Data sovereignty is becoming increasingly important when public video services, individual video hosting providers, or decentralized storage solutions no longer meet an organization’s requirements. With VIMP, companies, public authorities, and educational institutions can operate their video platform either on-premises within their own infrastructure or through Full Managed Hosting. Both models enable the centralized management of videos, users, and access rights. VIMP supports both options.
Table of Contents
- Data Sovereignty Explained
- On-Premises: Data Sovereignty Through Direct Control
- Full Managed Hosting: Data Sovereignty with Managed Software Services
- VIMP Deployment Options Compared
- Which Deployment Model Is Right for Your Organization?
- Conclusion: How Does VIMP Strengthen Data Sovereignty?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Data Sovereignty Explained
Data sovereignty means that an organization decides where its data is stored, who can access it, how it is processed and backed up, and when it is deleted.
For a video platform, this applies not only to videos, but also to metadata, user accounts, subtitles, transcripts, logs, and backups. Data protection defines the legal and organizational framework. Data sovereignty also encompasses an organization’s technical and strategic freedom of choice.
Neither on-premises deployment nor Full Managed Hosting automatically guarantees security. Clear responsibilities, controlled access, and reliable processes are what matter. Further criteria are covered in the article on data protection for corporate videos.
On-Premises: Data Sovereignty Through Direct Control
With an on-premises deployment, VIMP is installed on your own or selected servers. This gives you direct control over the storage location, infrastructure, backups, and updates. At the same time, the organization either manages the technical operation itself or appoints its own IT service provider.
What Are the Benefits of On-Premises?
Choose the Storage Location
The organization decides which systems store its videos, metadata, and user data. This means that all content can be processed within its own network.
Design the Security Architecture
The internal IT team defines firewalls, network segmentation, monitoring, and administrative access. It also determines which external systems may access VIMP.
Control Backups and Recovery
The operator defines backup intervals, retention periods, and storage targets. A complete VIMP backup includes both the installation files and the database. VIMP also recommends creating a full backup before every update.
Schedule Updates Independently
The IT team defines maintenance windows and can test new versions in a staging environment first. This gives the organization control over both the timing and the update process.
Integrate Existing Access Processes
VIMP Enterprise and VIMP Campus support Active Directory and OpenLDAP via LDAP, as well as single sign-on via SAML. Roles and media permissions also determine who can view, edit, approve, or administer content.
Who Is On-Premises Suitable For?
On-premises is particularly suitable for organizations that want to store their videos within their own infrastructure and already have the necessary IT resources.
Typical requirements include:
- dedicated security and backup concepts,
- clearly defined maintenance windows,
- individual network specifications,
- strict internal or regulatory requirements.
This often includes public authorities, universities with their own data centers, and companies that handle sensitive research, development, or personnel data. However, size alone is not the deciding factor: A medium-sized company can also operate VIMP on-premises, provided it has the required infrastructure and expertise.
Interested in an on-premises deployment?
Full Managed Hosting: Data Sovereignty with Managed Software Services
With Full Managed Hosting, VIMP provides the server environment and takes care of the contractually agreed operational tasks. As a result, the organization does not need to maintain a complete server infrastructure for its video platform.
VIMP operates the video platform in an ISO 27001-certified data center in Germany. Each portal runs in a dedicated environment.
What Are the Benefits of Full Managed Hosting?
Faster Project Launch
VIMP provides the required environment, so the internal IT team does not need to procure and configure a complete infrastructure.
Reduced Administrative Effort
VIMP takes care of the agreed operational tasks, allowing internal teams to focus more on content, users, and permissions.
Predictable Costs
Instead of investing in their own servers and storage, organizations benefit from predictable hosting and service costs.
Managed and Scalable Operations
Depending on the scope of services, the data center handles tasks such as monitoring, maintenance, and updates. If storage or performance requirements increase, both parties can adapt the environment together.
Further information is available on the VIMP page about GDPR-compliant video hosting.
