OVHcloud on the rise: Europe wants to break free from US data dependency

What used to be a purely technical decision is now becoming a geopolitical question of strategy: which cloud provider can I still trust with my data? The French provider OVHcloud is experiencing a noticeable boom - because European companies are increasingly turning their backs on American hyperscalers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud.

The reason: digital sovereignty - or rather, the growing fear that sensitive company or government data could fall into the wrong hands. Benjamin Revcolevschi, CEO of OVHcloud, puts it in a nutshell in the latest quarterly statement: "The choice of a cloud provider is no longer just a technical question, but also a strategic one."

Europe's companies are waking up - and no longer blindly relying on the USA

One of the most prominent examples: Deutsche Bahn has abolished its own servers and now hosts them entirely on Amazon Web Services (AWS) - a move that is viewed critically in this day and age. This is because the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which legally safeguards the transfer of data to the USA, has feet of clay. Should former President Donald Trump pull the plug by executive order after a possible election victory in 2024, the whole of Europe would once again be left without a functioning legal basis for US cloud use.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior is already warning of this development - and recommends focusing on more independence in the cloud strategy.

OVHcloud: From French provider to European beacon of hope

Cloud host OVHcloud, based in Roubaix in northern France, operates data centers in Germany, France, Poland, the UK, Canada, the USA, Australia and Singapore, among others. The company is growing rapidly in the DACH region in particular - with adjusted revenue growth of 9.7% in the first half of 2025.

According to OVHcloud spokeswoman, the desire for data sovereignty is now a decisive factor for many new customers - including large companies such as asset manager Commerz Real. Europe wants to regain control of its data - and is increasingly choosing European providers.

Who can I trust?

The days of simply saying "everyone knows Amazon, let's use it" are over. Companies - and public institutions in particular - must finally ask themselves the question: Who do I trust with my most sensitive data? And what happens if the geopolitical situation changes overnight?

Digital sovereignty is not marketing speak, but a necessity. Any German company or authority that still relies exclusively on US clouds is playing with fire. The next Trump decision is sure to come - and then data transfer could be over at the click of a mouse. It's better to switch now before the data situation catches fire.