Schwarz Group partners with Google on EU sovereign cloud

Google Partners with Schwarz Group to Deliver Secure Cloud Collaboration for European Industries

Google has teamed up with Schwarz Group to provide secure and sovereign cloud-based collaboration services for German and European regulated industries. The partnership will see Schwarz Group’s StackIT, the cloud provider for the retailer, offering client-side encryption of customers’ Google Workspace data.

With data residency within the European Union and full redundancy through backups hosted in European datacentres, StackIT aims to meet customer demands for data protection, residency, and resiliency. Rolf Schumann, co-CEO of Schwarz Digits, emphasized the importance of addressing sovereignty requirements for regulated industries in Germany and the EU.

The client-side encryption ensures that Google does not have access to customers’ data, providing assurance to Schwarz Group and its customers about the security and independence of their operations. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, highlighted the potential for innovation and collaboration in the new era facilitated by the partnership.

Google Cloud’s security will be integrated with XM Cyber, Schwarz Digits’ hybrid cloud security company, to enhance enterprise and multi-cloud security for German and European organisations. The partnership aims to enable digital innovation while prioritizing security and compliance.

Schwarz Group, Europe’s largest retailer, plans to transition its global office workforce to Google Workspace, ensuring data protection and flexibility in service providers. Christian Müller, Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits, expressed confidence in the migration to Google Workspace for enhancing operational efficiency and security.