Cloud Storage
German Cloud
IONOS Database as a Service
Beyond IONOS Database as a Service: Building a Sovereign Data Foundation
Are complex pricing and regulatory risks undermining your data strategy? A Database as a Service platform is only as strong as the storage it runs on. Discover how EU-based, S3-compatible object storage delivers the sovereign and predictable foundation that modern data applications demand.
Key Takeawys
True digital sovereignty for data services requires an EU-owned and operated storage foundation to eliminate risks from foreign laws like the US CLOUD Act.
A predictable pricing model with zero egress or API fees is essential for MSPs and enterprises to control costs and avoid vendor lock-in, a goal supported by the EU Data Act.
Enterprise-ready storage combines an "Always-Hot" architecture for instant data access with immutable backups (Object Lock) for guaranteed ransomware recovery.
In 2025, European IT leaders demand more than just performance from their data infrastructure. The critical need is for digital sovereignty—ensuring data remains under EU legal control, free from foreign government access requests like the CLOUD Act. While managed database services offer convenience, they often obscure underlying costs and create vendor lock-in. True control comes from building on a foundation that is sovereign by design. An EU-only, S3-compatible object storage platform provides this strategic advantage, offering transparent pricing with zero egress fees, guaranteed GDPR compliance, and the resilience needed for mission-critical data workloads.
Secure a Sovereign Foundation for Data Services
A majority of EU decision-makers now demand European solutions for critical infrastructure. The US CLOUD Act allows US authorities to compel American tech companies to provide data, regardless of where it is stored globally. This creates a direct conflict with GDPR, which requires a legal basis for transferring data outside the EU.
Building your data services on a truly European cloud ensures this conflict never arises. Our platform operates exclusively in certified European data centers, offering country-level geofencing to guarantee data residency. This jurisdictional certainty is the only way to eliminate CLOUD Act exposure. This approach provides the legal foundation needed before any database service is deployed.
This focus on European data security is no longer optional for regulated industries. With a European provider, data governance aligns perfectly with EU law from day one. This prepares your infrastructure for upcoming regulations that will only tighten these requirements.
Eliminate Cost Uncertainty with a Predictable Economic Model
Many businesses feel locked into their cloud providers due to complex pricing and punitive fees. The EU Data Act, fully applicable from September 2025, mandates the phasing out of switching charges to combat this vendor lock-in. Our model was built on this principle from the start, featuring zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations.
This transparent approach delivers predictable margins of over 30% for MSPs offering Backup-as-a-Service. Predictability transforms cloud storage from an operational expense into a strategic asset. You can now forecast your spending with 100% accuracy, a clear advantage over variable hyperscaler bills. Explore more about cloud cost structures to see the difference.
This economic clarity allows for better business planning and removes the fear of surprise bills when restoring or moving large datasets. It is a fundamental shift in how cloud resources are consumed.
Build for Resilience with an Always-Hot Architecture
Effective data services require consistent and immediate access to data, especially for backup and disaster recovery. Complex storage tiering often introduces delays and unexpected fees during urgent restores, with restore times sometimes exceeding 12 hours. Our “Always-Hot” object storage model ensures all data is immediately accessible, eliminating restore delays entirely.
This architecture is built for high availability, with multi-AZ replication eliminating single points of failure. For ransomware protection, our platform includes Immutable Storage with S3 Object Lock. This feature makes backups unchangeable for a set period, providing a guaranteed clean recovery point. Gartner estimates that 75% of IT organizations will face a ransomware incident by 2025, making immutability essential.
Here is how immutable storage provides a robust defense:
It creates a Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) state, preventing deletion or alteration.
Retention policies can be set to meet strict compliance needs for months or years.
It protects against both external attackers and internal threats.
It ensures a reliable, uncorrupted data version is always available for recovery.
This resilient design simplifies operations and strengthens your overall data compliance posture.
Maintain Full Control with Advanced S3 Compatibility
The S3 API has become the industry standard for object storage, with dozens of European providers offering compatible services. However, true enterprise readiness requires more than basic compatibility. Our platform supports advanced S3 capabilities like versioning, lifecycle management, and event notifications across the API, CLI, and SDKs.
