S3NS is the name of the new company created by Thales and Google Cloud to meet the requirements of France to be able to host the most sensitive data of administrations and critical companies.
The services of this new company's "trusted cloud" offer will be put into service "
from the second half of 2024
".
Like the Blue offer from Orange and Capgemini with Microsoft, S3NS must allow the State and companies to have access to the technology of a major American cloud provider, while guaranteeing that security, access to data and their hosting are fully controlled by a company governed by French law.
The infrastructures used will in fact be the property of the new S3NS structure, entirely controlled by Thales (Google Cloud will be a shareholder with less than 24%), which will operate them in its own name and with its own staff, while allowing access to all Google Cloud Platform services.
The S3ns data centers will be close to but strictly separated from those of Google, explained Anthony Cirot, the general manager of Google Cloud France.
“
You have to think of a building with separate apartments
,” he described.
intermediate offer
In particular, the arrangement prevents sensitive data from falling under the extraterritorial laws of the United States.
According to the "Cloud Act" of 2018, for example, American operators may be forced to hand over data belonging to their customers to the authorities of their country, even if this data is not stored in the United States.
To be able to operate, the company must obtain the demanding SecNumCloud certification, issued by Anssi.
To start winning over customers, S3NS is now offering an intermediate offer based on Google's data centers, but equipped with its own security tools (encryption, access control, etc.).
“
We have extremely strong commercial traction, with around forty players with whom we are discussing
,” said Marc Darmon, deputy general manager of Thalès.