Digital Sovereignty: EU Solutions Over US Dependency
Executive Summary
Current Situation: 92% of European cloud infrastructure is controlled by US providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). With NIS2, DORA, and the EU Cloud Act, regulatory requirements are dramatically tightening from 2026 onwards.
The Problem: US CLOUD Act enables American authorities to access European data – even when stored in EU data centers. Microsoft confirmed in a French court in 2024 that it cannot guarantee against data disclosure to US authorities.
The Solution: Migration to European alternatives like Securepoint (Firewall), OVH (Cloud), Brevo (Email), Nextcloud (Storage). The Obstacle: Higher maintenance effort and skilled labor shortage in Germany.
DeViLink's Approach: Hybrid team model – German teams on-site, Vietnamese DevOps experts for administration (24/7). Result: European solutions at competitive costs.
The Reality of 2026: Europe in a Digital Stranglehold
The Regulatory Tsunami
NIS2 Directive (Network and Information Security Directive 2)
- Stricter cybersecurity requirements for approx. 30,000 - 40,000 German companies
- Entry into force: October 2024, full enforcement from 2026
- Affected: Critical infrastructure, healthcare, finance, manufacturing
DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act)
- Mandatory operational resilience for financial institutions
- Strict requirements for cloud providers and third-party service providers
- Full application: January 2025
EU Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA)
- European control criteria for cloud providers
- Delayed until Q1 2026 due to discussions on "European Effective Control"
The CLOUD Act Problem
The US Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act from 2018 forces US companies to surrender data – regardless of storage location:
"Any US-based company can be compelled to provide data access to American authorities, even when data is stored in Europe."
⚠️ Real Consequences:
- Microsoft court case in France: No guarantee against US data access
- AWS European Sovereign Cloud: Critics call it "ringfenced, not truly sovereign"
- Conflict between GDPR and US CLOUD Act remains unresolved
The Cost of Dependency
Structural Risks:
- Three US corporations control 65% of the EU cloud market
- Vendor lock-in through proprietary APIs and services
- Geopolitical risks: Trade conflicts, sanctions
Regulatory Risks:
- GDPR violations with US data transfers (Schrems II)
- Compliance issues with NIS2/DORA
- Potential penalties up to 4% of annual revenue
European Alternatives: Market Overview 2026
Cloud & Hosting
| US Provider | European Alternative | Location | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | OVH Cloud | France | 46 DCs worldwide, S3-compatible |
| AWS | IONOS Cloud | Germany | GDPR-native, competitive pricing |
| Azure | Open Telekom Cloud | Germany | Telekom, ISO 27001, BSI-compliant |
| Azure | StackIT | Germany | Schwarz Group, GDPR-first |
| GCP | Scaleway | France | Managed K8s, GPU instances |
| GCP | Exoscale | Switzerland | Neutral jurisdiction, Open Source |
Price Advantage: 45-63% cost savings vs. hyperscalers (see OVH Case Study)
Network Security: Firewall Alternatives
Securepoint (Germany)
- ✓ German support and development
- ✓ GDPR-compliant logging features
- ✓ Integrated cloud backup solution
- ✓ 30-40% below Fortinet Enterprise
Sophos (UK)
- ✓ Next-gen firewall, XDR
- ✓ EU data centers available
- ✓ Strong endpoint protection
- ✓ Large EMEA presence
Email & Marketing Automation
⭐ Brevo (France) – Our Choice
We use Brevo ourselves for all customer communication. Why?
The TCO Problem: Why EU Solutions Appear More Expensive
Hidden Costs of European Alternatives
TCO Comparison: Microsoft 365 vs. Nextcloud (1 Year)
Scenario: 100 employees, 10 TB storage total
| Item | Microsoft 365 | Hetzner Managed | Self-managed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licenses | €31,200 | €329 | €0 |
| Hosting | Incl. | Incl. | €3,000 |
| Setup & Migration | €5,000 | €8,000 | €15,000 |
| Administration | Incl. | Incl. | €48,000 |
| Total (1 year) | €36,200 | €8,329 | €70,000 |
Free Digital Sovereignty Assessment
Paying too much for US cloud providers? Have GDPR or NIS2 risks? We analyze your current infrastructure and show realistic EU alternatives.
30-minute initial call • No obligation • Free of charge
DeViLink's Solution: Hybrid Team Model for Digital Sovereignty
The Problem: Skilled Labor Shortage Makes EU Solutions Unaffordable
The TCO calculation above shows: Self-managed Nextcloud costs €70,000/year – mainly due to administration (€48,000).
German Reality 2026:
- DevOps Engineer: €90,000-120,000/year fixed costs
- Linux Admin: €70,000-95,000/year
- Availability: Months until hiring
- Turnover: 18-24 months average tenure
Our Hybrid Model:
- ✓ German teams: On-site, workshops, escalation
- ✓ Vietnamese teams: Admin, monitoring, support
- ✓ 24/7 coverage: 2 engineers Vietnam + 1 engineer DE
- ✓ 50% cost savings with same expertise
Cost Structure: Hybrid vs. Pure German Team
| Setup | Cost/Month | Cost/Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1× Senior DevOps (DE) + 2× DevOps (VN) | €17,000 | €204,000 |
| 3× DevOps Engineer (DE) for 24/7 | €22,500 | €270,000 |
Decision Framework: When EU Alternatives Make Sense
✅ Very High Suitability
Healthcare & Pharma
Patient data, GDPR-critical, NIS2 obligation
ROI: 12-18 months
Financial Services
DORA compliance, data protection, resilience
ROI: 18-24 months
Manufacturing Industry
Trade secrets, Industry 4.0, NIS2
ROI: 24-36 months
Public Sector
Legal requirements, citizen data
ROI: Compliance-driven
✅ High Suitability
E-Commerce
Hybrid: OVH compute + Cloudflare CDN
SaaS Startups
Data protection as selling point
Professional Services
Consulting, law firms, tax advisors
⚠️ Conditional Suitability
Media & Streaming
Global CDN reach critical
Gaming
Latency-critical, global user base
FAQ: Common Questions About Digital Sovereignty
1. Isn't AWS European Sovereign Cloud sufficient?
Short answer: No, from a legal perspective.
AWS European Sovereign Cloud is "ringfenced," but AWS Inc. (US) remains the owner. US CLOUD Act still applies. EU Cloud Act (CADA) will define stricter criteria. For highest compliance requirements, prefer true EU providers like OVH.
2. Can we migrate step by step?
Absolutely – that's actually our standard recommendation.
3. What does digital sovereignty really cost?
Honest answer: 20-50% additional costs for pure infrastructure.
BUT: With our hybrid team model:
4. Is our Vietnamese team GDPR-compliant?
Yes, absolutely:
- ✓ Data Processing Agreement (DPA) per Art. 28 GDPR
- ✓ VPN access to customer infrastructure (no local data storage)
- ✓ Zero-knowledge principle: Engineers see encrypted data
- ✓ Audit logs: All accesses are logged
Practically: Vietnamese team = Remote DevOps department in Germany (legally identical)
Ready for Your Digital Sovereignty?
60% of our inquiries lead to the recommendation: "Migration doesn't make sense (currently)." We don't sell unnecessary projects. If AWS/Azure is better for you – we'll tell you honestly.
30-minute initial call • No obligation • Free of charge
