Client: A Major European Council

Introduction

A leading European council embarked on a transformative digital initiative to modernize its infrastructure, shifting from restrictive vendor-dependent systems to an agile, open-source-powered ecosystem. This strategic move was driven by the need for enhanced data governance, security, and true data sovereignty. To realize this vision, the council partnered with NobleProg to develop a Proof of Concept (PoC) for a secure, modular data management system.

 

The Challenge: Breaking Free from Vendor Lock-In

The council faced significant constraints due to proprietary vendor lock-in, limiting flexibility, scalability, and control over its data. Key challenges included:

• Rigid infrastructure unable to adapt to evolving needs.
• Limited data ownership and governance capabilities.
• Security vulnerabilities in legacy systems.

The solution required a future-proof architecture that would empower the council with full data control while ensuring seamless integration with existing tools like Microsoft SharePoint, Teams, and Office 365.

The Solution: A Secure, Open-Source Data Ecosystem

NobleProg designed a flexible, open-source-based architecture, leveraging best-in-class technologies to ensure security, scalability, and interoperability. The solution included:

• Apache NiFi – A robust dataflow management tool for secure data orchestration.
• PostgreSQL – A high-performance open-source database for structured content storage.
• CyberArk Conjur – Enterprise-grade secrets management for enhanced security.
• Seamless Microsoft 365 integration – Ensuring user-friendly access via SharePoint while maintaining backend sovereignty.

This decoupled architecture ensured that SharePoint served only as a front-end interface, while open-source technologies managed the entire data lifecycle — intercepting uploads, encrypting sensitive documents, enriching metadata, and securely routing data to storage.

Project Execution: A Phased, Agile Approach

The engagement followed a structured, iterative methodology, allowing for incremental validation and risk mitigation.

Phase 1 & 2: Core Infrastructure & Secure Dataflow

• Established a simulated environment integrating open-source and commercial systems.
• Developed custom Office Add-ins & SharePoint (SPFx) web parts to intercept and manage document operations.
• Implemented automated encryption, metadata enrichment, and secure storage workflows.
• Introduced "single-user mode" to prevent concurrent editing conflicts.

Phase 3: Advanced Collaboration & Governance

• Enabled real-time multi-user collaboration using Server-Sent Events (SSE) and gRPC over WebSocket.
• Deployed conflict resolution protocols, allowing versioned document histories.
• Enhanced auditability with PostgreSQL-driven metadata tracking for uploads, access, and deletions.

Collaborative Partnership & Agile Delivery

NobleProg worked closely with the council, aligning with public sector procurement requirements while ensuring rapid, cost-effective delivery. The agile, feedback-driven approach enabled quick iterations and measurable progress at each phase.

Outcomes: A Sovereign, Future-Ready Data Ecosystem

The successful PoC demonstrated how open-source innovation can serve as the backbone of a secure, sovereign public sector data infrastructure. Key outcomes included:

• Full data ownership and control restored to the council.
• Enhanced security, compliance, and scalability.
• Reduced long-term operational costs through open-source technologies.
• Proven model for future enterprise-wide digital transformation.