Proximus NXT drives new sovereignty innovation in the cloud by partnering up with Microsoft, Thales and Intel
Proximus NXT is more than ever at the forefront of developments in sovereign cloud solutions. One year after launching the first disconnected sovereign cloud solution in Belgium and Luxembourg, the Belgian group is once again breaking new ground by becoming one of the first operators in the world to combine the Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty-platform with the ultra-secure encryption and attestation solutions developed by Thales and Intel. This new offer, which is currently being tested by Agoria, epitomizes Proximus' ambition to give companies greater control over their most critical data by providing European sovereign cloud solutions that are 100 % reliable
More than ever, European states, organizations and companies need to protect their critical data, whether in the health, defense, or financial sectors. The aim, of course, is to protect these data from cyber-attacks, but also to prevent certain non-European states from gaining access to them.
To better protect the data of Belgian and European companies, Proximus has been specializing in sovereign cloud solutions for several years now. Today, Proximus is further consolidating its sovereign cloud solutions with a more accessible offering that meets the requirements of all companies and organizations that need to protect their critical data. Of which there are many, as we all know. Demand is set to soar in the coming months and years, as the European NIS 2 and DORA directives come into force. These will require companies in the European Union to take a number of additional measures, including in terms of data security, to better protect themselves against cyber-attacks.
Proximus' new sovereign cloud solution combines the Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty platform with the End to End Data Protection solution based on Thales CipherTrust and the Tiber Trust Security solution designed by Intel. By integrating these solutions, an unprecedented achievement in Europe, Proximus is adding a European encryption layer on top of Microsoft's technology, enabling it to move into the sovereign in the cloud category.
This combined solution is currently being tested by the Agoria federation of technology companies as part of a "Proof of Concept" (POC).
Agoria's goal is to unlock the full potential of sovereignty in the cloud. By fostering trust among and towards our members, we ensure the security of their data in all the services we provide.
I'm excited about this new innovation, as it further strengthens Proximus' position in the Belgian and European sovereign cloud solutions market.
It's very important for companies to realize how fragile data protection can be when it's managed by clouds outside European jurisdictions. Sovereign cloud solutions are essential for European companies for reasons of security, compliance with European legislation and competitive edge. By 2027, the risk of bankruptcy will triple for organizations that fail to continuously manage remote access to their architecture and processes. Given these projections, the need for a sovereign cloud solution is clear. I am therefore delighted about this new partnership with leading players such as Microsoft, Thales and Intel, as it paves the way for Proximus NXT to offer sovereign cloud solutions with robust encryption, ensuring compliance with strict European legislation.
Data sovereignty is an enabler to innovation, and Thales is providing businesses with the technology and expertise to navigate the evolving digital sovereignty environment smoothly and securely. Built by the cloud and for the cloud, our data security solutions empower organizations to migrate, store and process data within their desired geographic boundaries securely while preserving privacy and still benefitting from the performance, scalability, and agility offered by cloud technologies. This collaboration with Proximus is a step forward supporting European customers with their Sovereign Cloud solution deployments.
