# Sustainability and open source: less waste, technology that lasts.

> In IT, sustainability comes down to concrete things: how many people have to travel, how many servers stay on for no reason, how long a computer lasts, how much a web page weighs. And whether the software you use today is something you can still open, change and take elsewhere in ten years.

- URL: https://cloudfactory.it/en/sustainability/

## Remote work, ours and yours.

We work remotely whenever we can, and help our clients do the same without taking risks. Every trip avoided means less time, traffic and emissions. And a company that can work from anywhere copes better when the office is closed or the line goes down.

- **Support without travel.** Almost all of our work is done remotely, with a business licence of TeamViewer and dedicated access. We come on site when it's really needed: cabling, a server, a [meeting room](https://cloudfactory.it/en/services/video-meeting-rooms/).
- **Home like the office.** VPN, Remote Desktop never exposed to the Internet, email and files in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with two-step verification ([email migration](https://cloudfactory.it/en/services/email-migration-microsoft-365/)). Business software and shared folders open from home with the same protection as in the office.
- **Meetings without travel.** Rooms where remote attendees hear and are heard like the people at the table. When a hybrid meeting works, nobody has to drive in to be part of it.
- **Less paper, fewer couriers.** Digital signatures, reports signed remotely, documents shared with clear permissions: less printing, fewer deliveries, fewer trips to the office just to sign something.

## Cloud without waste.

A server left on for nothing burns power and budget every single day. The cloud is only efficient if someone keeps it tidy.

- **Sized for the real load.** We choose instances and disks for what is needed today and review them when the load changes, instead of paying for headroom forever.
- **Remove what isn't needed.** We look for detached disks, forgotten snapshots, unused IP addresses and test servers left running, and we remove them.
- **One account per client.** Each client has its own cloud account, in its own name: resources and costs are visible line by line, and whatever is no longer needed stands out.
- **Proportionate AI.** Sorting an email needs a small model, reasoning over a long document needs a large one. Using the model that fits the task costs less and consumes less.

## Hardware that lasts.

A large part of a computer's environmental impact comes from making it, not from using it. The most sustainable computer is the one you don't have to buy again.

- **Upgrade before replacing.** A slow PC often just needs more memory or an SSD. We only replace the ones that can no longer keep up or no longer get security updates ([workstations](https://cloudfactory.it/en/services/ergonomic-multi-screen-workstations/)).
- **Fewer servers, more services.** Several services on one virtualised machine, with Hyper-V or Proxmox, instead of a server for each job: fewer machines to power, cool and replace.
- **The right warranty.** [Dell PowerEdge servers](https://cloudfactory.it/en/services/dell-poweredge-server-installation/) with redundant power supplies and a ProSupport warranty matched to the expected lifespan, so a fault gets repaired instead of the machine thrown away.
- **A second life.** Retired PCs, with their disks securely wiped, are usually refurbished and donated to schools in Rome. Those that can't be recovered go to proper e-waste (WEEE) disposal.

## A lightweight website, like this one.

The site you are reading is made of static pages: no database, no plugins, no dedicated server to keep running day and night. We suggest the same approach when a website needs nothing more.

- **A dozen files.** The home page loads with twelve files, all from our own domain. No libraries from external CDNs, no stock photos.
- **No trackers.** No third-party analytics and no profiling cookies, so no banner to accept ([when you can do without the banner](https://cloudfactory.it/en/ideas/website-without-cookie-banner/)).
- **Fonts on our server.** Typefaces are hosted here, not on Google Fonts: fewer requests, and no visitor data sent to third parties.
- **Text in the HTML.** The content is already in the page and every page has a Markdown version: it opens on a slow connection too, and search engines and AI assistants read it easily.

## Open source, so you're not locked in.

We use open source software whenever it holds up against the alternatives. Not out of ideology: readable code and open formats are the simplest way not to depend on a single supplier, us included.

- Systems: Linux, Ubuntu, Fedora, Proxmox, Docker
- Web and apps: PHP, WordPress, Laravel, Filament, React, Astro
- Data: PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Redis
- Automation and AI: n8n, LangChain

- **Exportable data.** Standard databases and open formats: your data can be exported and read without us.
- **Updated for years.** We pick projects with an active community and regular releases. Software that gets patches for years avoids rewrites and forced migrations.
- **The code is yours.** What we build for you is yours: documented, portable, ready for the team that comes after us.
- **Proprietary when it pays off.** Sometimes Microsoft 365, Windows Server or industry software is the right choice. Then we say so, explain why and leave a way out.

