First Israeli sovereign cloud launched amid rise in information economy

VMware and Binat have launched the first sovereign cloud in Israel, which has followed the increase in the information economy in Israel along with the changing environment of regulations regarding data protection.

A sovereign cloud is a new concept that allows organizations, including governments, highly regulated industries such as finance and health, and more to securely process and store sensitive information in a way that is subject to and obeys the laws of the country in which it resides only. 

By definition, other countries don't have access to the data that's in each sovereign cloud, and it's not subject to their laws.

The sovereign cloud does ensure that any legal claim against a local company will be heard in courts where a company or organization is based and not abroad. It also neutralizes the concerns of organizations about the legislation of other countries, which requires them to store and even duplicate data within the borders of the country, and limits the mobility of the data and its sharing with other countries where other privacy and data laws apply.

According to a study that VMware commissioned which was conducted by Vanson Bourne, a British market research firm, sovereignty over data is one of the biggest challenges facing organizations, with 95% of them admitting that it's a cause for concern. 

Many organizations around the world fail to meet regulations

A study that encompassed about 6,000 organizations around the world found that many of them fail to meet regulations in the area of information sovereignty.

"The sovereign cloud, with its many unique features, is an excellent basis for the growth of the digital economy, which needs full ownership of the data, neutralizing concerns about interference by countries in their data, with high levels of availability, privacy and security," said VMware CEO Shlomi Aviv.

"The commercialization of the value inherent in the data will be easier and faster, and organizations in Israel will be able to focus on growth without the worries typical of ordinary clouds. Binat is a valuable partner in this important launch, which is a landmark in the development of the cloud in Israel."

Zvika Shakiler, deputy CEO and division manager of Cloudhome at Binat said, "The Binat cloud was certified by VMware in two areas VMware Cloud Verified and Sovereign Cloud, which allows Binat to offer unique cloud services in Israel through the sovereign cloud. The certification required compliance with complex technological conditions in the field of information security, buffering between different environments and information protection. The sovereign cloud enables self-service, scalability as well as modern development services."