Overview
- AWS activated its European Sovereign Cloud in Potsdam, describing it as physically and logically separate with no critical dependencies outside the EU and the ability to operate if external connections are cut.
- Operations are restricted to EU-resident staff, all data remains within the EU, and AWS touts encryption designed to prevent even its own employees from accessing customer data.
- Amazon and Brandenburg officials outlined more than €7.8 billion in planned investment in Germany, projecting about 2,800 jobs and an estimated €17.2 billion GDP contribution, with leased capacity used before new data centers are built.
- SAP will provide its SAP Sovereign Cloud on the new platform, with service firms including Capgemini, Accenture and Adesso supporting the ecosystem.
- Germany’s digital minister and the BSI president welcomed the launch while pledging oversight, as critics question dependence on upstream software updates and exposure to U.S. laws such as the Cloud Act; EU rulemaking on cybersecurity and cloud/AI is expected to advance in the coming weeks.