CISPE (Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe)

𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗻: 𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗘 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀! 🚀 Following a vote at our recent GA, CISPE has adopted a new governance model to strengthen our #European identity and commitment to advocating for European #CloudServices providers on key issues that matter to Europe. Under the new model: ✅ A minimum of 75% of board seats are now reserved for companies headquartered in Europe (including the UK) and classified as SMEs. ✅ A minimum of 75% of all members must be based in Europe or the UK, reinforcing our dedication to representing European cloud providers. The GA also outlined a new programme focused on critical issues for #Europe’s #cloud sector, including: 🌐 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Supporting cloud infrastructures that empower European SMEs and customers to build solutions that align with European values. 📑 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Automating regulatory compliance to ease the burden on vendors and customers, with continued support for #GaiaX. 🏛️ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Campaigning to prevent the proposed Digital Networks Act from harming Europe’s cloud ecosystem. ⚖️ 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 #𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Establishing the European Cloud Competition Observatory to prevent dominant software vendors from imposing unfair #SoftwareLicensing terms on European providers. 🌱 #𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗡𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱: Supporting regulations aimed at achieving a climate-neutral cloud by 2030. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dkBP_D5U Gaia-X Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL) Francisco Mingorance

It was wonderful to gather with our members during our General Assembly in Lisbon last week for a constructive and consequential discussion about the future direction of CISPE 🧭. Central to CISPE’s future is a new era of collaboration, harnessing #Europe’s diverse and innovative #CloudInfrastructure market to transform its fragmented landscape into a competitive advantage for smaller providers. As we enter this new chapter, we look forward to engaging the new European Commission, championing key issues for our members including fair #competition, software equity, and #DigitalSovereignty. ⚖️ A regulatory framework that fosters growth and innovation is essential to building a fair and globally competitive data economy.

We’re excited to welcome our members to Lisbon this week for our General Assembly. As CISPE embarks on a new chapter after a transformative year, we’ll be debating the key priorities for the organisation’s future, including: 🤝 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Leveraging #Europe’s diverse and innovative #CloudInfrastructure market to drive growth through collaboration, transforming its fragmented cloud market into a competitive advantage for smaller providers.   ⚖️ 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Ensuring a level playing field through fair #SoftwareLicensing practices in the European cloud sector, supporting smaller #CloudServices providers against large, dominant tech companies.   🇪🇺 #𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲: Strengthening Europe’s control over its digital future by supporting skills, knowledge, and infrastructure within the region.   🏛️ 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦: Advocating for a regulatory framework that fosters growth and innovation, enabling European providers to compete globally.

We are excited for our upcoming General Assembly in Lisbon next week, where we'll reflect on our achievements and shape the future direction of CISPE 🧭.   CISPE has consistently championed practical, member-focused solutions to the key challenges facing the #European #CloudInfrastructure sector. This has led to ground-breaking initiatives and valuable products like our Code of Conduct for Data Protection, the CISPE Cloud Procurement Handbook, and the Ten Principles of Fair #SoftwareLicensing ✅ .   After a transformative year marked by our settlement with Microsoft, we’re entering a new chapter where we will be prioritising areas such as fair #competition, software equity, and #DigitalSovereignty, while fostering a regulatory framework that drives growth and innovation 📈 .   As we look ahead, the General Assembly is an opportunity to build on our successes and strengthen our position as the voice of European cloud infrastructure providers, delivering even more value to our members and the European cloud sector.

𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 🧭: 5️⃣ Lessons from CISPE secretary general, Francisco Mingorance, to reap the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls of hidden costs and complex licensing rules. 1️⃣ 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬: It’s crucial to have clear and transparent #SoftwareLicensing terms. Complex agreements can often lead to unexpected costs. 2️⃣ 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤-𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬: Watch out for solutions that restrict your choices. Opting for convenience might limit access to more efficient and cost-effective alternatives. 3️⃣ 𝐆𝐚𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬: Avoid exclusivity agreements that compromise your operational flexibility. Ensure you have the freedom to choose other providers if needed. 4️⃣ 𝐎𝐧𝐞-𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞-𝐅𝐢𝐭𝐬-𝐀𝐥𝐥: Seek cloud solutions that cater to your specific needs. Avoid generic solutions and negotiate for adaptability. 5️⃣ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: The global nature of the cloud can introduce challenges in #DataProtection and compliance. Make sure you have control over where your data is stored. Choosing the right #CloudServices provider is essential. Look for one that offers transparency, flexibility, and robust compliance to avoid hidden costs and enhance your cloud experience.

