On-Premise LMS. Deployed Inside Your Network.

A complete learning platform installed on your own servers or private cloud. Learner data never leaves your environment, and the source code is yours.

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    On-premise LMS deployment

    A learning platform that runs inside your own network

    Some organisations cannot put learner data in a vendor's cloud. Regulators forbid it, a data residency clause rules it out, or the security team will not approve an external system holding staff records. We deploy complete learning platforms on infrastructure you control, so training runs without anything leaving your environment.

    Deployment targets

    • Your own data centre
    • Your private cloud tenancy (AWS, Azure, GCP)
    • A sovereign or in-country cloud region
    • Isolated or air-gapped networks

    When on-premise is the requirement, not the preference

    Most organisations that ask for this are not making an architectural choice. Something external is forcing it.

    Data residency law

    GDPR, India's DPDP Act, Saudi PDPL, UAE data protection rules and similar regimes restrict where personal data may be stored and processed. Learner records are personal data.

    Contractual obligation

    Government, defence and large enterprise contracts often prohibit subcontractor-held data outright, regardless of what the law allows.

    Security policy

    An internal policy that no third party holds employee records, or a vendor risk process that a SaaS platform cannot pass. Common in financial services and legal.

    Isolated networks

    Manufacturing plants, remote sites and secure facilities where the platform has to work without reliable internet access, or without any at all.

    What gets installed

    A full learning platform, not a cut-down version. Self-hosted deployment does not mean fewer features, it means the features run on your hardware.

    Built on a mature open-source core with our own theme, plugin suite and deployment tooling on top. No licence keys, no phone-home, no external service the platform depends on to function.

    Full course and learner management

    Course authoring and structure, enrolment rules, cohorts, completion certificates, automated reminders and expiry tracking.

    Internal identity integration

    Active Directory, LDAP, ADFS, Azure AD or Entra ID, Okta and SAML 2.0, connected over your internal network.

    User and role management

    Bulk import from your existing records, group and department hierarchy, and role-based curriculum assignment.

    Content standards

    SCORM 1.2 and 2004, xAPI and AICC. Existing course libraries import without rebuilding, and media is served from your own storage.

    Reporting and audit trail

    Completion and competency reporting, direct database access for your BI tools, and a change log your auditors can read.

    Multi-entity structure

    Separate portals per business unit, region or subsidiary, with delegated administration and isolated reporting.

    What your infrastructure team provides

    The most common reason an on-premise project stalls is an unclear handover between our engineers and the client's IT team. This is the list we send before week one, so that conversation happens early.

    Not sure whether your environment fits? Send us what you have and we will tell you plainly whether it works, what needs changing, and what it would cost.

    Server
    A Linux host, or Windows Server with IIS if that is your standard. We have deployed on both. Sizing depends on concurrent learners and whether video is served locally; we specify it during scoping rather than guessing.
    Database
    MySQL or PostgreSQL, either on the same host or on your existing managed database service.
    Storage
    File storage for course content and media. Object storage, NFS or local disk, depending on how your environment is built.
    Network and access
    SSL certificate, DNS entry, and either VPN or bastion access for our engineers during build. Access can be time-limited and revoked at handover.
    Identity
    Service account and endpoint details for your directory, plus whatever approvals your security team requires to issue them.
    Backup
    We configure application and database backups. Where they are stored and how long they are retained is your policy, not ours.

    Nothing leaves your environment

    The reason most organisations ask for on-premise in the first place. These are the four points a security review tends to test.

    No outbound dependency

    The platform does not call home, check a licence server, or send telemetry. It runs fully offline if your network requires it.

    No vendor-held data

    We hold no copy of your learner records. After handover, we have no standing access to the system unless you grant it for support.

    Scoped, revocable access

    Engineer access during build is named, time-limited and logged. Your team revokes it at go-live and reissues it only when support needs it.

    Contractual position

    Mutual NDA, full IP assignment to you, and source code delivered at handover. Your security team can review the code they are running.

    How a deployment runs

    An on-premise build takes the same four weeks as a hosted one, provided infrastructure and access are ready when we start. They usually are not, which is why week one is about your environment rather than ours.

    Air-gapped environments add time, because installation and updates move through your approved transfer process rather than over the network. We scope that separately.

    Week one

    Environment and access

    Infrastructure confirmed and provisioned, access approved by your security team, SSL and backups configured, base hardening applied.

    Week two

    Installation and branding

    Platform deployed on your host, theme matched to your brand, course structure and role hierarchy built out.

    Week three

    Identity and data

    Directory connected over your internal network, users imported, existing content and completion history migrated.

    Week four

    Testing, handover, go-live

    Reporting configured, admin training delivered, runbook handed to your IT team, user acceptance testing, then launch.

    What your team receives

    On-premise only works if the organisation running the server can actually operate it. Handover is a deliverable, not a formality.

