At the crossroads of strategic and technological issues, the Sovereign Cloud is taking centre stage, sparking flamboyant announcements from Cloud providers in France. Behind the media frenzy, a complex reality is emerging, combining compromise, ambition and questions about true digital sovereignty.
In this editorial, Raphaël Nicoud (CEO of Aqua Ray) gives his take on the implications, paradoxes and challenges that are emerging in this quest for digital sovereignty.
At the crossroads of strategic and technological issues, the Sovereign Cloud is taking centre stage, sparking flamboyant announcements from Cloud providers in France. Behind the media frenzy, a complex reality is emerging, combining compromise, ambition and questions about true digital sovereignty.
In this editorial, Raphaël Nicoud (CEO of Aqua Ray) gives his take on the implications, paradoxes and challenges that are emerging in this quest for digital sovereignty.
"The 'Sovereign Cloud' is on everyone's lips, in every sauce, at the heart of every promotional campaign. It's a race to the bottom among all Cloud providers based in France, even if it means flirting with misunderstandings.
"The 'Sovereign Cloud' is on everyone's lips, in every sauce, at the heart of every promotional campaign. It's a race to the bottom among all Cloud providers based in France, even if it means flirting with misunderstandings.
There has never been so much nonsense about digital sovereignty as in recent months. Even leaving aside the marketing mumbo-jumbo of Microsoft's and Amazon's "sovereign clouds", the other serious French suppliers seem to be making an embarrassing compromise, if not a shameful retreat.
There has never been so much nonsense about digital sovereignty as in recent months. Even leaving aside the marketing mumbo-jumbo of Microsoft's and Amazon's "sovereign clouds", the other serious French suppliers seem to be making an embarrassing compromise, if not a shameful retreat.
Admittedly, on the hardware front, it is difficult today to claim anything better than assembling on French soil chips designed in the United States and almost always manufactured in China. Unfortunately, in the absence of a public initiative on this issue, at least on the scale of the American Chips Act, the situation in Europe is unlikely to change in the next few years.
Admittedly, on the hardware front, it is difficult today to claim anything better than assembling on French soil chips designed in the United States and almost always manufactured in China. Unfortunately, in the absence of a public initiative on this issue, at least on the scale of the American Chips Act, the situation in Europe is unlikely to change in the next few years.
But for the rest, is it really a good idea for a self-proclaimed Sovereign Cloud to base its lower software layers on a proprietary american virtualisation system for some, or to deploy its infrastructure in a japanese data center for others?
Would it be impossible for the French and even the Europeans to finance and set up their own data centres to house their sensitive data?
But for the rest, is it really a good idea for a self-proclaimed Sovereign Cloud to base its lower software layers on a proprietary american virtualisation system for some, or to deploy its infrastructure in a japanese data center for others?
Would it be impossible for the French and even the Europeans to finance and set up their own data centres to house their sensitive data?
The Chairman of TeleHouse France was right to plead his case when he replied directly to me on this subject: "I largely share the observation, but not the solution. It would be illusory to cut ourselves off from non-European capital in an industry as CAPEX-intensive as DC. Nevertheless, you can choose capital that respects EU law. That's the case with @TelehouseFR" Sami Slim, CEO of TeleHouse France.
The Chairman of TeleHouse France was right to plead his case when he replied directly to me on this subject: "I largely share the observation, but not the solution. It would be illusory to cut ourselves off from non-European capital in an industry as CAPEX-intensive as DC. Nevertheless, you can choose capital that respects EU law. That's the case with @TelehouseFR" Sami Slim, CEO of TeleHouse France.
The latter insists that in their data centres "there is no risk of FISA, Cloud Act or equivalent", which is better than the Americans, who go so far as to publicly assume that it is legal to spy on behalf of the US administration in their data centres. But should we really be content with that?
The latter insists that in their data centres "there is no risk of FISA, Cloud Act or equivalent", which is better than the Americans, who go so far as to publicly assume that it is legal to spy on behalf of the US administration in their data centres. But should we really be content with that?
So that would be the European Sovereign Cloud: American software installed on chinese servers in japanese data centres.
For want of ambition. For want of courage.
So that would be the European Sovereign Cloud: American software installed on chinese servers in japanese data centres.
For want of ambition. For want of courage.
The moral is that we should perhaps have closed the debate from the outset, following the example of Henri d'Agrain, General Delegate of Cigref (Club informatique des grandes entreprises françaises) in his latest editorial: "Sovereignty is an exclusive attribute of States, and it is up to States alone to implement policies of sovereignty".
In other words, Cloud service providers, stop talking nonsense, you are not legitimate in appropriating this expression. It's a wish I would gladly have subscribed to, but semantics won't solve the problem. Calling it the "Trusted Cloud" won't solve anything.
The moral is that we should perhaps have closed the debate from the outset, following the example of Henri d'Agrain, General Delegate of Cigref (Club informatique des grandes entreprises françaises) in his latest editorial: "Sovereignty is an exclusive attribute of States, and it is up to States alone to implement policies of sovereignty".
In other words, Cloud service providers, stop talking nonsense, you are not legitimate in appropriating this expression. It's a wish I would gladly have subscribed to, but semantics won't solve the problem. Calling it the "Trusted Cloud" won't solve anything.
It's true that the Sovereign Cloud doesn't exist, but if it does, let's at least try to identify those that come closest, despite the SecNumCloud label alone being insufficient.
This quest for digital sovereignty is essential if we are to guarantee that our data, which is currently protected by foreign and friendly operators, will remain so in the future, regardless of geopolitical developments. Some will say that this is paranoia. I prefer to see it as a pragmatic and forward-looking vision in the face of changing international realities."
It's true that the Sovereign Cloud doesn't exist, but if it does, let's at least try to identify those that come closest, despite the SecNumCloud label alone being insufficient.
This quest for digital sovereignty is essential if we are to guarantee that our data, which is currently protected by foreign and friendly operators, will remain so in the future, regardless of geopolitical developments. Some will say that this is paranoia. I prefer to see it as a pragmatic and forward-looking vision in the face of changing international realities."
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