Rethinking Cloud strategy: why control is becoming more important

From Cloud first to Data first

For many years, the Cloud was seen as the starting point for digital transformation. Organisations widely adopted a Cloud first strategy, moving new applications and workloads to the Cloud wherever possible. As a result, the choice of Cloud platform often became the primary focus.

At Fundaments, we have taken a different view for many years. We believe that data—not the Cloud—should be the starting point. That is why we advocate a Data first approach. Rather than asking, "Which Cloud should we choose?", organisations should first ask questions such as:

• Where is our data located?

• Which laws and regulations apply?

• How business-critical is this workload?

• What are our requirements for performance, availability and control?

Only after answering these questions can organisations determine which Cloud environment is the most appropriate. In some cases, that may be a Public Cloud. For business-critical workloads, however, a Dutch Private Cloud often provides a better fit in terms of control, predictability and compliance.

Interestingly, this perspective is becoming increasingly widespread across the industry. Gartner describes how organisations are paying greater attention to workload placement: determining, on an application-by-application basis, whether Public Cloud, Private Cloud or on-premises infrastructure best meets the functional, technical, financial and compliance requirements.

As a result, organisations are moving away from a generic Cloud first strategy towards a more deliberate approach, selecting the most appropriate platform for each individual workload.

This trend is also reflected in Flexera's annual State of the Cloud Report, which shows that cost optimisation, governance and compliance have become key drivers in shaping modern Cloud strategies.

The question is therefore no longer whether an organisation should use the Cloud, but which Cloud environment is best suited for each specific workload. It is precisely this shift in thinking that is leading more organisations to re-evaluate their Cloud strategy.

Why organisations are re-evaluating their Cloud strategy

When organisations reassess their Cloud strategy, several recurring themes emerge.

Predictable costs

Although Public Cloud offers an attractive pay-as-you-go model, organisations often find that costs become less predictable as environments grow. Additional storage, network traffic and unexpected usage can all result in higher operational expenses than initially anticipated.

Greater control over data

More than ever, organisations want to know exactly where their data is stored, who has access to it and which legal framework applies. For organisations handling sensitive or business-critical information, this has become a fundamental aspect of Cloud strategy.

Compliance and regulations

New legislation, including the NIS2 Directive and the AI Act, is increasing the focus on cyber resilience, governance and responsible data management. This does not mean organisations are required to choose a Dutch Cloud, but it does mean they must be able to demonstrate how they manage and mitigate risks.

Performance for business-critical workloads

Not every workload has the same infrastructure requirements. Applications that demand high availability, predictable performance or strict compliance often prove to be a better fit for a Private Cloud environment.

Digital sovereignty is becoming a board-level issue

Where data sovereignty was once considered primarily a technical concern, it is increasingly becoming a board-level topic.

In our blog In the news: Why control over data has become a boardroom issue again, we explained how executives are asking more critical questions about digital dependency, data ownership and the continuity of digital services. As a result, the discussion is shifting away from technology alone towards strategic decision-making.

For organisations in sectors such as government, healthcare and professional services, digital autonomy is becoming increasingly important. They want to innovate without becoming dependent on a single vendor or foreign jurisdiction.

As discussed in our blog Sovereign Cloud as the foundation for municipal digital transformation, a Dutch Private Cloud enables organisations to combine innovation, compliance and data sovereignty within a single platform.

What we see in practice

At Fundaments, we rarely see organisations moving away from Public Cloud because it is "not good enough". More often, they are looking for an environment that better supports specific business-critical workloads.

For many organisations, a Dutch Private Cloud is therefore not a replacement for their entire Cloud strategy, but a deliberate addition to it. They choose to place those applications and datasets where control, compliance, predictable performance and digital sovereignty matter most.

We also see organisations increasingly re-evaluating their existing technology choices from a strategic perspective. As we discussed in an earlier blog, a future-ready IT strategy is not about choosing vendors—it is about making technology decisions that support the organisation's long-term objectives.

The biggest obstacle is often the migration

Although more organisations recognise the benefits of a Dutch Private Cloud, migration is often perceived as the biggest hurdle.

A migration requires time, specialist expertise and internal capacity. Organisations naturally want to safeguard business continuity and minimise risk, which often results in migration projects being postponed—even after the strategic decision has already been made.

In reality, however, a migration does not have to be a large or high-risk project when it is carefully planned and supported by experienced specialists.

How Fundaments makes the transition easier

At Fundaments, we help organisations migrate workloads from platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud to our Dutch sovereign Private Cloud.

To make this transition easier, we are introducing the Sovereignty Accelerator as part of our summer campaign.

Organisations that commit to a multi-year partnership and migrate from a Public Cloud to the Fundaments sovereign Cloud platform receive fully funded migration services. This includes both the migration effort itself and the guidance of our experienced specialists.

This enables organisations to transition in a controlled and secure manner, without migration costs becoming a financial barrier.

Ready for a Cloud strategy with greater control?

Not every workload belongs in the same Cloud environment. By carefully determining which platform best meets the required levels of performance, compliance and control for each application, organisations can build a future-ready Cloud strategy where flexibility and digital sovereignty go hand in hand.

With the Sovereignty Accelerator, Fundaments helps organisations migrate to a Dutch Private Cloud safely, efficiently and without migration costs.

The Sovereignty Accelerator is one of four Fundaments Summer Campaigns. Organisations can also benefit from the Growth Accelerator, Innovation Accelerator and Continuity Accelerator. Together, these initiatives help organisations invest intelligently in a future-ready Dutch Private Cloud.

Curious which Cloud strategy best fits your organisation? Our specialists are happy to help you explore the possibilities.