Getting started
What is the difference between Cloudient and a regular hosting provider?
Most hosting providers offer commodity services - shared hosting, cPanel, standard packages. Cloudient is a boutique provider that runs its own infrastructure, deploys and manages open-source applications as a service, and provides personal support from the team that built your environment. We handle the full stack, from the hardware through to the application, and our services integrate with each other by design.
What types of business do you work with?
We work with high-growth companies, start-ups, small businesses, charities and foundations. Our clients typically need more than commodity hosting - they want open-source applications configured to their requirements, hosted on infrastructure they can trust, with personal support from a provider who understands the software.
Do I need technical knowledge to use your services?
No. We manage the infrastructure and applications on your behalf, and you use the applications through their normal web interfaces. If you have technical staff or developers, we can provide the level of access they need, but it is not a requirement.
How do I get started with Cloudient?
Get in touch and tell us what you need. We will discuss your requirements, provide a quote for standard scenarios, and agree a plan. For more complex requirements, a consultation may be needed to properly establish the scope before quoting.
Can I move my existing services to Cloudient?
Yes. We can migrate domains, email, applications and data from other providers. The process depends on what you are moving - for some services it is straightforward, for others (such as Odoo databases) there is a defined transfer process. See our Odoo database transfer guide for an example, or get in touch to discuss your specific situation.
Odoo
What is the difference between Odoo Community and Odoo Enterprise?
Odoo Community is the open-source edition, freely available and maintained by the community and the OCA (Odoo Community Association). Odoo Enterprise is the proprietary edition sold by Odoo S.A. with additional features and a per-user licence fee. Cloudient specialises in the Community edition, which covers the core business functions - accounting, CRM, sales, purchasing, inventory and more - without licence costs. The OCA ecosystem provides many additional modules that extend functionality further.
Can I install my own Odoo modules?
Yes. We support deployment of OCA modules and custom modules alongside the core Odoo Community codebase. Modules are managed through version control, enabling clean upgrades and rollbacks. If you are developing your own modules or working with a developer, you push your code and we ensure it runs correctly in production.
How do Odoo version upgrades work?
We support OpenUpgrade migration paths. Upgrades are planned and executed with a testing environment where the migration is verified against your data before committing. We generate changelogs, review warnings and errors, and provide a summary so you know exactly what has changed. Rollback capability is maintained throughout the process.
Can I run multiple Odoo databases?
Yes. We provide multiple related environments as standard for well-managed deployments. These typically include a preview database (a snapshot of production for testing changes on live data), a staging or UAT environment (with anonymised data for verifying new development), and development environments for building and testing modules. This means changes are validated before they reach your users.
Applications and hosting
Which applications can you host?
We specialise in Odoo Community, Nextcloud, Jitsi, PeerTube, and identity management (OpenLDAP, LemonLDAP, FusionIAM). We also host bespoke and containerised applications - if it runs in a Docker container or on a Linux VM, we can host it. See our application hosting page for details.
Can you host my custom application?
Yes. If your application runs on Linux - whether in a Docker container, on a VM, or as a standalone service - we can host it. We work with you to understand the requirements and build an appropriate environment, including networking, storage, email integration and SSL.
Can my applications share a single login?
Yes. We can configure a centralised identity service that provides single sign-on across your applications - Odoo, Nextcloud, email, instant messaging and others. User accounts are managed in one place, so when someone joins or leaves, access is updated everywhere. See our integration page for details.
Infrastructure
Do you use cloud platforms like AWS or Azure?
No. We run our own physical infrastructure. This gives us complete control over the environment and means we always know exactly where your data is. There is no dependency on hyperscaler platforms or proprietary cloud services.
Where are your servers located?
Our infrastructure is hosted in European data centres, currently in France with UK locations planned. We chose to host in Europe for the strong data protection framework provided by EU regulations. We run our own hardware - we do not resell hyperscaler or third-party cloud services.
Can I have SSH access to my server?
Yes, if required. We provide hardened SSH gateway servers with key-based authentication and audit logging. Access can be configured to suit your needs - from full root access to restricted access for specific tasks.
What happens if a server goes down?
Our infrastructure is monitored and we are alerted to availability issues automatically. We respond directly - there is no third-party support queue. For services where high availability is critical, we can configure redundancy and failover. Disaster recovery options including replication to secondary sites are available.
Do you provide backups?
Yes. Backup management is included with every managed service. Backup strategies are designed around your requirements - from file-level backups to full environment replication with regular tested restores. Offsite backup to secondary locations is available for disaster recovery.
Security
What is an SSL certificate and do I need one?
An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your users and your services, protecting data in transit. It is what puts the padlock icon in the browser address bar. Yes, you need one - and we provide SSL certificates as standard for all hosted services, automatically provisioned and renewed.
What is IP-based access restriction?
IP-based restriction limits access to your services to specific internet addresses - only connections from approved locations can reach the service. This is the simplest form of access control and is effective for services that do not need to be publicly available. Visit our What's my IP address page to find your current address, and send it to us to configure access.