How Does Full Managed Hosting Differ from Public Cloud Providers?
VIMP Full Managed Hosting is based on a cloud-based architecture, but differs from the services offered by major public cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
These providers supply general infrastructure resources such as computing power, storage, and networks. Customers select and configure the services they need for their own system landscape. VIMP, by contrast, provides a dedicated environment designed specifically for the video platform and handles the agreed operational tasks. The focus is therefore not on managing general infrastructure components, but on operating VIMP.
Which Questions Does VIMP Clarify for Organizations?
With Full Managed Hosting, responsibilities are divided between VIMP and the data center. VIMP therefore clarifies the following questions for organizations:
- What services are included in the hosting agreement?
- Who is granted administrative access?
- How do backup and recovery work?
- Who is responsible for updates and maintenance?
- What happens to the data when the contract ends?
Clear agreements strengthen data sovereignty because all parties understand their responsibilities and access rights.
Who Is Full Managed Hosting Suitable For?
Full Managed Hosting is particularly suitable for organizations that want to launch quickly and reduce the workload on their internal IT teams.
Typical requirements include:
- relieving internal IT resources,
- reducing staffing requirements,
- predictable hosting and service costs,
- focusing on content and user processes.
Organizations with high security requirements can also use Full Managed Hosting. However, the data center, scope of services, and technical and organizational measures must align with the organization’s own requirements.
Interested in an Full Managed Hosting?
VIMP Deployment Options Compared
| Criterion | On-Premises | Full Managed Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Server operation | Internal IT team or own service provider | VIMP handles the agreed tasks |
| Storage location | Determined by the organization | VIMP partner data center in Germany |
| Updates | Performed independently with support from VIMP | Performed by VIMP |
| Backups | Own backup and recovery strategy | Daily incremental backups, weekly differential backups, and a full backup every 28 days |
| Security architecture | Individually configurable | Individually configurable |
| IT workload | Comparatively high | Comparatively low |
| Direct control | Full control | In coordination with VIMP |
| Project launch | Infrastructure must be prepared by the organization | VIMP prepares the infrastructure |
Which Deployment Model Is Right for Your Organization?
The decision depends primarily on the existing infrastructure, the available IT resources, and how the organization wants to distribute responsibility.
On-Premises is more suitable when:
- data should be stored internally,
- suitable infrastructure is already available,
- updates and backups need to remain under the organization’s control,
- specific security requirements must be met.
Full Managed Hosting is more suitable when:
- a fast project launch is important,
- the internal IT workload should remain low,
- staffing requirements should be minimized,
- managed services are desired.
Conclusion: How Does VIMP Strengthen Data Sovereignty?
VIMP supports both deployment models: On-Premises within the organization’s own infrastructure or Full Managed Hosting in an environment managed by VIMP.
The key benefit is freedom of choice:
- Choose the deployment model freely: The organization decides how and where it operates VIMP.
- Integrate existing processes: Roles and permissions can be integrated into existing structures, for example through LDAP and SAML.
- Support long-term requirements: Infrastructure, access rights, and responsibilities can be planned in line with the organization’s IT strategy.
VIMP enables data sovereignty by giving organizations the freedom to choose the deployment model that best meets their requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nein. DIs On-Premises Automatically GDPR-Compliant?
No. Operating VIMP on your own servers provides direct control, but it does not automatically meet all data protection requirements. Permissions, retention and deletion periods, security measures, and organizational processes must still be implemented correctly.
VIMP can be installed on-premises within an organization’s own infrastructure. Whether connections to external services are required depends on the features and integrations actually used.
VIMP Enterprise and VIMP Campus support integration with Active Directory and other directory services via LDAP.
VIMP Enterprise and VIMP Campus support single sign-on via SAML. VIMP acts as the service provider.
The operator or its IT service provider is responsible for the backup and recovery strategy.
This depends on the agreed scope of services. Responsibilities and maintenance processes are clearly defined in the hosting agreement. VIMP can perform the updates directly.
