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Storing critical backup data with providers subject to the US CLOUD Act creates significant compliance risks for over 70% of UK businesses. Standard S3-compatible storage often comes with unpredictable egress fees, which can account for 15% of a total cloud bill. A truly sovereign Commvault Metallic alternative requires a new approach: one based in Europe, immune to foreign data requests, and built on a predictable cost model. Impossible Cloud offers S3-compatible object storage operated exclusively from European data centers, providing UK businesses with a secure, compliant, and cost-effective platform for ransomware protection and and disaster recovery.
Key Takeaways
- A true sovereign Commvault alternative for the UK must be European-owned and operated to fully mitigate US CLOUD Act risks.
- Full S3 API compatibility is essential for a seamless migration from other cloud targets, ensuring no changes to existing backup jobs or scripts.
- Eliminating egress fees and API call costs provides predictable budgeting for backup, archiving, and disaster recovery operations.
Escape US CLOUD Act Exposure for UK Data
The US CLOUD Act of 2018 grants US authorities extraterritorial access to data held by American companies, regardless of the server's location. This presents a direct conflict with UK and EU GDPR, which mandates stringent protections for personal data. For businesses using Commvault, this means backups stored with US-owned cloud providers are potentially exposed, even if held in UK data centers. A genuine commvault metallic alternative uk sovereign solution must eliminate this risk entirely.
Impossible Cloud is a European company, meaning all data is governed exclusively by UK law, providing 100% legal certainty. Our infrastructure resides in certified European data centers, with strict country-level geofencing to guarantee UK data residency. This sovereign-by-design architecture ensures your backup data is shielded from foreign government access requests, a critical requirement for regulated industries. This approach moves beyond simple residency to deliver true jurisdictional control.
Achieve Full S3 Compatibility Without Code Rewrites
Migrating backup targets can introduce significant operational risk and require costly engineering effort. A viable Commvault Metallic alternative must offer seamless integration. Full S3 API compatibility is the key, as it allows your existing backup jobs, scripts, and automation to work without a single code change. This protects your past IT investments and reduces migration time from weeks to just hours.
Our platform delivers 100% S3 API compatibility, covering not just basic operations but advanced features your workflows depend on. Here is what that enables:
- Point your existing Commvault S3 target to the new Impossible Cloud endpoint.
- Utilise your current SDKs and CLI tools without modification.
- Maintain all versioning, lifecycle management, and event notification policies.
- Ensure business continuity with zero disruption to your established backup and recovery pipelines.
This level of compatibility makes switching your enterprise cloud storage a simple configuration update, not a complex IT project.
Implement Immutable Ransomware Protection
Ransomware attacks in 2025 increasingly target backup repositories to prevent recovery, making immutable storage a baseline requirement. Impossible Cloud provides S3 Object Lock, a feature that makes your backup data unchangeable and undeletable for a specified period. This creates a WORM (Write-Once-Read-Many) state, providing a guaranteed clean recovery point after an attack. This capability is a core pillar of a modern 3-2-1 or 4-2-2 backup strategy.
The UK NIS Regulations, which affects many UK businesses serving the EU, mandates robust cybersecurity measures, including supply chain security and the use of encryption. Our platform helps you meet these obligations with multi-layer encryption and Immutable / Object Lock for audit-ready retention. By integrating an immutable storage UK solution, you build a resilient defence that aligns with emerging European cybersecurity standards. This proactive stance strengthens your entire security posture.
Eliminate Unpredictable Egress Fees and API Costs
Hyperscale cloud providers often charge significant egress fees for moving data out of their network, which can add 10-15% to monthly cloud bills. These unpredictable costs make budgeting for disaster recovery drills or data migrations nearly impossible. A superior commvault metallic alternative uk sovereign platform must offer a transparent and predictable economic model. We have eliminated these punitive charges entirely.
Impossible Cloud's pricing is predictable by design, with three key guarantees:
- Zero egress fees: Access your data as often as needed without penalty.
- Zero API call costs: Run your backup and restore operations without worrying about request charges.
- No minimum storage duration: Pay only for the storage you use, for as long as you use it.
This model aligns with the spirit of the EU Data Act, which takes effect from September 2025 and aims to prevent vendor lock-in by ensuring data portability. Our transparent economics give you the freedom to manage your data without financial constraints.
Leverage a Partner-Ready Platform Built for the UK Channel
For Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and resellers, predictable margins are essential for building profitable Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings. Our partner-first model provides the tools and commercial stability needed to succeed. The absence of egress and API fees means you can offer competitive, fixed-price services to your clients, with margins you can count on every month. This is a key differentiator when building a service on top of a secure cloud backup platform.
We are expanding our UK presence to better serve our partners. In 2025, we established a partnership with our first UK distributor, Northamber plc, providing local access and support for resellers and system integrators. Our multi-tenant partner console simplifies management with features like role-based access control (RBAC), MFA, and consolidated reporting, enabling fast and secure client onboarding. This commitment to the channel makes us a strong choice for your next UK storage destination.
Prepare for Future UK Regulations Today
The UK regulatory landscape is evolving, with two key directives strengthening data governance. The EU Data Act, applicable from September 2025, mandates interoperability and simplifies switching between cloud providers to eliminate lock-in. The UK NIS Regulations requires stronger, documented cybersecurity processes and supply-chain assurance for critical sectors. Choosing a compliant storage partner is no longer optional; it is a core business requirement.
Our platform is built to meet these future standards today. By providing a fully S3-compatible, EU-sovereign service with no egress fees, we deliver on the Data Act's promise of portability. Our robust security architecture, including immutable storage and multi-layer encryption, aligns directly with the resilience standards of UK NIS Regulations. Partnering with us ensures your backup infrastructure is not just compliant for today, but ready for the regulations of tomorrow, protecting you from the risks of the US CLOUD Act.
More Links
techUK discusses the implications of data sovereignty for the UK public sector.
gov.uk provides guidance on multi-region cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS) for government use.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) deals with cloud-based services for the public sector, likely focusing on data protection and compliance.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) offers guidance on cloud computing for organizations, focusing on data protection.
Eurostat presents statistics on the use of cloud computing by enterprises in Europe.
Destatis provides statistical data on cloud computing usage by enterprises in Germany.




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