Opting for a French cloud means opting for local, sovereign management of your data while benefiting from a high-performance infrastructure. But first, let’s define what a French cloud is.
What is a French cloud?
A French cloud is a data hosting and management service based in France. It relies on infrastructures located in France and managed by companies governed by French law. This guarantees that the data complies with French and European legislation, particularly in terms of personal data protection (GDPR).
This model ensures the strategic independence and autonomy of data from foreign players, and responds to growing concerns about security and digital sovereignty.
Companies and organisations choosing a French sovereign cloud therefore benefit from total control over their data, as well as a service that is often local and responsive.
Clever Cloud’s definition of a sovereign cloud
It is important to note that everyone creates their own definition and that the criteria can vary according to interpretation. At Clever Cloud, we define the sovereign cloud in terms of two major issues: protection against extraterritorial laws and the assurance of sustainable technological autonomy.
A sovereign cloud guarantees that data is not subject to foreign laws, such as the FISA Act, which gives the US government the right to inspect all data hosted by a US organisation. But it must also prevent any risk of technological lock-in. This means offering users freedom of choice and complete control over their tools and infrastructures, to avoid critical situations such as that posed by VMware’s new pricing policy following its acquisition of Broadcom.
A French PaaS like Clever Cloud goes beyond simple hosting in France. It offers ready-to-use solutions for developing, deploying and managing applications in complete autonomy, all on a controlled technical stack.
The advantages of a French cloud for businesses
Security and data protection
Choosing a French or European cloud guarantees rigorous management of sensitive data. Data centres located in France comply with regulations such as the GDPR. With a French sovereign cloud, your information remains under local control, limiting foreign interference.
Compliance with French and European standards
The French cloud is subject to the GDPR, which imposes strict rules on the management of personal data. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in financial penalties and damage to a company’s reputation. Local suppliers therefore offer total transparency on data processing. This approach inspires confidence and ensures a high level of compliance, while simplifying regulatory audits.
What’s more, French cloud providers have to meet a number of requirements to host certain types of data, such as healthcare data, where they need to obtain Health Data Hosting (HDH) certification.
Local servers and support for greater performance and responsiveness
Servers located in France offer lower latency and optimised response times for end users, thanks to their geographical proximity. This means a smoother user experience and reduced latency for your applications.
What’s more, French suppliers almost always offer local technical support, capable of responding effectively to your needs. This proximity simplifies communication in the same language and speeds up problem resolution.
Why opt for a sovereign French cloud?
Geographical control of data
If you make this choice, the French cloud guarantees that your data will be hosted in France. With Clever Cloud, you choose the infrastructure where your data is hosted. So you really know where your data is stored and what level of certification you have.
Guaranteed confidentiality in the face of FISA and other extraterritorial laws
Unlike non-European suppliers subject to extraterritorial laws such as FISA, the Cloud Act or the Patriot Act, the sovereign cloud guarantees the strategic autonomy of your data. These laws allow the American authorities to access sensitive information, even if it is hosted outside the United States.
- The Cloud Act obliges US cloud service providers to provide data stored abroad if they receive an official request;
- The Patriot Act authorises access to data as part of investigations into criminal acts, often linked to terrorism;
- The FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) goes even further: it allows the US authorities to monitor and collect data without the intervention of the service provider, simply by accessing communication flows directly.
By opting for a French PaaS like Clever Cloud, there’s no risk of interference: you retain the confidentiality and strategic autonomy of your data, and that’s that.
Securing and developing the local economy with a sovereign cloud
Adopting a French sovereign cloud helps to strengthen the local economy, while being part of a European dynamic. The Draghi Report, commissioned by the European Union, highlights the strategic importance of investing in sovereign digital infrastructures to reduce technological dependency and guarantee sustainable competitiveness.
By favouring local players, such as the French cloud, companies are not only supporting the creation of a competitive ecosystem, but also promoting economic growth, the generation of skilled jobs and technological independence on a national and European scale.
Preserve and develop strategic skills
Supporting local cloud players not only has an impact on the economy, but also ensures that skills are maintained over the long term. By choosing a foreign cloud, investment leaves the country, weakening national or European industries: talent loses their jobs, moves to other sectors, and essential skills disappear. A phenomenon not unlike the shortage of masks in France during the COVID-19 pandemic. By relying heavily on imports, the country found itself vulnerable, unable to meet urgent and critical demand – a perfect illustration of the dangers and consequences of losing sovereignty in strategic sectors.
Conversely, investing in a French PaaS guarantees a stake in the country’s economy, enabling it to retain its talents, train new ones, meet growing demand and invest in research and development. This virtuous circle secures essential strategic know-how and avoids any critical technological dependency.
