At the moment the Cloud is dominated by companies from the US and China. It is true that many of these companies have Data Centers in Europe, but this presence is in line with strict compliance with the requirements set by European Union legislation.
The reality is that the regulators of the old continent are not being able to advance at the same pace as technology, so European regulations are quite limited with respect to areas such as the Edge, which is the point at which the most of the data produced by vehicles, factories, cities, hospitals, IoT sensors, phones and all kinds of connected devices.
Aware of its disadvantaged situation, and with the aim of achieving independence in the Cloud environment and recovering sovereignty over its data in order to monetize it properly, Europe has launched the GAIA-X program.
The first purpose of GAIA-X is to decentralize the cloud so that each organization can freely put its data at the service of its business. This is necessary, since the model imposed by the large cloud providers makes it difficult for organizations to move their data flows from one cloud to another in a simple and affordable way. The “multicloud” functionality has become a trend that all parties defend, but the reality is that in practice it is difficult to achieve.
GAIA-X proposes a network system capable of connecting existing cloud services, such as AWS, Azure, Google and many others, including European providers, in order to share data and build new services together. In addition, it wants to act as a repository in which companies and organizations can search for data services according to requirements such as, for example, the place of residence of the service, which could help position the local offer.
GAIA-X is not just another hyperscalar, but a decentralized system in which multiple providers publish their services
Gaia-X proposes its development based on three fundamental elements:
· Creation of a next generation data infrastructure for European states, companies and citizens and their global partners.
· Compliance with the highest standards in terms of digital sovereignty and promotion of innovation. The new data infrastructure must be the origin of an ecosystem in which data and services remain available, collected and shared in a trusted environment.
· Focus on the precise needs of users on the European continent.
Gaia-X is a necessary project for European companies and public bodies that, more specifically, responds to challenges related to:
The availability of data: it is essential to have a reliable, secure and transparent data infrastructure that can be used as a bridge in the exchange and processing of information, allowing economies of scale based on the availability of large data sets on the continent. European
· Innovation: the creation of a digital ecosystem that allows the development of innovative products and helps European companies and business models to grow and be competitive at a global level is facilitated.
· Data sovereignty: Existing cloud offerings are dominated by non-European providers capable of rapidly scaling their infrastructures, with significant market power and the support of large capitals. In a scenario in which international tensions and trade conflicts are heightened around the world, Europe must ensure that it can permanently establish and maintain its digital sovereignty.
By way of conclusion, two points should not be forgotten when talking about this European initiative. First of all, GAIA-X is not just another hyperscalar, but rather a decentralized system where multiple providers publish their services. Thus, GAIA-X is only in charge of verifying that these providers comply with the required interconnection standards. Secondly, GAIA-X has not been launched to compete against the large hyperscalars of the USA or China, but to avoid possible monopolies in an environment as strategic as the cloud.
At Omega Peripherals we see that GAIA-X can become a source of services for our clients, whom we can help with tasks such as configuration and adaptation to their specific environments. In this way, the IT departments of the organizations will have this part covered and will be able to dedicate their time and resources to more strategic tasks.
By Miquel Morell, consultant at Omega Peripherals
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism