Which Cloud Company is Truly Sovereign?
In a world where digital sovereignty has become a strategic issue, not all cloud companies are equal. In Canada, several players compete in the market, but not all have the same level of independence from foreign influences. If you are looking for a truly sovereign solution, it is essential to understand what differentiates providers.
The Trap of Technologies Under American Influence
The Cloud Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act), passed in 2018 in the United States, requires American companies to provide data to U.S. authorities, even if the data is hosted outside the U.S. This means that if a Canadian company uses technologies such as VMware Cloud, Red Hat OpenShift on AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or any other service owned by an American company, this data may be accessible to U.S. authorities upon request.
Many Canadian and international companies operating in Canada rely on American technologies like VMware and OpenShift, making them subject to extraterritorial U.S. laws such as the Cloud Act. This puts their clients' data at risk of exposure to foreign authorities.
The Advantage of Open-Source Technology
Open-source technology is not just about independence—it also provides better cost control, allowing us to offer more competitive pricing to our clients. Unlike competitors relying on proprietary American solutions, we have chosen an open-source technology stack. Like OVH, we believe open-source offers greater control, transparency, and flexibility for our clients.
Why does this matter? Because open-source technology ensures:
- No dependency on American vendors
- No potential backdoors
- Maximum transparency in data management and security
Building a Truly Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure
Currently, our infrastructure is hosted in Montreal, within American-owned data centers. However, our long-term vision is to build and operate our own Canadian-owned data centers to ensure full control over our infrastructure. Expansion to Vancouver and other regions is also in our future plans.
Previously, we operated servers in Toronto, but they are no longer part of our offerings.
Our current data centers:
- Enovum, formerly a Canadian company, now under American control.
- Cologix, an American company.
This situation reinforces our commitment to finding alternatives that allow us to fully control our infrastructure, free from foreign influence.
Our Commitment: A Vision for True Digital Sovereignty
When we launched KeepSec Technologies three years ago, many questioned why we wanted to compete with tech giants, asking:
"Why would we host our servers with you when we can go with AWS, which has a bigger budget?"
Despite the skepticism, we remained committed to our vision of a Canadian cloud alternative, because we knew:
- Billions of dollars leave the Canadian economy annually for American cloud providers, an unsustainable long-term model.
- We could provide better customer service and a more human-centric approach.
- Tech giants use massive incentives to create dependency on their platforms, locking businesses into their ecosystems.
That’s why we built our cloud on open-source technologies, minimizing dependency and optimizing cost efficiency. This approach enables us to provide a cloud solution free from vendor lock-in.
While we acknowledge that there is still work to be done, we take pride in offering a truly Canadian alternative.
Sovereign Payment Solutions
Our commitment to sovereignty goes beyond infrastructure. Currently, we accept payments via Stripe and PayPal, but we are actively seeking more independent payment alternatives. We are exploring Interac Direct (Konek), a Canadian service for direct bank transfers. Additionally, we support Bitcoin, a decentralized currency that aligns with our values of independence.
Why Choose Our Solution?
If you are looking for a truly sovereign alternative, here’s why we stand apart:
- Open-source technology, eliminating reliance on proprietary American solutions.
- A clear roadmap for infrastructure independence, with plans to build Canadian-owned data centers.
- Commitment to transparency and data security, ensuring freedom from foreign interference.
- A presence in Montreal, with future expansion to Vancouver and beyond.
- Sovereign payment options, including Interac Direct and Bitcoin.
Your data deserves better than hosting under foreign control. Choose a truly sovereign and independent cloud.