Nextcloud is a free, decentralized platform aimed at regaining control over digital life through software independence and user data ownership. It promotes cloud federation to facilitate sharing beyond simple file synchronization, allowing users to connect and communicate seamlessly. The project emphasizes privacy and collaboration, striving to create a robust ecosystem that avoids vendor lock-in.

1. Nextcloud
Restore the Internet
Free, Decentralized, Open

2. Nextcloud
About Me
Björn Schießle
Federation Architect at Nextcloud
Free Software & License Expert at Nextcloud
Graduated Computer Scientist
Conducted research in Cloud Robotics
Joined ownCloud 2012 and later Nextcloud
Long time Free Software activist
mail: bjoern@nextcloud.com
www: schiessle.org
twitter: @schiessle

3. Nextcloud
Nextcloud
Why & How?

4. Nextcloud
How everything started
Stuttgart, 2011

5. Nextcloud
Why are we doing this?
"If privacy is outlawed,
only outlaws will have privacy."
- from the PGP manual

6. Nextcloud
Free Software
Use
Study
Share
Improve

7. Nextcloud
by Nicholas Canup (CC BY-SA 2.0)

8. Nextcloud
That’s what happened
● Spin-off of Struktur AG
– Spreedbox
Deutsche Bahn/ Vodaphone/ BNP-Paribas
● Goal: liberate your data!

9. Nextcloud
Our Focus
● Sustainable German company without
external investment
● Internal expertise rather than reliance on
consulting firms and outsourcing
● Direct access to engineering expertise
● Listen to customers, partners and users
● Explore solutions beyond simple file sync &
share

10. Nextcloud
Software Freedom for Everyone
by Moyan Brenn (CC BY 2.0)

11. Nextcloud
We want to be...
A healthy Free Software project.
With a strong company behind it.
But still independent from a single entity.

12. Nextcloud
We want to be...
A healthy Free Software project.
With a strong company behind it.
But still independent from a single entity.

13. Nextcloud
We want to be...
A healthy Free Software project.
With a strong company behind it.
But still independent from a single entity.

14. Nextcloud
That’s why we are here

15. Nextcloud
Restore the Internet
Free, Decentralized, Open

16. Nextcloud
The Internet was Born
by ESO/G. Bono & CTIO (CC BY 3.0)

17. Nextcloud
The Internet Today
by Jonathan Oldenbuck (CC BY-SA 3.0)

18. Nextcloud
How to solve the Problem?
● Social Networks
– Diaspora, GNU Social, Friendica, Hubzilla
● Communication
– Tox, XMPP, Briar, Spreed.me
● What about code hosting platforms?
– Gitbucket, Gogs, (Gitlab),...

19. Nextcloud
Solving the Cloud Problem
● Nextcloud
● Free Software → you control the software
● You know where your data are stored
● You control who has access to it
● Open Standards → easy to connect to
your cloud and with other clouds

20. Nextcloud
What is Cloud Federation?
● Know where your
data is stored
● Know who has
access to it
● Control the software
● But: it creates Islands

21. Nextcloud
What is Cloud Federation?

22. Nextcloud
Open Cloud Mesh
● Member since July
2016
● A initiative of GÉANT
Association
● Provide federated
cloud sharing for
research and education
across Europe, America
and Asia

23. Nextcloud
Share public Links
● Share public link
● Recipient adds the
public link to his
Nextcloud
● Receive federated
share from owner
● Owner see who added a
public link and can
control access to his
data

24. Nextcloud
Federated Cloud ID
● A unique ID to address a specific user on
a specific server.
● Looks like a email-address:
<user>@<server>

25. Nextcloud
Share like a normal User
● Use the share drop-
down to create
federated shares
● Recipient has to
accept it
● Same behavior as
local shares
● Same permissions

26. Nextcloud
Trust other Servers
● Trusted servers
exchange user
directory
● Trusted servers can
be added
automatically or
manually
● Auto complete from
trusted servers

27. Nextcloud
What we already achieved
A Open Standard implemented by
Nextcloud, ownCloud and Pydio

28. Nextcloud
What’s still Missing?
● Federated sharing beyond files
● Make it easier to find and connect people

29. Nextcloud
Federated sharing beyond files
● Nextcloud is a platform which enabled
much more than just file sync & share
● Share calendars and event across servers
● Share address books and contacts across
servers
● Call and chat with people across servers
(upcoming Spreed.me integration)

30. Nextcloud
Make it easier to find people

31. Nextcloud
Publish Public Information
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 1
Global
Address Book
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 5
Nextcloud 2 Nextcloud 4
Nextcloud 3
Publish
Publish
Publish
Publish
Publish

32. Nextcloud
Publish Public Information
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 1
Global
Address Book
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 5
Nextcloud 2 Nextcloud 4
Nextcloud 3
Ask
for
“John
D
oe”

33. Nextcloud
Publish Public Information
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 1
Global
Address Book
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 5
Nextcloud 2 Nextcloud 4
Nextcloud 3
Return:
john@
nextcloud5
doe@
exam
ple.com
...

34. Nextcloud
Publish Public Information
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 1
Global
Address Book
Global
Address Book
Nextcloud 5
Nextcloud 2 Nextcloud 4
Nextcloud 3Share with or call:
john@nextcloud5

35. Nextcloud
Summary
● We need to regain control over our digital
life
● Free, decentralized & open are key values
● Connect people and make it easy to find
them
● Nextcloud tried to do this together with
strong partners to avoid vendor lock-in

36. Nextcloud
Thank You!
bjoern@nextcloud.com www.nextcloud.com Twitter: @schiessle