Dutch cloud providers are critical of the Dutch government’s decision to partner with the German cloud platform Stackit, part of the Lidl group. According to industry representatives, there was insufficient serious consultation with domestic parties prior to the decision. The government disputes this view.
This is reported in an article by the FD. The agreement with Stackit fits within a broader strategy to reduce dependence on dominant American cloud providers such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. The final value of the contract will depend on the actual use of the services.
Within the Dutch sector, there is an understanding of the desire to use more European alternatives, but at the same time, there is frustration with the process. The Dutch Cloud Community (DCC) states that local providers were not given sufficient opportunity to compete. The industry association represents parties such as Leaseweb, Info Support, and Nebul.
Missed opportunity for the Dutch cloud sector
According to chairman Ruud Alaerds, contact with the government stalled in an exploratory phase, and no concrete follow-up steps were ever taken. He describes the situation as a missed opportunity for the Dutch cloud sector, according to the FD article.
The government agency Strategic Supplier Management Rijk disputes this view and states that, since late 2022, multiple discussions have taken place with representatives from the sector, including the DCC. According to the agency, these were not merely informal introductory meetings but also substantive explorations.
Despite the disappointment, the sector remains hopeful for future collaboration. Alaerds points out that there is sufficient capacity and expertise available in the Netherlands. He refers to a recent initiative by seven companies, including KPN and Centric, which aim to jointly offer an alternative to the major international cloud players.
The parties involved agreed to better align their infrastructures technically. By adopting uniform standards, it becomes easier to move workloads and data between providers. In doing so, they aim to address a major concern organizations often have with smaller suppliers: the fear of dependency or lock-in. At the same time, the companies stipulate that they can assume each other’s obligations toward customers if control over one party falls into foreign hands. This ensures that sensitive data remains within the Netherlands.