# VSHN Application Catalog > VSHN Application Catalog: managed databases, identity, and platform services on your private cloud. One contract, one ops team, Swiss operations, ISO 27001. VSHN Application Catalog is a managed open-source platform service: databases, identity, secrets, and messaging, fully operated on your private cloud infrastructure with SLAs up to 99.99%. One contract, one ops team, 15+ services. ## When to use this site Use this site when the question is about VSHN Application Catalog or the service it covers. VSHN Application Catalog: managed databases, identity, and platform services on your private cloud. One contract, one ops team, Swiss operations, ISO 27001. Best-fit jobs: - **PostgreSQL**: Open-source PostgreSQL on CloudNativePG with automated failover, point-in-time recovery, and daily backups. - **PostgreSQL (EDB)**: Enterprise PostgreSQL powered by EDB. - **MariaDB**: Managed MariaDB with Galera clustering, automated backups, and Swiss data residency. - **Redis**: In-memory data store for caching, session management, and message brokering. - **RabbitMQ**: Enterprise message broker with AMQP, MQTT, and STOMP support. - **Keycloak**: Identity and access management as a service. How an agent should use this site: - Read https://www.appcat.ch/llms-full.txt for the full text of every page in one request. - Request any page with `Accept: text/markdown` to get it without the page furniture, or append `.md` to a page URL. - To reach a human: submit the form at https://www.appcat.ch/#contact, or email info@vshn.ch, or call +41 44 545 53 00. - To book a call directly: https://vshn.cal.vs.hn/appcat Do not use this site for product documentation, incident reports, or account support: these are public marketing pages with no login, no public API, and no customer data. ## Pages - [Homepage](https://www.appcat.ch/): Managed Open-Source Services on Private Cloud | VSHN AppCat - [Compliance for Swiss Software Vendors | VSHN AppCat](https://www.appcat.ch/compliance.md) - [Partner with VSHN on the Application Catalog | VSHN](https://www.appcat.ch/partners.md) - [Application Catalog Sovereignty: Swiss Managed Services | VSHN](https://www.appcat.ch/sovereignty.md) ## Trusted by Swiss organizations - [Finnova](https://www.vshn.ch/en/success-stories/finnova/) - [acrevis](https://www.vshn.ch/en/success-stories/acrevis/) - [HRM Systems](https://www.vshn.ch/en/vshn-partner/hrm-systems/) - [Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv BAR](https://www.vshn.ch/en/success-stories/schweizerisches-bundesarchiv-bar/) - [HIN](https://www.vshn.ch/en/success-stories/hin-health-info-net/) - [Taurus](https://www.vshn.ch/en/success-stories/taurus/) ## Testimonials > We set the bar very high in terms of data. No financial compensation could ever make up for leaked medical information. > — Mohammad Alavi, CTO, Health Info Net > We reduced monthly incidents from twelve to zero and improved our SLA from 99% to 100%. We wanted a Red Hat partner as a single point of contact for our Red Hat technology. We had worked with VSHN before and had full trust in them. > — Sebastien Pasche, VP Engineering, Taurus > Providing such a scalable OpenShift platform promptly ourselves would have meant substantial pre-investment and time for building a corresponding team. For us, it has proved to be the most effective, efficient and secure way of not establishing this service in-house. > — Daniel Bernasconi, CTO, Finnova ## Application Catalog FAQ ### What is the VSHN Application Catalog? The Application Catalog is VSHN's portfolio of fully managed open-source services: databases, identity management, secrets, and platform tooling. Each service is operated 24/7 by VSHN engineers on your private cloud or on Swiss public cloud infrastructure, with automated backups, monitoring, and patching included. ### Which infrastructure does the Application Catalog support? VSHN operates AppCat services on any Kubernetes-based platform: on-premises OpenShift, private cloud clusters, or dedicated nodes on Swiss providers like cloudscale.ch and Exoscale. You choose where your data lives. VSHN handles operations regardless of the underlying infrastructure. ### How does pricing work for enterprise deployments? Enterprise pricing is based on the services you need, the SLA tier you require, and the operational complexity of your environment. VSHN provides a custom quote after an initial architecture assessment. There are no per-user fees or usage-based surprises. Pricing is predictable