Recap 2025: change at top speed

Change as a constant: personal, organizational and technological

It is December 16, the final week in which everything is still being wrapped up ‘quickly’ before everyone turns their attention to the Christmas holidays and New Year celebrations. And I have never experienced a year that went by this fast: partly due to Fundaments’ 25th anniversary, which we celebrated 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 particular year go by so fast? And why does the 25 years I celebrated not feel like 25 years at all? The answer: the continuous change we experience, initiate, and that also forms my driving force. Changes with customers and in the market. With vendors. And within our own organization. This year, we experienced the full spectrum, more on that below. An interesting year as a prelude to the future. I think I thrived on it.

First, the world: with concerning developments that no one could have missed. The war in Ukraine continues, and as a result, three major powers are determining what the future should look like. Three? I hear you think. No. Europe seems to be left out when it comes to being considered a major power. That calls for far-reaching changes. Europe and the Netherlands need to think much more seriously about threats from Russia, a disengaging American NATO partner, and the consequences of that. Time for action: to protect ourselves on multiple fronts and to start organizing that ourselves.

‍

Sovereign Cloud: from abstract concept to measurable reality

On multiple fronts does not only mean organizing our European defense. It certainly also means protection and self-regulation in IT. Specifically from the perspective of our Private Cloud market, it is vital that we become even more aware of our dependence on the large American players. This is no longer a question, but a strategy to break free from that dependency. Sovereign Cloud is therefore not a hype, but a necessary building block for organizations that want to retain control over data, compliance, and continuity. Especially for sectors with critical processes or sensitive information. This is a topic the European Commission has already addressed, resulting in the measurability of sovereignty through the Sovereign Cloud Framework. A framework that clearly shows how your Cloud partner scores against various sovereignty objectives. A highly valuable tool to transform an abstract concept, which sovereignty undeniably is, into a measurable definition.

Private AI requires Private Cloud

That this is a current and pressing topic is clearly reflected in the requests we receive from our customers, for example around the use of Private AI. Companies and their employees are increasingly adopting AI applications, albeit often in small steps. But with that development, the desire to protect the data processed by AI also grows. Precisely because there is a critical attitude toward ‘what AI can know’. And rightly so, in my view. The persuasive power of AI is significant, just look at the popularity of ChatGPT. That same appeal should also apply to protecting data. This requires conscious choices about where AI runs and how sensitive information is handled. A Private Cloud is not a detail in this context, but a serious consideration and solution.

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

This means organizations must take action themselves when organizing their Private Cloud. Not handing everything over, but making deliberate choices about control and responsibility. With the current threat of war in Europe, we cannot afford to be naive: warfare today is also conducted digitally. In networks, in datacenters, and in the Cloud. That is precisely why we must not underestimate the threat and its consequences, and why it is necessary to protect what we are building at high speed.

VMware after Broadcom: from unrest to focus

And then there was one more cherry on top of the change cake this year: VMware. Since its acquisition by Broadcom at the end of 2023, there has been considerable unrest in the market. Yet through my CTO lens, I see a clear focus emerging and concrete answers to many challenges in the field. The launch of the Private Cloud product VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) fits seamlessly into this.

VCF provides an integrated solution for scalability, speed of consumption, security, and automation of the Private Cloud. The platform brings together all essential components an organization needs to realize a modern Private Cloud, hosted in a local datacenter, with full control over data and costs. Despite all the unrest, Broadcom has delivered: VCF works, was rolled out in a timely manner, and aligns with the needs of organizations that want to seriously invest in their Private Cloud.

With all these changes, I am eagerly looking ahead to 2026. The coming year will bring much-needed clarity and offers the space to truly take action. In the recalibrated Cloud power landscape, it is clear that technology alone is not enough. It is about who delivers the technology, where data is located, and under which legal regime that data falls.

Fundaments will therefore continue to focus on further expanding its Private Cloud solution, with VCF as the engine and sovereignty as the guiding principle. By making Sovereign Cloud concrete and applicable, we help organizations make well-considered choices in their Cloud strategy. In this way, we offer a sustainable route toward 2026 and beyond. Not from lock-in, but from governance and control.

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 re-examine 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 organization’s IT landscape;
• about alternatives and realistic scenarios;
• and about how to make choices today that will still hold up tomorrow.

Not because everything has to change. But because standing still is simply no longer an option.

Let’s work together in 2026 to build a strong, future-proof European Cloud world, with control over data, infrastructure, and our own choices.

I wish everyone wonderful holidays and a healthy 2026!