This ensures your existing applications, scripts, and backup tools continue to work without any code rewrites. This protects your past technology investments and minimizes migration risk by over 90%. We have out-of-the-box integrations with leading backup vendors, including a deep collaboration with Nova Backup to serve MSPs. This focus on the ecosystem makes cloud migration simpler.
Seamless compatibility means your teams can continue using the tools they already know, accelerating adoption and reducing training overhead. This operational continuity is key to leveraging a new storage foundation without disrupting business.
Prepare for 2025 EU Regulations Today
The European regulatory landscape is evolving, and your infrastructure must be ready. Two key regulations will shape 2025 and beyond:
The EU Data Act: From September 2025, it mandates data portability and interoperability by design. Our open standards and zero egress fees ensure you have a real exit path, preventing lock-in.
The NIS-2 Directive: This regulation requires continuous security processes, including supply-chain assurance and strict incident reporting timelines. Our operations are built around these principles, baking in compliance from the start.
By choosing a platform that is already aligned with these future requirements, you gain a competitive advantage. Regulatory readiness is not an afterthought; it is built into our core architecture. This proactive stance on compliance reduces risk and ensures your data services remain on the right side of EU law, a critical factor for scalable cloud operations.
Enable Channel Success with a Partner-Ready Platform
For MSPs, resellers, and system integrators, a successful data service offering depends on predictable margins and operational efficiency. Our partner program is designed to deliver both. The zero-egress, zero-API-fee model allows partners to build BaaS and archiving services with stable, defensible margins of over 30%.
Our partner console provides essential tools for channel success, including multi-tenant management with role-based access control (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Partners can automate workflows via the API and CLI and access detailed reporting. Fast onboarding, completed in under 24 hours, ensures you can start delivering value to clients immediately.
Recent distribution agreements with api in Germany and Northamber plc in the UK have expanded local access for hundreds of resellers. This growing ecosystem demonstrates our commitment to the channel and provides the support needed to build a thriving data services business. This partner-first approach is how we deliver strong market alternatives together.
More Links
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy provides a FAQ about data sovereignty, addressing key legal aspects.
Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) offers statistical tables on the use of cloud computing within enterprises.
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action features an article discussing various aspects of cloud computing.
European Data Protection Board offers a guide on international data transfers specifically for SMEs.
Bitkom provides their Cloud Report 2024, detailing trends and insights in cloud adoption.
Fraunhofer SIT publishes various reports on secure information technology and related research.
FAQ
Is your platform fully GDPR compliant?
Yes. Our platform is sovereign by design, operating exclusively in certified European data centers under EU law. This ensures full alignment with GDPR requirements for data residency, security, and governance, providing the legal certainty that European businesses need.
Can I use my existing S3 tools and scripts?
Absolutely. We offer full S3 API compatibility, which means your existing applications, command-line interface (CLI) scripts, and software development kits (SDKs) will work without modification. This protects your investments and makes migration straightforward.
What does 'Always-Hot' storage mean for my data?
Our 'Always-Hot' architecture means all your data is stored in a single, high-performance tier and is always immediately accessible. Unlike tiered systems that move data to 'cold' storage, you will never experience delays or extra fees when you need to restore files, which is critical for disaster recovery.
How does your pricing model work?
Our pricing is transparent and predictable. We charge only for the storage you use. There are no egress fees for moving data out, no charges for API calls (reads/writes), and no minimum storage duration contracts. This eliminates surprise costs and makes budgeting simple.
How do you ensure protection against ransomware?
We provide multi-layer security, including encryption in transit and at rest. Our key defense is Immutable Storage with S3 Object Lock, which makes your backups tamper-proof. Once written, data cannot be altered or deleted for a retention period you define, guaranteeing a clean recovery point.
What support do you offer for MSPs and channel partners?
We offer a partner-ready platform with a multi-tenant console, full automation via API/CLI, and detailed reporting. Our predictable pricing model allows partners to build services with stable margins. We also provide fast onboarding and support through our growing network of distributors like api (Germany) and Northamber plc (UK).
