Text: Michel Heinst, CEO and owner Tech Outlet Ltd
The promise was tempting in its simplicity: no more own servers, no worries about updates or security patches, and infinite scalability available at the push of a button. Anyone investing in their own 'iron' in 2015 was looked at with pity.
However, by 2025, the atmosphere has radically changed. The honeymoon period with the hyperscalers - Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud - is definitively over. What began as a flirtation with flexibility and modernization has turned into a stifling marriage for many Dutch organizations, characterized by vendor lock-in, unpredictable cost explosions, and a fundamental lack of control over their own data.
IDC predicts that by 2026, as many as 65% of enterprises will switch to a hybrid model, where data processing and AI tasks are moved back to edge or on-premise environments. McKinsey signals a clear trend reversal: CIOs in Europe are shifting their focus from pure cloud adoption to digital sovereignty and cost control.
This report analyzes not only the figures but also the human and organizational stories behind this movement. Why does a successful SaaS entrepreneur choose to leave the cloud for dedicated servers? Why does the Dutch government shudder at the thought of American data seizures? And is it technically and financially feasible to regain control?
This article is part of a series. The previous part, The Economic Reality, went online last Wednesday. The complete series can be viewed here.
The Great Cloud Exodus, Part IV: The Alternatives – The Path Back to Control
In the previous parts, we saw the painful points of the American cloud. Now it is truly time to become sovereign again. But how do you take that step, how do you prepare yourself for a Cloud Exit?
The Hardware Renaissance: TechOutlet.eu and EOL Servers
The Cloud Exit requires hardware. Companies need to buy servers again. But they are doing this smarter and more sustainably than before.
For many tasks, the very latest, most expensive server is not necessary. EOL (End-of-Life) servers from top brands like HP (HPE ProLiant), Dell (PowerEdge), or Lenovo (ThinkSystem) offer enterprise quality for a fraction of the new price. These servers are technically still fully current, but are no longer actively marketed by the manufacturer.
TechOutlet.eu provides both EOL and new hardware with warranty and advice, aimed at the business market. For organizations that have compliance requirements necessitating the latest hardware, TechOutlet supplies new servers. For companies that want to work cost-effectively without compromising on quality, EOL servers are an excellent choice. This also fits perfectly into sustainability strategies; optimally utilizing hardware lifespan is many times greener than premature replacement.
Additionally, we see a shift to the Edge:
AI-Ready Laptops
There is a huge rise in laptops with built-in NPUs (Neural Processing Units) and powerful GPUs. Think of the HP ZBook or Lenovo ThinkPad P-series. With these, employees can run AI models locally without data leaving the device. This is the ultimate form of edge computing: no cloud costs, no latency, no data leak risk.
Availability
Where delivery times from large vendors can be long, local players like TechOutlet can often deliver from stock in the Netherlands within 24 hours. This increases the agility of IT departments.
Own Hardware in Colocation: Maximum Control and Sovereignty
For organizations seeking ultimate control and data sovereignty, purchasing their own hardware and placing it in a Dutch data center is the best option. This approach combines the benefits of on-premise (full ownership and control) with the infrastructure of a professional data center (redundant power, cooling, security).
The Business Case: Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V3
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V3 is a widely used 1U rack server that is ideal for virtualization, databases, and business-critical applications.
Concrete configuration (model 7D73A03WEA) - €5,919:
- Intel Xeon Silver 4509Y 8C 2.6GHz (expandable to 2 processors)
- 64GB TruDDR5 ECC RAM (expandable to 8TB)
- 8x 2.5" SAS/SATA bays (up to 184TB capacity)
- ThinkSystem RAID 940-8i 4GB Flash PCIe Gen4 (12Gb/s)
- Redundant 1100W Titanium power supplies (>96% efficiency)
- Lenovo XClarity Controller XCC2 Platinum (remote management)
- 3 years warranty (CRU & on-site 9x5 NBD)
Why this configuration is enterprise-ready:
- TruDDR5 RAM: Latest generation memory with higher bandwidth and lower latency
- Hardware RAID with cache: 4GB Flash-protected cache for database workloads
- Titanium PSU: Lowest power consumption, saves €200-300/year per server
- XClarity Controller: Remote management like iDRAC/iLO, essential for colocation
- 3 years on-site: Next business day warranty, no shipping costs for hardware issues
Sounds good, right? Just wait until you see the numbers in a table. Below you see the monthly costs over 6+ years for the ThinkSystem SR630 V3:
Suppose you take three servers for your organization and use them for 10 years. Lenovo asks for a one-time investment of €17,757, after which the subscription begins. The quick calculator might already see that in that case, you would pay €71,757 for the first five years and €54,000 from year 6 to 10. That is, for the even quicker calculator, a total of €125,757.
