SAP has launched its EU AI Cloud, a comprehensive suite of cloud solutions designed to give European organizations full control over their data and AI applications, reducing reliance on American hyperscale providers. This initiative is a significant step in SAP’s aim to enhance digital sovereignty in Europe, integrating infrastructure, platforms, and software in various deployment models tailored to the needs of different organizations.
The introduction of the EU AI Cloud follows SAP’s substantial investment of €20 billion earlier this year, specifically aimed at developing sovereign cloud solutions in Europe. Organizations can choose to use infrastructure from SAP’s own data centers, leverage trusted European infrastructure, or implement fully managed solutions on-site.
In a related development, SAP is collaborating with Cohere to enhance AI capabilities through a partnership known as Cohere North. This initiative aims to expand existing multimodal AI functionalities available within the EU AI Cloud. By integrating Cohere North into the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), SAP enables organizations with stringent data residency requirements to incorporate advanced, production-ready AI into their business processes.
This collaboration allows businesses to gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions while automating their workflows intelligently, all while ensuring compliance with European regulations. For industries subject to strict governance, this means the deployment of sophisticated AI applications can now occur within a secure European framework.
The EU AI Cloud is underpinned by a growing ecosystem of both European and global partners, including Mistral AI and OpenAI. By integrating cutting-edge AI models and applications from these partners directly into SAP BTP, the EU AI Cloud offers a versatile platform for building, deploying, and scaling AI-powered applications. Customers have the flexibility to utilize these partner offerings as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), or Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), with deployment options via SAP’s infrastructure or through trusted European partners.
This collaborative model is designed to ensure that companies and public organizations across Europe can leverage the latest advancements in AI technology securely, remaining fully compliant with EU standards while retaining the necessary sovereignty and flexibility.
The EU AI Cloud provides multiple implementation options through SAP’s Sovereign Cloud, granting customers complete control over their infrastructure, platform, and software, customized to meet their regulatory and operational needs. AI models operate on SAP’s software abstraction layer within European data centers, promoting compliance and independence from US-based hyperscalers.
SAP’s Sovereign Cloud, operating on SAP Cloud Infrastructure (EU), offers an Infrastructure-as-a-Service model built with open-source technologies and managed within SAP’s European data center network. This structure ensures that all data remains within the EU, aligning with European data protection regulations.
For clients seeking the utmost in data sovereignty, SAP Sovereign Cloud On-Site presents a solution that offers SAP-managed infrastructure directly within a company’s data center. This model achieves high levels of data, operational, technical, and legal sovereignty while maintaining SAP’s cloud architecture. Furthermore, for companies opting to utilize SAP SaaS through global cloud providers, sovereignty features are available on a market-by-market basis.
Moreover, SAP is advancing its offerings with Delos Cloud, a secure cloud solution specifically tailored for the German public sector. This initiative is designed to facilitate public sector transformation while adhering to country-specific requirements for data sovereignty. SAP is currently in discussions with several European nations to establish a joint standard for a European government cloud, highlighting the company’s commitment to enhancing digital sovereignty across the continent.
As the EU AI Cloud continues to evolve, it represents a crucial development in Europe’s digital landscape, enabling organizations to harness AI’s potential while ensuring compliance with stringent regulatory frameworks. The initiative not only positions SAP as a leader in the European cloud market but also signifies a broader movement towards technological independence in the region, paving the way for future innovations.
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