Amid privacy concerns in the EU and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Oracle has announced the opening of its EU Sovereign Cloud to cater to the needs of enterprises and government entities seeking to comply with evolving data residency and privacy regulations. 

Unlike competitors like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, which provide controls within their existing cloud regions or services to comply with data regulations, Oracle’s EU Sovereign Cloud stands out by maintaining physical separation from its ten existing cloud regions in the EU. By embracing the cloud, organisations can benefit from Oracle’s solutions while adhering to these regulatory frameworks.

The EU Sovereign Cloud will be composed of two data regions or data centres strategically located in Frankfurt and Madrid. These facilities will be operated by Oracle-owned EU legal entities incorporated within the European Union and staffed exclusively by professionals based in the EU. Notably, enterprises from all 27 member states will have equal access to the cloud at the same cost as other existing cloud regions offered by Oracle.

The introduction of the Sovereign Cloud expands Oracle’s extensive network, which already comprises 37 commercial regions and seven government regions spanning across 23 countries. Furthermore, in a recent announcement, the company expressed its intention to launch a new cloud region in Serbia.

In further advancements, Oracle has introduced two new data security measures to its Vault Key Management feature as part of the Sovereign Cloud. These measures include the OCI Dedicated Key Management Service and the OCI External Key Management Service.

External Key Management capability empowers enterprises to encrypt their data using encryption keys that are generated and managed by the customer externally, outside of OCI. Oracle also enables seamless connectivity of data to OCI’s virtual cloud network through a dedicated private connection.

Presently, the newly established Sovereign Cloud is compatible with FastConnect partners including Arelion, DE-CIX, Digital Realty, Equinix, and InterCloud. 

Disaster recovery will be a key focus of the two data centres established within the EU Sovereign Cloud, aiming to enhance data security and safeguard against unforeseen disruptions. This strategic decision builds upon Oracle’s earlier announcement of its intention to introduce the EU Sovereign Cloud back in July 2022.

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To ensure compliance with relevant regulations, the newly launched EU Sovereign Cloud adheres to the Schrems II ruling, guidelines from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), and other evolving frameworks like NIS 2. 

Leo Leung, Oracle’s Vice President of Products and Strategy, emphasised that the Sovereign Cloud regions follow the principles of their Government Cloud offerings in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the US, Oracle provides separate Government Clouds tailored to defence and administrative bodies, each equipped with distinct security features.

Oracle’s expansion of the EU Sovereign Cloud aims to empower organisations across Europe to leverage the advantages of cloud computing while meeting the intricate requirements posed by data residency and privacy regulations.