Capgemini and Orange recently announced their plan to set up a new company named “Bleu” that will intend to provide a 'Cloud de Confiance' service which will meet sovereignty requirements of the French government.
This project will combine the expertise of Capgemini and Orange - two leading French global digital companies - working with Microsoft, to create a French cloud service provider that satisfies the unique needs of a specific set of organizations. Bleu will offer its solutions to Vital Importance Operators (OIVs) and Essential Service Operators (OSEs), the French State, public agencies, hospitals and regional authorities whose sensitive data and workload require a 'Cloud de Confiance' platform tailored to their needs.
Bleu will offer Microsoft’s secure cloud technology including the modern collaboration and productivity solutions of Microsoft 365 and the services available on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, delivered via an independent environment, to ensure that customers benefit from the widest range of the latest technology innovations.
An unprecedented French hyperscale cloud, fully under French and European jurisdictions Bleu will be governed by key requirements regarding sensitive data to ensure that the unique needs of its French customers are met. Firstly, these include providing immunity from all extraterritorial legislation and economic independence - Capgemini and Orange will be the majority investors in Bleu. Secondly, these rely on meeting data transfer requirements and ensuring the full control of cloud-based applications from within an isolated infrastructure that uses data centers located in France.
These data centers will therefore be strictly separated from Microsoft’s global data center infrastructure, which guarantees operational autonomy. In addition, Bleu will be entirely operated by its own staff in France.
Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini
The creation of a 'Cloud de Confiance' for France will provide French State and critical infrastructure organizations with the many benefits of flexible cloud services on a secure platform.
Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO of Orange
This ‘Cloud de Confiance’ meets a growing need in the digital world. The French State recently highlighted this in defining their ‘cloud au centre’ policy and setting out the standards required regarding data protection and sovereignty.
