... and what if the US cloud disappears tomorrow?

Last updated: 05.03.2026 09:00

More than half of all German companies would not be able to work without American cloud services. But times are too uncertain for this to remain the case. It is high time for European cloud sovereignty!

An appeal from VIER CEO Rainer Holler.

Let's face it, it's not a pleasant thought, but imagine if tomorrow morning the US simply shut down Amazon, Google, and Azure in Europe. Sounds like a conspiracy theory? Unfortunately, it's not. Not anymore. Honestly, anyone who has been closely following the geopolitical situation in recent weeks, and especially in recent days, will realize that we have a huge problem. And it's NOT just an IT problem.

The latest Bitkom Cloud Report from 2025 already shows it in black and white:

• 78 percent of German companies see too much dependence on US cloud providers.

• 62 percent would come to a complete standstill without cloud services.

• 50 percent are rethinking their cloud strategy as a result of US policy.

More than half of all German companies would therefore be unable to operate without American cloud services. They don't even have a fallback solution. So nothing.

Think further: Venezuela. Greenland. Iran... Threat scenarios and trouble spots seem to be growing by the hour, threats are becoming part of normal communication, the tone is becoming harsher, and behavior and decision-making patterns are becoming increasingly erratic. What if the US decides tomorrow that European companies are no longer allowed to access their services? As leverage for something or simply because they can.

The question is no longer whether something like this will happen, but when. My opinion on this is that we all need a Plan B. We need at least one fallback solution NOW. One? No! THE European cloud strategy. And yes, of course I'm saying this because VIER operates a German cloud or, alternatively, provides German solutions on premise. But the key point is this: becoming independent of US hyperscalers is now the only right way forward. And we should get started today rather than tomorrow.