SUE is a Dutch cloud partner that helps organizations reduce their dependence on a single cloud provider. For each workload, we determine whether it should stay on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud with your own keys; move to a sovereign cloud or a European provider; or move to your own infrastructure on OpenStack or Kubernetes. Every choice comes with an exit plan.
In our conversations, it rarely starts with the concept of a sovereign cloud. It starts with one of these triggers.
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Software vendors that serve government and healthcare customers face requirements on data location and jurisdiction in tenders.
More for software vendors02
The regulator wants to know which suppliers you rely on. DORA requires an exit strategy for critical ICT services that you can actually execute.
03
The contract is expiring, and the bill is going up. Starting 12 January 2027, cloud providers will no longer be allowed to charge switching fees.
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You want to run models on customer or design data that cannot be stored with a U.S. provider.
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A failover environment at the same provider doesn't help if that provider itself goes down.
A sovereign cloud is a cloud environment in which you determine where your data is stored, who holds the keys, who manages it, and which laws govern it.
A European region of a U.S. provider only handles the first part. The CLOUD Act can require such a provider to disclose data, even if it is located in Europe.
Digital sovereignty is a broader concept. It also involves your software, your identity management, and the knowledge within your team: can you take those with you when you switch?
For many workloads, an EU region with your own keys and a tested exit plan is sufficient. Moving away takes time; you give up managed services, and your team will have to learn a new platform. If the risk doesn’t justify that, we advise staying and preparing the exit. The roadmap then says so.
Vendor lock-in rarely occurs at the server level. It occurs in the layers above it. Operating completely independently of providers is expensive, so decide for each layer which dependencies you’re willing to accept and write down how you would get out.
01
Where you're stuck: proprietary databases, serverless functions, AI services, and message queues from a single provider. Switching: difficult. What helps: making informed choices for each service, and opting for open-source alternatives when the service isn't worth it.
02
Where you're stuck: permissions and roles in AWS IAM or Microsoft Entra ID, linked to all other services. Switching: difficult. What helps: designing identity management separately from the workload and defining roles as code.
03
Where you're stuck: large datasets and the costs of transferring them out (egress). Switching: moderate to difficult. What helps: open formats, testing the export annually. The Data Act limits switching charges.
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Where you're stuck: templates that only work with a single provider. Kubernetes also locks you in, through storage classes, load balancers, and its integration with IAM. Switching: moderate. What helps: Infrastructure as Code with provider-agnostic tooling.
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Where you're stuck: a team that only knows one provider, and a multi-year purchase commitment. Switching: moderate. What helps: an exit plan that outlines the steps and costs, and a contract term that aligns with that plan.
What an exit plan includesYou don’t have to choose just one route. Most organizations end up with a mix: sensitive data closer to home, and the rest with a hyperscaler. SUE carries out migrations using all four routes. To find out which European providers are available and what they offer, read “Saying Goodbye to the Big 3: Why European Cloud Providers Are a Serious Alternative.”
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Applies when data must be stored in the EU, but a foreign jurisdiction is not strictly prohibited. You give up no services. The CLOUD Act risk remains, but using your own keys mitigates it. Remaining lock-in: high, but manageable with an exit plan.
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For example, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. It’s a good fit if you want the services of a hyperscaler, managed by EU residents. You give up services and regions, and new features arrive later. It’s a separate environment: you migrate to it. The resulting lock-in is high.
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Such as STACKIT, OVHcloud, Scaleway, IONOS, or Leaseweb. Suitable if a European jurisdiction is required and your workloads are standard: VMs, Kubernetes, object storage. You give up managed services and do more yourself. Remaining lock-in: low to moderate.
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On OpenStack, Apache CloudStack, or Kubernetes. A good fit if you want full control or have heavy workloads with predictable load. You sacrifice elasticity and are responsible for hardware and operations, either yourself or through a managed services partner. Remaining lock-in: low.
Have your legal counsel or privacy officer review the legal assessment.
You can read more about the rules in the Cloud Migration guide and the cloud security guide.
SUE is a partner of AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as Red Hat and SUSE. We also handle migrations to European providers. That is precisely why we document the trade-offs for each workload in the assessment, so you can evaluate them yourself.
SUE focuses on infrastructure, platforms, and applications, not on the workplace: we are not the right partner for Microsoft 365, email, and collaboration.
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In just one week, you'll know, for each data domain, where your data is located, which laws it is subject to, and where you are locked in.
More about the assessment02
For each workload, a route and an exit plan with the order and cost of a switch.
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We migrate in waves, so you can test each step before the next one begins.
More about Cloud Migration04
We then manage the platform, also at a European provider or on your own infrastructure.
More about Managed KubernetesThis is how SUE handled it at NXP and SIDN.
SUE is a Dutch cloud native solutions partner that modernizes mission-critical applications, reduces cloud costs, and manages your platform. Specialists in Linux, Kubernetes, and the cloud.
29+
Years Experience
150+
Engineers and consultants
1.150+
Certifications
ISO
9001 & 27001
500+
Projects
75+
Research papersPlease let us know what data and workloads are involved. We'll define the scope and schedule the assessment.
Please let us know what data and workloads are involved. We'll define the scope and schedule the assessment.
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