The Microsoft Sovereign Cloud programme will offer three options: Sovereign Public Cloud, Sovereign Private Cloud and National Partner Clouds, each of which guarantees data storage in Europe and compliance with local legislation.
The Sovereign Public Cloud, which will be deployed in all Microsoft data centres in Europe, will cover key services including Azure, Microsoft 365 and Power Platform.
The company emphasises that customer data will remain under the control of European personnel, and encryption will be fully managed by customers. Sovereign Private Cloud is designed to work with hybrid and isolated environments, offering on-premises solutions for Azure and Microsoft 365.
Special attention is being paid to National Partner Clouds, partner cloud platforms in France and Germany. In France, Microsoft is collaborating with a joint venture between Orange and Capgemini, and in Germany with SAP subsidiary Delos Cloud. These initiatives are designed to meet the stringent requirements of the public sector and critical infrastructure.
Microsoft’s new move reflects growing demand for sovereign cloud solutions in Europe, where companies are seeking to avoid risks associated with US jurisdiction.
Earlier, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company was ready to defend the interests of European customers in court. CEO Satya Nadella emphasised Microsoft’s long-term commitment to the European market, where the company has been operating for over 40 years.
The trend towards cloud sovereignty is also supported by other tech giants, including Google Cloud, AWS and Oracle. The latter, in particular, predicts a large-scale transition to national cloud platforms in the coming years.
