FAQ – Digital Independence for Your Business
Answers to the most important questions about software costs, data privacy, CLOUD Act, NIS2, and self-hosted software for SMEs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Costs & Control
Why do my software costs keep rising every year even though I’m not buying anything new?
Subscription models are designed so that prices increase annually — usually quietly and automatically. Add hidden costs: extra modules, user licenses, retraining after updates, downtime. Studies show companies on average never fully use 44% of their software licenses — but keep paying.
The honest calculation almost always looks worse than the monthly invoice.
→ Calculate your real software costs
How much does self-hosted infrastructure really cost?
A self-hosted system for 10 users typically costs €49–99 per month for hosting and maintenance. Comparable SaaS solutions cost €50–120 per user — so €500–1,200 per month for the same team.
The key difference: SaaS pricing scales with every new user. Self-hosted pricing stays largely flat whether you have 5 or 50 users.
Does my business data actually belong to me?
When your data sits on someone else’s servers, you legally own it — but access, availability and security depend on another company’s decisions. You can’t prevent price increases, service cancellations, outages or government access requests.
Real data control means your data runs on infrastructure you control.
Law & Security
What is the US CLOUD Act and why does it affect my business in Europe?
The US CLOUD Act (2018) allows US authorities to access data stored by US companies — regardless of whether that data is physically located in Europe.
If you use services from US-headquartered providers, US authorities can theoretically access your customer data, contracts and internal communications — without your knowledge and without a European court order. This directly conflicts with GDPR.
Is my current software GDPR compliant?
It depends on where your data is processed and who the provider shares data with. A European data center alone isn’t enough — if the company is US-headquartered, the CLOUD Act still applies.
Three questions to ask immediately:
- Where is my provider’s parent company headquartered?
- Which subprocessors are used?
- Is there a Data Processing Agreement in place?
What is NIS2 and does it affect my business?
NIS2 is the EU’s Network and Information Security directive, in force since October 2024. It covers significantly more businesses than its predecessor — including many SMEs in healthcare, energy, transport and their suppliers.
Requirements: risk assessments, incident reporting, security frameworks, management-level liability.
Businesses with their own controllable infrastructure have a structural compliance advantage.
Technology & Migration
What is self-hosted software — and do I need technical knowledge?
Self-hosted software runs on a server you or your service provider controls — not on a third party’s servers.
You don’t need technical knowledge when someone handles setup and maintenance. Think of it like owning your office building vs. renting a desk in co-working: you don’t need to do the plumbing — but you decide who has the key.
How long does migration from my current software take?
It depends on your starting point:
- Small business, moving from spreadsheets: 2–4 weeks to productivity
- Complex migration with historical data: 2–4 months
A good migration isn’t moving data — it’s rethinking processes. Done right, you work faster afterward, not slower.
Why are European governments switching to Linux and open-source?
It’s not just about privacy. It’s about strategic independence.
Several European countries and German states have recognized: those who don’t control their own IT infrastructure are geopolitically vulnerable. US trade policy, extraterritorial US law and rising license costs have accelerated this shift.
What governments decide today will become the business standard in 3–5 years.
JJ Tycho Systems
What sizes of organization is this right for?
From 1 user up. Associations, freelancers, small teams and mid-sized businesses up to 200 employees are the most common users. The deciding factor isn’t size — it’s the question: do you want to control what happens to your data?
Can I start small and expand later?
Yes. Most clients start with one area — file management, accounting or communications — and expand step by step.
Tycho Operations, Platform and Automation are three doors into the same room. You decide which one you walk through first.
What is the difference between Tycho Platform, Operations and Automation?
Tycho Platform is the operational backbone: ERP, accounting, inventory, projects, CRM.
Tycho Operations is your personal space: your own cloud, files, photos, communications — everything that currently lives on someone else’s servers.
Tycho Automation connects them: workflows that run automatically so you can focus on what matters.
What happens to my data when we work together?
Your data stays on your server. We set it up — but it belongs to your infrastructure. We have no permanent access. Remote maintenance only happens with your explicit permission.
You are not our product. You are our client.
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