StackIT, the IT firm spun up by the owner of German supermarket chain Lidl, is teaming up with Google to provide the cloud giant with a data-sovereign storage location.

A Schwarz Group company, the cloud and colocation service provider based in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is using its own cloud platform to provide a sovereign storage option to Google Workspace customers.

Google Schwarz Group
– StackIT via LinkedIn

In a LinkedIn post, StackIT said: "Thanks to the option of client-side encryption, there is effective protection against access by third parties, including Google itself. In this way, we remain true to our self-imposed claim of maximum data sovereignty and long-term independence and offer the usual high standard, which also meets the requirements for security and data protection in a highly regulated environment in this partnership."

The company added that this will provide a "convincing middle ground between maximum sovereignty and advanced applications."

Customer data will remain resident within the EU with backups hosted solely in StackIT's European data centers.

The move is part of a wider partnership between Google and the companies of Schwarz Group. As part of that agreement, the companies of Schwarz Group including 575,000 employees will transition to Google Workspace.

"For future viability in the digital age, it is essential to find partners who are truly willing to shape digitization together," said Gerd Chrzanowski, general partner at Schwarz Group. "In Google, we found a partner that develops joint solutions with us on an equal footing, provides transparent insights, and makes clear commitments. We're looking forward to shaping digital transformation for Germany and Europe together with Google in a transparent, secure, and sovereign way."

Google Cloud's security solutions will also be integrated with XM Cyber, Schwarz Digits' hybrid cloud security company, and the offering will be distributed via the Google Cloud Marketplace.

"This partnership changes the game for regulated industry players in Europe by removing the sovereignty and security concerns that often hold back more ambitious adoption of the cloud for productivity and collaboration," said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. "Our alliance with companies of Schwarz Group will enable entire industries in Europe to deliver digital innovation with security and compliance at its core."

StackIT lists three data centers on its website: DC01 in Neckarsulm, Germany; DC 08 in Ellhofen, Germany; and DC 10 in Ostermiething, Austria.

The company was launched in May 2022 by Schwarz Group - which is also the parent company of the well-known shopping chain Lidl - and aimed to create a European cloud solution in Germany.