Data sovereignty
When data crosses borders, so do the risks. Data sovereignty means staying in control of where your data lives, who can access it and under what legal conditions. Organizations turn to private cloud environments built on open source technology to protect that control. Designed for independence, aligned with European governance and ready for long-term continuity.
When access to your own data is no longer guaranteed
What happens when a cloud provider decides to cut off access? When geopolitical developments, sanctions or vendor policy changes interrupt your operations? Data sovereignty is not just a theoretical issue. Its implications are real, immediate and potentially devastating.
The bankruptcy of ATB Bank in 2024 is a telling example. Despite being financially healthy, the bank collapsed when cloud providers including Microsoft and AWS terminated access to essential systems. Their actions followed US sanctions but came without delay, cutting off email, applications and internal records. Critical data became unreachable. Operational control was lost. Legal and financial processes stalled. The consequence: full business failure due to a lack of data access.
This is what a lack of sovereignty can look like. Not a compliance violation, but a complete loss of continuity.
What is data sovereignty?
Data sovereignty means having full control over your digital environment, over where your data resides, who can access it, and under what conditions that access is maintained. It requires more than just compliance with laws like the GDPR or the CLOUD Act. It demands that your infrastructure is designed to remain independent, even in the face of external pressure.
Governance, accessibility and continuity are not guaranteed when using third-party cloud services. If a provider’s decision or a foreign legal process can override your access rights, your sovereignty is compromised.
How to stay in control
Data sovereignty is not a product or checkbox. It is a strategic choice, one that starts at the infrastructure level.
That is why we support organizations in building private cloud environments based entirely on open source software. With platforms like Kubernetes, Linux, OpenStack and Ceph, we help you:
- Avoid vendor lock-in and licensing dependencies
- Host data and workloads within trusted legal jurisdictions
- Maintain full visibility and access at all times
- Align your infrastructure with European governance standards
Success stories
The Danish Ministry of Children and Education transformed its IT infrastructure to reduce costs, eliminate vendor lock-in, and improve agility. With Fairbanks’ open-source expertise, the Ministry gained full control over its cloud environment, leading to faster service delivery, lower operational costs, and greater system stability. This shift positioned the Ministry as a leader in public-sector digital innovation, enhancing support for educators and students across Denmark.
The University of Luxembourg modernized its IT infrastructure with OpenStack to support high-performance computing and large-scale research. In collaboration with Fairbanks, the university improved scalability, automation, and resource efficiency while reducing costs and manual workload. The transformation enhanced agility, data security, and compliance, empowering cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary innovation.
SURF, the collaborative ICT organization for Dutch education and research, modernized its digital infrastructure to support high-performance computing, secure data management, and nationwide collaboration. With Fairbanks’ expertise, SURF enhanced scalability, security, and innovation, empowering institutions to share resources and accelerate research. The transformation improved efficiency, equity, and member engagement across the sector.
ODC-Noord modernized its IT infrastructure with scalable, secure cloud solutions to support Dutch government services. Thanks to Fairbanks, flexibility increased, security and compliance improved, and significant progress was made toward a CO₂-neutral data center operation. The efficiency and reliability of the service delivery improved noticeably.
Realtime Solutions transformed its IT infrastructure with OpenStack to enhance real-time performance for sectors such as logistics, finance, and telecom. Thanks to Fairbanks’ expertise, the company now benefits from a scalable, secure, and efficient cloud environment with low latency. This led to increased operational efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and a stronger competitive position.
VodafoneZiggo unified its cloud environments with a scalable OpenStack solution, supported by Fairbanks. This resulted in increased efficiency, improved control, and a smooth transition without disruption. The new infrastructure provides the flexibility to respond more quickly to customer demands and market developments.
KPN modernized its infrastructure with a scalable, open cloud platform to enable faster virtualization and higher service quality. Thanks to Fairbanks, KPN is now better equipped to handle network traffic, launch innovative services, and strengthen its leadership in the telecom sector.
Fingent optimized its OpenStack environment with the help of Fairbanks, resulting in higher performance, more stable networks, and improved backup and monitoring processes. Thanks to global collaboration and support, Fingent was able to operate more efficiently, minimize risks, and deliver software solutions to clients worldwide more quickly.
Delta Electronics improved operational efficiency and agility with a tailor-made OpenStack solution from Fairbanks. Thanks to optimized resource management, digital twins, and energy-efficient technologies, Delta achieved significant gains in production performance and sustainability.
We design and build open source private cloud infrastructures that meet your unique needs
Managed Services
- Enhanced operational efficiency and focus
- Access to specialized expertise and advanced technology
- Cost efficient and predictable budgeting