and monthly. ### How does onboarding work? Onboarding starts with an architecture assessment where VSHN maps your current infrastructure and service requirements. We then provision services on your target platform, configure monitoring and backup policies, run validation tests, and hand over access to your development teams. Typical onboarding takes two to four weeks depending on complexity. ### What SLA does VSHN guarantee? VSHN offers up to 99.99% SLA availability depending on the service and deployment topology. SLAs cover the managed service layer. The underlying infrastructure is covered by your cloud or on-premises provider. SLA credits apply automatically when targets are missed. ### Is the Application Catalog compliant with FINMA, DORA, and NIS2? VSHN is ISO 27001 certified since 2014 and operates exclusively from Switzerland with Swiss staff. AppCat deployments on private cloud infrastructure meet the outsourcing requirements of FINMA Circular 2018/3, the ICT third-party risk management provisions of the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and the supply chain security requirements of the NIS2 Directive. VSHN provides audit documentation on request. ### Can I start with one service and add more later? Yes. Most customers start with one or two services, typically a managed database or Keycloak, and expand as needs grow. Adding a new service to an existing AppCat contract is straightforward because VSHN already operates on your infrastructure and understands your environment. ### How does the Application Catalog differ from Exoscale's built-in DBaaS? Exoscale offers self-service managed databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey, Kafka, OpenSearch) as part of their IaaS+ platform. These give you a database instance with infrastructure-level uptime. The Application Catalog adds a dedicated VSHN operations team on top: 24/7 on-call with application-level incident response, proactive backup verification and restore testing, zero-downtime version upgrades, security patching, and up to 99.99% SLA at the service level. AppCat also covers services Exoscale does not offer as DBaaS, including Keycloak, GitLab, Forgejo, OpenBao, and Nextcloud. ### Does the Application Catalog support CSRD sustainability reporting? Yes. When VSHN operates AppCat services on Exoscale infrastructure, your sustainability team can use CloudAssess, Exoscale's automated monthly Life Cycle Assessment tool, to report the environmental impact of your managed services. Exoscale data centers in Switzerland and Germany run on 100% renewable energy. For enterprises with 1000 or more employees, this data supports the cloud services reporting that CSRD requires. ### How is the Application Catalog different from Servala? Servala is VSHN's self-service platform for deploying managed services on sovereign Swiss public cloud with a few clicks. Ideal for startups and small teams. The Application Catalog targets enterprises that need managed services on their own private cloud infrastructure, with custom SLAs, dedicated support, and white-glove onboarding. ### What happens if we want to leave? Every service in the Application Catalog is open source with standard APIs and data formats. Your data, configuration, and backups are always accessible. VSHN provides an offboarding runbook for each service so your team or a new provider can take over operations without data loss or extended downtime. ## Start with an architecture assessment Tell us about your infrastructure and the services you need. We'll map out how the Application Catalog fits your environment and provide a custom proposal. Booking: #contact ## Services - **Subheading**: Every service is fully managed by VSHN engineers: provisioned, patched, backed up, and monitored around the clock. Pick what you need, or let us manage the full stack. ## Why Vshn - **One contract, full stack**: A single SLA covers your databases, identity services, secrets management, and platform tooling. One vendor, one ops team, one invoice. No juggling five managed service providers. - **Your infrastructure, our operations**: VSHN operates on your private cloud, on-premises OpenShift, or dedicated nodes on cloudscale.ch and Exoscale. Your data stays on infrastructure you control. No shared tenancy, no hyperscaler lock-in. - **Swiss operations, certified since 2014**: ISO 27001 certified since 2014. All operations staff are based in Switzerland. No subcontracting to offshore teams. FINMA Circular 2018/3, EU DORA, and