Looking back at 2025: change at full speed

Change as a constant: personal, organizational,and technological

Sovereign Cloud: from abstract concept to measurable reality

It’s December 16, the final week in which everything is being wrapped up before everyone turns their attention to the holidays and New Year celebrations. I have never experienced a year that went by this quickly. For example, we celebrated Fundaments’ 25th anniversary together with all colleagues during a fantastic weekend in Maastricht. Several times this year, Jeroen, Raoul, and I reflected on how quickly those 25 years have passed.

But why did this year go by so fast? And why doesn’t 25 years feel like 25 years? The answer: the continuous change we experience, initiate, and that drives me personally. Changes with customers and in the market. With vendors. And within our own organization. This year, we experienced the full spectrum—and I’ll elaborate on that below. An interesting year as a preview of what lies ahead. Personally, I thrived on it.

First, the world: concerning developments that have not gone unnoticed. The war in Ukraine continues, and as a result, three global powers appear to be determining the future. Three? You might think. No—Europe seems to be left out when it comes to being considered a major power. This calls for significant change. Europe and the Netherlands must think more seriously about threats from Russia, a withdrawing U.S. NATO partner, and the consequences of that. Time for action: to protect ourselves on multiple fronts—and to organize that ourselves.

Sovereign Cloud: from abstract concept to measurable reality

Protection on multiple fronts does not only mean organizing European defense. It also means protection and self-regulation in IT. From the perspective of our Private Cloud market, it is vital that we become even more aware of our dependency on major U.S. providers. This is no longer a question—it is a strategy to move away from that dependency.

Sovereign Cloud is therefore not a hype, but a necessary building block for organizations that want to maintain control over data, compliance, and continuity—especially in sectors with critical processes or sensitive information. The European Commission has already addressed this topic, resulting in the measurability of sovereignty through the Sovereign Cloud Framework. A framework that clearly shows how your cloud provider scores on different sovereignty objectives. A valuable tool to turn an abstract concept like sovereignty into a measurable definition.

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Private AI requires Private Cloud

That this is a highly relevant topic is evident from customer demand, for example in the use of Private AI. Companies and their employees are increasingly adopting AI applications—albeit in small steps. At the same time, the need to protect the data processed by AI is growing. Especially given the critical questions about “what AI actually knows”—and rightly so, in my view.

AI’s persuasive power is strong—just look at the popularity of ChatGPT. That same appeal should also apply to protecting data. This requires conscious decisions about where AI runs and how sensitive information is handled. A Private Cloud is not a detail here, but a serious consideration and solution.

Protecting data through a Private Cloud has rightly become a growing priority for organizations. Our dependence on the digital world and AI is already significant and continues to increase due to the acceleration of digital work and ongoing IT growth. That dependency requires control—control over data, infrastructure, and where critical information resides.

This means organizations must take action in organizing their Private Cloud. Not outsourcing everything, but making conscious choices about control and responsibility. Given the current geopolitical tensions in Europe, we cannot afford to be naive: modern warfare is also digital—within networks, data centers, and the cloud. That is precisely why we must not underestimate these threats and must protect what we are rapidly building.

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VMware after Broadcom: from uncertainty to focus

And then there was another major change this year: VMware. Since its acquisition by Broadcom at the end of 2023, there has been significant market uncertainty. However, from my perspective as CTO, I see a clear focus emerging and a concrete answer to many challenges in the field. The launch of the Private Cloud product VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) fits seamlessly into this.

VCF offers an integrated solution for scalability, speed of consumption, security, and automation of the Private Cloud. The platform brings together all essential components needed to build a modern Private Cloud, hosted in a local data center, with full control over data and costs. Despite the turbulence, Broadcom has delivered: VCF works, was rolled out on time, and aligns with the needs of organizations that are serious about their Private Cloud strategy.

With all these changes, I am eagerly looking ahead to 2026. The coming year will bring clarity and create room for real action. In the evolving cloud landscape, technology alone is not enough. It’s about who provides the technology, where data is stored, and under which legal framework that data falls.

Fundaments will therefore continue to focus on further developing its Private Cloud solution, with VCF as the engine and sovereignty as the foundation. By making sovereign cloud tangible and applicable, we help organizations make well-informed decisions about their cloud strategy. In this way, we provide a sustainable path toward 2026 and beyond—not based on lock-in, but on control and ownership.

Looking ahead to 2026: building a European cloud vision

The coming years will be decisive for Europe’s level of digital independence. This requires vision, collaboration, and the courage to reassess existing assumptions. At Fundaments, we are happy to think along with you on your cloud journey.

Not only technically, but especially strategically:

• about the role of Private Cloud within your IT landscape;

• about alternatives and realistic scenarios;

• and about how to make choices today that will still hold up tomorrow.

Not because everything must change—but because standing still is no longer an option.

Let’s build together in 2026 toward a strong, future-proof European cloud ecosystem—with control over data, infrastructure, and our own choices.

I wish everyone wonderful holidays and a healthy 2026!

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