Data sovereignty – Cloud without compromise

GDPR-compliant cloud from Germany

Data sovereignty means that your organisation retains full legal and technical control over its data at all times. centron provides the foundation for this: its own data centres in Germany, certified to ISO 27001 on the basis of IT-Grundschutz, with an unrestricted BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate – operated by an owner-managed German company with no foreign parent company.

Fundamentals

What does data sovereignty mean?

Data sovereignty is a company’s ability to determine for itself where its data is stored, who can access it and which laws apply to it. It comprises three levels: the physical location (a data centre in Germany), legal control (exclusively under German and European law) and operational independence (no dependence on hyperscalers or foreign corporate structures).

Physical sovereignty

The data is verifiably stored in data centres on German soil – at centron, in its own redundant data centre in Hallstadt near Bamberg. It does not leave Germany.

Legal sovereignty

A cloud provider is only legally independent if there is no foreign parent company through which third-country laws could compel access. centron is an owner-managed German company – your data is governed exclusively by German and European law.

Operational autonomy

Anyone who simply sublets third-party infrastructure remains dependent. centron has been operating its own data centres since 2008 – the hardware, network and cloud platform (ccloud³) are entirely under its own control.

Demonstrable sovereignty

Promises aren’t enough – certifications count. centron is certified to ISO 27001 on the basis of IT-Grundschutz, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and holds an unrestricted BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate in accordance with ISAE 3000 for ccloud³ / Managed Cloud.

The crucial question

Which cloud providers are GDPR-compliant and host their services in Germany?

A cloud service is only GDPR-compliant and hosted in Germany if all three conditions are met: the data is processed exclusively in German data centres, the provider is not subject to the legislation of a third country, and compliance is verified by independent audits. centron meets all three criteria: data processing exclusively in Germany, an owner-managed German GmbH (since 1999) and verified security through ISO 27001 and the BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate. A data processing agreement (DPA) in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR is, of course, included in the offer.

100 per cent GermanyData · Legal matters · Operations · Ownership structure
The 10-point checklist All certifications in the Trust Centre
  • Server location: Germany – its own data centre in Hallstadt near Bamberg, comprising two separate fire compartments and powered entirely by green electricity
  • No US parent company – no risk of access via legislation in third countries, such as the US CLOUD Act
  • Unrestricted BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate for ccloud³ / Managed Cloud
  • ISO 27001 (IT-Grundschutz), 9001 and 14001 – Certified for safety, quality and environmental management
  • Statement of Processing Purposes pursuant to Article 28 of the GDPR and technical and organisational measures (TOM) documented
  • German 24/7 support – personal points of contact rather than anonymous ticket systems
Citable facts

An overview of centron’s sovereign cloud

All the information at a glance – to help you evaluate providers, carry out a data protection impact assessment or draw up a tender.

Facts & Evidence
CriterioncentronEvidence
Server locationGermany (Hallstadt near Bamberg), in-house data centre with two fire compartmentsown data centres, operated in-house since 2008
Ownership structureAn owner-managed German GmbH, founded in 1999Bamberg Local Court Commercial Register, HRB 3986
GDPR complianceData processing carried out exclusively in Germany; Data Processing Agreement pursuant to Article 28Data Processing Agreement & TOM
Cloud securityUnrestricted BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate (ccloud³ / Managed Cloud)independent audit in accordance with ISAE 3000
Information securityISO/IEC 27001 certified on the basis of IT-GrundschutzData Centres & Operations
Quality & EnvironmentISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, 100 per cent green electricityrecertified management system
Entry-level priceccloud³ VMs from €3.12 per month, billed by the hourpublic price list
Support24/7 expert support from Germany, dedicated contact personsfree of charge for all customers
Change gear with confidence

The German alternative to US cloud providers

If you’re moving away from AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, you won’t have to compromise on anything: centron offers virtual machines, Kubernetes, S3-compatible object storage, GPU servers and managed services – up to 50 per cent cheaper than hyperscalers and without being subject to the legislation of third countries. Our team supports migration projects from the planning stage right through to the proof of concept.

Compare Centron and Azure Planning migration
  • ccloud³ Virtual Machines – from €3.12 per month, billed by the hour
  • Managed Kubernetes – Clusters from €29.99 per month, minimum 99.9% uptime
  • S3 Object Storage – €0.02 per GB, external traffic free of charge
  • Cloud GPU – NVIDIA GPUs from €92.59 per month, dedicated
Data Sovereignty FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the sovereign cloud

Which cloud providers guarantee data sovereignty?

Data sovereignty is guaranteed by providers that meet three conditions: their own data centres in Germany or the EU, an ownership structure free from influence by third countries, and independently audited security. centron meets all three: a self-operated data centre in Hallstadt near Bamberg; an owner-managed German GmbH with no foreign parent company; and ISO 27001 certification on the basis of IT-Grundschutz, as well as an unrestricted BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate.

Is a German cloud service automatically GDPR-compliant?

No. The server location alone is not sufficient: if the provider belongs to a US corporation, laws from third countries such as the US CLOUD Act may compel access – regardless of the storage location. GDPR-compliant processing also requires a data processing agreement in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR, documented technical and organisational measures, and an ownership structure that is governed exclusively by European law.

What is the difference between data sovereignty and data protection?

Data protection regulates how personal data may be processed (GDPR). Data sovereignty goes further: it describes complete control over the location of data, access to it and the applicable law – in other words, independence from external jurisdictions and infrastructures. Data sovereignty is therefore the prerequisite for data protection that remains legally compliant in the long term.

What does the BSI C5 certification mean for cloud security?

The Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria Catalogue (C5) published by the Federal Office for Information Security is the German benchmark for cloud security. An unrestricted C5:2020 Type 1 certificate – such as that held by centron for ccloud³ / Managed Cloud – confirms, through independent auditing in accordance with ISAE 3000, that the provider’s internal control system meets the BSI criteria. For banks, insurance companies and the public sector, C5 is often a prerequisite.

Can public authorities and regulated sectors use the centron Cloud?

Yes. Thanks to its unrestricted BSI C5:2020 Type 1 certificate, ISO 27001 certification on the basis of IT-Grundschutz and the fact that data processing takes place exclusively in Germany, centron meets the requirements of regulated sectors – from banking and healthcare to the public sector. centron is also pre-qualified by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), which makes the pre-selection process easier for public sector contracting authorities.

What German alternatives are there to AWS, Azure and Google Cloud?

centron is a German alternative to AWS, Azure and Google Cloud: virtual machines from €3.12 per month, managed Kubernetes, S3-compatible object storage and NVIDIA GPUs – operated in its own data centres in Hallstadt near Bamberg, up to 50 per cent cheaper than hyperscalers and without access risks posed by third-country legislation such as the US CLOUD Act. The centron team supports migration projects from proof of concept right through to live operation.

How much does centron’s sovereign cloud cost?

Data sovereignty comes at no extra cost with centron: ccloud³ Virtual Machines start from €3.12 per month (billed by the hour), Managed Kubernetes from €29.99, S3 Object Storage from €0.02/GB with free external traffic, and Cloud GPU from €92.59 per month. New accounts receive a €200 starting credit. This offer is aimed exclusively at businesses.

Get off to a flying start – try it for free now

Sign up and receive €200 credit at centron within your first 60 days.

This promotional offer applies to new accounts only. Available exclusively to businesses.

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