Key Takeaways
- Data localization is no longer a luxury but a strategic necessity.
- Identifying critical data is the first step toward a sovereign strategy.
- French companies are increasingly aware of the issue but implementations remain gradual.
- A Trusted Cloud provides a credible path to address security, compliance, and independence requirements.
“The first goal is to remain independent when it comes to the most sensitive data. The data that makes us unique and competitive.”“ — Sylvain Lefeuvre
In a context of rising geopolitical tensions and widespread reliance on foreign cloud services, data localization has become a major strategic concern for organizations.
For Sylvain Lefeuvre, Head of Sales and Data Security Expert, who spoke on this topic at the InCyber Forum 2025, it is a key lever for differentiation and independence for European — and especially French — companies.
From technology dependence to strategic awareness
“When companies sign contracts with leading American cloud providers, they often lose control over their IT budget.” — Sylvain Lefeuvre
This reality reflects a growing imbalance: unilateral price increases imposed by some cloud providers limit French organizations’ ability to plan, innovate, and invest in their own technological sovereignty. This lack of control directly affects their competitiveness.
These contracts reduce the portion of the budget that companies can allocate to exploring alternative solutions or launching innovation projects.
A major economic impact in Europe
A recent CIGREF report highlights that 80% of cloud and software spending for professional use in Europe goes to U.S. companies. This concentration exposes European organizations to economic and strategic risks, including technology dependence and loss of sovereignty over their data.
Identifying and classifying data: a critical step
“Depending on the sector, 15 to 20% of data is considered sensitive or critical.” — Sylvain Lefeuvre
Data classification is a requirement before any localization strategy. Strategic data — such as customer information, R&D assets, and GDPR-regulated data — must be isolated, protected, and hosted in a controlled environment.
This foundational work, already underway among several French companies, helps strengthen autonomy while ensuring reversibility from cloud providers, particularly American ones.
A gradual but inevitable transformation
“You don’t exit Big Tech overnight. It is a step-by-step journey.” — Sylvain Lefeuvre
While U.S. policies (past and future) aim to restrict certain internal corporate frameworks, including ESG and diversity initiatives, concerns related to data sovereignty are rapidly growing.
The urgency is less technical than strategic. And this strategic shift is clearly underway across many French enterprises, even if execution takes time.
Choose sovereign and secure collaboration
Oodrive Work offers an online workspace that brings together all the essential tools for collaborating and sharing documents, including the most sensitive ones, in a secure, trusted cloud environment.
French people between mistrust and lack of awareness
According to a survey reported by La Dépêche:
• 43% of French workers are concerned about dependence on platforms like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft
• Only 23% consider data localization in Europe as essential
• 37% do not know where their digital tools are hosted
This gap between concerns and actions highlights a need for greater education on data localization — and represents an opportunity for companies to differentiate by adopting strong digital sovereignty strategies.
Toward a Trusted Cloud
To address growing digital sovereignty challenges, European initiatives such as the Trusted Cloud model are gaining traction. The ambition: benefit from innovative, high-performance cloud services while guaranteeing data hosting aligned with European security and governance standards.
Among the leading players embodying this model is Oodrive, a historic French provider offering a sovereign and secure collaborative suite (document management, electronic signature, collaboration). Oodrive was the first provider to obtain SecNumCloud qualification from ANSSI, in 2019, a mark of compliance with the highest cloud security standards in France.
With this approach, organizations can combine:
• Technological excellence
• Data hosting in France
• Protection against foreign extraterritorial laws such as the U.S. Cloud Act
The Trusted Cloud stands as a credible alternative to dominant global providers, delivering concrete guarantees on data localization, confidentiality, and control.