At this week’s summit, "𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒅 – 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔?", a broad range of industry stakeholders and regulators raised concerns that the European Commission's White Paper on Connectivity does not reflect market realities and could harm Europe’s #digitalisation goals. Key concerns included:   ❌ 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬: The White Paper’s proposal to unify cloud and #ISP regulations is misguided, based on an overly simplistic view of telco-cloud convergence. #CloudServices operate on a fundamentally different model, making ISP-style regulations inappropriate.   📉 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞: Cloud providers are already regulated under frameworks like GDPR, NIS2, and the #DataAct. Additional, unwarranted regulations would raise costs, stifle innovation, and disproportionately burden small, innovative European cloud providers who drive growth and diversity in the sector.   💡 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: CISPE’s key message is that Europe’s digital future should not be hindered by unnecessary regulatory burdens, especially not through a misguided one-size-fits-all approach for cloud and telcos. As the Council prepares its conclusions on the White Paper, it must focus on the fair and effective implementation of existing regulations and create environments that support, rather than undermine, EU cloud providers. This is essential to achieving the #EU’s ambitious #DigitalDecade targets.   🔗 Read our full comment: https://lnkd.in/dXyzPiDW

This week, Analysys Mason presented a study highlighting the dangers of extending the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) #telecoms regulation to cloud services, reinforcing CISPE’s own concerns about the unintended negative consequences of a unified cloud and telco regulation.   The study emphasises that Europe’s cloud sector is not just another utility but a driving force behind AI, innovation, and digital transformation – key pillars of the EU’s #Digital Agenda. As Analysys Mason points out, telecoms regulation was designed for state-run monopolies requiring regulatory intervention to establish competition. The European Commission's plans to extend these outdated regulations to #CloudServices is a bad fit that would raise costs, slow investment, and jeopardise Europe’s #digitalisation targets.   With the #EU's goal of having 75% of businesses using cloud services by 2030 already under threat, treating digital-native businesses like traditional #telcos will only exacerbate existing challenges. Instead of burdening the cloud sector with ill-suited rules, regulators should be encouraging growth, innovation, and investment in the sector 📈.   🔗 Read our full blog: https://lnkd.in/dapVERFQ

Sustainable #DataCentres are key to advancing the EU's twin digital and green transitions. With 39 members from leading #European #CloudServices providers, CISPE is fully committed to promoting #sustainability within the sector and achieving #ClimateNeutrality by 2030 🌱. Last year, CISPE and The European Data Centre Association - EUDCA, with support from SPAINDC and Amazon Web Services (AWS), convened an event in Zaragoza, Spain, to showcase the progress being made. 📺 Watch the highlights reel from Euractiv: https://lnkd.in/gBxm9rza

The Ten Principles of Fair #SoftwareLicensing for Cloud Customers were created as a set of best practices to foster growth, innovation, and flexibility in the European #CloudServices market. They aim to prevent dominant software companies from creating contractual, financial, or technical barriers that limit businesses from switching between cloud providers. They provide a framework to address practices that restrict choice, stifle innovation, and drive up costs, including: 🔗 Bundling and tying  💶 Preferential pricing for self-owned products  🔒 Technical and economic lock-in Developed by #CISPE and Cigref through industry collaboration, these principles have been endorsed by groups representing CIOs, IT decision-makers, and vendors. We urge policymakers, vendors and customers to adopt and support these guidelines as the foundation of a fair European #DigitalEconomy. Discover more 👉 https://lnkd.in/d4qwRKY

𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗘 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗵𝗶 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 '𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁'   The Draghi Report offers valuable insights on #European competitiveness, but CISPE believes it underestimates the vital role of #CloudInfrastructure in driving Europe's productivity, innovation, and growth – the majority of SMEs are yet to fully harness the benefits of cloud.   European #CloudProviders are already leading the way, offering flexible services that allow customers to combine solutions from local, national, and global providers. Contrary to the report's concerns, European providers are at the forefront of cloud innovation, which is key to Europe's future.   The main challenge for independent European providers is the heavy regulatory burden from #GDPR, the #DMA, and other policies, which disproportionately impact smaller European providers and SMEs. CISPE is calling for simplified and harmonised regulations to unlock growth and innovation.   CISPE has already been addressing many of the issues highlighted in the report:   1️⃣ CISPE's settlement with Microsoft has helped level the playing field for European providers. 2️⃣ Advocacy for a Cloud First #PublicProcurement policy across the EU to boost adoption and create opportunities for local players. 3️⃣ Practical tools like the CISPE Code of Conduct for GDPR, and leadership on the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, helping smaller providers manage compliance and sustainability.   CISPE believes that Europe cannot rely exclusively on global cloud giants. A vibrant, diverse cloud ecosystem, embracing collaboration and flexibility, is essential to Europe's digital future.   🔗 Our full response: https://lnkd.in/d5fF4mCU