Cloud Storage
Object Storage
data protection object storage
Achieve Sovereign Data Protection with Enterprise-Grade Object Storage
A majority of EU businesses now demand European solutions for their critical data infrastructure. This article outlines a clear path to achieving digital sovereignty and robust data protection in object storage without sacrificing performance or compatibility.
The topic briefly and concisely
True data sovereignty requires storing data in EU data centers under exclusive EU legal governance to mitigate risks from foreign laws like the CLOUD Act.
A predictable pricing model without egress fees or API call charges is crucial for eliminating hidden costs and enabling stable margins for MSPs.
Immutable object storage with S3 Object Lock is a non-negotiable defense against ransomware, ensuring a clean, unalterable copy of data is always available for recovery.
In 2025, EU enterprises face a dual challenge: protecting data from increasing threats while navigating a complex web of regulations like GDPR, NIS-2, and the upcoming EU Data Act. Many IT leaders worry about the impact of non-EU laws like the CLOUD Act, which can create legal conflicts even when data is stored locally. This makes choosing the right data protection object storage a strategic decision. A truly sovereign solution must offer more than just a European data center; it requires a foundation of EU-based governance, transparent pricing, and an architecture designed for resilience. This guide details how to meet these modern data challenges effectively.
Establish Digital Sovereignty with EU-Centric Storage
For European businesses, data sovereignty is no longer an option; it is a core strategic requirement for at least 84% of organizations. Storing data within EU borders under European governance is the only guaranteed way to avoid exposure to foreign legislation like the U.S. CLOUD Act. This ensures that access to your sensitive information is governed exclusively by EU law, a critical factor for maintaining regulatory compliance.
Impossible Cloud provides this legal certainty with data centers located exclusively in certified European facilities. We enforce country-level geofencing, giving you precise control over data residency and ensuring 100% GDPR adherence. This EU-only operational model is your first line of defense. This approach directly addresses the 46% of IT leaders who identify compliance as their top factor when choosing a cloud provider.
By design, this architecture removes the legal ambiguities that arise when using providers subject to non-EU jurisdictions. This focus on true sovereignty prepares your organization for the future of EU data regulation.
Eliminate Hidden Costs with a Predictable Economic Model
Many cloud users feel locked into their providers due to complex pricing and unexpected fees, which directly impacts at least 40% of IT budgets. The most common culprits are egress fees and API call charges, which can inflate storage costs by over 50%. Impossible Cloud eliminates this problem with a transparent economic model designed for predictability and control.
Our pricing structure is simple and contains three key guarantees:
Zero egress fees
Zero API call costs
No minimum storage duration
This model ensures your total cost of ownership is predictable, down to the last gigabyte. For Managed Service Providers, this translates directly into stable, defensible margins for Backup-as-a-Service and archiving solutions. This financial clarity allows for better business planning and removes the risk of bill shock, a common pain point for over 60% of cloud customers.
Build Resilient Ransomware Defenses with Immutable Object Storage
Ransomware attacks are increasing, with global damages expected to exceed $30 billion in 2025. A robust ransomware protection strategy requires more than just backups; it demands backups that cannot be altered or deleted by attackers. This is achieved through immutable storage, a feature considered essential by 69% of IT leaders.
Impossible Cloud integrates Immutable Storage using S3 Object Lock, creating a Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) state for your data. This means that once written, your backup files are protected from modification or deletion for a defined retention period. This feature provides a guaranteed clean copy for recovery. Our architecture is also “Always-Hot,” meaning all data is immediately accessible without the delays or surprise fees associated with restoring from archived tiers. This ensures you can meet recovery time objectives of under 15 minutes for critical data.
This combination of immutability and instant access is a cornerstone of modern disaster recovery planning. It provides the certainty needed to restore operations quickly after an incident.
Ensure Seamless Integration and Avoid Vendor Lock-In
True data protection object storage must integrate flawlessly with your existing tools and workflows. Full S3 API compatibility is the key to achieving this, protecting your past investments in scripts, applications, and backup software. This compatibility ensures you can migrate data and switch providers with minimal friction, a core principle of the EU Data Act.
