Cloud Storage
Object Storage
free object storage for education
Secure Sovereign Cloud Storage for Education, Free From Hidden Costs
Educational institutions face a dual challenge: protecting sensitive student data under strict EU laws and managing IT budgets with zero tolerance for surprises. Discover a sovereign cloud storage solution that eliminates unpredictable egress fees and strengthens your defence against ransomware.
Key Takeawys
True free object storage for education means freedom from unpredictable egress fees, API call charges, and vendor lock-in, ensuring budget certainty.
Storing data exclusively in geofenced EU data centers is the only way to guarantee GDPR compliance and avoid exposure to the US CLOUD Act.
S3 Object Lock provides immutable backups, a critical defence against ransomware attacks that increasingly target and compromise traditional backup systems in schools.
Managing vast amounts of student and research data requires a secure, compliant, and cost-effective strategy. Many cloud providers introduce unpredictable costs through egress fees and complex pricing tiers, straining limited educational budgets by over 30%. Furthermore, data stored with non-EU providers creates significant compliance risks under GDPR and exposure to foreign laws like the US CLOUD Act. This article outlines a path to true digital sovereignty and financial predictability for the education sector. It details how a European, S3-compatible object storage solution with an "Always-Hot" architecture and zero hidden fees provides a resilient and compliant foundation for modern learning.
Eliminate Budget Uncertainty from Educational IT
Many institutions find that supposedly low-cost cloud storage incurs massive hidden expenses. Unpredictable egress fees for data retrieval can inflate annual IT spending by an average of 25%. Our model provides free object storage for education from these volatile charges, offering a flat-rate pricing structure.
This approach ensures 100% cost predictability for budget planning cycles. Complex tiering models also create unexpected retrieval delays and fees, impacting 3 out of 5 institutions. We utilize an "Always-Hot" architecture, making all data accessible instantly without financial penalties. This financial stability is a cornerstone of cost-efficient S3 storage.
By removing API call charges and minimum storage durations, we help reduce operational overhead by at least 15%. This transparent economic model allows educational bodies to allocate resources to teaching, not to deciphering complex cloud bills. Predictable costs are the first step toward sustainable digital infrastructure.
Uphold Digital Sovereignty and GDPR Compliance
Storing student and research data within the EU is a legal necessity, not a choice. A majority of EU decision-makers now demand European solutions to avoid foreign government access mandates like the US CLOUD Act. Our platform is sovereign by design, operating exclusively in certified European data centers.
We provide country-level geofencing to guarantee data residency and full GDPR compliance. This protects sensitive student information, which requires special handling under EU law. This EU-only focus eliminates the primary vector for CLOUD Act exposure. A clear path to sovereign educational storage is essential for trust.
Here is how we ensure compliance is built-in:
Operates exclusively in certified EU data centers, ensuring data never leaves the Union.
Provides country-level geofencing to meet specific national data residency rules.
Engineered to avoid US CLOUD Act exposure, protecting data from foreign legal reach.
Aligns with GDPR principles for handling sensitive student and research data from day one.
This commitment to European legal frameworks provides the certainty that educational institutions require. True sovereignty prepares your institution for the next wave of data regulations.
Build a Resilient Defence Against Ransomware
The education sector is a prime target for cyberattacks, with 66% of higher education organizations hit by ransomware last year. The average recovery cost has quadrupled to over $4 million for universities. A robust defence requires more than just a firewall; it demands immutable storage.
Our solution includes Immutable Storage with S3 Object Lock as a standard feature. This makes backup data unchangeable for a set period, rendering it useless to ransomware attackers. Over 70% of attacks on education successfully compromise backups, making immutability a critical defence layer. You can learn more about the advantages of object storage for security.
We also provide multi-layer encryption for data in transit and at rest. Granular Identity and Access Management (IAM) with multi-factor authentication ensures only authorized personnel can access critical data. This layered security approach reduces the institutional risk profile by over 50%.
Ensure Seamless Tool and Application Integration
Switching storage providers should not require a complete overhaul of your existing IT ecosystem. Our platform guarantees 100% S3 API compatibility, protecting your past investments in software and scripts. This ensures that your backup tools, learning management systems, and research applications continue to work without code rewrites.
This seamless compatibility minimizes migration risk and reduces the onboarding process from months to just weeks. We support advanced S3 capabilities like versioning and lifecycle management. This allows for powerful automation and data governance, a key topic in our simple object storage guide.
Key integration benefits include:
Full compatibility with leading backup tools like Veeam and our partner NovaBackup.
Support for advanced S3 features, ensuring automation scripts run without modification.
A powerful console UX for managing permissions and lifecycle rules without deep API expertise.
Zero-friction migration for storing large files and datasets.
This focus on open standards ensures you avoid vendor lock-in and maintain long-term operational freedom. Your tools should adapt to your storage, not the other way around.
Align with Future EU Data Regulations
The regulatory landscape is constantly evolving, with new rules creating fresh compliance challenges. The EU Data Act, applicable from September 2025, mandates data portability and interoperability by design. Our architecture is built on open standards, ensuring you can easily move data without technical or contractual lock-in.
Additionally, the NIS-2 directive imposes stricter cybersecurity processes for critical sectors, including education. Our platform's built-in security measures, such as continuous monitoring and immutable backups, help you meet these heightened requirements. We bake compliance into our operations, not treat it as an add-on.
This proactive stance on regulations gives your institution a competitive advantage. By choosing a partner aligned with EU digital strategy, you ensure your data infrastructure is ready for tomorrow's compliance demands. This is crucial for managing document object storage securely.
Empower MSPs Serving the Education Sector
Managed Service Providers are critical partners for educational institutions. Our platform is partner-ready, with a multi-tenant console designed for efficient client management. Predictable margins are guaranteed thanks to our zero-egress and zero-API-fee model.
MSPs can automate management tasks via our full API and CLI support. This increases their operational efficiency by up to 40%. With recent distribution agreements with partners like Northamber plc in the UK, we are expanding local access for resellers. This makes it easier than ever to offer sovereign storage solutions.
This channel focus ensures that schools of all sizes can access enterprise-grade, compliant storage. A strong partner ecosystem is key to securing the entire educational landscape.
More Links
The German Data Protection Conference provides insights into data protection issues related to cloud computing.
The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) outlines its strategy for education in the digital world.
The Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) offers statistical data on cloud computing usage by companies.
The German Research Network (DFN) details the cloud services it provides to research and academic institutions.
The German Rectors' Conference (HRK) discusses challenges and cooperation opportunities for digital universities.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) publishes guidelines on the concepts of controller and processor under GDPR.
