Dutch).
Why organisations are switching now
Where your data is
Core processing by a Dutch company, on a dedicated server at Hetzner in Falkenstein (Germany). Cloudflare (US) sits at the edge of the network. The AI generation layer runs via Mistral (a French company; according to Mistral, in the EU by default). All sub-processors are listed at /juridisch/sub-verwerkers (in Dutch).
Predictable TCO
One monthly price for the core suite: email, documents and storage. No surprises from Copilot add-ons or E5 upgrades.
Designed for compliance
NIS2, NTA 7516, GDPR and BIO designed as technical controls, not as an afterthought. Data processing agreement and sub-processor list public.
For healthcare providers, SMEs and government
Three situations in which the switch from Microsoft 365 to Noveu often comes up.
GP practice or mental healthcare provider
Email designed for NTA 7516 (the Dutch standard for secure email in healthcare) with patients and partners in the care chain. Our data processing agreement is public.
Accountant or bookkeeping firm
Client data under Dutch law, with a Dutch company, with data and backups in Falkenstein (Germany). Cloudflare (US) sits at the edge of the network.
Municipality or implementing organisation
A supplier under Dutch law, with data in the EU. The BIO measures (the Dutch government information security baseline) have been taken into account in the design.
From Microsoft 365 to Noveu in six steps
The lead time depends on your number of users, your mail volume and what is tied to Microsoft. Your IT administrator or IT partner carries out the steps; we are happy to plan them with you.
Map out what you are moving
Users, mailboxes, files, calendars and the integrations with other software. Those integrations and automations often take the most time.
Set up Noveu alongside Microsoft
The new environment sits next to the old one, and nobody notices anything yet. You set up mail, files, calendar and accounts with MFA. Your own domain, with your own email addresses.
Transfer the data
Mail moves over via IMAP, tracked per message; an interrupted transfer continues where it stopped. Contacts you can import today; files you still move manually or in bulk.
Test with a small group
Ten to twenty colleagues work in Noveu for a while, while Microsoft 365 keeps running as a fallback. Solve their problems before the rest follows.
Switch over, department by department
Per department: a final mail synchronisation, setting up mail apps and activating accounts. You move your own domain to Noveu, under Workplace settings, Domains. Cancel the other Microsoft licences after the transition period.
Aftercare
Keep an eye on performance in the first weeks, handle questions from users and only switch Microsoft off when everything has demonstrably moved over. Keep an export as an archive.
Questions about switching
Do Outlook, Word and Excel still work?+
Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird work for mail via IMAP and SMTP. For documents, Noveu Werkplek has the Documents and Files components: you import a Word file (.docx) into Documents, and you export a document as .docx or as PDF. If you work with Office 365 today, you can bring your existing files with you.
What does a migration from Microsoft 365 to Noveu cost?+
That depends on your number of users, your mail volume and what is tied to Microsoft. The rate for Noveu Werkplek itself is shown per month on the pricing page. For the switch we first look at your environment together; after that you know what it involves.
What about Teams and video calls?+
You chat with colleagues in Messages (status: beta). Meetings via a link with Noveu Meet are in beta: a guest joins without an account. If you need Teams for meetings with external parties, you can keep using it alongside Noveu.
Where is my data stored?+
Noveu is a Dutch company. Your data and backups are stored in a Hetzner data centre in Falkenstein (Germany). Cloudflare (US) provides CDN, DNS and TLS; all sub-processors are listed on our legal page.
Discuss your switch with us
Together we look at your current Microsoft 365 environment: how many users, how much mail and what is tied to Microsoft. After that you know what the switch involves for your organisation.