7 Dutch Cloud Firms Unite to Challenge US Big Tech

When seven Dutch cloud companies decided they'd had enough of watching contracts slip overseas, they did something bold: they joined forces instead of fighting each other.

Centric, KPN, Info Support, Intermax, Nebul, Previder and Uniserver have formed the Open Cloud Alliance, creating what they call a "serious alternative" to US tech giants for government contracts. The timing isn't coincidental.

The alliance emerged after US firm Kyndryl moved to acquire Solvinity, the company managing the Netherlands' DigiD digital identity system. That deal is still waiting for government approval, but it sparked a bigger conversation about data sovereignty across Europe.

Here's what makes this alliance different: the seven companies agreed to use identical technical standards, making it easy to switch between providers. If any member gets acquired by a non-European company, the others automatically step in to take over their contracts, keeping Dutch data in Dutch hands.

The numbers tell an urgent story. An analysis of 16,500 government domain names shows 67% of essential organizations, including hospitals and schools, currently rely on at least one American cloud service. That's a lot of critical data stored overseas.

The Ripple Effect

This isn't just about patriotism or protectionism. It's about building resilient infrastructure that benefits everyone.

The seven companies collectively generate €2.5 billion in annual revenue. That money stays in the Netherlands, creating local jobs and circulating through the Dutch economy instead of flowing to Silicon Valley. As the companies put it in their manifesto: "That is not a cost, it is an investment."

Dutch competition watchdog ACM sees the potential too. "Alliances such as this one can boost market forces by creating new players which are in a better position to compete with large US providers," says chief executive Martijn Snoep.

The alliance isn't ending competition between member companies. They'll still bid against each other for contracts. But Intermax Group CEO Ludo Baauw sums up the new mindset perfectly: "I would rather a competitor from the Netherlands won than big tech Americans."

European politicians are watching closely as concerns grow about overreliance on unpredictable foreign technology. Yet governments hesitate to switch to smaller providers, worried about potential disruptions. The Open Cloud Alliance solves that problem by combining resources to handle large-scale projects while maintaining local control.

Seven companies just proved that collaboration can be more powerful than competition, and they're keeping billions of euros working for their own economy in the process.