Cloud Storage
Object Storage
IONOS cloud storage problems
Addressing IONOS Cloud Storage Problems With a Sovereign, Predictable Alternative
Many UK businesses face IONOS cloud storage problems, from unpredictable costs to data sovereignty concerns. A European-based, S3-compatible object storage solution offers a practical path to digital sovereignty and cost control.
Key Takeaways
True data sovereignty requires storage in EU-only data centers, governed exclusively by EU law to mitigate risks from regulations like the US CLOUD Act.
Predictable cloud storage costs are achievable by choosing a provider with a transparent model that includes zero egress fees, no API call charges, and no minimum storage durations.
An 'Always-Hot' storage architecture with full S3 compatibility simplifies operations, eliminates restore delays, and provides a resilient foundation for backup and disaster recovery.
Enterprises evaluating their cloud strategy often encounter significant hurdles. Common IONOS cloud storage problems include opaque pricing models with hidden egress fees, regulatory risks tied to non-EU providers, and architectural limits that slow down restores. These issues create budget uncertainty and expose businesses to compliance gaps under GDPR and the CLOUD Act. A sovereign-by-design approach, built exclusively in European data centers, provides a resilient, high-performance, and economically predictable alternative. This shift empowers IT leaders to regain control over their data, simplify compliance, and eliminate the risk of vendor lock-in for critical workloads like backup and disaster recovery.
Eliminate Regulatory Risk and Ensure Data Sovereignty
A primary concern for EU businesses is the legal jurisdiction over their stored data. Storing data with non-EU providers creates exposure to foreign laws like the CLOUD Act, which can conflict directly with GDPR protections. This creates significant compliance risks, with potential fines reaching up to 4% of global annual turnover. Impossible Cloud operates exclusively in certified European data centers, ensuring your data remains under EU law. Our country-level geofencing guarantees data residency within specific EU nations. This sovereign-by-design architecture provides the legal certainty required for regulated industries. You can find more information by exploring EU alternatives. This focus on legal and geographical control is the first step to a more secure cloud strategy.
Achieve Predictable Cloud Costs by Removing Egress Fees
One of the most persistent IONOS cloud storage problems is unpredictable billing. Hidden costs, especially data egress fees, can inflate cloud spending by thousands of dollars each month. Many businesses feel locked in by pricing complexity, unable to move their data without incurring substantial financial penalties. Impossible Cloud offers a transparent economic model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations. This predictable-by-design pricing allows for stable, defensible margins, especially for MSPs offering Backup-as-a-Service. Our approach eliminates bill shock and makes it easier to manage cloud pricing issues. With costs under control, the next factor to consider is the underlying performance and architecture.
Boost Performance With an 'Always-Hot' Storage Architecture
Complex storage tiers often lead to operational challenges, including restore delays and API timeouts. Fragile lifecycle policies can fail, causing unexpected fees and disrupting third-party backup tools that expect immediate data access. Impossible Cloud avoids these issues with an “Always-Hot” object storage model, where all data is instantly accessible with no restore delays. This architecture is built for consistency and availability, delivering predictable latencies for any workload. Here are the core benefits:
No Restore Delays: All data is immediately available, which is critical for fast disaster recovery and meeting RTOs of under 1 hour.
Simplified Operations: Eliminates the need to manage complex and brittle data lifecycle policies, reducing admin overhead by up to 30%.
Application Stability: Keeps integrated tools, like our NovaBackup collaboration, running smoothly without API timeouts.
No Hidden Fees: Avoids the surprise retrieval fees associated with accessing archived or cold data tiers.
This simplified, high-performance model is key to improving your storage performance metrics and ensuring business continuity.
