T-Systems and OVHcloud cooperate for GAIA-X

• Development of a trusted public cloud offering for data-sensitive businesses 
• Targeting European data sovereignty and GDPR compliance 

OVHcloud and T-Systems have agreed to cooperate following the GAIA-X initiative principles. The partnership will lead to the creation of a trusted public cloud offering for Germany, France and other European markets to address all sectors sensitive to data sovereignty as well as GDPR compliance. 

With this partnership, both - OVHcloud and T-Systems - will engage in developing a unique Openstack public cloud platform. This new offering will address the specific needs of the Public Sector, as well as essential infrastructure operators and companies of all sizes operating in strategic or sensitive areas of public interest. The platform contributes to the European GAIA-X initiative guaranteeing highest level of openness and transparency, data sovereignty, European data privacy and security.

 “Deutsche Telekom is a strong supporter of a Sovereign European Cloud,” stressed Frank Strecker, responsible for Deutsche Telekom’s public cloud business. “However, to make a sovereign European cloud infrastructure successful we need to scale fast. And we need the support of the public sector.”

Max Ahrens, CTO of T-Systems, added: “That’s why we together with OVHcloud plan to develop this fully European trusted public cloud offering. While our French partners can provide their leading cloud technology based on self-build server technology and their opensource-premised information system, we take care of the infrastructure and operations in our German data centers.”

“We are particularly proud to partner with T-Systems and to become the first movers with a truly sovereign public cloud service following the GAIA-X principles. It will provide the most strategic businesses with highest standards of security. Our Cloud Act free offering is of utmost priority to us, enabled through our efficient and fully integrated model,” comments Michel Paulin, CEO at OVHcloud. 

Leveraging the best of each partner 

With this strategic partnership, OVHcloud and T-Systems will bring in their relevant expertise. T-Systems’ clients will take advantage of its trusted data centers, its customer centric service and operations approach, Deutsche Telekom’s network infrastructure as well as its extensive, in-depth knowledge on the public sectors’ demands.
 
This partnership will also build on OVHcloud’s industrial expertise as the pure cloud player OVHcloud will leverage its infrastructure set-up that includes water-cooled systems which enables better energy efficiency. On the technological side, OVHcloud’s PCI platform will be leveraged to better match the expectations of T-Systems customers and partners. 

“Our partnership with T-Systems is, among other things, based on shared values such as data reversibility, data security and transparency, which are important to us as founding members of the GAIA-X initiative,” adds Falk Weinreich, General Manager Central Europe at OVHcloud. “Since more than 20 years, we stand for innovation in the cloud market, offering high efficiency, the latest technology and environmentally friendly cooling concepts. Combined with T-Systems' rich experience, we can offer customers with sensitive data entirely new possibilities.”

The offering is planned to be available early next year. 

Giving life to the GAIA-X principles

This project is a concrete and collective impulse to turn GAIA-X ambitions into concrete actions that benefit the European market. This public cloud platform will be a key asset that will contribute to widen the use cases catalogue of the GAIA-X initiative. As founding members of GAIA-X, T-Systems and OVHcloud will design this new offering while implementing “by design” its leading principles: full GDPR compliance, open standards, but also reversibility, data privacy and highest standards of security.

About OVHcloud:
OVHcloud is a global cloud provider that specializes in delivering industry-leading performance and cost-effective solutions to better manage, secure, and scale data. OVHcloud provides a smarter alternative for web hosting, emails, bare metal servers, hosted private cloud, hybrid and public cloud solutions. The group manages 30 data centers across 12 sites in 4 continents, manufacturing its own servers, building its own data centers and deploying its own fiber-optic global network to achieve maximum efficiency. Through the OVHcloud spirit of challenging the status quo, the company brings freedom, security and innovation to solve data challenges – today and tomorrow. With a 20-year heritage and a solid European foundation, OVHcloud is committed to developing responsible technologies, as the group strives to be the driving force behind the next cloud evolution.

Press contact: 
Email: OVH-Presse@fleishman.com

About Deutsche Telekom: Companyprofile 
About T-Systems: T-Systems company profile