Does self-hosting Matrix and Jitsi cost less than Skype for Business Server SE?
For most organizations the license line changes, but the total cost is not decided by software fees alone. Matrix server software and Jitsi can be downloaded free under open-source licenses: Synapse under AGPL-3.0, the Element Server Suite Community edition under AGPL, and Jitsi Meet under Apache 2.0. What you still pay for is the infrastructure those servers run on, the staff who operate them and the upkeep that keeps them supported. This page gives no price figures for Skype for Business Server or for Element's commercial plans, so the comparison below works by component. Use the cost-components table to see who is paid for each item, which costs are one-time and which recur, and what to request in a written quote.
On the Matrix side, the recurring items are database and compute. Synapse recommends PostgreSQL for production, and Synapse 1.143.0 and later require PostgreSQL 14 or newer, so database platform management and patching become a standing task. Larger deployments add worker processes and Redis, which relays replication between them. Jitsi needs its own sizing: the scalable setup guide suggests a 4 CPU, 8 GB machine for the central server and 4 or 8 CPU with 8 GB RAM for each videobridge, and the handbook states that HTTPS with a proper domain certificate is necessary for working audio and video. Upkeep is where cost tends to hide. Synapse's upgrade notes warn that rolling back can be difficult because of database schema changes, and that support for Python and PostgreSQL versions ends once upstream end of life is reached, so an operator must plan upgrades on a fixed schedule.
On the Microsoft side, confirm with your licensing partner which Server, Enterprise and Plus CAL entitlements and Software Assurance or subscription terms apply to your users, and which Windows Server and SQL Server licenses sit underneath the current Skype for Business estate. If you expect to need Element's paid options, such as Synapse Pro or the Sovereign edition for air-gapped operation, request those terms in writing from Element pricing. Then model both sides over the same period and include the hours your own staff or an implementation partner will spend on operations. A fixed written scope that states the infrastructure and operating assumptions makes the two estimates comparable.
Which cost components the commercial and self-hosted sides carry
This table lists each cost component on the Skype for Business Server SE side and on the self-hosted Matrix and Jitsi side, showing who is paid, whether the cost is one-time or recurring, and what drives it. Use it to build a like-for-like quote request, since the researched facts do not supply licensing or hardware prices for either side.
| Cost component | Who is paid and for what | One-time or recurring | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server licenses | Skype for Business Server SE: Microsoft or its reseller, for server software. Synapse or Element Server Suite: Element, for a commercial license or Pro edition if you need it. Community Synapse and Jitsi: no license fee. | SE is typically recurring as a subscription. Element subscription terms are recurring. Community software has no license fee. | Number of servers and roles, edition chosen, and whether you need commercial licensing under AGPL terms. Confirm the current terms with each vendor. |
| Client access licenses | Microsoft, for Standard, Enterprise and Plus CALs per user or device. Each must carry Software Assurance or be held as a subscription. Matrix and Jitsi clients have no per-user license. | Recurring under Software Assurance or subscription terms. Self-hosted side has no CAL line. | User count, which CAL tier each user needs (for example, Enterprise for conferencing), and whether Software Assurance is retained. Ask Microsoft or your reseller to confirm. |
| Windows Server and SQL Server | Microsoft or your reseller, for host operating system and database licenses under the SE estate. On the self-hosted side, Linux and PostgreSQL are typically free to license, but support contracts may apply. | Windows and SQL Server licenses are often recurring when tied to subscriptions. Linux and PostgreSQL have no license fee. | Core counts, number of database instances, and licensing model. Synapse 1.143.0 and later require PostgreSQL 14 or newer, so confirm your database version path. |
| Edge and front end servers | Your infrastructure provider or hardware vendor, for compute and storage. SE estates also carry Edge server roles for federation and remote access. Matrix federates on port 8448 by default, and Jitsi needs ports 80, 443 and 10000/UDP open. | Hardware or virtual capacity is one-time or recurring depending on whether it is bought or rented. Network and firewall changes are one-time. | Concurrent users, federation needs, and whether remote users connect through the edge. Plan for both sides during the parallel run. |
