Microsoft announced its first European Azure service, which offers organisations the extra reassurance that their data will be held according to local data regulations.
Microsoft Azure is available on Microsoft Cloud Germany, which is a solution developed specifically for the German market.
Like all regional European Azure services, it features a data trustee, that will be tasked with overseeing the treatment of data. In the case of Microsoft Cloud Germany, the chosen trustee is T-Systems International, an independent German company and subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
It will ensure any data passing through the datacentres located in Magdeburg and Frankfurt is managed according to data handling regulations, giving customers the additional choices of how and where their data is processed.
"The Microsoft Cloud Germany provides a differentiated option to the Microsoft Cloud services already available across Europe, creating increased opportunities for innovation and economic growth for highly regulated partners and customers in Germany, the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)," Tom Keane general manager of Microsoft Azure said in a blog post announcing the news.
"The Microsoft Cloud Germany is our response to the growing demand for Microsoft cloud services in Germany and across Europe. Customers in the EU and EFTA can continue to use Microsoft cloud options as they do today, or, for those who want the option, they’re able to use the services from German datacenters," Keane added.
Microsoft also took the opportunity to announce 34 Azure regions that will also benefit from having a data trustee, applying the company's Trusted Cloud principles of security, privacy, compliance and transparency.
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