- Microsoft announced a legally binding European digital resilience commitment
- Microsoft will operate 200 data centers throughout the EU by 2027
- A new attached Ciso for Europe has also been designated
Microsoft has come out and has opposed any order from the United States government to suspend the operations of the European cloud, considering that such movement is very unlikely but a real and relevant concern.
In a blog post, the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, confirmed that the company would sue if it was ordered to stop services in Europe amid geopolitical tensions and continuous geopolitical disputes.
“We are committing that Microsoft will quickly and vigorously play a measure in such a way using all available legal routes,” said Smith.
Microsoft undertakes to serve Europe in the middle of commercial wars
In the article, Smith presented five key commitments that Microsoft is doing to European clients, promising “digital stability” and “to maintain the digital resilience of Europe.”
When observing the “mutual economic growth and prosperity” allowed by transatlantic ties, Smith explained that the company is “pleased” both President Trump and the European Union have reached an agreement to suspend a greater tariff climb.
Microsoft’s first commitment is that it will continue to expand the infrastructure of the cloud and AI in Europe, increasing the capacity of the data center by 40% in the next two years and expanding to 16 European countries.
By 2027, the company wants more than 200 data centers to be executed throughout the continent, all while respecting European laws and demands for sovereignty.
Second, Microsoft “will defend the digital resilience of Europe” throughout continuous volatility by including a new legally binding digital resilience commitment in all contracts with European national governments and the European Commission.
This includes storing copies of support of its code in a safe repository in Switzerland, a country with strong privacy and data security laws.
The company has also promised to guarantee the privacy of European data by allowing local data storage and processing within the EU and the European Free Trade Association, as well as protecting the cybersecurity of the continent with a newly appointed attached CISO for Europe.
Finally, Smith commented on Microsoft’s plans to support competition in the region, possible an excavation in the frequent investigations facing the European Commission, as well as other antitrust regulators worldwide.
Smith concluded: “Our support for Europe has always been, and it will always be, firm.”
