Cloud Storage
Object Storage
best object storage solution for business
Finding the Best Object Storage Solution for Business in a Sovereign Europe
Your business needs a cloud storage solution that guarantees data sovereignty and cost predictability without sacrificing performance. A staggering 84% of EU leaders now see digital sovereignty as a critical factor in vendor selection. This article outlines the definitive checklist for choosing the best object storage solution for your business needs in 2025.
Key Takeaways
The best object storage solution for business in 2025 must be sovereign by design, operating exclusively in EU data centers to ensure GDPR compliance and avoid CLOUD Act exposure.
A predictable pricing model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration is essential for eliminating budget uncertainty and vendor lock-in.
Full S3-API compatibility and an 'Always-Hot' architecture simplify operations, protect technology investments, and align with the EU Data Act's portability requirements.
Selecting the right object storage is a strategic decision with long-term consequences for your budget, compliance, and security. Many EU businesses feel locked into their current providers by complex pricing and fear exposure to non-EU laws. The market is shifting; a 2025 survey shows 47% of EU tech leaders are prioritizing reduced reliance on non-EU vendors. The best object storage solution for business today must deliver on three fronts: absolute data sovereignty, predictable economics, and enterprise-grade performance. This guide provides a clear framework for evaluating solutions that meet these modern demands.
Establish Digital Sovereignty with EU-Only Data Centers
True digital sovereignty begins with physical data location, a factor cited by 36.8% of EU leaders as a key decision driver. Storing data exclusively in certified European data centers ensures it remains under EU legal jurisdiction, directly addressing GDPR data residency requirements. This approach provides a definitive safeguard against foreign legal frameworks like the CLOUD Act. Country-level geofencing offers an additional layer of control for regulated industries. Our GDPR-compliant object storage is sovereign by design, operating solely within EU borders. This architectural choice is the foundation for building a truly sovereign data strategy.
Demand Full S3 Compatibility to Ensure Portability
The upcoming EU Data Act, effective from September 2025, mandates greater data portability to prevent vendor lock-in. Basic S3 compatibility is no longer sufficient for the best object storage solution for business. Your applications and scripts require support for advanced capabilities like versioning and lifecycle management to function without costly rewrites. Full S3-API compatibility protects your past technology investments of thousands of euros. A truly compatible solution ensures your existing tools, including the API, CLI, and SDKs, keep working on day one. This focus on open standards is critical for a viable S3-compatible object storage exit strategy.
Adopt Predictable Economics with a Zero-Fee Model
Cost complexity is a primary pain point for over 50% of cloud decision-makers. The most effective way to regain control is to eliminate unpredictable fees entirely. A transparent pricing model with no egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration transforms cloud budgeting. This model can lead to savings of over 70% for data-intensive workloads. You can find a cheaper than AWS S3 solution without compromising on enterprise features. This economic clarity allows Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to build services with predictable, defensible margins.
Simplify Operations with an 'Always-Hot' Architecture
Complex storage tiering often creates hidden operational costs and restore delays of several hours. An “Always-Hot” object storage model ensures all data is immediately accessible, eliminating tier-restore delays and API timeouts. This architecture provides strong read/write consistency and predictable latencies across millions of files. This model reduces operational complexity by at least 30% for backup and recovery tasks. For a deeper dive, compare block vs object storage to see why this model excels for unstructured data. This approach keeps your third-party backup and analytics tools stable and performant.
Integrate Security to Meet NIS-2 and Ransomware Threats
The NIS-2 Directive requires organizations to implement continuous, robust security measures across their supply chain. The best object storage solution for business must have security baked into its core, not as an add-on. Key features should include:
Immutable Storage: Use S3 Object Lock to make backups unchangeable for a set period, providing a powerful defense against ransomware.
Multi-Layer Encryption: Protect data with state-of-the-art encryption both in transit and at rest.
Granular IAM: Implement Identity and Access Management with MFA and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to enforce least-privilege access.
