Microsoft has unveiled new details about its European cloud sovereignty initiative, confirming that customer data will remain within the region and comply with European laws. The tech giant’s Microsoft Sovereign Cloud offering will provide enterprises across Europe with three distinct options: Sovereign Public Cloud, Sovereign Private Cloud, and National Partner Clouds.
The Sovereign Public Cloud service will be available in all existing European data center regions and will apply to core enterprise services including Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Security, and Power Platform. This represents an “evolution and expansion” of Microsoft’s Cloud for Sovereignty service. According to Microsoft, Sovereign Public Cloud ensures that customer data stays in Europe, is governed by European law, and is operated and accessed by European personnel, with encryption fully controlled by customers.
Key Features of Microsoft Sovereign Cloud
- Sovereign Public Cloud: Available in all European data center regions, applicable to Azure, Microsoft 365, and other core services
- Sovereign Private Cloud: Designed for protecting workloads in Azure Local and Microsoft 365 Local, integrated with on-prem infrastructure services
- National Partner Clouds: Collaborations with local partners in France and Germany to provide independently owned and operated cloud environments
Microsoft emphasizes that the Sovereign Public Cloud is “enabled for all customer workloads running in our European data center regions” without requiring migration. The Sovereign Private Cloud option is tailored for scenarios where certain workloads must run in a physical environment under full customer control, supporting business continuity and risk mitigation.
Expansion of National Partner Clouds
Microsoft is also expanding its National Partner Clouds in France and Germany. In France, the company will partner with Bleu (a joint venture between Orange and Capgemini) to operate a “cloud de confiance” for public sector organizations and critical infrastructure providers. In Germany, Microsoft will collaborate with Delos Cloud, an SAP subsidiary, to run a sovereign cloud designed to meet the German government’s Cloud Platform Requirements.
Industry Context
This move is part of a broader trend among major tech providers to enhance cloud sovereignty in Europe. Concerns over US data access and overreach have driven this industry-wide push. Other major cloud providers like Google Cloud, AWS, and Oracle have also been ramping up their sovereign cloud services in response to similar concerns.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Europe during the AI Tour in Amsterdam, stating, “We’ve operated in Europe for more than 40 years – and we have been and always will be a steadfast partner to Europe.” The new Microsoft Sovereign Cloud initiative aims to offer the most comprehensive set of sovereignty solutions for European customers across different cloud deployment models.
