Cloud Storage
S3 Compatible
secure S3 API object storage for businesses
Achieve Digital Sovereignty with Secure S3 API Object Storage for Businesses
Worried about the CLOUD Act, GDPR compliance, and unpredictable cloud bills? A majority of EU decision-makers are seeking European solutions for their critical data. Discover a practical, enterprise-ready EU alternative that offers performance, security, and cost transparency.
Key Takeawys
Achieve digital sovereignty and GDPR compliance by choosing a European cloud provider that is immune to extraterritorial laws like the US CLOUD Act.
Protect your business from ransomware with immutable object storage (Object Lock), which creates unchangeable, tamper-proof backups.
Eliminate unpredictable cloud costs with a transparent pricing model that includes zero egress fees, no API call charges, and no minimum storage durations.
In 2025, European businesses face a critical choice for their data infrastructure. Dependence on non-EU cloud providers creates significant risks, from exposure to foreign laws like the US CLOUD Act to spiraling, unpredictable costs driven by egress fees. The demand for digital sovereignty is no longer a preference; it is a core business requirement. This article outlines how a secure S3 API object storage platform, built exclusively within EU data centers, provides a path to compliance, resilience, and economic predictability. We will explore the key features that define an enterprise-ready sovereign cloud, from advanced security protocols to regulatory alignment with the EU Data Act and NIS-2.
Establish a Sovereign Foundation for Your Data
A majority of EU businesses now view provider origin and EU data centers as top selection criteria for cloud services. The US CLOUD Act permits US authorities to demand data from US-based providers, regardless of where that data is stored, creating a direct conflict with GDPR. This legal uncertainty affects over 72% of the European cloud market currently held by non-EU companies.
Choosing a 100% European provider for your S3 API object storage eliminates this risk entirely. By operating exclusively in certified European data centers, all data remains under EU jurisdiction, ensuring it is protected by stringent privacy laws. This sovereign-by-design approach is the only way to guarantee immunity from extraterritorial laws.
Furthermore, country-level geofencing provides another layer of control, allowing businesses to restrict data to specific EU nations to meet industry-specific compliance mandates. This precise data residency is critical for sectors like finance and healthcare, ensuring data governance aligns perfectly with regulatory demands and setting the stage for advanced security measures.
Deploy Advanced Security Against Modern Threats
Ransomware attacks are projected to cost businesses over $10 trillion annually by 2025, making proactive defense essential. Traditional backups are no longer sufficient, as attackers now target backup files to prevent recovery. A secure S3 API object storage solution provides a powerful defense with Object Lock, a feature that makes data immutable.
Immutable storage, based on Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) principles, ensures that once data is written, it cannot be altered or deleted for a predefined period. This creates a tamper-proof copy of your data that ransomware cannot encrypt. Key features of a robust security framework include:
Immutable Backups: Use Object Lock to make your backup data unchangeable, guaranteeing a clean recovery point.
Multi-Layer Encryption: Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, protecting it from unauthorized access at every stage.
Granular Access Control: Identity and Access Management (IAM) with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) ensures only authorized personnel can access sensitive data.
SAML/OIDC Integration: Support for external Identity Providers simplifies user management and strengthens security posture.
Immutable backups serve as the last line of defense, ensuring business continuity even if primary systems are compromised. This robust security is complemented by an architecture designed for consistent performance and availability.
Leverage an Architecture Built for Performance and Predictability
Many cloud providers use complex storage tiers, which can lead to unexpected restore delays, API timeouts, and hidden fees. An “Always-Hot” object storage model eliminates this complexity entirely. With this architecture, all data is immediately accessible with consistent, predictable latency, regardless of when it was stored.
This approach is ideal for mixed workloads, from millions of small files to large-scale archives, ensuring your applications perform reliably. Full S3 API compatibility goes beyond basic operations, supporting advanced capabilities like versioning and lifecycle management. This protects your existing investments in tools and scripts, minimizing migration risk and allowing your teams to keep working without code rewrites.
The benefits of this modern architecture are clear:
No Restore Delays: All data is instantly available, which is critical for disaster recovery and time-sensitive operations.
Application Stability: Predictable latencies prevent API timeouts and ensure third-party tools, like backup software, run smoothly.
Operational Simplicity: Eliminating brittle tiering policies reduces management overhead and avoids lifecycle policy drift.
Cost Transparency: You avoid the surprise restore fees associated with retrieving data from archival tiers.
This combination of performance and simplicity prepares your business for upcoming EU regulations focused on data portability and interoperability.
Future-Proof Your Business for EU Data Regulations
The European regulatory landscape is evolving, with two key directives set to reshape data governance. The EU Data Act, fully applicable from September 2025, mandates data portability and interoperability to prevent vendor lock-in. It requires providers to offer clear exit paths, ensuring you can move your data, including all metadata and versions, without technical or contractual barriers.
Simultaneously, the NIS-2 Directive strengthens cybersecurity requirements for critical infrastructure, including data centers and cloud providers. It mandates continuous security processes, rigorous vulnerability management, and supply-chain assurance. Choosing a provider that builds these principles into its core operations is a competitive advantage.
A forward-looking secure S3 API object storage for businesses should demonstrate readiness by:
Designing for portability with open standards and exportable formats.
Implementing robust security measures aligned with NIS-2, including comprehensive incident reporting.
Ensuring contractual terms support the data portability rights granted by the EU Data Act.
These regulatory tailwinds make the economic model of your storage provider more important than ever.
Achieve Economic Clarity with a Predictable Cost Model
One of the biggest pain points in cloud storage is unpredictable billing, driven by hidden costs. Data egress fees, which are charges for moving data out of the cloud, can quickly inflate your total cost of ownership (TCO) and create significant vendor lock-in. Many businesses also face unexpected charges for API calls or are forced into long-term contracts with minimum storage durations.
A transparent economic model eliminates these issues entirely. Look for a provider that offers a simple, predictable pricing structure with three key promises:
No Egress Fees: Freely access and move your data without financial penalties.
No API Call Costs: Use your applications and scripts without worrying about per-request charges.
No Minimum Storage Duration: Pay only for the storage you use, for as long as you use it.
This predictable-by-design approach provides clear financial benefits and empowers partners to build profitable services on a stable foundation. For Managed Service Providers, this model is a game-changer for building services like secure cloud backup.
Empower MSPs and Channel Partners with a Partner-Ready Platform
For MSPs, resellers, and system integrators, predictable margins are essential for building profitable Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and archiving solutions. A storage platform with zero egress and API fees provides the financial stability needed to offer competitive, fixed-price services to clients. This model transforms storage from a variable cost center into a predictable revenue driver.
A truly partner-ready platform also provides the tools needed for efficient management and scale. This includes a multi-tenant partner console with robust RBAC and MFA, enabling secure management of multiple client environments. With full automation via API/CLI and detailed reporting, partners can streamline onboarding and operations, reducing administrative overhead by up to 30%.
Recent distribution agreements with api in Germany and Northamber plc in the UK have expanded local access for resellers and MSPs across Europe. This growing ecosystem, combined with powerful integrations like the collaboration with backup ISV NovaBackup, makes it easier than ever for partners to deliver sovereign, compliant storage solutions.
Begin Your Journey to a Sovereign Cloud
More Links
The German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport provides insights into digital sovereignty.
The German Bundestag offers a news item related to digital sovereignty.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action presents a parliamentary inquiry and response concerning digital policy.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) details coordinated enforcement action on cloud-based services used by public sector bodies.
The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) provides statistics on cloud computing usage in enterprises.