| Element Server Suite or community Synapse | Element, for the Server Suite Community, Pro or Sovereign editions, or no fee for community Synapse. The Community edition is free under AGPL. Pro uses Synapse Pro, and Sovereign targets air-gapped deployments. | Commercial editions are recurring. Community software is free to license. | Edition, federation scope, user count, and whether you need the Sovereign edition for disconnected networks. Ask Element to confirm features and terms in writing. |
| Jitsi servers | Your infrastructure provider, for the central server and videobridges. Jitsi Meet is Apache 2.0 with no license fee. 8x8 provides JaaS, which is a hosted option and a separate recurring service. | Infrastructure is recurring. Initial setup of the Docker or Debian install is one-time. | Meeting concurrency and number of videobridges. The scalable guide suggests a 4 CPU, 8 GB central server and 4 or 8 CPU with 8 GB RAM for each videobridge, so confirm sizing with your own load tests. |
| Infrastructure hosting and storage | Your data center or cloud provider, for compute, storage, backup and network for Synapse, PostgreSQL, Redis, Prosody and Jitsi. | Recurring for power, hosting, storage and bandwidth. Hardware purchase is one-time. | Retention period for messages and files, worker count, and redundancy level. Synapse workers need Redis, which adds a component to run. |
| Implementation and integration | Your internal team or an implementation partner, for setup, identity integration (OpenID Connect, SAML2 or LDAP), and configuration. DeployOpen plans and implements fixed-scope engagements under a written scope. | One-time for initial build. Changes to identity or policy may recur. | Number of identity sources, custom integrations, federation rules, and the number of meeting and chat use cases. Ask for a written scope and deliverables in any quote. |
| Migration | Your internal team or a partner, for moving users, groups, persistent chat rooms and meetings. Skype for Business has no direct export path to Matrix, so plan user and room mapping work. | One-time, with a parallel run period that adds temporary cost on both sides. | Volume of persistent chat history, number of rooms, and the length of the parallel run. Confirm what history can be moved and what must be retained as archive. |
| Support and maintenance | Microsoft or reseller for SE support. Element for commercial support on Synapse Pro or Server Suite. Community support is through public channels. A partner may provide retainers. | Recurring, usually annual or monthly depending on the contract. | Support tier, severity response expectations, and whether 24/7 coverage is needed. Confirm SLAs in writing, since none are supplied here. |
| Upgrades and patching | Your team, for applying Synapse, Jitsi and operating system updates, and for testing them. Synapse upgrade notes warn that rolling back can be difficult because of database schema changes, so plan a test environment. | Recurring, as each release requires test and change work. | Release frequency, the number of components, and whether the environment is air-gapped. Confirm the upgrade calendar with your team before committing. |
| Internal skills | Your staff, for running Matrix, PostgreSQL, Redis, Jitsi components and identity integration. Skills may come from training or a retainer. | Recurring as salaries or contractor time, plus one-time training. | Existing team skills in Linux, PostgreSQL and federation. Smaller teams often need a retainer for the first year, so ask for an estimate of hours in the quote. |
How Standard, Enterprise and Plus CALs add to the Skype for Business bill
The Skype for Business Server bill is never just the server license. Each user or device that connects needs a client access license (CAL), and the Standard, Enterprise and Plus CALs are separate purchases with different feature sets. The Enterprise CAL is the one that carries audio, video and web conferencing, so a chat-only estate and a full conferencing estate can price very differently. Before comparing any open-source option, list which CAL tier each user group actually holds today, because many estates have a mix that was never reconciled after a previous refresh.
The recurring element is the requirement to carry Software Assurance or hold a subscription for the server and CALs. Under Subscription Edition, the model is a subscription rather than a perpetual purchase, and the reader should confirm with Microsoft or a licensing partner whether the subscription covers each server role, how CAL subscriptions are counted, and what happens to the right to use if a subscription lapses. Ask for the terms in writing, including whether any licenses are tied to the version currently deployed. Those answers decide whether the cost is mostly one-time or mostly recurring.