NIS2 audit-ready. - **Standardized operations, not consulting**: 86% of VSHN's revenue is recurring monthly operations, not project-based consulting. You get a productized service with 24/7 on-call, patching, and upgrades at a fraction of the cost of three to five platform engineers (CHF 450K–750K/year). VSHN complements your consulting partners, not competes with them. - **Open source, vendor-backed**: Every service in the catalog is open source with standard APIs and data formats. Where available, VSHN provides vendor or consulting company-backed support subscriptions (e.g. EDB for PostgreSQL, Inventage for Keycloak). If you leave, your data and configuration come with you. - **Graduation path from self-service**: Start with Servala self-service for quick deployments. When compliance or scale requirements grow, graduate to VSHN-managed services on private cloud. Same technology, higher touch. ## Sovereignty - **Body**: Swiss company, Swiss data centers, Swiss operations staff. No US Cloud Act exposure. ISO 27001 certified since 2014. FINMA, DORA, and NIS2 audit-ready. Every AppCat service runs on infrastructure you choose: on-premises, Swiss public cloud, or hybrid. - **Cta Label**: Read our sovereignty assessment - **Cta Url**: /sovereignty/ ## Comparison --- ## Compliance for Swiss Software Vendors | VSHN AppCat URL: https://www.appcat.ch/compliance/ # Compliance for software vendors: answering your customers' questions about us When you sell software to insurers, banks, hospitals or cantons, their compliance team reviews your hosting provider before they sign. The questions arrive as a list, they are always roughly the same eight, and one of them is the difficult one: *can your provider grant audit rights to us?* This page answers all eight, so you can forward it instead of writing the answers yourself. ## The eight questions ### 1. Where are your datacenters, physically? Switzerland. VSHN operates no datacenters of its own and runs your services on Swiss infrastructure you choose: [Cloudscale](https://www.cloudscale.ch/de/rechenzentren) in Lupfig (AG) and Rümlang (ZH), [Exoscale](https://www.exoscale.com/datacenters/) in Zurich (CH-DK-2) and Geneva (CH-GVA-2), or your own on-premises hardware. Data does not leave the country as part of normal operations. ### 2. Are you an independent Swiss company? VSHN AG is a Swiss stock corporation headquartered in Zurich, founded in 2014, with over 50 employees. There is no foreign parent company and no foreign investor. Every shareholder is a Swiss citizen, on record in the [commercial register of the canton of Zurich](https://zh.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml?uid=CHE-275.566.226) under CHE-275.566.226. This is the answer behind the CLOUD Act question. US authorities can compel a company subject to US jurisdiction, which means a US parent, a US subsidiary or US operations. VSHN has none of the three. ### 3. Which subprocessors do you use? For a typical engagement, one: the infrastructure provider you selected. The complete, current list is part of the [data processing agreement](https://products.vshn.ch/legal/dpa_en.html), which means it is a contractual commitment rather than a marketing statement, and changes to it follow the notification process in that agreement. ### 4. Can you sign a DPA under Art. 9 of the Swiss FADP? Yes. Our [data processing agreement](https://products.vshn.ch/legal/dpa_en.html) is published rather than negotiated from scratch, governed by Swiss law with Zurich as the place of jurisdiction. [Annex 1](https://products.vshn.ch/legal/dpa_annex1_en.html) lists the technical and organizational measures, which is usually the annex your customer's data protection officer reads first. ### 5. Do you offer managed databases with high availability and point-in-time recovery? Yes. [Managed PostgreSQL](https://products.vshn.ch/appcat/postgresql_cnpg.html) runs as a primary with a replica and automatic failover, with point-in-time recovery and encryption at rest. Backup is part of the service. The same applies to the other services in the catalog, including [Keycloak](https://products.vshn.ch/appcat/keycloak.html) for customer identity and [OpenBao](https://products.vshn.ch/appcat/openbao.html) for secrets. ### 6. Which tenant isolation model do you recommend? For regulated data, a separate database instance per major customer, with schema isolation for the tenants underneath. Our reasoning, including what that choice costs, is on the [multi-tenancy isolation