Build vs. Buy: How We Saved $6,000 and Gained Full Ownership
A Microsoft subsidiary quoted $6,000 to configure our cloud and network infrastructure. We politely declined — and built it ourselves.
The Offer
On December 23, 2025, a Microsoft subsidiary — Valeo Networks — presented a proposal to configure the cloud and networking infrastructure for MMDM's digital system. The quote: $6,000.
The scope covered cloud account setup and network configuration. For an organization starting from scratch with no dedicated IT staff, the offer had surface appeal. Someone else would handle the complexity.
Why We Said No
The MMDM president is a former Microsoft employee with direct infrastructure experience. When we reviewed the proposal together, the conclusion was straightforward: this was work we could do ourselves — with someone who understood the organization's specific needs better than any outside contractor would.
There was also a structural concern. Contracting out the foundational configuration would create a vendor dependency at the base of the system. Any future change, extension, or troubleshooting would require going back to an external party. Building in-house meant full ownership from the start.
What We Built Instead
The cloud infrastructure — Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and the Azure portal — was stood up independently using MMDM's nonprofit licensing. The $6,000 stayed in the budget.
The decision is documented as a Key Decision on the Build page. The principle it encodes applies beyond this project: organizational knowledge beats contracted expertise when the capability exists in-house. That held true here, and it shaped every subsequent infrastructure choice on this project.