Our platform supports not just basic S3 operations but also advanced capabilities, including:
Object versioning
Lifecycle management policies
Event notifications
Identity and Access Management (IAM) with MFA/RBAC
Support for external IdPs via SAML/OIDC
This comprehensive S3 support ensures your existing applications continue to work without code rewrites. We offer out-of-the-box integrations with leading backup vendors, including a deep collaboration with NovaBackup, simplifying the setup of compliant backup solutions for MSPs. This focus on open standards preserves your long-term freedom of action.
Prepare for 2025 EU Regulations: The Data Act and NIS-2
The European regulatory landscape is evolving, with two key directives set to reshape data governance in 2025. Being prepared for these changes provides a significant competitive advantage. Impossible Cloud’s architecture is built to align with these future requirements today.
First, the EU Data Act, applicable from September 2025, mandates data portability and interoperability to prevent vendor lock-in. Our model, with no egress fees and full S3 compatibility, directly supports this right to switch providers easily. Second, the NIS-2 Directive requires continuous security processes, including supply-chain assurance and strict incident reporting timelines for critical sectors. Our platform's built-in security features help you meet these obligations. These include multi-layer encryption, immutable storage, and robust IAM controls, all operated from within the EU.
By choosing a sovereign-by-design storage partner, you build a foundation that is already compliant with the next wave of EU data law. This proactive stance reduces future compliance risks.
Accelerate Channel Growth with a Partner-Ready Platform
For MSPs, resellers, and system integrators, a successful partnership hinges on predictable margins and operational efficiency. Our partner program is designed to deliver both, enabling you to build profitable and compliant data protection services. The zero-egress-fee model is a key driver, allowing partners to achieve up to 40% higher margins on backup and archive services.
Our partner-ready console provides the tools needed for efficient management and scale:
Multi-tenant management with role-based access control (RBAC)
Automation via a comprehensive API and CLI
Detailed reporting and monitoring capabilities
Fast and simple onboarding processes
We are expanding our reach across Europe, with recent distribution agreements with api in Germany and Northamber plc in the UK. These partnerships provide local access and support for hundreds of resellers and MSPs. This growing ecosystem makes it easier than ever to deliver sovereign cloud solutions to your clients.
Additional useful links
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy provides a PDF document about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) links to guidelines, recommendations, and best practices.
Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) provides a video about data protection related to the register census.
Bitkom discusses the pressure data protection puts on companies.
Gesetze im Internet links to the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG 2018).
FAQ
What makes your object storage 'sovereign by design'?
Our object storage is 'sovereign by design' because we are a European company that operates exclusively in certified European data centers. This ensures your data is always protected by EU laws like GDPR and is never subject to foreign jurisdictional overreach, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. We also provide country-level geofencing for ultimate control.
Are there really no hidden fees?
Correct. Our pricing is completely transparent and predictable. We do not charge for egress (data retrieval), API calls, or have minimum storage durations. You pay only for the storage you use, making it easy to manage your budget and for our partners to build services with predictable margins.
How does S3 Object Lock protect my backups?
S3 Object Lock makes your data immutable, meaning it cannot be altered or deleted for a specified period. This creates a Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) backup. If a ransomware attack occurs, your immutable backups remain untouched, providing a guaranteed clean recovery point to restore your operations.
Is it difficult to migrate from another S3-compatible provider?
No, migration is straightforward. Our platform offers full S3 API compatibility, which means your existing applications, scripts, and tools will work without modification. You can simply change the endpoint in your configuration to point to our service and begin migrating your data.
How do you support Managed Service Providers (MSPs)?
We provide MSPs with a partner-ready platform featuring a multi-tenant console, automation via API/CLI, and detailed reporting. Our predictable pricing model with no egress fees allows MSPs to build highly profitable and compliant Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and archiving solutions for their clients.
How does your 'Always-Hot' architecture benefit me?
Our 'Always-Hot' architecture means all your data is immediately accessible at all times, with no delays or fees for retrieval from different storage tiers. This simplifies operations, ensures predictable performance for your applications, and guarantees you can restore data quickly in a disaster recovery scenario.