Windows Server and SQL Server sit underneath the Skype for Business front end, back end and monitoring roles, so each of those hosts and the database engine add their own license lines and client access rights. Ask your licensing partner to map every server role, core count and SQL Server edition to a license entitlement, and to confirm current terms directly with Microsoft, because licensing rules for these products change. On the open-source side, the matching costs are the hosts and databases running Synapse with PostgreSQL or Jitsi with its supporting services, plus the staff to operate them. Build the comparison line by line rather than by product.
What moves the cost comparison up or down
Six drivers decide whether a self-hosted Matrix and Jitsi stack costs less than Skype for Business Server SE, and which side each one pushes. Each driver changes a different line: server licenses and CALs on the Microsoft side, and infrastructure, support and staffing on the open-source side. Work through them in order before asking for quotes.
User count and concurrency
Skype for Business Server SE is licensed per user through Standard, Enterprise and Plus CALs, so headcount scales the Microsoft side directly. On the open-source side, user count drives the Synapse database, media capacity and Jitsi videobridge count more than license fees. Ask each vendor for pricing at your real headcount and at peak concurrent meeting load, not at the average. Concurrency sets how many videobridges you need.
Message and file retention volume
Retention determines storage growth on both sides. Skype for Business keeps persistent chat in its back-end SQL databases, so long retention enlarges the database and its backup set. Synapse stores room history in PostgreSQL and media on disk, so you must size the database and media store for your retention policy. Confirm your legal hold and archive obligations before you size either system.
Edition needs for SSO and directory sync
Identity features change the open-source bill more than any other driver. Synapse supports OpenID Connect, SAML2 and CAS for single sign-on, so the directory and SSO setup can often be built on existing components. Mattermost SSO and AD/LDAP sync sit in paid tiers, so if you need them, price the commercial edition against the Microsoft CAL option. Check which directory features each target needs before you choose a tier.
Availability and high availability
Clustering and redundancy add servers, load balancers and database replicas on any platform. Skype for Business typically needs a redundant pool design for front end, back end and Edge roles, each with its own licensed servers and Windows and SQL Server licenses. Synapse scales with worker processes that depend on Redis, and Jitsi scales by adding videobridges. Ask whether your availability target requires a paid cluster edition or can be met with a self-built design.
Federation with partner organizations
Federation changes whether you pay for an external collaboration path. Synapse federates on port 8448 by default and can be restricted with federation_domain_whitelist, so partner access costs firewall and DNS work but no per-user fee. Skype federation with partners relies on Microsoft-side configuration and Edge servers. Count how many partner domains you need, and confirm with each partner that they can federate with a Matrix server before you plan around it.
In-house skills and support
Staffing is usually the largest recurring cost on the open-source side. Someone must patch Synapse, PostgreSQL, Redis, Prosody and Jicofo, and track Python and PostgreSQL end-of-life dates, because Synapse drops support for versions once upstream support ends. Rolling back is hard after schema changes. On the Microsoft side, support contracts and Software Assurance replace much of that effort. Ask partners to quote the operating role separately from the one-time build, and state which skills you already have.
How to build the comparison with your own numbers
This sequence turns a vague licensing renewal into a like-for-like cost model, with the same user count, horizon and scope on both the Skype for Business Server SE side and the self-hosted side.
Inventory the current Skype for Business estate
Your infrastructure or Skype administrators list every front end, back end, Edge, director, monitoring and archiving server, with its operating system, SQL Server instance, virtual or physical host and the datacenter it sits in. Record the active user count, the number of concurrent sessions and the external partners that use federation or Edge. The step is done when one signed-off inventory sheet exists and every server on it has an owner who has confirmed it is still in use.
Record licenses, CALs and renewal dates
Licensing or procurement pulls the server licenses, Standard, Enterprise and Plus CAL counts, and whether each CAL carries Software Assurance or is held as a subscription. Note each contract end date, the Windows Server and SQL Server licenses that support the estate, and any Microsoft 365 agreement that already covers some users. Ask the Microsoft account team or reseller to confirm in writing how Subscription Edition and CAL terms apply to your agreement. The step closes when every license line has a quantity, a unit, an expiry date and a named source document.