If we compare that with American AWS, we see very different numbers:
So that's more than 2 times as much, but you really don't get more. With Lenovo, you at least retain sovereignty over your own data. And that one-time investment of €17,757? You’ll recoup that in just one year compared to AWS.
The benefits of owning hardware
Those own servers bring a lot of advantages. First of all, you have complete sovereignty. Your data never leaves Dutch territory, no CLOUD Act can touch it. That is also the next advantage: you know legally exactly what is happening, as everything falls under Dutch law. Moreover, it helps with compliance with new laws like NIS2 and DORA, where you must demonstrate full control.
Performance is also predictable this way. You have no 'noisy neighbor' who can take over power and are not dependent on outsourcing. The hardware is truly yours; you can do whatever you want with it.
Upgrading is also easier. More RAM/storage is easily arranged, and backups and replication between your own servers are free. We are sure of this: costs are - and must be - more transparent than the American equivalents.
The SR630 V3 can also easily grow with your organization: whether you want to add a second processor (8C → 16C+), expand RAM to 8TB (64GB → 512GB is typical for databases), add NVMe for ultra-fast storage (up to 12x NVMe drives), or use 25Gb/100Gb network adapters for high-throughput workloads, it is all quickly possible.
TechOutlet.eu delivers within 24-48 hours from stock in the Netherlands. Pre-configuration is also possible, for example for RAID setup, BIOS config, or OS installation. Support is also available for data center placement, and if you want something else, EOL alternatives are available starting from €3,500 (previous generation, same performance for many workloads).
Open Source Software: Independence as a Strategy
There is a rich ecosystem of European and Open Source alternatives that match or exceed the functionality of Microsoft and Google.
1. The Alternative to Microsoft 365: Nextcloud & OnlyOffice
Nextcloud (Germany)
- Fully open source
- Offers file storage, chat, video, calendars
- Community Edition: free
- Enterprise Edition (100 users): ~€6,100/year (~€5/user/month)
- Data remains on your own server
OnlyOffice (Latvia)
- Seamlessly integrates with Nextcloud
- Browser-based office suite
- Superior compatibility with MS Office formats
- Community version: free
- Commercial from $1,500/year for unlimited users
Collabora Online
- Based on LibreOffice
- Enterprise support: €1,000-2,000/year
- Excellent integration with Nextcloud
2. The Alternative to Google Analytics: Matomo
The use of Google Analytics has already been problematic or declared illegal in various EU countries (Austria, France) due to the transfer of IP addresses to the US.
Matomo
- Can be hosted locally
- 100% ownership of your data
- No data sampling (more accurate)
- Fully GDPR-compliant
- Optional without cookies (no cookie banners needed)
3. Email and Groupware: Zimbra & Open-Xchange
For email, Zimbra and Open-Xchange are powerful alternatives to Exchange Online and Gmail.
Zimbra
- Robust web client
- Good mobile integration
- Extremely scalable
- Used by governments and universities
- Can run "air-gapped" (essential for police, justice)
The Next
So there is a lot of choice. Enough to build a strong foundation for the coming years. But in the coming years, something else will also play a major role: AI. What role does this technology play? You will read about it next Thursday in Part V of this series: The AI Revolution – Local is the New Smart.
This is the fourth part of the series 'The Great Cloud Exodus', in collaboration with Michel Heinst from Tech Outlet. In the coming weeks, the remaining parts will appear on the website.
About TechOutlet.eu
TechOutlet.eu has been a specialist in enterprise IT hardware for the Benelux since 2014. They supply EOL (End-of-Life) and new servers, workstations, and laptops from brands like HP, Dell, and Lenovo to SMEs, government, and healthcare.
The focus is on:
- Digital Sovereignty: Hardware that you fully own and manage
- Flexibility: Choice between EOL (cost-efficient) and new hardware (compliance)
- Sustainability: Optimal use of hardware lifespan
- Cost efficiency: Enterprise quality for SME budgets
- Fast Delivery: 24-hour delivery from Dutch stock
Contact: For advice on your cloud exit strategy and the necessary hardware, please contact via www.techoutlet.eu
