The European Commission is reportedly in advanced discussions with French cloud service provider OVHcloud to transition its cloud services away from Microsoft. This move underscores the EU's growing emphasis on digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on non-European technology providers.
According to sources cited by Euractiv, the Commission aims to set a precedent by selecting a European cloud provider to replace Microsoft. OVHcloud has confirmed these discussions, stating that they are engaged with both the Commission and other public and private institutions evaluating migrations to a sovereign cloud. However, the Commission is also exploring options with other European cloud providers, including Germany's IONOS, France’s Scaleway, and Italy’s Aruba.
This development aligns with a broader European trend toward digital autonomy. For instance, Denmark's Minister of Digitization, Caroline Stage, announced plans to phase out Microsoft's services, replacing Windows with Linux and Office 365 with LibreOffice for half of the department's employees.
The push for European-based digital services has intensified following geopolitical shifts, including the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. European leaders have expressed concerns over the dominance of American tech companies and the continent's dependency on their services. This sentiment is driving efforts to bolster European alternatives and safeguard digital infrastructure and data sovereignty.
In response to these concerns, Microsoft has made commitments to protect its European operations. Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, stated that the company would contest any U.S. government orders to cease cloud services to European customers, even taking legal action if necessary. Additionally, Microsoft plans to expand its European data center capacity by 40% over the next two years, investing tens of billions of dollars across 16 countries.
Despite these assurances, European cloud providers have raised antitrust concerns. In 2022, OVHcloud, along with other European companies, filed a complaint against Microsoft, alleging that its licensing practices favored its own Azure cloud services, thereby hindering competition. Microsoft has since adjusted its cloud licensing terms to address some of these concerns and avoid further EU antitrust scrutiny.
The European Commission's potential shift to OVHcloud reflects a strategic effort to promote competition and reduce dependency on non-European cloud services. As discussions continue, the outcome could significantly influence the European cloud computing landscape and the broader digital sovereignty agenda.
Source: Cybernews https://cybernews.com/news/european-commission-mulls-ovhcloud-microsoft/