## Some projects in this direction.

- [The accounts office remote desktop, with OneDrive unstuck.](https://cloudfactory.it/en/projects/remote-desktop-aws-accounting/index.md): A Remote Desktop Services host on AWS for three users, RDP not exposed, OneDrive installed per machine with known folder move. Sync unblocked, licensing and sizing reviewed.
- [An inherited AWS environment, put back in order.](https://cloudfactory.it/en/projects/aws-servers-database-funding-portal/index.md): EC2 in Ireland and Milan, RDS MySQL, the old provider's access removed, servers managed through SSM with no SSH exposed, a stuck server recovered, costs reviewed line by line.
- [A website just launched and already slow, moved to AWS the same day.](https://cloudfactory.it/en/projects/slow-website-aws-milan-migration/index.md): From old shared hosting to an AWS server in the Milan region, in an account owned by the school, with a dedicated site user for the external agency. From the report to a working server in one day.
- [A new server for the firm, paid for in part by a Chamber of Commerce voucher.](https://cloudfactory.it/en/projects/chamber-of-commerce-voucher-accounting-firm/index.md): Server, four workstations, monitors and consulting funded with the chamber's twin transition voucher: the technical part of the application, eligible items, the quote and advance invoices with a CUP code.

## Frequently asked questions.

### Does Cloudfactory work remotely?

Yes, whenever the work allows it. Support and development are almost always done remotely; we come on site for installations, surveys and meetings that are better in person.

### How do you set up remote work for a company without opening holes?

Start from identities, not the network: one account per person, mandatory two-step verification, role-based permissions and enrolled devices (with Intune where there's Microsoft 365), so a lost laptop can be locked or wiped remotely. Then decide what stays on site and how people reach it: email and files in the cloud, business software and shared folders behind a VPN or Remote Desktop, no ports opened "temporarily" on the firewall. Finally, write down who can access what and how it's revoked, because the part people forget is the exit of whoever leaves the company.

### How do you build and manage a business VPN?

We use site-to-site VPNs to connect offices and client-to-site VPNs for people, on the firewall that's already there (UniFi, WatchGuard, FortiGate) or with WireGuard, which is open source. Each person gets their own profile, with two-step verification where the gateway supports it and access limited to the networks they need, not the whole LAN. We keep the firmware up to date, because VPN concentrators are among the most attacked devices, review the access logs and revoke the profile on the day someone leaves.

### Can Remote Desktop be used safely?

Yes, as long as it's never exposed directly to the Internet. RDP goes through a VPN or an up-to-date Remote Desktop gateway with two-step verification, and the server has its profiles and licences in order ([a case on AWS](https://cloudfactory.it/en/projects/remote-desktop-aws-accounting/)). RDP reachable from outside with just a username and password is one of the most common ways ransomware gets in.

### How do you share files with clients and suppliers without losing control?

No sensitive attachments and no "anyone with the link" links. With OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive we share with named people, links that expire, view-only where that's enough and downloads blocked where needed, and we review the sharing logs. External folders are kept apart from internal ones, so a guest sees no more than they should. For health data or large technical projects we consider a dedicated platform.

### Do you build custom file-exchange platforms?

Yes, on Amazon S3, in the client's own AWS account. Private, encrypted buckets, uploads and downloads through signed links that expire, a folder per client or case, file versions and retention set by law or contract, and a log of who uploaded or downloaded what. It costs a fraction of a per-user licensed platform, handles files of many gigabytes, and the data stays in an account in your name, in the European region you choose.

### Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or Proton?

Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the most complete options for a company: email, files, meetings, device management, retention and admin controls. We migrate email in both directions, with mailboxes, calendars and DNS ([migration to Microsoft 365](https://cloudfactory.it/en/services/email-migration-microsoft-365/), [a case](https://cloudfactory.it/en/projects/email-gateway-to-microsoft-365-labs/)). Proton encrypts email and files so that not even the provider can read them, and it's a good choice for people handling sensitive data, with some limits: end-to-end encryption applies between Proton users, while other addresses need a password-protected message or PGP; Outlook and Thunderbird only work through the Proton Mail Bridge app on the computer; admin tools and integrations with business software and CRMs are less mature. Often the answer is mixed: Microsoft 365 or Workspace for the company, Proton for the most sensitive mailboxes.

### Why do you prefer open source?

Because it reduces dependence on a single supplier, lets you check what the software does and keep using it even when whoever installed it is gone. When a proprietary solution is better, we suggest it.

### When is a static site better than WordPress?

When the site is there to be found and to present the company, with no logins, cart or plugins reading the database on every visit. Pages are generated once and served from a CDN: no PHP or database exposed, an attack surface close to zero, fast responses even under heavy traffic and very low hosting costs. Content can live in Git or a headless CMS. For e-commerce, members' areas or newsrooms with many authors, WordPress or a custom application is still the right choice.

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Cloudfactory S.r.l., Rome. Contact: hello@cloudfactory.it