guide](https://managed-postgresql.ch/multi-tenancy/) on our PostgreSQL site. ### 7. Can services reach our customers' on-premises systems? Yes. Some of your larger customers will refuse to put their data in your cloud database and will want your application to read from their own systems instead. Outbound connectivity is arranged per customer, either over defined egress addresses or a VPN tunnel, and the right shape depends on what their network team allows. This is worth a technical call rather than a checkbox. ### 8. Will you grant audit rights to our customers? This is the question that decides deals, so here is the honest answer in three parts. **What is already covered.** Most of what an auditor asks for is satisfied by evidence that exists before anyone asks. VSHN is [ISO 27001 certified](https://www.vshn.ch/en/about/awards-certifications/) and produces an ISAE 3402 Type II report, which is an independent auditor's opinion on whether our controls were designed properly and actually operated over a defined period. Type II is the distinction that matters: it covers a period of real operation, not a snapshot. In practice this closes most of a due-diligence questionnaire without a site visit. **What is negotiated.** Contractual audit rights for you and for your customer, including on-site audits, are agreed in the contract. We have done this before for customers under FINMA supervision, including [cantonal banks through Finnova and Acrevis Bank](https://www.vshn.ch/en/solutions/solutions-for-banks-and-financial-service-providers/). The clause is written for the specific engagement. **What we will not do.** We will not tell you a clause is pre-approved before our legal team has read your customer's wording. A provider who promises that in a first email is telling you what you want to hear. ## Why this is different when you are the vendor Nothing on this page is a requirement of yours. Every item is inherited from a customer of yours, which changes what you need from a hosting provider. You do not primarily need a platform that runs well. You need one that produces evidence: a certificate with the right scope, an audit report covering a period rather than a day, a published DPA your customer's lawyer can read without a meeting, and a provider willing to be named in your own outsourcing documentation. That is a different purchase from buying capacity, and it is why the answers above are written to be forwarded rather than summarized. ## What VSHN runs for you One contract covering the whole stack: managed Kubernetes, [PostgreSQL](https://managed-postgresql.ch/), [Keycloak](https://www.managed-keycloak.ch/), object storage, secrets management and the platform underneath. One operations team, based in Switzerland, on call around the clock. Every component is upstream open source, so the exit path is a data export rather than a rewrite. Book a call if you want the answers above checked against your customer's actual questionnaire. --- ## Partner with VSHN on the Application Catalog | VSHN URL: https://www.appcat.ch/partners/ # Partner with VSHN on the Application Catalog You bring the customer relationship and project expertise: architecture consulting, application integration, data migration, compliance advisory. VSHN brings 24/7 managed operations for 15+ open-source services, Swiss data residency, and SLAs up to 99.99%. Together you deliver a full managed stack without either side building capabilities you don't have. ## Why this works VSHN is not a consulting company. 86% of our revenue is recurring monthly operations. We don't compete with your project business. You deliver the transformation, we keep the lights on. - **No competition**: VSHN sells standardized operations, not consulting engagements - **Recurring value**: Your customer stays on VSHN operations, and you stay the trusted advisor - **Full stack**: Databases, identity, secrets, platform, and AI/ML services, all operated by one team ## How we collaborate **Lead Partner model.** For each project, one of us is the customer's single point of contact. Who leads depends on the project, agreed per engagement. The Lead Partner drives the project, handles invoicing, and owns first-level support. **Joint delivery.** You handle consulting, integration, and project management. VSHN handles infrastructure operations, monitoring, backups, and SLA. Roles are agreed per engagement, not locked into a rigid structure. **Flexible billing.