Size the self-hosted Matrix and Jitsi footprint
Your platform team lists the components a self-hosted design would need: Synapse or Element Server Suite, PostgreSQL, Redis if you run workers, reverse proxies, load balancers, the Jitsi web, Prosody, Jicofo and videobridge services, backup storage and monitoring. For each component, record the host count, CPU, memory, storage and network ports, and note which replicas are needed for high availability. The Jitsi scalable setup guide and Synapse upgrade notes give the installation prerequisites to check against. The step is done when a bill of materials maps every component to hosts and to the data classification it handles.
Price the subscriptions and support paths
Procurement requests written quotes for Element Server Suite editions (Community, Pro or Sovereign), any commercial Synapse license needed, and the Mattermost or Rocket.Chat tier if chat moves there. Ask each vendor which features are included in the tier you need, such as SSO, compliance export and air-gapped support, because community tiers may lack them. Record whether each subscription is annual, multi-year or perpetual, and what is renewed on which date. The step is done when every paid component has a quote line with scope, term and what is excluded.
Estimate staff hours for build and run
Platform, security and service desk leads estimate the hours to design, install, integrate identity, migrate users, run backups, patch and handle incidents for each side. Separate one-time work (design, install, migration, hardening, evidence collection) from recurring work (patching, upgrades, monitoring, on-call, user support). Use your own loaded hourly rates, and treat the Skype for Business side the same way for its operations and patching. The step closes when both sides show one-time and recurring hours in the same table, with the assumptions written beside each figure.
Add support and partner scope in writing
Ask each implementation partner, including DeployOpen, for a written scope that lists deliverables, environments, integrations, exclusions, responsibilities and the acceptance criteria for each phase. Request the same user count, horizon and integration list from every bidder so the quotes compare directly. Ask for support and upgrade terms as a separate line, and confirm whether retainers are priced per month or per engagement. No partner should be asked to estimate a price without a written scope. The step is done when every bid references the same scope document.
Build the side-by-side model and check it
Put both sides into one spreadsheet using the same user count, the same horizon in years and the same list of features, then separate one-time costs from recurring costs for each year. Run an illustrative sensitivity check that changes user count and the renewal year, and confirm that the answer still holds. Ask a second reviewer, ideally in finance or internal audit, to trace each figure back to its source. The sequence is complete when the model shows total cost by year for both paths, the assumptions are listed, and the open questions are assigned to named owners.
What the self-hosted side actually pays for
The self-hosted side has no per-seat server license to compare against the Skype for Business Server Standard, Enterprise and Plus CALs, but it does carry costs in three places: the Matrix or chat server software, the infrastructure underneath it, and the people who run it. For Matrix, the free route is the AGPL-3.0 Synapse homeserver, which Element develops and which is also available under a commercial license from Element. Element Server Suite comes as a free AGPL Community edition that includes Synapse and Element Call, a Pro edition that adds Synapse Pro, and a Sovereign edition for air-gapped deployments. The decision your finance and legal teams need to make is whether AGPL obligations are acceptable for your use, or whether a commercial license and Pro or Sovereign support fee should be budgeted. Ask Element for written terms covering support scope, update cadence and the air-gapped update process before you compare totals.
Synapse has concrete infrastructure requirements that carry cost. Synapse 1.143.0 and later require PostgreSQL 14 or newer, and the upstream docs recommend PostgreSQL for production, so the database is a server you must license-check (PostgreSQL itself is open source), size, back up and patch. If you scale with workers, the main process and all workers connect to Redis, which relays replication between processes, so Redis or Valkey becomes another service to run in high availability. Jitsi has its own baseline: the Debian/Ubuntu quick start supports Debian 12 (Bookworm) or newer and Ubuntu 24.04 or newer, requires OpenJDK 17, and needs ports 80/TCP, 443/TCP and 10000/UDP open. The Jitsi scalable setup guide suggests a 4 CPU, 8 GB machine for the central server and 4 or 8 CPU with 8 GB RAM for each videobridge, so the video tier is the component that grows with concurrent meetings. Confirm these figures against current guidance before sizing hardware.