    • Full source code and database schema
    • Deployment and provisioning scripts
    • An operations runbook for your infrastructure team: restart, backup, restore, upgrade and log locations
    • An administrator guide for your L&D team
    • A recorded admin training session
    • Integration documentation for each connected system

    After go-live

    Every deployment includes 60 days of post-launch support. After that, three routes, and all three are genuinely available because you hold the code:

    • Retained support with us. Most clients choose this. Defined response times, upgrades and ongoing development.
    • Your own IT team. The runbook and documentation are written for this, and we can train your engineers during the build.
    • A third party. Standard open-source foundation, documented code, no proprietary lock-in.

    Common questions

    The questions security teams and infrastructure leads ask before a scoping call.

    Higher upfront, lower over time. You pay once for the build plus whatever your own infrastructure costs, instead of a per-learner fee that renews annually and rises with headcount. For most organisations over a few hundred learners the crossover happens inside the first two years, and everything after that is saved.
    Yes. The platform has no outbound dependencies, so it functions on an isolated network. What changes is the process: installation media and updates move through whatever transfer process your security team approves, and some integrations that rely on external services will not be available. We identify those during scoping rather than at deployment.
    Your choice. Your infrastructure team can own the host entirely, with us supporting the application layer only. Or we can take a managed support agreement covering patching, upgrades and monitoring, with access granted through your normal vendor process. We document both models in the proposal so responsibilities are agreed before go-live rather than after an incident.
    Usually yes. Users, course structures and historical completion records migrate, which matters most in regulated settings where training history is audit evidence. Content in SCORM or xAPI transfers directly. Content built inside a vendor's proprietary authoring tool may need rebuilding, and we tell you which category yours falls into before you commit.
    Nothing. It runs on your infrastructure, with your code, and no licence that expires. This is usually the point that matters most to a vendor risk assessment: the platform is not exposed to our continued existence as a supplier.
    They can, and most do. Because you receive the source code, your team or an external auditor can review exactly what is running. We also complete vendor security questionnaires and can work to your change control process during the build. For GxP-regulated environments, validation documentation is a separate scoped engagement.
    Have a project to discuss?

    Schedule a call with our Founder and LMS Expert

    He leads both strategy and engineering, guiding our LMS development teams to deliver robust, scalable, and high-quality solutions that create real impact for our clients and partners.
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    Case studies

    Taking Back Ownership: Implementing a Multi-Tenant LMS for a Canadian Pharmacy Network

    A large Canadian pharmacy network was facing rising LMS license costs, limited Microsoft 365 integration, and no support for partner training. We helped them transition to a fully owned, multi-tenant LMS built on open-source technology. The new platform enabled deep Microsoft 365 integration, automated user onboarding, and scalable partner training.
    By taking back ownership of their LMS, the organization reduced recurring costs and gained a flexible foundation for long-term growth.
    LMS showing document library

    Start with a scoping conversation

    Tell us about your learner base and what your current platform can’t do. We’ll come back with a straight answer on cost, timeline, and fit.

      Useful to know: integrations you need, whether deployment must be on-premise, and any audit or accreditation date you are working toward.

      We reply within one working day. No sequence, no drip campaign, no sales development rep.

      What happens next

      We reply with questions, not a brochure. Usually two or three, aimed at working out whether this is worth your time.

      You get the licence maths. What you pay now against what an owned platform costs once, with the assumptions shown.

      Then a scoped proposal. Fixed price and fixed timeline for the base package, or a scope document for larger builds.

      1,500
      Per-seat licences removed for one client
      30 days
      Base package to go-live

      "The engagement eliminated recurring per-user LMS licensing costs and gave the client full control over the roadmap, features, and integrations. JustAddWater responded quickly and efficiently despite the time difference. Their flexibility and strong communication were commendable."

      Nathan · CareRx
      Source: Clutch.co

      Start with a scoping conversation

      Tell us about your learner base and what your current platform can’t do. We’ll come back with a straight answer on cost, timeline, and fit.

        Useful to know: integrations you need, whether deployment must be on-premise, and any audit or accreditation date you are working toward.

        We reply within one working day. No sequence, no drip campaign, no sales development rep.

        What happens next

        We reply with questions, not a brochure. Usually two or three, aimed at working out whether this is worth your time.

        You get the licence maths. What you pay now against what an owned platform costs once, with the assumptions shown.

        Then a scoped proposal. Fixed price and fixed timeline for the base package, or a scope document for larger builds.

        1,500
        Per-seat licences removed for one client
        30 days
        Base package to go-live

        "The engagement eliminated recurring per-user LMS licensing costs and gave the client full control over the roadmap, features, and integrations. JustAddWater responded quickly and efficiently despite the time difference. Their flexibility and strong communication were commendable."

        Nathan · CareRx
        Source: Clutch.co