Nordic Firms Seek Sovereign Clouds for Compliant Modernization

Key Terms

sovereign cloud technical

A sovereign cloud is a cloud computing setup designed to keep data, systems and control within a specific country or legal jurisdiction so that local laws on privacy, security and government access are met. Think of it like storing valuables in a bank branch inside your own country with locked access and national oversight. For investors, it matters because demand, costs, regulatory approval and competitive advantage can be very different for services that meet these local rules.

FinOps-as-code technical

FinOps-as-code is the practice of encoding financial controls, cost allocation rules, budgets and reporting logic into versioned, automated code so cloud spending is managed the same way software is built and deployed. For investors, it means a company can more reliably predict and control operating costs, spot waste quickly, and provide auditable, repeatable financial practices—reducing spending surprises and lowering execution risk as the business scales.

GenAI technical

Generative AI (genai) is a type of artificial intelligence designed to create new content, such as text, images, or music, that resembles human-produced work. It matters to investors because it has the potential to transform industries by automating tasks, enhancing creativity, and enabling new products and services, which can influence company performance and market opportunities.

ESG financial

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, which are key factors investors consider when evaluating how sustainable and responsible a company is. It involves assessing how a company manages its impact on the environment, treats its employees and communities, and operates transparently and ethically. Investors use ESG criteria to identify businesses that align with their values and have the potential for long-term success.

carbon-aware workload scheduling technical

Carbon-aware workload scheduling is a way of timing and placing computing tasks so they run when and where the electricity powering them produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. It matters to investors because it can lower energy costs, reduce regulatory and reputation risk, and help companies meet emissions targets—similar to running energy-heavy chores when electricity is cleaner—thereby affecting profitability and long-term valuation.

graphics processing units (GPUs) technical

Graphics processing units (GPUs) are specialized computer chips designed to perform many simple calculations at the same time, originally built to render images and video quickly — think of them as a team of painters each working on a small section of a large mural. Investors care because that same parallel-processing power is used for artificial intelligence, data centers, scientific simulations and other high-growth applications, driving strong demand, pricing power and outsized effects on company revenue and margins.

federated FinOps centers of excellence technical

A federated FinOps center of excellence is a coordinated network of local finance-and-operations teams that share common tools, rules and best practices for managing technology spending and cloud costs while remaining embedded in different business units. Investors care because it helps companies control and predict operating expenses, avoid waste, and scale efficiently—like a chain of neighborhood branches following the same playbook to keep costs down and performance consistent across the whole business.

Enterprises reshape cloud strategies around data sovereignty, sustainability requirements and AI-native operations, ISG Provider Lens^® report says

STOCKHOLM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The multi public cloud services market in the Nordics has entered a defining phase as enterprises shift from selective use of the cloud to comprehensive, compliance-driven and AI-native multicloud operating models, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Multi Public Cloud Services report for the Nordics finds that cloud adoption across the region has moved beyond basic workload migration as companies embrace sovereign cloud models that guarantee jurisdictional control and encryption frameworks. This change reflects the impact of tightening EU regulatory frameworks that require data residency, transparency and responsible AI adoption in regulated industries and the public sector. As a result, enterprises are building compliant cloud environments that support AI-enabled modernization initiatives.

“The Nordics has emerged as one of Europe’s most strategically important cloud markets, supported by strong growth in managed services and continued investments,” said Anthony Drake, partner and president, ISG EMEA. “Such investments reflect the region’s role in supporting large-scale cloud transformation across enterprises.”

As part of enterprise transformation efforts, Nordic enterprises are integrating FinOps governance into hybrid and multicloud operating models, the report says. Organizations are designing cloud strategies that incorporate FinOps-as-code in addition to GenAI orchestration and cross-platform interoperability. The demand for cloud flexibility has expanded significantly, with enterprises expecting multicloud strategies to adapt to varying regulatory and performance requirements across environments. As a result, FinOps capabilities are increasingly treated as core requirements.

Sustainability has also emerged as a central consideration in enterprise cloud strategies across the Nordics, ISG says. Companies are aligning their IT operations with environmental targets by adopting energy-efficient IT solutions. They are seeking hyperscalers to respond to these expectations with capabilities such as advanced environmental, social and governance (ESG) dashboards and carbon-aware workload scheduling. Zero-carbon cloud operation is becoming an essential factor in enterprise cloud selection across the region.

Infrastructure advances are accelerating throughout the Nordics, with organizations supporting AI-native and compliance-driven workloads, the report says. Organizations benefit from expanded regional data center capacity that enables sovereign-by-design architectures and accelerated computing with graphics processing units (GPUs). Those running mission-critical workloads are also adopting certified cloud infrastructure that automates backups, restoration and performance optimization. Autonomous remediation agents and federated FinOps centers of excellence are rapidly becoming baseline expectations.

“The Nordic region is rapidly evolving into a cloud-first innovation hub,” said Meenakshi Srivastava, lead analyst, ISG Provider Lens Research, and lead author of the report. “Enterprises increasingly expect cloud strategies to balance compliance, agility and resilience as part of the next generation multicloud operating models.”

The report also explores other trends in the multi public cloud services market in the Nordics, including expansion of sovereign cloud zones and a shift toward outcome-linked engagement models.

For more insights into the challenges faced by Nordic enterprises in managing complex and heterogeneous environments, along with ISG’s advice for addressing them, see the ISG Provider Lens^® Focal Points briefing here.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Multi Public Cloud Services report for Nordics evaluates the capabilities of 52 providers across seven quadrants: Consulting and Transformation Services — Large Accounts, Consulting and Transformation Services — Midmarket, Managed Services — Large Accounts, Managed Services — Midmarket, FinOps Services and AI-driven Optimization, Hyperscale Infrastructure and Platform Services, and SAP HANA Infrastructure Services.

The report names LTIMindtree and Vivicta as Leaders in four quadrants each. Accenture, Capgemini, HCLTech and Orange Business are named as Leaders in three quadrants each. AWS, Google, IBM, IBM (Nordcloud), Infosys, Kyndryl, Microsoft, SoftwareOne (Crayon), TCS, Tech Mahindra and Wipro are named as Leaders in two quadrants each, while itm8, Sentia and Solita are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, itm8, Kyndryl and Solita are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, LTIMindtree is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2025 among multi public cloud service providers. LTIMindtree earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG’s Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

Customized versions of the report are available from AWS and Vivicta.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Multi Public Cloud Services report for Nordics is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens^® Research

The ISG Provider Lens^® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG’s global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG’s enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122729682/en/

Press Contacts:

Philipp Jaensch, ISG

+49 151 730 365 76

philipp.jaensch@isg-one.com

Laura Hupprich, ISG

+1 203-517-3100

laura.hupprich@isg-one.com

Source: Information Services Group, Inc.