The largest recurring cost is usually people, and it is driven by how many components you run and how often you upgrade them. Synapse's upgrade notes warn that rolling back can be difficult because of database schema changes between releases, so every upgrade needs a tested backup, a staged rollout and a named owner for the database. Someone must also watch PostgreSQL and Python end-of-life dates, since Synapse drops support for versions once upstream support ends. Jitsi adds a web server, Prosody, Jicofo and videobridges, and its Docker guide splits these into separate containers, so the on-call rota must cover both the Matrix and the video stack. Ask any implementation partner to price these as separate line items: one-time design and migration, recurring patching and upgrades, on-call coverage, and support retainers, each tied to a written scope. Your internal staffing estimate should count the hours these roles will actually take each month.
Questions buyers ask before comparing costs
How much does self-hosted Matrix and Jitsi cost compared with Skype for Business Server SE?
The comparison depends on the components you pay for, not on a single license line. On the Skype side, you pay for server licenses, the Standard, Enterprise and Plus client access licenses, which must carry Software Assurance or be bought as subscriptions, and the Windows Server and SQL Server licenses underneath. On the open-source side, the software carries no license fee, but you pay for servers, storage, PostgreSQL, TLS certificates, backups and the staff who run them. Setup and migration are one-time costs. Subscriptions, hosting, operations and upgrades recur. Ask your Microsoft partner for the current price of each Skype component in your agreement, then build the open-source column from the same user count and site list.
Can our team run Synapse and Jitsi ourselves?
Yes, if your team already operates Linux servers, a PostgreSQL database, a reverse proxy and certificate renewal. Synapse recommends PostgreSQL for production, and Synapse 1.143.0 and later require PostgreSQL 14 or newer. Synapse 1.142.0 and later require Python 3.10 or newer. Jitsi's Debian and Ubuntu quick start supports Debian 12 or newer and Ubuntu 24.04 or newer, requires OpenJDK 17, and needs ports 80/TCP, 443/TCP and 10000/UDP open. Jitsi also needs a proper certificate for working audio and video. Assess these skills honestly before you choose self-management. DeployOpen implements, hardens, backs up, upgrades and supports self-hosted platforms in your environment, and that work can be scoped in writing.
How long does a migration from Skype for Business Server take?
No duration applies to every estate, so treat any single number with caution. The schedule depends on the number of users, the number of front end and Edge servers, how many persistent chat rooms need to be recreated, which federation partners still rely on Skype, how meetings and telephony connect, and how many business units must test before cutover. Running both systems during the transition adds time and effort. Ask for a phased plan in the written scope, with the discovery, pilot, cutover and decommissioning steps listed separately, and confirm which dependencies you own and which the vendor or your telephony provider must address.
What does a migration need from our internal staff?
Plan on named owners for five areas before the work starts. A directory administrator sets up Active Directory or LDAP sync for accounts and groups. A network engineer manages firewall rules, DNS and, for Synapse, the federation listener and port 8448 if federation stays on. A database administrator runs PostgreSQL backups and upgrades. An identity owner configures single sign-on through OpenID Connect, SAML2 or CAS. A service desk lead and room owners handle user onboarding and the rebuilding of persistent rooms. Synapse upgrade notes warn that rolling back can be difficult because of schema changes between releases, so staff need a tested restore procedure before go-live.
Does an Element or 8x8 license change the cost math?
It can, because each option changes which costs recur. Synapse and Dendrite are licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later, and Element sells commercial licenses for organizations that need terms different from the AGPL. Element Server Suite comes as a free AGPL Community edition with Synapse and Element Call, a Pro edition with Synapse Pro, and a Sovereign edition for air-gapped deployments. Jitsi Meet is Apache 2.0, while 8x8 offers Jitsi as a Service, a hosted option that adds a service fee and moves meeting infrastructure outside your servers. Confirm current prices with Element and 8x8, and check whether AGPL obligations or hosting location affect your policies.
What hardware does a self-hosted Jitsi and Synapse deployment need?
Sizing depends on concurrent meetings, participants per meeting, user count and federation traffic, so test with your own load profile. Jitsi's scalable setup guide suggests a 4 CPU, 8 GB machine for the central server and 4 or 8 CPU with 8 GB RAM for each videobridge. It also states that videobridges scale horizontally by adding more. Synapse scales with worker processes that connect through Redis, so larger deployments add workers and a Redis instance. Ask for a sizing assessment that lists the number of meetings at peak, the expected media bandwidth and the storage needed for backups and retention.
