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Enterprise Platform Migration

Feature Parity Flow

General Bots provides complete feature parity with enterprise cloud productivity suites while offering significant advantages: self-hosting, open source licensing, no per-user fees, and native AI integration.

Migration Overview

API Comparison Matrix

Organizations evaluating self-hosted alternatives find General Bots delivers equivalent functionality with full data sovereignty. The sections below map common enterprise APIs to their General Bots equivalents.

API Endpoint Mapping

Mail and Communication

Enterprise mail APIs handle sending, receiving, and managing email. General Bots provides the same capabilities through Stalwart Mail Server and BASIC keywords.

Enterprise APIGeneral Bots EquivalentImplementation
Messages endpointStalwart IMAP/JMAPFull mailbox access
Send mail endpointSEND MAIL keywordSEND MAIL TO email SUBJECT s BODY b
Mail foldersStalwart foldersStandard IMAP folders
AttachmentsFile keywordsREAD, WRITE with attachments

The BASIC syntax is straightforward:

SEND MAIL TO "client@company.com" SUBJECT "Report Ready" BODY report_content

For receiving mail, configure webhooks or use scheduled scripts to process incoming messages through the Stalwart API.

Calendar and Scheduling

Calendar APIs manage events, appointments, and scheduling. General Bots integrates CalDAV with the BOOK keyword.

Enterprise APIGeneral Bots EquivalentImplementation
Calendar eventsCalendar API/api/calendar/events
Create eventBOOK keywordBOOK "Meeting" AT datetime
Calendar viewCalendar range queryDate-filtered event retrieval
Free/busy lookupAvailability APISchedule availability

Schedule appointments conversationally:

TALK "When would you like to schedule your appointment?"
HEAR appointment_time AS DATE
BOOK "Consultation" AT appointment_time
TALK "Your appointment is confirmed for " + FORMAT(appointment_time, "MMMM d 'at' h:mm a")

Files and Storage

Cloud storage APIs handle file operations, versioning, and sharing. SeaweedFS provides S3-compatible storage with full versioning support.

Enterprise APIGeneral Bots EquivalentImplementation
List filesLIST keywordLIST "/documents/"
File listingDrive API/api/files/list
File contentREAD keywordcontent = READ "file.pdf"
File versionsVersions API/api/files/versions
PermissionsSharing APIPermission management

File operations in BASIC:

files = LIST "/reports/"
FOR EACH file IN files
    content = READ file.path
    processed = LLM "Summarize this document: " + content
    WRITE "/summaries/" + file.name + ".summary.txt", processed
NEXT file

Tasks and Planning

Task management APIs create, update, and track work items. General Bots implements a complete task system with project organization.

Enterprise APIGeneral Bots EquivalentImplementation
Tasks endpointTasks API/api/tasks
Task listsTask listsBoard-based organization
Create taskCREATE TASK keywordTask creation
Task detailsTask CRUDFull task lifecycle

Create tasks from conversations:

TALK "What task should I create?"
HEAR task_title

TALK "When is it due?"
HEAR due_date AS DATE

CREATE TASK task_title DUE due_date
TALK "Task created: " + task_title

Users and Directory

User management APIs handle identity, groups, and permissions. Zitadel provides enterprise-grade IAM with OIDC/OAuth2.

Enterprise APIGeneral Bots EquivalentImplementation
Users endpointUsers API/api/users
Current userCurrent userSession context
GroupsGroups API/api/groups
DirectoryDirectory APIZitadel directory
MembershipsMembership APIGroup memberships

Automation and Workflows

Cloud automation platforms provide flow-based workflow design. General Bots offers BASIC scripting with more power and flexibility.

Cloud AutomationGeneral Bots EquivalentAdvantage
Scheduled flowsSET SCHEDULECron syntax, unlimited
HTTP triggersWEBHOOKInstant API creation
ConnectorsGET, POST, GraphQLAny REST/GraphQL API
ConditionsIF/THEN/ELSEFull programming logic
LoopsFOR EACHNative iteration
Data operationsTABLE, INSERT, UPDATEDirect database access

A workflow that would require a visual designer elsewhere becomes simple BASIC:

SET SCHEDULE "0 9 * * 1-5"

' Daily sales report - runs weekdays at 9 AM
sales = AGGREGATE "orders", "SUM", "total", "date = TODAY()"
count = AGGREGATE "orders", "COUNT", "id", "date = TODAY()"

SET CONTEXT "You are a business analyst. Create a brief executive summary."
summary = LLM "Sales: $" + sales + ", Orders: " + count

SEND MAIL TO "executives@company.com" SUBJECT "Daily Sales Report" BODY summary

AI and Intelligence

Cloud AI assistants typically require additional per-user licensing. General Bots includes AI capabilities at no extra cost.

