FormusPro Applauds Microsoft’s New Digital Commitments to Europe

FormusPro welcomes Microsoft’s newly announced European Digital Commitments, an initiative that’s planned to enhance digital resilience, expand cloud infrastructure and deepen trust across Europe.

For over four decades, Microsoft has been shaping Europe’s (and the world’s) digital landscape. They stated with the first localised version of Microsoft Word in German and French in fact, but today, have announced they’re doubling down on their support with a powerful set of five commitments that reflect a deep respect for European values, laws, and ambitions.

At FormusPro, we see these commitments as a transformative opportunity for our clients to accelerate innovation, strengthen compliance and scale securely within a trusted ecosystem.

A Major Investment In European Cloud & AI Infrastructure

Microsoft is set to increase its European datacentre capacity by 40% in the next two years, with operations spanning 16 countries and over 200 datacentres.

This huge investment will ensure the availability of scalable, high-performance cloud and AI solutions, whilst also keeping data local and compliant with EU regulations.

FormusPro is committed to helping our clients take full advantage of this expanding infrastructure, including:

• Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty, empowering public sector organisations with greater control over data location, encryption, and access.
• Support for sovereign cloud platforms like Bleu in France and Delos in Germany… operated locally under national laws.
• Partnerships with European cloud providers to run Microsoft services on local infrastructure, unlocking cost-effective and compliant deployment options.

Reinforcing Digital Resilience In Uncertain Times

Geopolitical uncertainty makes digital stability more important than ever.

Microsoft’s Digital Resilience Commitment will ensure that European cloud operations remain uninterrupted, even in the face of external legal or political pressures.

Key assurances include:

• Governance of Microsoft datacentre operations by European boards, under European law.
• Legally binding commitments in contracts with EU governments to defend data operations.
• Continuity partnerships with European providers, and secure code backups stored in Switzerland.

Strengthening Privacy & Data Sovereignty

With the completion of the EU Data Boundary project, Microsoft now offers end-to-end data residency for core services… including Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Azure, all within the EU and EFTA regions.

Additional capabilities available to clients:

• Confidential Compute and Customer Lockbox to ensure strict access control.
• Customer-managed encryption keys with Azure Key Vault and Microsoft Purview.
• Ongoing legal advocacy by Microsoft to protect European data rights in international courts.

Elevating Europe’s Cybersecurity Defences

Cyber threats to Europe are evolving rapidly.

Microsoft’s response has been proactive, including over $500 million in cybersecurity support to Ukraine, NATO and other EU nations.

Now, with the appointment of a Deputy CISO for Europe, Microsoft will be reinforcing its ability to meet regional cybersecurity standards, including DORA, NIS 2, and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

Enabling Open Innovation & Economic Competitiveness

Microsoft’s AI Access Principles promote openness, allowing both proprietary and open-source AI models to thrive on Azure.

More than 1,800 AI models, including European-based Mistral and Hugging Face, are now accessible to developers and businesses across Europe.

From startups to healthcare institutions, the Microsoft ecosystem is already fuelling innovation:

• Factorial (Spain): AI-driven HR automation
• iGenius (Italy): AI for regulated industries
• Visma (Norway): AI-powered business operations
• Institute Curie (France): Cancer research with AI
• UBS (Switzerland) and Heineken (Netherlands): Transforming finance and productivity

FormusPro is proud to support this innovation by helping clients integrate Azure AI, Copilot, and other tools into their operations… making the most of this new era of intelligent productivity.

Partnering For A Digital Europe

Microsoft’s expanded commitments represent a significant step forward for Europe’s digital future.

At FormusPro, we stand ready to help our clients leverage these advancements, delivering tailored solutions that are secure, scalable and fully compliant with European standards.

Whether you’re in the public sector, finance, healthcare, education, or manufacturing, our expert consultants are here to guide your digital journey with the trust and strength of the Microsoft ecosystem behind us.