What does a fixed-scope quote from DeployOpen include?
A quote follows from a written scope, and DeployOpen does not publish a price list. Most engagements are fixed-scope, so the scope, deliverables and timelines are agreed in writing before work starts. A useful scope lists the platforms in use, the environments (production, test and any air-gapped network), the identity and directory integrations, the migration phases, the data to import, the hardening and testing steps, backup and restore testing, documentation and handover. Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as retainers. Ask what is excluded, who owns Microsoft and telephony changes, and what happens if the scope changes.
Which costs are one-time and which recur after go-live?
One-time costs include discovery, architecture, directory and SSO integration, data migration, certificate setup, hardening, user training and the decommissioning of Skype front end and Edge servers. Recurring costs include Skype subscriptions or Software Assurance renewals, Windows Server and SQL Server renewals, hosting, storage, staff time, commercial licenses if you choose them, and upgrades. Synapse drops support for Python and PostgreSQL versions once they reach upstream end of life, so schedule periodic upgrades. Ask every quote to separate one-time and annual figures, so the three-year total can be compared with the Skype estate on equal terms.
When self-hosting is the cheaper route and when it is not
Self-hosting tends to pay off when data residency or air-gap rules already force the decision, and when the organization has platform engineers who can run Synapse, Jitsi and their dependencies without outside help. In that situation the comparison is not a licence bill against a free download. It is a licence bill for Skype for Business Server SE and its CALs, plus Windows and SQL Server, against a Matrix server, an Element client estate, Jitsi servers and the staff hours to operate them. Where the estate must stay disconnected, the open-source route also removes recurring Software Assurance or subscription exposure for the chat tier, although you still pay for the people, the hardware and any commercial Element or Jitsi support you choose. Confirm with Element whether the Element Server Suite Sovereign edition fits your air-gap model, and confirm with 8x8 or the Jitsi project which support and edition terms apply to your self-run videobridges before you assume the costs.
A small estate with no platform team is often better served by a managed or licensed option, because the open-source route moves cost from licences to labor that you must budget and keep. Synapse recommends PostgreSQL for production and expects you to plan upgrades, since rolling back can be difficult after schema changes, and Jitsi needs HTTPS with a proper certificate and open UDP media ports. Those tasks recur for as long as you run the service. If your user count is modest and you do not need federation, a commercial team messaging product or Microsoft's own cloud offering may cost less in total, even with the subscription. Ask each vendor for a written quote that lists licences, support tiers, hardware or hosting, and the named roles that operate the system, then compare those totals with the staff time your team can realistically give.
What a fair quote must include on both sides
This sequence turns the cost comparison into a written scope that both the Skype for Business Server SE estate and a self-hosted Matrix and Jitsi build can be priced against. Each step names what the buyer must state, who supplies it, and the check that shows the scope is complete enough to compare quotes.
Fix the user and device counts
Start by stating the number of named users, shared or room accounts, and external guests who will chat or join meetings, split by site and by business unit. The Skype for Business side needs this to size Standard or Enterprise CALs and whether each carries Software Assurance or a subscription, while the Matrix and Jitsi side needs it to size the homeserver database, Synapse workers and video bridges. Confirm the count from Active Directory and your current CAL inventory, not from memory. The step is done when both sides price the same headcount and the difference between named and concurrent use is written down.
Define retention and legal hold
Record how long chat history, files and meeting artifacts must be kept, which records are subject to legal hold, and who may export them. Skype for Business often relies on Exchange or archiving products for retention, while a Matrix homeserver stores room history in PostgreSQL and needs an explicit retention policy and backup schedule. Ask each vendor or integrator to price archiving, eDiscovery export and the storage it implies, and to say which parts are one-time and which recur. The step is done when the retention requirement is a single written sentence that both quotes address.
