What secure cloud storage and file-sharing software can support hundreds of volunteers and staff working across continents on a mission to build a more equitable economy? For International Federation for Common Good Economics (ECOnGOOD), the answer is to adopt an open-source collaboration platform that puts privacy first.
Headquartered in Hamburg, the NGO advocates for an economy that puts human dignity, environmental sustainability, social justice, democratic participation and transparency at its core. Its laudable goals are realized through:
- Over 30 part-time employees
- 13 departments
- Volunteers in over 20 countries
- Ten member associations from Europe to America
With such a distributed network, the federation needed secure cloud storage and file sharing software that could replace fragmented tools and third-party services. Any solution had to respect the organization's values of openness, self-governance, privacy and a low carbon footprint.
Building digital sovereignty with secure cloud storage and file sharing software
Before Nextcloud, collaboration was fragmented. Documents were stored on local machines, email was used to coordinate meetings, and surrounding privacy concerns were commercial file sharing services.
The Federation has drawn up a list of requirements similar to those in other public sector implementations:
- Remote access
- Support for multiple devices
- Collaborative editing
- Advanced sharing with group management
- Cost efficiency
- Self-hosting capability
Nextcloud has met these needs by providing an open source platform that can be deployed on the federation's own servers. The solution offers a central location accessible from anywhere, data protection compliant storage, the ability to share files across organizational boundaries with group folders, and regular security updates. Local hosting means that the federation retains full control over its data and can integrate the platform into its existing infrastructure.
Article retrieved „Secure cloud storage and file sharing software for NGOs: The Economy for the Common Good with Nextcloud” by Laura Gavrila
