IT infrastructure that belongs to you

We set up a complete software stack for you: project management, cloud storage, chat, video conferencing, Git, VPN. All open source, on your own server in Germany. And then we take care of it.

The idea behind it

We use open source because the software is good and because it gives you independence. If we stop tomorrow, someone else can pick up where we left off. The data belongs to you, the code is open. The server is located at Hetzner in Falkenstein, German law, GDPR. No US cloud provider in between.

Described in detail in our blog post: Six Principles for Strategic Software Infrastructure

Software we recommend

Plane

Project management with boards, sprints, and timelines. A solid alternative to Jira or Asana.

Seafile

Cloud storage with sync and share links. Works like Dropbox, runs on your server.

Rocket.Chat

Team chat with channels, threads, and direct messages.

OnlyOffice

Word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations in the browser. Collaborative editing like Google Docs.

Forgejo

Git hosting with CI/CD. For teams that develop software or want to version their configuration.

Jitsi

Video conferencing without account requirements. Share a link, done.

Vaultwarden

Password manager, compatible with all Bitwarden apps.

WireGuard

VPN access to the server. Secure access on the go, and the option to completely shield services from the internet.

Umami

Website analytics without cookies and without sharing data with third parties.

n8n

Workflow automation. Connects services with each other — notifications, data sync, simple automations.

Not every tool needs to run. We activate what you need. If you're missing other software, we can usually install that too. Individual services can also be replaced with SaaS solutions. There is no lock-in.

What the setup looks like

You don't need to worry about the technical details. But in case you're curious:

Server: Hetzner Cloud in Falkenstein (Germany). Dedicated vCPU, SSD storage.
Backups: Every night, automatically. Databases, files, configuration. The last seven days are fully backed up. We also keep older snapshots: one backup per week for the last month, one per month for the last quarter.
Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, Loki. We see when something goes wrong before you notice. Usually.
Security: Automatic updates, firewall, CrowdSec (intrusion detection), Let's Encrypt SSL. Everything automated and reproducible via Ansible.
VPN: WireGuard. Optionally, all services can only be accessible via VPN — making the server completely invisible on the internet.

The process

Setup

We discuss which tools you need, set up the server, and configure everything. Accounts, domains, SSL, backups. Depending on scope, this takes a few days to a week.

Ongoing management

Applying updates, checking backups, monitoring, responding to issues. If you need a new tool or something reconfigured, we handle it. No ticket system, short lines of communication.

What if the tools need to talk to each other?

The infrastructure is running. But often you need more: CRM data in chat, documents in project management, emails in context. For this we build the API Browser, an integration layer that makes all connected systems navigable for AI agents. This lets you access CRM, documents, emails, and other systems simultaneously through a chat conversation.

Sounds interesting?

Get in touch. We'll look at what you need and make you a concrete proposal.

Get in touch

Or contact us directly via email:

info@frankeundschwarz.de