A Big Tech alternative
for Swiss SMEs
Your e-mails, your documents, your calendar, your AI: today, all of it probably runs at Google or Microsoft — and so does your data. NOLAM gives you the same tools, but running on your side, in Switzerland.
The convenience of the cloud has a hidden price
Gmail, Microsoft 365, Google Calendar, ChatGPT… these services are free or cheap, convenient, and everyone uses them. The real price isn't paid in francs: it's paid in loss of control over your data. Once your client e-mails, contracts and files sit on American servers, you're no longer fully the one deciding what happens to them.
The real problem: the Cloud Act
The Cloud Act (a US law) lets US authorities demand access to data held by a company subject to US law — even when that data is hosted on servers located in Europe. In practice, a Swiss SME that entrusts its mailbox to Google or Microsoft exposes its information to a foreign jurisdiction.
For a fiduciary, a law firm, a doctor or an architect, that's a risk zone: this exposure can come into direct tension with the nFADP (Swiss data protection act) and professional secrecy.
What NOLAM replaces
For every daily task handed to a Big Tech provider, there's a sovereign alternative that runs on your own hardware:
| Your use | Usual Big Tech tool | NOLAM alternative |
|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted e-mail & calendar | Gmail / Outlook + Copilot | MailMate (local AI) |
| Online appointment booking | Calendly | Booking Calendar (self-hosted) |
| Time tracking / invoicing | Subscription SaaS | Klok (no cloud) |
| AI assistants | ChatGPT (US cloud) | Sovereign AI Suite (on your machine) |
| A simple workstation | Locked-down Windows PC | SimpleBox + Adagio (accessible Linux) |
How does it work, concretely?
The principle is simple: everything runs locally. A small server (a Mac mini, for example) is installed on your premises, already configured. Your tools run on it — your data never leaves it.
- No Big Tech cloud: nothing is sent to Google, Microsoft or Amazon.
- Compliance by design: nFADP and GDPR flow from the “local-first” architecture, not from a contract.
- No subscription trap: no lock-in, open formats, reversible.
- Sovereign maintenance: remote support via our own relay, not a third-party cloud service.
Who is it for?
NOLAM is for Swiss SMEs that handle sensitive data and care about its confidentiality: fiduciaries, law firms, medical practices, architects, tradespeople, notaries. If your clients' trust depends on the discretion of your files, sovereignty isn't a luxury — it's your profession.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Big Tech alternative, concretely?
These are programs that provide the same services as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon or Microsoft (mail, calendar, time tracking, AI, appointment booking…) but run on your own hardware, in Switzerland, without sending your data to a US giant's cloud.
Why does the US Cloud Act concern a Swiss SME?
The Cloud Act lets US authorities demand access to data held by a provider subject to US law, even if that data is stored in Europe. A Swiss SME that entrusts its e-mails or documents to Google/Microsoft is therefore exposed, which can conflict with the Swiss nFADP and professional secrecy.
Is it harder to use than Big Tech tools?
No. The tools are installed and configured for you and work like the apps you already know. The difference is invisible day to day: only the location of your data changes — it stays with you.
What happens if NOLAM shuts down one day?
You keep access and control. The tools run on your hardware, in open formats: they keep working even without the publisher. A tool you trust must never become a fatal dependency.
Take back control of your data
Let's talk about your situation — no commitment, and we'll tell you honestly if we're not the right fit.