Cloud AI FeatureGeneral Bots EquivalentAdvantage
AI AssistantLLM keywordFree (bring your API key)
Document analysisUSE KB + LLMBuilt-in RAG
Image generationIMAGE keywordLocal generation available
Speech-to-textHEAR AS AUDIOWhisper integration
Text-to-speechAUDIO keywordTTS models
Vision/OCRSEE keywordVision models

AI integration is native:

USE KB "product-docs"
SET CONTEXT "You are a helpful product specialist."

TALK "How can I help you today?"
HEAR question
response = LLM question
TALK response

Feature Parity Matrix

Core Services

Service CategoryEnterprise CloudGeneral BotsStatus
EmailCloud mail serviceStalwart Mail✅ Complete
CalendarCloud calendarCalDAV + Calendar API✅ Complete
FilesCloud storageSeaweedFS✅ Complete
VideoCloud meetingsLiveKit✅ Complete
ChatCloud messagingMulti-channel✅ Complete
TasksCloud tasksTasks Module✅ Complete
IdentityCloud identityZitadel✅ Complete
SearchCloud searchQdrant Vectors✅ Semantic

Automation

CapabilityCloud PlatformGeneral BotsStatus
Scheduled tasksScheduled flowsSET SCHEDULE✅ Complete
WebhooksHTTP triggersWEBHOOK✅ Complete
API callsConnectorsHTTP keywords✅ Flexible
Custom logicExpressionsFull BASIC✅ Powerful
DatabaseCloud datastoreDirect SQL✅ Direct
PricingPer-user feesIncluded✅ Free

AI Capabilities

FeatureCloud AI (extra cost)General BotsStatus
Chat assistanceLLM keyword✅ Included
Document Q&AUSE KB + RAG✅ Included
Code generationLLM with context✅ Included
Image generationLimitedIMAGE keyword✅ Full
Video generationVIDEO keyword✅ Available
Custom modelsAny provider✅ Flexible

Cost Comparison

Typical Per-User Cloud Licensing

License TierMonthly Cost100 Users/Year
Basic$6/user$7,200
Standard$12.50/user$15,000
Premium$22/user$26,400
+ AI features$30/user$36,000
Total Premium + AI$52/user$62,400

General Bots Self-Hosted

ComponentMonthly CostNotes
Software$0AGPL licensed
Infrastructure$50-200Your servers
LLM API (optional)$50-500Pay per use
Total$100-700Unlimited users

For 100 users, General Bots costs roughly 1-2% of typical cloud licensing while providing equivalent or better functionality.

Migration Approach

Phase 1: Assessment

Inventory current service usage and map to General Bots equivalents. Most organizations find complete feature coverage for core productivity scenarios.

Phase 2: Parallel Deployment

Run General Bots alongside existing services during transition. Configure identity federation between Zitadel and existing directory services.

Phase 3: Data Migration

Use provided migration tools and APIs:

' Example: Migrate files from external storage
files = GET "https://api.storage.example/files"
FOR EACH file IN files
    content = DOWNLOAD file.url
    WRITE "/" + file.name, content
NEXT file

Phase 4: Cutover

Redirect DNS, update client configurations, and deprecate cloud subscriptions.

What You Gain

Data Sovereignty - Your data stays on your infrastructure. No third-party access, no cross-border data concerns.

Cost Control - Predictable infrastructure costs instead of per-user licensing that scales with your organization.

Customization - Full source code access. Modify, extend, and integrate as needed.

AI Integration - Native LLM support without additional licensing. Use any provider or run models locally.

Automation Power - BASIC scripting provides more flexibility than visual flow builders with no per-automation limits.

No Vendor Lock-in - Open standards (IMAP, CalDAV, S3, OIDC) mean your data is always portable.

Migration Resources

General Bots provides tools and documentation for smooth migration:

  • Import utilities for common data formats
  • API compatibility layers for gradual transition
  • Identity federation for single sign-on during migration
  • Data validation tools to verify migration completeness

Summary

General Bots delivers enterprise productivity features without enterprise pricing:

  • 100% API coverage for core productivity services
  • Self-hosted deployment with full data sovereignty
  • No per-user licensing fees
  • Native AI integration without additional cost
  • More powerful automation with BASIC scripting
  • Open source with full code access

The choice between cloud and self-hosted depends on organizational priorities. For those valuing control, cost efficiency, and customization, General Bots delivers enterprise-grade productivity without enterprise-grade pricing.

See Also