Strengthen Ransomware Defense With Immutable Storage
Ransomware attacks increasingly target backup systems to prevent recovery. A robust defense strategy requires backups that cannot be altered or deleted by malicious actors. Impossible Cloud provides this protection through S3-compatible Immutable Storage and Object Lock. This feature creates a Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) state for your data, making it tamper-proof for a defined retention period. This ensures you always have a clean, unchangeable copy of your data for recovery. This capability is essential for meeting compliance mandates under regulations like GDPR and NIS-2. By securing your backups, you can confidently address even the most advanced cyber threats and avoid the risks of data loss. This security posture is complemented by seamless integration and migration capabilities.
Ensure Future Flexibility and Avoid Vendor Lock-In
Vendor lock-in is a major obstacle to cloud adoption, often caused by proprietary APIs and a lack of data portability. The upcoming EU Data Act, effective from September 2025, mandates that cloud providers facilitate easy switching and data portability. Impossible Cloud is built on the S3 API standard, ensuring full compatibility with your existing applications, scripts, and tools without code rewrites. This protects your past investments and minimizes migration risk. Follow these steps for a smooth transition:
Assess Your Current Tools: Confirm your backup and archival software is S3-compatible, which over 95% of modern tools are.
Update Connection Endpoints: Simply change the target endpoint in your software configuration to point to Impossible Cloud.
Replicate Policies: Recreate your existing bucket policies for access, versioning, and lifecycle management in our console.
Run a Test Restore: Always perform a test data restore to validate the configuration and ensure data integrity before going live.
These straightforward migration considerations ensure you retain control over your data and technology stack.
Empower MSPs and Channel Partners With a Predictable Model
For MSPs, resellers, and system integrators, profitability depends on predictable margins. The hidden fees common in many cloud storage offerings erode that predictability. Our partner-first model is designed for the channel, offering multi-tenant management, automation via API/CLI, and clear reporting. The absence of egress and API fees provides stable, defensible margins for Backup-as-a-Service and archiving solutions. We are expanding our reach, with recent distribution agreements with api in Germany and Northamber plc in the UK, making it easier for local partners to onboard. This makes it simple when comparing UK cloud providers. With a strong partner program, the final piece is a clear path to getting started.
Take the First Step Towards Sovereign Cloud Storage
More Links
Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
European Commission details the European Union's policies and strategies concerning the data economy.
Fraunhofer Society presents research and insights into cloud computing technologies and their applications.
FAQ
What does 'digital sovereignty' mean for my business data?
Digital sovereignty means your data is stored and managed under the laws of your chosen jurisdiction, free from foreign government access requests. For EU businesses, this means using a provider that operates exclusively in European data centers under GDPR, ensuring your data is protected from laws like the US CLOUD Act.
How does a 'no egress fee' policy benefit my business?
A 'no egress fee' policy provides significant cost savings and flexibility. It means you are not charged for retrieving or moving your data out of the cloud. This eliminates unpredictable expenses, prevents vendor lock-in, and allows you to access your data for restores, analytics, or migration without financial penalty.
Is your object storage fully S3 compatible?
Yes, our object storage is fully S3 API compatible. This ensures seamless integration with your existing applications, backup software, and management tools that use the S3 protocol. You can continue using your current workflows and scripts without needing to rewrite them, minimizing migration effort and risk.
How does your 'Always-Hot' architecture differ from tiered storage?
Our 'Always-Hot' architecture ensures all your data is immediately accessible at all times, with no delays or retrieval fees. This contrasts with tiered storage models (hot, cool, archive), which often involve slow restore times and extra costs for accessing less frequently used data, adding complexity and risk to recovery operations.
What specific features do you offer for MSPs and channel partners?
We provide a partner-ready platform with a multi-tenant console, role-based access control (RBAC), and automation via API/CLI. Our predictable pricing model with no egress or API fees allows partners to build services with stable, defensible margins. We also offer support through distributors like Northamber plc in the UK.
How does your solution help with NIS-2 and EU Data Act compliance?
Our solution supports NIS-2 compliance with robust security features like multi-layer encryption and immutable storage. For the EU Data Act, our use of the open S3 API standard and commitment to no egress fees ensures data portability and helps you avoid vendor lock-in, aligning with the regulation's core requirements.
