Doing as well as GAFAM without sacrificing the privacy of its users is the challenge of Infomaniak, a cloud provider in Switzerland. Its free email promises quality service and data stored entirely in Europe, and not on the other side of the world.
When you send an email, it is not uncommon for it to contain sensitive or even confidential data. In these cases, you would like to know where this information passes through, where it is stored and, above all, which software processes it.
But determining where your email client’s servers are geographically located is not really easy, if not impossible. Some big names in tech are deliberately evasive on the subject, and others assume to store your private information thousands of kilometers from you, in the United States or China, often at the expense of the GDPR.
The choice of your cloud provider depends on your control of your private information. Indeed, depending on the legal framework governing the company to which you have entrusted your data, foreign authorities can legally access it… without necessarily having to inform you.
To counter this risk, Infomaniak offers an email solution integrated into its kSuite suite of collaborative tools. An alternative solution Microsoft 365 for example, which guarantees the security, processing and conservation of your data on servers located in Switzerland, where very strict regulations regarding data confidentiality prevent your data from circulating without control.
Infomaniak Mail, a European solution for your online messaging
Launched in 2022 by the Swiss cloud provider Infomaniak, the set of collaborative applications called kSuite is positioned as a European alternative to the main solutions offered on the market. Among them, Infomaniak Mail offers everything you expect from any email client in 2023:
- smooth management of your inbox for sending and receiving messages;
- unified management of your contact book;
- synchronization and scheduling of your appointments;
- access to the service from all devices (computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.) from a browser or a dedicated application.
Creating an Infomaniak address is completely free. Simply download the Infomaniak Mail application, then register in a few clicks. Once the operation is finalized, you have an address with a choice of etik.com, ik.me or ikmail.com extension.
The good news is that not only is the service free for life, but it also comes with 20 GB of storage for your emails and attachments, as well as 15 GB of available space on kDrive, to store your documents, photos, videos, etc.
So far, the service looks like any email client. Where the difference is made is in data storage. Unlike web giants, Infomaniak can pride itself on processing its users’ data with software 100% developed in Switzerland, and storing it on servers located only in Switzerland.
The territory, known for its neutrality and its rigor on data protection, is also subject to the GDPR, thus guaranteeing that sensitive user information will not leave the fold of Europe and, de factoof its legislation.
An email service with something extra
If the service differs from GAFAM in its data security model, it also offers additional tools that allow it to stand out from the crowd.
Firstly, there is the integration of the SwissTransfer large file sending service into Infomaniak Mail. Its integration allows you to send a file weighing up to 3 GB in the blink of an eye, by automatically switching it to the SwissTransfer platform.
The file is automatically converted into a download link and can be sent as an email attachment. Your recipient then has 30 days to download it.
From Calendar, it is also possible to organize online meetings via kMeet with the contacts of your choice. They automatically receive an invitation by email with the link to the videoconference. No registration or application download is required to connect and it is possible to record meetings securely on kDrive for absent participants.
Latest new feature, the integration of an artificial intelligence tool into Infomaniak Mail. Currently based on Falcon LLM, a completely free model, this sovereign AI makes it possible to reformulate, translate or even offer a contextual response adapted to each recipient. A very useful writing assistant for those who communicate a lot by email.
If the tool is already available to users who have subscribed to one of kSuite’s paid plans, Infomaniak’s stated objective is to make AI accessible to two million users by the end of 2023. ‘Infomaniak Mail.
Finally, like any good self-respecting email service, Infomaniak Mail is obviously available on your smartphone via the App Store or the Google Play Store.
An easier transition
You are tempted, but you are wondering how to ensure the continuity of your (future) old email address in the context of your professional contacts? Infomaniak has thought of everything. The service provider ensures that your contacts, your email history, your task calendar and even your domain name can be installed on your new Infomaniak interface.
- Contacts can thus be imported in CSV or VCARD format;
- calendars and tasks can be imported in ICS format;
- Infomaniak supports the transfer of your domain name via a dedicated form;
- the transfer of all of your emails is done automatically via a dedicated import wizard accessible from the mobile app or the online interface.
Offers adapted to each profile
If you want to create an email address with your own domain name, know that Infomaniak offers affordable offers for all budgets, professionals and individuals. In principle, all offers include access to all Infomaniak applications and unlimited email storage. The difference in offer is therefore essentially based on storage space and the number of email addresses included in the offer.
- kSuite Standard includes 2 addresses per user for free, and 15 GB of storage space on kDrive (then an additional 1.58 euros per user per month);
- kSuite Prothe offer at 3.29 euros per month (annual plan), allows you to obtain 5 email addresses and 3 TB of storage on kDrive per user;
- kSuite Businesses, the solution at 6.21 euros per month (annual plan) allows you to benefit from 10 email addresses and 6 TB of storage per user. Better still, the offer includes Custom Brand, an option that allows you to personalize your kSuite space to your image with your own domain name, your logo and the colors of your choice.
In addition to protecting your data, Infomaniak works to protect the planet, or at least to do its best through a very committed approach. Among the company’s actions, we find:
- data centers without air conditioning which fully recover the energy consumed;
- 200% CO compensation2 on all activities;
- extending the lifespan of servers up to 15 years;
- solar power plants with modules manufactured in Europe.
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