H2: How do you choose your French cloud provider?
H3: Selection criteria for a sovereign cloud
First and foremost, it is crucial to ensure that the cloud provider you select genuinely meets the criteria of sovereignty. This means that it must be French and governed by French law, thereby guaranteeing total protection against foreign extraterritorial laws.
Once these criteria have been validated, you can assess your specific needs. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) solutions offer flexible management of physical resources, ideal for applications requiring granular control. Conversely, PaaS (Platform as a Service) solutions allow you to concentrate on application development and maintenance by delegating infrastructure management. The choice depends on your operating model and in-house technical resources. But be sure to favour modular offerings (private, hybrid or public cloud) for optimum adaptability to your changing needs.
Certifications and security standards: a priority at Clever Cloud
Certifications are an essential criterion for assessing the reliability of a French cloud provider. At Clever Cloud, security is a priority right from the design stage (security by design). We comply with the strictest standards, including HDH and ISO 27001 certification, and are working towards SecNumCloud, which guarantees the reliability and security of our services.
Customer data is hosted in France or, if you wish, elsewhere in the world, but always in areas protected from extraterritorial laws, in data centres that meet our requirements. Our approach is based on advanced practices such as data encryption, proactive monitoring and an immutable infrastructure, reducing the risks associated with vulnerabilities.
Choosing a provider committed to open source
Opting for a cloud provider committed to open source, like Clever Cloud, offers the advantages of technological independence and technological autonomy. The majority of our solutions are based on recognised open source tools, offering transparency, interoperability and reliability to our customers.
By actively supporting open source projects, Clever Cloud encourages ongoing collaboration and invests in the European technology ecosystem. It also guarantees in-depth mastery of the technologies used. Our contributions include major technical projects such as Sōzu, a high-performance HTTP reverse proxy in Rust, Biscuit, an authentication token for microservices; but also structuring projects such as Exherbo or Warp 10.
At Clever Cloud, open source is more than just a philosophy. It’s a strategic pillar for guaranteeing that our customers are not locked into technology and that their infrastructures are resilient.
A cloud with a strong ecosystem
Choosing the right cloud also means relying on its dedicated marketplace for easy access to turnkey solutions designed to meet your specific needs. An approach designed to facilitate the adoption and integration of technologies into your projects without requiring advanced technical skills.
Clever Cloud offers a wide range of add-ons, such as our Keycloak as a Service for identity management (IAM) or Azimutt for exploring your databases. These services integrate directly into your applications and are hosted on a sovereign French cloud, guaranteeing data compliance.
French cloud: testimonials and feedback from companies
The French cloud meets the needs of many businesses looking for performance, scalability and sovereignty. Clever Cloud has been chosen by organisations such as MAIF, Airbus, Docaposte, Solocal, BetaGouv and DOTNET to meet their technical and strategic challenges.
MAIF, a major player in the insurance sector, has migrated to Clever Cloud to guarantee the sovereignty of its policyholders’ data. This collaboration has enabled MAIF to increase its productivity by a factor of 8, while improving the availability and performance of its critical systems.
Docaposte, leader in trusted digital solutions, frequently integrates Clever Cloud to meet the needs of its end customers.
The BetaGouv start-ups (data.gouv.fr ; Démarches simplifiées ; pass Culture ; SignalConso ; Mon soutien psy), like those supported by the Startup d’État programme, benefit from Clever Cloud’s advanced functionalities and customised support. Thanks to a stable, scalable infrastructure, these young structures can concentrate on their missions while benefiting from start-up funding and responsive support.
Finally, DOTNET, a SaaS payroll editor, guarantees the protection of sensitive data while increasing the scalability of its services. Clever Cloud provides DOTNET with a high-performance infrastructure, sovereign hosting and proactive technical support.
The French cloud, a strategic choice for the future
Adopting a sovereign French cloud is not just an isolated strategic decision. It’s a commitment that’s part of a collective dynamic, supported by solid collaborations with trusted partners. Clever Cloud highlights this synergy on its Built with Clever page, which lists all the projects developed using its platform.
This collaborative space brings together customers, partners and add-ons to meet the specific needs of businesses. For example, solutions such as Keycloak as a Service for identity management, or Materia, a serverless database, demonstrate the richness of the offering.
Choosing Clever Cloud means opting for a French PaaS that combines performance, scalability and sovereign hosting. This approach guarantees users full compliance with European standards and greater control over their data.
The sovereign cloud is no longer an option, but a necessity if we are to build a sustainable digital future together.