What does a federation among servers mean?
Organizations such as state police forces, ministries, or hospitals increasingly rely on business messaging apps, usually on on-premise servers, meaning their servers, and hosting communication solutions. This ensures more control and maximum data security for their organization.
But what if overarching communication is needed, for instance, when a person search is expanded, a patient case is coordinated, or a jointly drafted law is to be aligned? Then, two or more user groups require access to sensitive data, to exchange information easily and collaborate smartly.
In this case, a federation of servers is the best way to handle data exchange with other organizations. This way, all partners can communicate externally and with each other using their respective on-premise servers. This is done in a separate, protected area accessible only to authorized individuals.
A practical example
A person sought in Düsseldorf is suspected to be in Munich. Thanks to the server federation from Teamwire, the police in North Rhine-Westphalia can exchange specific information with the police in Bavaria without enabling complete data access simultaneously. Because the respective server remains isolated, and only the necessary contacts and data are released for communication with the other authority. This way, both police authorities can collaborate optimally and conclude the search quickly.
How does a federation between two on-premise servers work?
The Teamwire solution for server federation, established in 2022, enables your IT administrators to “exchange keys,” which means a secure connection of the environments. This creates a common workspace for all organizations in the federation that only they can access. For this protected new area, the respective IT teams can in turn define and authorize individual user groups for communication.
The crucial advantage: Only selected users and data necessary for the respective work are released for external communication. This allows your administration or company critical control over usage and data flow. Only this control guarantees your data security. Your organization thus retains absolute data sovereignty.
And if cooperation in the server federation ends?
Then you can terminate the federation with the other servers at any time without any problems. Consequently, the limited access for your partners ends immediately. You can also adjust the user groups for the federation at any time – meaning, block individual users from external communication or release additional users. Communication remains under your control at all times, and the data stays in your hands.
Which organizations benefit from Teamwire server federation?
Do you want to exchange selected data with other organizations without compromising the integrity of your server, the security of sensitive data, and your data sovereignty? Then you are in good company because this is crucial for a multitude of organizations such as:
- Healthcare providers with multiple locations, like a hospital network
- Police forces at the state and federal level
- Ministries at the state and federal level
- Administration at the local and regional level
- Subsidiaries of a larger corporation that exchange data with each other
- Companies and organizations working on large-scale projects
- and many more
Feel free to reach out to us for advice regarding your options, as well as insights from our satisfied customers who have embraced the Teamwire Federation already.
What are the advantages of a federation with other servers?
Do you need a smart way to exchange data quickly and securely with employees of other organizations? Then opt for maximum convenience and the highest security: Secure data exchange between on-premise servers via a federation offers your organization a range of benefits.
- Secure environment: Exchange data securely and purposefully
- Closed data area: Your server is not accessible to third parties
- Controlled communication: You decide who can communicate with whom and who sees which data
- Real-time communication: With the right people, without delay
- Versatile: Use all the critical Teamwire functions
What are the disadvantages of a Teamwire federation with other organizations?
So far, we offer federation only between multiple Teamwire solutions, not for other tools. Why Teamwire is the right business messenger for your organization when you rely on secure communication and smart collaboration, we reveal here.
Work is already underway to extend the Teamwire Federation to other messenger tools, more on that below.
Do other business messengers offer such server federation?
Yes, a few other messengers also allow servers to be linked. However, they rely on minimally regulated cooperation: All servers of the federation can access all other servers – all data and personal metadata. Unfortunately, you and your IT team have no control or steering options.
This option is therefore more suitable for organizations that do not work with sensitive data. Because it works like a social network: Basically, everyone sees everything first.
Our assessment: If you rely on your data sovereignty and the highest data security, such a “free” federation is not recommended for your communication with partners.
Outlook: The future of the Teamwire Federation
The federation among organizations using the Teamwire business messenger is an important first step for Teamwire on the path to interoperability between different messenger solutions. In the future, such server federation will also be possible with other communication platforms. However, before that can happen, uniform standards must be established and implemented by all participating providers. Only then will your employees be able to share information and files securely from any preferred messenger software, regardless of which business messenger the other person uses.
Until then, federation at Teamwire is the focus: Further releases will follow in the course of 2024. We can promise, the new features will convince you as a user!
