New Target Customers: Public Authorities and Regulated Enterprises
The new focus is on public authorities and companies operating under strict regulatory requirements.
The data center locations are physically and logically separated from existing AWS regions and are based in Europe — a move intended to make unauthorized access from outside the EU more difficult. Operational and support staff are also to be located within the EU and work from there. The first region is planned to be in Germany, although an exact launch date has not yet been announced. In the long term, as is typical for Amazon, several geographically separate regions are planned to minimize the risk of outages.
As a U.S.-based company, AWS is subject to U.S. jurisdiction. In principle, as a cloud provider, AWS has access to user data. Under U.S. laws such as the CLOUD Act or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), American law enforcement agencies can request access to user data — even if that data is processed abroad. These laws require U.S. companies to provide such data to American security agencies upon request. While AWS has never been forced to hand over customer data and states it does not disclose any such data voluntarily, the concern remains.
Other U.S. tech companies — including Google, Microsoft, and Oracle — also offer EU-only cloud services, often in cooperation with European partners such as SAP and Deutsche Telekom. Claudia Plattner, President of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), commented:
“The development of a European AWS cloud will make it significantly easier for many public agencies and organizations with high demands for data security and privacy to use AWS services.”
As such, data handling in this context will be subject to particularly close scrutiny — especially in Germany and from EU institutions.
At DRIVE, we’re well-versed not only in AWS Cloud, but also in alternative server partners such as Plusserver, IONOS, and Mittwald — enabling us to find the right solution for a wide range of customer needs. When it comes to data protection, we’re also on solid footing. Through our own expertise and our trusted network, we offer access to professional consulting to help ensure legal and secure handling of sensitive data.