Specify federation and external access
State which partner organizations, if any, must exchange messages or join meetings, and whether federation is needed at all. On the Matrix side, federation is a configuration decision (federation_domain_whitelist restricts it to listed domains, and an empty list disables it), and the listener must also be firewalled, so the quote must include DNS delegation, certificates and network changes. Ask for the cost of retiring Skype federation and Edge access in the same scope. The step is done when the allowed domains, or an explicit statement that there are none, appear in the scope.
Set identity and single sign-on requirements
Document how users authenticate today, including Active Directory group membership, MFA and any SAML or OpenID Connect provider already in use. Synapse supports OpenID Connect, SAML2 and CAS, and Jitsi supports JWT, LDAP and Matrix-based verification, but each integration is separate work that the quote must name. Confirm with the identity team which features the target edition includes, because some commercial tiers hold SSO and directory sync behind paid plans. The step is done when every login path has a named owner and a line item in both quotes.
Agree availability and support targets
Write the expected availability for chat and meetings, the support hours, and the recovery time and recovery point the business accepts for each service. These targets decide whether the self-hosted design needs redundant Synapse workers, a clustered PostgreSQL setup, and more than one Jitsi videobridge, and each of those adds recurring infrastructure and operator time. Ask every bidder to state whether the price includes 24-hour monitoring, patching windows and incident response, and whether those are retainers. The step is done when targets are written as measurable statements, not adjectives.
Confirm hosting location and migration scope
State where the platform will run (your datacenter, a private cloud account you control, or an air-gapped network), which data may leave the boundary, and which migration items are in scope. Migration items include user and group sync, re-creating persistent chat rooms, moving meetings to a video service, retiring Edge servers, and running both systems in parallel. Note that Slack and Teams exports have their own limits, so any Microsoft Teams Export API work or Slack import must be listed as a separate line item with its prerequisites. The step is done when the hosting boundary and the migration inventory are agreed in writing.
Define handover and the cost of ownership
Require the bidder to list the deliverables at handover, such as configuration files, runbooks, backup and restore tests, and access credentials held by your team. Ask the Skype side to state every recurring component separately (server and CAL renewals, Software Assurance or subscriptions, Windows Server and SQL Server licenses, hardware refresh), and ask the self-hosted side to state its recurring components (infrastructure, Element Server Suite edition if chosen, and staff or retainer time). The quote is comparable when each recurring and one-time cost appears under the same headings on both sides.
Choose the ongoing support model
Decide whether your team operates the platform, a partner runs it under a retainer, or a mix applies, and write the scope of upgrades, security patching and testing that the model covers. Synapse upgrades can be hard to roll back because of schema changes, and Jitsi and Synapse both track end-of-life dependency versions, so the upgrade cadence must appear in the support scope. DeployOpen plans and implements self-hosted platforms and offers support and continuous testing as retainers, and its fees follow from the written scope. The step is done when the support model, its exclusions and its termination terms are written into the quote.
How DeployOpen scopes a fixed-price implementation
DeployOpen plans, implements, hardens, backs up and documents self-hosted open-source chat and conferencing inside your own infrastructure. Engagements are fixed-scope, so the licensing, server, database and staffing assumptions behind any Skype for Business Server SE cost comparison are agreed in writing before work starts.
How we scope
- Inventory current Skype for Business licenses, CAL types and Software Assurance or subscription terms in your estate.
- Map Standard, Enterprise and Plus CAL features to the Matrix, Element and Jitsi components that would replace them.
- Agree in writing which Synapse or Element Server Suite edition, database and Jitsi topology are in scope.
How we build
- Deploy Synapse with PostgreSQL, Redis and workers, sized to your user and federation requirements.
- Configure single sign-on or LDAP login and the federation domain allow list you approved during scoping.
- Deploy Jitsi Meet with JWT authentication, HTTPS certificates and the UDP ports your network allows.
How we hand over
- Document the cost components, licensing terms and recurring tasks so your team can compare them with the original quote.
- Provide runbooks for upgrades, database schema changes and rollback limits identified during testing.
- Deliver a written record of configuration, access, backup and restore tests agreed in the scope.
How we support
- Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as a retainer after handover.
- Security testing of the deployed chat and conferencing services can be scoped separately in writing.
- Confirm with your auditors which evidence they need, since DeployOpen prepares evidence but does not certify it.
