Google, in partnership with T-Systems, plans to build a ‘Sovereign Cloud’ for public and private sector organizations in Germany, but also for the EU. The cloud should go live mid-next year, according to Google. Google is working with the German IT services firm to make the jointly run cloud on the Google Cloud Platform.
However, T-Systems will operate the key controls. The companies will innovate jointly to develop a large spectrum of next-gen sovereign cloud solutions and infrastructure, according to a statement by T-Systems. T-Systems is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom and will be tasked with crucial roles.
T-Systems’ role
The subsidiary will manage the sovereignty controls and measures, including encryption and identity management on GCP, according to Google.
T-System said that support and engineering activities that need physical or virtual access to facilities in Germany will be supervised by T-Systems and Google Cloud. The joint offering may help customers adhere to the stringent European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Experts have complained about sensitive European data being held in American clouds. The reason is the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD) which allows US authorities to legally get access to information held by US providers in their servers, even abroad.
Google’s other plans in Germany
Google unveiled a plan two weeks ago to spend about a billion euros on cloud infrastructure in Germany over the next decade and announced a new Google Cloud region in Berlin-Brandenburg. It will soon complete an expansion of its cloud region in Frankfurt, slated to go live in 2022.
Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, said the company is committed to helping the country enable its digital transformation. He added that data privacy, security, and control are important to European and German organizations, as they digitize their operations.
17 hours ago