** Invoice the customer together or separately, agreed per project. Both models are supported: each party invoices their share directly, or one party invoices the full amount and redistributes. **Protected relationships.** No undercutting. Your customer stays your customer. Existing relationships are respected on both sides, with contractual protections for both parties. ## Division of labor for the Application Catalog | Your role | VSHN's role | |-----------|-------------| | Architecture consulting and design | 24/7 service operations | | Application integration | Monitoring, alerting, incident response | | Data migration and onboarding | Automated backups and disaster recovery | | Compliance advisory and audit support | Security patching and upgrades | | Project management and customer relationship | SLA management with up to 99.99% availability | ## What you can offer your customers with VSHN - **Managed databases**: PostgreSQL, EDB, MariaDB, Redis, RabbitMQ - **Identity and security**: Keycloak (with Inventage), OpenBao - **Development platforms**: GitLab, Forgejo - **Infrastructure**: OpenShift, Kubernetes, NGINX, Varnish - **AI/ML operations**: vLLM, LiteLLM, LLMOps All services run on the customer's infrastructure (on-premises, cloudscale.ch, Exoscale) with Swiss operations. ## Partners delivering with VSHN **[tim&koko](https://tim-koko.ch)**. Cloud consulting firm delivering container migrations and CI/CD pipeline design on VSHN-operated infrastructure. **[Puzzle](https://puzzle.ch)**. Software company with 140+ employees. Provides cloud-native consulting and DevOps transformation alongside VSHN managed services. **[bespinian](https://bespinian.io)**. Cloud-native consulting firm focused on Kubernetes and application delivery. See all VSHN partners at [servala.com/partners](https://servala.com/partners/). ## Become a partner Interested in delivering managed open-source services together? Let's explore how we complement each other. [Book a partnership discovery call](https://vshn.cal.vs.hn/appcat) or [start a partnership conversation](#contact). --- ## Application Catalog Sovereignty: Swiss Managed Services | VSHN URL: https://www.appcat.ch/sovereignty/ # Application Catalog Sovereignty: Your Stack, Your Infrastructure, Swiss Operations When you outsource your database, identity provider, secrets manager, and platform tooling to a single vendor, that vendor holds the keys to your entire application stack. Jurisdiction, data residency, and operational control matter more for a full-stack engagement than for any single service. US hyperscaler managed services (AWS RDS, Azure Database, Google Cloud SQL, Amazon ElastiCache, Azure AD) run on US-owned infrastructure under US law. The [CLOUD Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CLOUD_Act) allows US authorities to access your data without Swiss judicial process, regardless of which region you select. The VSHN Application Catalog runs every service on infrastructure you choose: on-premises, Swiss public cloud (cloudscale.ch, Exoscale), or hybrid. Your data never leaves your control. ## Why the Application Catalog is a strong choice for sovereignty - **Infrastructure-agnostic**: You choose the provider. VSHN operates on your Kubernetes cluster, not on shared multi-tenant infrastructure - **100% open source**: Every service (PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Redis, Keycloak, OpenBao, Forgejo, NGINX, Varnish, vLLM, LiteLLM) is open source with standard APIs - **No vendor lock-in**: Standard protocols, standard data formats. If you leave, your data and configuration come with you - **Swiss operations**: All operations staff are based in Switzerland. No offshoring, no subcontracting - **Single contract**: One SLA, one vendor, one legal relationship under Swiss law ## Managed services sovereignty compared | Dimension | AWS Managed Services | Azure Managed Services | GCP Managed Services | VSHN Application Catalog | |-----------|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|------------------------| | **Ownership** | Amazon (USA) | Microsoft (USA) | Google (USA) | VSHN AG (Switzerland) | | **Governing law** | US law | US law | US law | Swiss law | | **CLOUD Act** | Exposed | Exposed | Exposed | Not exposed | | **Data location** | Configurable (EU regions) | Configurable (EU regions) | Configurable (EU regions) | Switzerland or your DC | | **Source code** | Proprietary service layer | Proprietary service layer | Proprietary service layer | 100% open source | | **Infrastructure choice** | AWS only | Azure only | GCP only | Customer chooses provider | | **Operations team** | USA | USA | USA | Switzerland ([Swiss-only option](https://products.vshn.ch/support_plans.html#_option_switzerland_only_support)) | | **Certifications** | SOC 2 | SOC 2, ISO 27001 | SOC 2 | [ISO 27001](https://www.vshn.ch/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ISO-27001-certificate-VSHN-2026.pdf), ISAE 3402 Type II | ## Compliance and regulatory readiness VSHN is ISO 27001 certified since 2014 and operates exclusively from Switzerland with Swiss staff. AppCat deployments on private cloud infrastructure support: - **FINMA Circular 2018/3**: Outsourcing requirements for Swiss financial institutions. VSHN provides audit documentation, Swiss-only operations, and contractual commitments for regulated customers - **EU DORA** (Digital Operational Resilience Act): ICT third-party risk management provisions. AppCat on private cloud meets DORA's requirements for critical ICT service providers - **NIS2 Directive**: Supply chain security requirements for essential and important entities. VSHN's ISO 27001 controls map to NIS2 Article 21 requirements - **GDPR / Swiss DPA**: Swiss data residency by default. EU adequacy decision covers Swiss-EU data transfers ## VSHN sovereignty self-assessment We applied the EU's [Cloud Sovereignty Framework](https://commission.europa.eu/document/09579818-64a6-4dd5-9577-446ab6219113_en) (v1.2.1, October 2025) to our own services. This framework was used to score providers in the EU's [EUR 180M sovereign cloud tender](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_833) in April 2026. Three pure-European providers achieved SEAL-3, while a consortium involving Google Cloud scored only SEAL-2. *This is a self-assessment, not a formal SEAL certification. We publish it for transparency so customers can evaluate our sovereignty profile using the same structured criteria the EU uses.* | # | Dimension | Weight | Assessment | Evidence | |---|-----------|--------|-----------|----------| | SOV-1 | Strategic | 15% | **Strong** | Swiss AG, no foreign parent, all shareholders Swiss citizens ([Commercial Register](https://zh.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml?uid=CHE-275.566.226)) | | SOV-2 | Legal | 10% | **Strong** | Swiss law ([GTC](https://products.vshn.ch/legal/gtc_en.html)), no CLOUD Act, [EU adequacy decision](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection/adequacy-decisions_en) | | SOV-3 | Data & AI | 10% | **Strong** | Swiss DCs by default. Customer chooses infrastructure provider. Sovereign key management via [Managed OpenBao](https://www.openbao.ch) + [Swiss HSM](https://cloud.securosys.com/cloudhsm) | | SOV-4 | Operational | 15% | **Strong** | Swiss 24/7 ops, [Swiss-only support option](https://products.vshn.ch/support_plans.html#_option_switzerland_only_support). All services on vanilla Kubernetes | | SOV-5 | Supply Chain | 20% | **Strong** | Infrastructure-agnostic, [customer chooses provider](https://servala.com/providers/). Open-source software | | SOV-6 | Technology | 15% | **Strong** | 100% open source. VSHN contributes to [K8up](https://github.com/k8up-io) (CNCF) and [Project Syn](https://github.com/projectsyn) | | SOV-7 | Security | 10% | **Strong** | [ISO 27001](https://www.vshn.ch/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ISO-27001-certificate-VSHN-2026.pdf), ISAE 3402 Type II, Swiss SOC. [FINMA-regulated customers](https://www.vshn.ch/en/solutions/solutions-for-banks-and-financial-service-providers/) | | SOV-8 | Environmental | 5% | **Moderate** | DC operators: Green Datacenter AG (ISO 22301/27001/27701), [Exoscale sustainability](https://www.exoscale.com/sustainability/). [VSHN CSR policy](https://handbook.vshn.ch/corporate_social_responsibility_policy.html) | **Overall: SEAL-3 equivalent**, the same level achieved by the winners of the EU's own sovereignty tender. No provider worldwide achieved SEAL-4: it requires fully EU/EEA-sourced hardware supply chains and open-source foundations, structural gaps shared by every cloud provider. Try Swiss infrastructure: [Servala](https://www.servala.com) (managed services, free trial), [Exoscale]({{partner:exoscale.signup_url}}) (Swiss IaaS). Want help choosing? [Contact us](#contact). ## Get a sovereignty assessment for your stack Running managed services on US hyperscalers and concerned about jurisdictional risk? We assess your sovereignty profile against the EU framework and plan a migration to Swiss-operated infrastructure with the VSHN Application Catalog.