What is multi-factor authentication and should I use it?
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds a second step when logging in - typically a code from an app on your phone or a hardware key. Even if your password is compromised, the attacker cannot log in without the second factor. We strongly recommend enabling MFA on all services that support it. Authenticator apps such as FreeOTP or Aegis are preferred over SMS codes. See our password policy guidance for more details.
How do you handle security vulnerabilities?
We conduct regular code scanning, dependency checks, and infrastructure patching. We use open-source software, which benefits from broad community review and rapid fixes. We do not assume our systems are free of issues - our responsible disclosure policy provides a clear process for managing issues as they are found. If we discover a vulnerability affecting your services, we act on it directly.
How do I report a security issue?
Please follow our responsible disclosure policy. This provides guidelines for reporting security issues with our services and systems. You can also report issues via our contact form using the "Security report" subject.
When configuring my email app, which security setting should I choose, and what do I put in the Ports box?
Details of email app configuration are on the email settings page. It is important to select an encryption option, and SSL/TLS is recommended.
What are the most popular email apps and clients?
The following apps are most popular with our users:
- Thunderbird (Linux, Windows, Mac)
- Outlook (Windows)
- Apple Mail (macOS)
- K-9 Mail (Android)
- BlueMail (mobile devices)
What is plus-addressing and how do I use it?
Plus-addressing lets you create variations of your email address on the fly by adding a + and a tag before the @ symbol. For example, you+amazon@example.com still arrives in your inbox but lets you identify which service shared your address if you start receiving spam. See our guide to plus-addressing for details.
Why are my emails going to spam?
This is usually caused by missing or misconfigured email authentication records. SPF tells receiving servers which servers are allowed to send email for your domain. DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to verify the message has not been altered. DMARC ties these together with a policy for handling failures. We configure all three as standard for every domain we manage. If you are experiencing deliverability issues, get in touch and we will investigate.
Why can't I forward emails to Gmail, Hotmail and similar providers?
Forwarding email to external providers creates a risk of generating junk mail relays. This is because it is not feasible to check in real time whether the address at the destination provider is valid. If our servers accept the message and are then unable to send it on, we are left holding it. Spammers may use false senders, and the resulting bounce message becomes the spam - a problem known as backscatter. For these reasons we do not allow offsite forwarding to high-volume providers. We do offer custom forwarding to enterprise email servers - please get in touch to discuss.
When sending an email, an error is reported: "message has lines too long for transport" - why does this happen?
The root cause is that the specification for the SMTP (email sending) protocol, RFC 5322, states that any line of an email must not exceed 1000 characters. Despite this being a firm requirement in the specification, some Microsoft clients (such as Outlook and IIS) do not honour it. It is uncommon for a line in an email to get this long, so it does not affect all Microsoft-based mail, but when it does occur those emails are invalid SMTP messages.
Lines that are too long can build up when there are many messages in a thread. The mail client should fold these lines to keep them within the specification. Many modern mail servers enforce this limit and will reject the message. The solution is to create a new email, which should then be deliverable.
Domains and DNS
Can you transfer my domain from another provider?
Yes. We handle domain transfers in and manage the process for you. There are no charges for transferring domains away from Cloudient either. See our domain information page for full details.
Telecoms and VoIP
Can I keep my existing phone number if I switch to VoIP?
Yes. We can port your existing numbers from your current provider at no charge. Your numbers are not tied to a physical location - if you move office or work remotely, your numbers stay with you.
Can I use VoIP on my mobile phone?
Yes. VoIP apps are available for both Android and iOS. You can make and receive calls on your business number from your mobile, wherever you have an internet connection. Calls between your VoIP devices are free regardless of location.
Do I need special equipment for VoIP?
No. VoIP works with software phones (apps on your computer or mobile), dedicated desk phones, or a combination. You need a reasonable internet connection but no specialist hardware or phone lines. We can advise on suitable handsets if you prefer physical phones.
Can I click to dial from within Odoo?
Yes. When your VoIP telephone system is integrated with Odoo, you can dial contacts directly from their record. Incoming calls show caller ID matched against your Odoo contacts, and call logs are recorded against the relevant record. See our integration page for more on how telephony and business applications work together.
Billing and contracts
How does your pricing work?
We charge a one-off set-up fee followed by a recurring subscription. Your subscription is based on a service profile that defines what you need - the cost is fixed and predictable, not metered by usage. If your needs change, we adjust the profile. See our pricing page for full details.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept payment by card, regular bank transfer, direct debit and SEPA. Cloudient is UK VAT registered and all prices are quoted exclusive of VAT.
What happens if my needs change?
We adjust your service profile to match. This is the key control for your spend - you decide the level of service and the cost follows. Whether you need to expand, add new applications, or simplify your setup, we reconfigure accordingly.
Are there any lock-in contracts?
No. There are no long-term contracts. ISP services are charged at their anniversary and can be cancelled at renewal. There are no charges for transferring domains away or for cancellations.