Prioritise EU-Centric Operations for Digital Sovereignty

True digital sovereignty requires that your data is subject only to EU laws, a principle many businesses now demand. Storing data with a provider headquartered and operating exclusively within the EU eliminates exposure to foreign legislation like the CLOUD Act. This ensures your data remains under the strict privacy protections of GDPR. Choosing a provider with EU-only data centers is the first step toward genuine compliance. A European object storage provider guarantees that data governance aligns with regional legal frameworks from day one. This foundation is critical for building a secure and compliant data strategy in 2025.

Demand Comprehensive S3 API Compatibility

Full S3 API compatibility is non-negotiable for a seamless transition to a new cloud enterprise object storage provider. The S3 API has become the industry standard, with dozens of European providers offering compatibility. Your chosen provider must support advanced capabilities like versioning, lifecycle management, and event notifications to ensure your existing tools and scripts continue to function without modification. This protects your past investments in workflows and applications, reducing migration risk by over 90%. An enterprise-grade S3 API ensures that your operations maintain consistency and performance. This compatibility is the bedrock of a flexible, multi-cloud-ready infrastructure.

Adopt an 'Always-Hot' Architecture Over Complex Tiering

Complex storage tiers often introduce unexpected costs and delays, with restore times that can exceed 8 hours. An “Always-Hot” object storage model ensures all data is immediately accessible, eliminating restore fees and operational complexity. This approach provides strong read/write consistency and predictable latencies, which are essential for mixed workloads. This model simplifies operations for at least 3 out of 4 common use cases, including backup, analytics, and archiving. By avoiding fragile tiering policies, you ensure your third-party tools and recovery processes remain stable and efficient. This architectural choice directly supports business continuity and audit readiness.

Verify Security Credentials and Regulatory Readiness

Your provider's security posture must align with stringent EU regulations, including the upcoming NIS-2 directive. Look for providers operating in ISO 27001-certified data centers, a standard met by numerous top-tier facilities in Germany and across Europe. For German public sector or health data, a BSI C5 attestation is often a mandatory requirement. Here are key security features to verify:

• Multi-layer encryption for data in transit and at rest.
• Immutable Storage with Object Lock for ransomware protection.
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) with MFA and RBAC.
• Support for external identity providers via SAML/OIDC.
• Country-level geofencing to enforce data residency.

A provider with these verifiable credentials reduces compliance risk by more than 50%. This proactive approach to security prepares your organization for evolving regulations like NIS-2, which mandates continuous security processes and supply-chain assurance.

Insist on a Transparent and Predictable Economic Model

Unpredictable costs are a major pain point for 8 out of 10 cloud customers, driven by hidden charges for data egress and API calls. A transparent pricing model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration is essential for predictable budgeting. The EU Data Act will begin to phase out egress fees starting in 2025 to prevent vendor lock-in. This transparent model can reduce total cost of ownership by up to 80% compared to traditional providers. A cost-effective AWS S3 alternative allows for better financial planning and frees up resources for innovation. This economic clarity is a significant competitive advantage.

Ensure Portability in Line with the EU Data Act

Starting September 12, 2025, the EU Data Act will enforce data portability and interoperability by design. Your cloud enterprise object storage provider must facilitate easy data migration, including metadata, versions, and access information. This regulation aims to give you a real exit path, strengthening your negotiation power and preventing vendor lock-in. Providers aligned with the Data Act must enable data transfers to another provider within a 30-day window. Choosing a provider committed to open standards ensures your long-term freedom of action. This readiness demonstrates a partner's commitment to a fair and open digital market.

Seek a Partner-Ready Platform for the Channel

For Managed Service Providers (MSPs), a partner-centric platform is crucial for profitability and operational efficiency. A predictable cost model with zero egress or API fees allows MSPs to build services with stable, defensible margins. Key features for partners include:

1. A multi-tenant console with robust role-based access control (RBAC).
2. Automation capabilities via a comprehensive API and CLI.
3. Detailed reporting for billing and client management.
4. Fast and simple onboarding processes, often completed in under 24 hours.

A strong channel program can increase an MSP's profitability on backup-as-a-service offerings by over 30%. Recent distribution agreements with partners like Northamber plc in the UK expand local access for resellers. This focus on the channel ecosystem is a clear indicator of a mature and supportive managed S3 storage provider.

Begin Your Transition to a Sovereign Cloud

Migrating to a sovereign cloud enterprise object storage provider is a practical step toward securing your data and future-proofing your IT strategy. Start by identifying data subject to GDPR and other EU regulations. Next, assess your current S3-compatible tools and confirm their functionality with the new provider. Finally, perform a test migration and restore to validate your processes. A well-planned migration can be completed with zero downtime for over 95% of applications. Taking these steps ensures you gain the advantages of object storage while achieving full compliance and cost control. Talk to an expert today to plan your migration.