Noiz as its own case study: running a business on free software
Noiz runs its own business on free and open-source software. Our business system is Odoo Community, every server we run for clients runs GNU/Linux, we publish a PGP key so that anyone can write to us in encrypted email, and we recommend Thunderbird for desktop mail. This piece describes how that works in practice, so that a business considering the same move can see what it can copy one step at a time.
The business system: from Sage to Odoo Community
When Noiz went looking for a replacement for Sage, we already had a firm preference for open source, and we moved the whole company onto Odoo Community, the free and open-source edition of Odoo, licensed under the GNU LGPL version 3. We still run Noiz on it.
The system holds the working record of the business, so we wanted it to be one we own, can extend and can move, with no licence fee per user.
It is the same choice we set out for clients in why we choose Odoo ERP, and the same software we run for them as Managed Odoo.
The desk: GNU/Linux, Thunderbird and PGP
Every server we run for clients runs GNU/Linux.
For desktop email we recommend Thunderbird, the free and open-source mail program, which connects straight from the computer to the mail server. As our article on the new Outlook explains, the mailbox stays between your device and your mail provider.
Our help centre publishes a public PGP key, so anyone can send us email that only we can read, and we recommend that clients use it for anything sensitive. For short messages, Signal reaches the same people who answer email.
Files and services
Nextcloud, the open-source platform for files, calendars and contacts, is available as accounts on the service we run, and the Cloud servers we sell run Ubuntu or Debian.
Wherever there is a sound choice
Our values say "Free and open-source software wherever there is a sound choice", and that qualification matters. The rule we hold to is the one in our values: no proprietary dependency the client cannot escape.
What another business can copy
None of this has to happen at once. Each step stands on its own:
| Step | What changes | Where Noiz can help |
|---|---|---|
| Mail client | Move desktop email to Thunderbird | Our knowledgebase guides on Thunderbird |
| Encrypted email | Use PGP for sensitive messages | Our help centre's public key to practise with |
| Files | Move shared files to Nextcloud | Nextcloud accounts, or a Nextcloud of your own |
| Business system | Move accounts and stock to Odoo Community | Managed Odoo, with implementation quoted |
The case studies to come
This is our first case study because it is the one we can publish in full. Clients who have made the same moves will follow here, each with their agreement, and each told the way they want it told.
If you would like to make one of these moves, open a ticket and tell us where you want to start.
Sources
Checked 19 October 2026.
- Why we choose Odoo ERP
- New Outlook hands your mailbox to Microsoft
- About Noiz
- Noiz help centre and public PGP key
- Managed Odoo
- Nextcloud run by Noiz
Note: while some of this content was produced with the help of AI, the final editing has been done by a real human being.
