The latest results from the cloud focus report on the “Digital Sovereignty Index”, which adesso published together with the Handelsblatt Research Institute, illustrate the growing complexity: around three-fifths of the organizations surveyed report a strong dependence on one cloud provider, while at the same time around 70 percent already use several platforms in parallel. Just as many decision-makers rate switching providers as time-consuming. The results show that digital sovereignty is less a question of individual technologies than of the strategic management of cloud architectures. The ability to consciously design complex cloud landscapes is therefore crucial.
Companies therefore cannot define their cloud strategies in general terms, but must design them in a differentiated manner depending on the workload, data protection requirements and regulatory requirements. Digital sovereignty is not achieved through compartmentalization, but through the ability to consciously combine technologies and actively manage dependencies.
While many managers have previously viewed cloud initiatives primarily from the perspective of cost optimization and technical performance, the focus is now increasingly shifting to architectural decisions. The aim is to enable innovation while ensuring control over data and processes. Companies are therefore faced with a new area of tension between efficiency, innovative ability and digital sovereignty.
Individual sovereignty instead of a one-size-fits-all model
This development requires a rethink, especially at a strategic level. “For companies, digital sovereignty primarily means freedom of action – the freedom to use technologies in a way that suits their own business models,” says Mark Lohweber, CEO of adesso SE. “We are currently seeing a clear shift away from blanket platform decisions towards strategic decision-making. Companies want to enable innovation and control risks at the same time. The bundling of our cloud competencies is therefore a logical step to give customers precisely this freedom of action.”
When strategy becomes structure
From this strategic perspective, adesso is now also realigning its cloud positioning. With the new Cloud division, the company is bundling its expertise in strategic consulting, architecture design and operations in a central unit. The aim is to provide companies with holistic support – from the definition of individual sovereignty requirements to the implementation of scalable multi-cloud architectures and their operation.
Workload-based approach instead of platform dogma
The new business unit is intended to support companies in designing cloud architectures not according to fixed patterns, but along specific business requirements. The focus is on the question of what level of sovereignty is actually necessary for which application – and how different platforms can be combined in a meaningful way.
“There is no fixed target value for digital sovereignty,” explains Alwin Penner, Head of the business unit and Global Head of Cloud at adesso SE. “Every organization has its own requirements profile. It is crucial to define the appropriate degree of control, innovation and costs in a structured manner depending on the workload and to derive a sustainable architecture from this. To be able to map this optimally, we are pooling our expertise in the new business unit. We take the complexity away from our customers so that they can concentrate on the essentials: their core business and the development of innovative solutions.”
According to adesso, companies benefit in particular from a one-stop-shop approach that radically shortens the entire path from cloud strategy to productive operation. This is no longer just about infrastructure: the Business Line Cloud enables the seamless integration of cloud-native architectures and the rapid scaling of modern AI workloads. Standardized best practices, cross-vendor consulting and the integration of governance and compliance requirements right from the architecture stage help to reduce long-term dependencies while maintaining scope for innovation. In-depth insights into current market trends and challenges can be found in the cloud focus report on the “Digital Sovereignty Index” by adesso and the Handelsblatt Research Institute.
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Further links
👉 www.adesso.de
Photo: pixabay
