VMware Unveils New Developer, Data, and Security Services for Sovereign Clouds

VMware Explore 2023 — VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) today announced new innovations and technology partnerships that will help accelerate sovereign digital innovation and enhance security for customers around the world. Today, more than 50 VMware Sovereign Cloud providers in 33 countries are part of a powerful, interconnected, and diverse ecosystem that supports customers’ sovereign cloud requirements. Together, VMware and VMware Sovereign Cloud partners are helping organizations unlock the innovative power of their data while remaining compliant with data privacy regulations.

VMware’s Sovereign Cloud initiative is a global ecosystem of CSPs committed to helping customers comply with rapidly growing and changing data privacy laws. VMware Sovereign Cloud providers must self-attest to a framework of guiding principles, best practices, and technical architecture requirements to deliver cloud services that adhere to the data sovereignty requirements of the specific jurisdiction in which that cloud operates, as mandated by the relevant government or commercial body.

“VMware Sovereign Cloud empowers nations with unparalleled data security and control, revolutionizing the way governments harness the potential of the cloud,” said Rajeev Bhardwaj, vice president, product management, cloud provider platform, VMware. “Through our innovative sovereign cloud portfolio, global ecosystem of validated VMware Sovereign Cloud partners, and unmatched ecosystem of third-party solutions, we are enabling governments and highly regulated industries to embrace the limitless possibilities of the cloud while safeguarding their digital sovereignty.”

Better Securing Sovereign Cloud Workloads

In sovereign cloud, customers are seeking the utmost in control over and access to data. Owning encryption keys in the cloud allows customers to maintain the level of control they demand. VMware Sovereign Clouds now support Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK) and Bring Your Own Key Management Systems (BYO-KMS). By letting customers create and hold their own "keys" to their data, customers can be more confident that no one else, not even the CSP, can view or access their information without permission.

BYOK provides customers with greater flexibility and portability for data encryption on their terms, enables adherence to specific key management policies associated with their business and regulation, and helps address legal requirements for data within any given jurisdiction. With key ownership comes the responsibility of robust key management to avoid compromising the encrypted data or accidental loss of keys rendering the data useless.