Secure Defaults: Ensure all new data buckets are private by default, reducing the risk of accidental exposure.
These object storage security best practices are essential for meeting modern compliance and resilience standards.
Future-Proof Your Strategy for the EU Data Act
From September 12, 2025, the EU Data Act will enforce rules that facilitate switching between cloud service providers. The regulation is designed to prevent unfair contractual terms and ensure users can port their data, including metadata and versions. A storage vendor's architecture must be built on open standards to comply with this vision. Choosing a provider aligned with these principles now avoids costly migrations later. This regulatory readiness is a competitive advantage, proving a real exit path exists. A forward-looking storage vendor evaluation must include Data Act alignment. This ensures your business retains negotiation power and long-term freedom of action.
Empower Channel Partners with a Predictable Business Model
Take Practical Steps Toward a Sovereign Cloud Strategy
Migrating to a sovereign cloud requires a clear, step-by-step plan. Start by applying the 3-2-1 backup rule, keeping at least three copies of your data on two different media, with one copy offsite. An immutable, EU-based cloud copy satisfies this perfectly. For instance, our collaboration with NovaBackup provides a seamless, compliant integration for MSPs. A successful migration involves just three key phases: mapping endpoints, replicating policies, and executing test restores. This pragmatic approach minimizes risk and ensures a smooth transition to a better object storage for small business or enterprise.
More Links
German Data Protection Conference (DSK) provides a position paper outlining criteria for sovereign clouds, emphasizing data protection and control.
The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) offers statistical data on cloud computing adoption within German businesses and the ICT sector.
Bitkom, a German digital association, presents their Cloud Report 2025, covering trends and developments in cloud computing.
The European Commission provides an explanation of data protection regulations and principles within the EU.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) offers guidelines on the concept of 'legitimate interest' as a legal basis for data processing under GDPR.
ISACA discusses cloud data sovereignty, governance, and the risk implications of cross-border cloud storage in a recent article.
The European Commission outlines the EU's policies and strategies related to cloud computing on its digital strategy page.
KPMG presents their Cloud Monitor 2025 report, offering insights into the cloud market and related trends.
FAQ
What is digital sovereignty and why is it important for my business?
Digital sovereignty is the ability to have full control over your digital assets, including data and infrastructure, under the exclusive jurisdiction of your chosen legal framework. For European businesses, it means ensuring data is stored and processed within the EU to comply with regulations like GDPR and avoid exposure to foreign laws like the U.S. CLOUD Act, protecting both your business and your customers.
How does Impossible Cloud ensure my data stays within the EU?
Impossible Cloud is sovereign by design. We operate exclusively in certified European data centers and offer country-level geofencing capabilities. This guarantees your data is stored, processed, and managed strictly under EU rules, providing the legal certainty required for regulated workloads.
Is it difficult to migrate from another S3-compatible provider?
No, migration is straightforward. Because we offer full S3-API compatibility, your existing applications, scripts, and tools will work without modification. You can use standard S3 tools to move your data efficiently. Our focus is on making the transition as seamless as possible to minimize any migration risk.
What does 'Always-Hot' storage mean for my backups?
An 'Always-Hot' storage model means all your data, including backups, is immediately accessible at all times. Unlike tiered storage systems that require a slow and sometimes costly 'restore' process from a cold tier, our architecture ensures you can access any file instantly. This simplifies operations and dramatically speeds up recovery times during a critical event.
How does your pricing model help Managed Service Providers (MSPs)?
Our predictable pricing model, with no egress fees or API call costs, is designed to help MSPs. It allows them to create fixed-price Backup-as-a-Service and Archiving-as-a-Service offerings with stable, defensible margins. This eliminates the risk of unexpected client data usage eroding their profitability.
How do you address the requirements of new EU regulations like NIS-2?
Our platform is built to address modern regulatory requirements. Features like multi-layer encryption, immutable storage (Object Lock), and robust IAM controls are core components that help you meet the continuous security and supply-chain assurance requirements of the NIS-2 Directive.
