Key Takeaways
- IONOS has opened a new data centre in eastern Frankfurt to keep its cloud infrastructure under full European control.[1]
- The provider positions its “sovereign cloud” as an open‑source, fully controllable alternative to US hyperscalers.[3][9]
- All services comply with GDPR, the EU AI Act and other emerging regulations, guaranteeing data residency in Germany.[4]
- Strategic partnerships with Nextcloud, govdigital and Gaia‑X reinforce IONOS’s commitment to digital self‑determination.[5][7][9]
- Technical features such as cloud‑bursting, double‑redundant storage and best‑practice security guidelines ensure performance and resilience.[2][8][10]
Introduction
IONOS, the large European hosting and cloud provider, announced the commissioning of a new machine‑room in eastern Frankfurt that will house its sovereign cloud stack. The move is presented as a direct response to the “marketing promises” of large US hyperscalers, offering customers a fully controllable, open‑source cloud environment that remains under European jurisdiction.
The opening of the new IONOS data center comes just weeks after Schwarz Digits, the company behind the STACKIT cloud announced it’s 11 billion investment into the new data center in Lübbenau.
Ionos’s Frankfurt Data Centre: A Concrete Step
The new facility, located near DE‑CIX – Europe’s largest internet exchange – expands IONOS’s existing Frankfurt capacity and is built to meet the highest security and sustainability standards, including ISO 27001 and BSI C5 certifications.[1] Key technical highlights include:
- N+1 power and cooling systems
- 100 % renewable electricity
- Biometric access controls and 24/7 security personnel
- Design PUE of 1.23 in full operation
These specifications position the data centre as a benchmark for “European digital independence.”[1]
Open‑Source Cloud Stack and Full Control
IONOS promotes a cloud stack that is built on open standards and open‑source components, allowing customers to avoid vendor lock‑in and to audit the software themselves.[9] The open‑source approach aligns with the broader EU initiative Gaia‑X, which seeks to create a federated data infrastructure based on interoperable, sovereign services.[5]
Regulatory Alignment and GDPR Compliance
All IONOS cloud services are designed to satisfy GDPR and the upcoming EU AI Act, providing strict data‑location guarantees and full auditability.[4] The company’s Storage‑as‑a‑Service (STaaS) offering explicitly guarantees that data never leaves German territory, eliminating exposure to overseas data‑access mandates.[4]
Strategic Partnerships Strengthening Sovereignty
Several collaborations reinforce IONOS’s sovereign‑cloud narrative:
- govdigital: A cooperative of public‑sector IT providers now has direct access to IONOS’s sovereign cloud, enabling municipalities and federal agencies to launch cloud projects without lengthy procurement processes.[7]
- Nextcloud: The partnership adds an open‑source collaboration suite that keeps file‑sharing, video‑conferencing and office productivity under the customer’s control.[9]
- Gaia‑X: IONOS’s participation in the European data‑exchange framework further legitimises its claim to be a “national superscaler.”[5]
“Customers can drive forward their digitalisation and provide cloud‑based citizen services, knowing that their data remains in Germany under strict GDPR compliance.” – Achim Weiß, CEO of IONOS[7]
Performance and underlying Technology
IONOS follows a double‑redundant storage model across HDD/SSD block volumes and provides cross‑region replication for added resilience.[8] Additionally, the provider supports “cloud bursting,” allowing workloads to temporarily overflow to public clouds during spikes, without sacrificing data‑sovereignty because the burst traffic never carries sensitive data off‑site.[10]
An analysis by Impossible Cloud highlighted that IONOS’s sovereign offering delivers comparable latency and scalability to major hyperscalers, while offering predictable cost structures (no egress fees) and full S3‑compatible storage.[2]
We have an in-depth analysis of the IONOS cloud, covering features, developer experience, data centre coverage, and certifications.
Conclusion
The Frankfurt investment signals that a European‑centric cloud ecosystem is maturing. By coupling regulatory compliance, open‑source transparency and robust technical guarantees, IONOS offers an alternative that could reduce the EU’s reliance on US‑based hyperscalers. If adopted broadly by public institutions and mid‑size enterprises, this model may drive a shift toward “sovereign‑by‑design” cloud architectures across the continent.[6]
IONOS’s new Frankfurt machine‑room embodies a concrete step toward a fully sovereign European cloud. By combining open‑source technology, strict GDPR compliance, strategic partnerships and proven performance, the provider positions itself as a viable counter‑balance to the dominant US hyperscalers. Continued adoption by the public sector and enterprise customers could accelerate the EU’s broader ambition for digital self‑determination.
References
[^1]: New cloud data centre in Frankfurt: IONOS sets an example for digital sovereignty in Europe (Aug 26 2025). New cloud data centre in Frankfurt: IONOS sets an example for digital sovereignty in Europe. IONOS Group SE. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^2]: IONOS Cloud Performance vs. Sovereign Alternatives in 2025 (Sep 29 2025). IONOS Cloud Performance vs. Sovereign Alternatives in 2025. Impossible Cloud. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^3]: What is data sovereignty? (Jan 30 2023). What is data sovereignty?. IONOS. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^4]: GDPR requirements regarding Storage as a Service (STaaS) (Nov 26 2025). GDPR requirements regarding Storage as a Service (STaaS). IONOS. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^5]: What is Gaia‑X? More about the European Digital Project (Jun 10 2025). What is Gaia‑X?. IONOS. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^6]: IONOS Migration Guide for Sovereign Cloud (Jul 8 2025). IONOS Migration Guide for Sovereign Cloud. Impossible Cloud. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^7]: Sovereign cloud for the public sector: IONOS available via govdigital (Jul 18 2024). Sovereign cloud for the public sector: IONOS available via govdigital. IONOS Group SE. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^8]: Best Practices for IONOS Cloud Storage Products (Aug 13 2025). Best Practices for IONOS Cloud Storage Products. IONOS Docs. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^9]: IONOS and Nextcloud together for more data sovereignty (Jan 17 2020). IONOS and Nextcloud together for more data sovereignty. Nextcloud Blog. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
[^10]: What is cloud bursting? (Aug 19 2025). What is cloud bursting?. IONOS UK. Retrieved 2025‑12‑12.
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