European users can now run a fully disconnected Azure Local service with no cloud connectivity

• Microsoft Azure Local can now run fully disconnected without needing the cloud
• European customers are increasingly demanding sovereign options
• CISPE welcomes the changes, Civo warns of US CLOUD Act implications

Microsoft has announced three new updates to the company's sovereign offerings, including improvements across Azure Local, Microsoft 365 Local and Foundry Local.

The additions come as US-EU trade tensions continue, with Europe pushing for more digitally sovereign options.

European customers are increasingly demanding local infrastructure, protection from potential US CLOUD Act data access and reduced dependency on hyperscalers.

Microsoft offers three new sovereign options for the likes of Europe

Though Microsoft's Local additions don't respond to the desire to step away from hyperscalers, they do tackle data and infrastructure sovereignty demands while offering already-familiar experiences for existing customers.

In a blog post, Microsoft Specialized Clouds President and CTO Douglas Phillips explained organizations can now use on-prem infrastructure with Azure's governance and policy controls, all without cloud connectivity, in the form of the new Azure Local.

"Disconnected operations, management, policy and workload execution stay within the customer-operated environments," he wrote.

Previously, Azure Local needed periodic cloud connectivity. Staying offline for too long reduced functionality, but with the latest update, it can now run fully disconnected, making it ideal for highly regulated industries including defence and critical national infrastructure.

CISPE, Europe's body representing cloud infrastructure companies, welcomed the changes, promising to test Microsoft's changes against its upcoming Sovereign Cloud Services Framework to see if they pass.

Microsoft doesn't even stand out in the world of hyperscalers, with Google offering its own Google Cloud Airgapped solution and AWS selling its equivalent, the European Sovereign Cloud.

"Our approach helps customers to meet strict sovereign requirements in fully disconnected scenarios without compromising simplicity, while retaining flexibility where connectivity is possible," Phillips concluded.

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