Proton started as a physics project. In 2013, a group of CERN researchers in Geneva created an encrypted email service because they wanted to communicate on science no-one else could read. By 2026, Proton AG is a Geneva-based company offering a full privacy-first suite for individuals and businesses — email (Proton Mail), Drive, Calendar, VPN, a password manager (Proton Pass) and collaborative documents (Proton Docs). The structural difference from every other productivity suite: end-to-end encryption means Proton itself cannot read your email or files. Not in practice — structurally.
What Proton for Business includes
- Proton Mail — professional email with your domain, end-to-end encrypted between Proton Mail users, zero-access encryption for all stored messages
- Proton Drive — encrypted cloud file storage; zero-access encryption means Proton cannot decrypt your files even under legal compulsion
- Proton Calendar — private calendar with end-to-end encrypted event details
- Proton VPN — business-grade VPN with a strict no-logs policy and Swiss law jurisdiction
- Proton Pass — password manager with end-to-end encrypted vault and team sharing
- Proton Docs — early-stage collaborative documents built on the same encrypted infrastructure
- Admin Console — user management, domain configuration and security policy for business accounts
What end-to-end encryption actually changes
With Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or kSuite, your email and files are encrypted in transit and at rest — but the provider holds the keys. If served with a legal order, they can (and do) hand over decrypted content. This is the normal model for cloud email and it is what most businesses should use for most purposes.
Proton's model is different. End-to-end encryption means private keys are generated and held on your device, never transmitted to Proton. Proton sees only encrypted ciphertext. When a law enforcement agency serves Proton with a data request — under Swiss law, through proper judicial process — they receive encrypted data they cannot read. For communications where content must remain confidential regardless of what happens to the provider, this is a meaningful structural difference.
Switzerland and legal jurisdiction
Proton is incorporated in Geneva — the same jurisdiction as kSuite's parent Infomaniak. Swiss law governs data access requests, requiring a judicial order through Swiss courts. There is no equivalent to a US National Security Letter under Swiss law. Switzerland's FADP holds EU adequacy. And Swiss professional secrecy law — covering lawyers, doctors, financial advisors and journalists — provides additional protection for professionals in those sectors. For a law firm, medical practice, financial advisory or journalism organisation, the jurisdictional difference between Swiss and US-hosted email is professionally material.
Business plans
- Proton Business: from approximately €6.99/user/month — custom domain email, Drive, Calendar, VPN, Admin Console
- Proton Business Plus: from approximately €9.99/user/month — adds additional storage, priority support, advanced admin controls
When Proton for Business makes sense
- Legal professionals handling privileged client communications
- Medical practices with patient data subject to professional confidentiality obligations
- Financial advisors and investment firms handling sensitive client information
- Journalists and media organisations with source protection obligations
- Executives handling sensitive M&A, negotiation or strategic communications
- Any business that has assessed its communication risk profile and determined the encryption architecture matters for specific workflows
When to choose kSuite or Microsoft 365 instead
Proton for Business is not a full productivity suite. There is no native equivalent to Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Proton Docs is early-stage and not a replacement for collaborative document workflows. The suite depth of kSuite or Microsoft 365 — video, persistent chat, full office apps, mature admin tooling — is substantially greater.
For most businesses, kSuite (Swiss-hosted, privacy-forward, full collaboration suite) is the right daily driver, with Proton used for a specific subset of communication that needs zero-access encryption. The two work alongside each other — different email domains, different security models, used by context. That is how we recommend structuring it for clients with elevated confidentiality requirements.
Solvetus configures and manages Proton for Business
We configure Proton for Business for clients, including domain setup, DNS and MX configuration, user provisioning, security policy and integration guidance. We advise on when Proton should be the primary suite and when it should complement kSuite or Microsoft 365.
Frequently asked questions
- What is zero-access encryption and why does it matter?
- Zero-access encryption means encryption keys are generated on your device and never sent to the server. Proton stores only encrypted ciphertext — data they cannot decrypt even if compelled. This is different from 'encrypted at rest,' where the provider holds the keys and can decrypt on demand. Zero-access encryption means no-one except you and your intended recipient can read the content — not Proton, not authorities who compel Proton, not an attacker who breaches Proton's servers.
- Can we keep our existing email domain with Proton?
- Yes. Proton Mail for Business supports your existing @yourcompany.com domain. You update your MX records to point to Proton's servers and your email addresses remain the same. External contacts see no difference.
- Does Proton Mail work with standard email clients like Outlook?
- Yes, with Proton Mail Bridge — a local application that translates between Proton's encrypted protocol and standard IMAP/SMTP, allowing Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird to connect. End-to-end encryption is maintained when using the bridge.
- Is Proton GDPR compliant?
- Yes. Proton is headquartered in Switzerland, which holds EU adequacy under GDPR. Proton provides a Data Processing Agreement for business customers. The encryption architecture means that even under a data breach scenario, customer data is ciphertext — providing additional practical protection beyond standard GDPR compliance.
- Can we use Proton alongside Microsoft 365 or kSuite?
- Yes, and this is often the right architecture. Use Microsoft 365 or kSuite for daily collaboration — chat, video, shared drives, calendar. Use a Proton Mail domain for specific communication categories that need zero-access encryption: sensitive client email, legal correspondence, executive communications. Both systems run in parallel under different email domains.