The two will work with Microsoft to provide customers with an independent, trusted cloud platform with a broad catalogue of digital solutions and collaborative tools.
Those customers will span the French State, public agencies, hospitals and regional authorities whose sensitive data and workload require a "cloud de confiance” – i.e. trusted cloud – platform tailored to their needs.
Described as "an unprecedented French hyperscale cloud, fully under French and European jurisdictions", Bleu will be governed by key requirements regarding sensitive data to ensure that the needs of its French customers are met.
Stéphane Richard, chairman and CEO of Orange, said the move would meet a "growing need in the digital world".
He added: "Orange, as a trusted partner for the digital transformation of businesses, operates, integrates and manages a range of trusted infrastructure services for its customers, whether they are public or private entities. We are delighted to partner with Capgemini to create a trusted-cloud solution for our existing and future B2B customers and public organisations that will provide a wide-range of services, and in particular Microsoft 365, from within a sovereign infrastructure.”
Bleu will also ultimately join the Gaia-X initiative, of which Orange and Capgemini are members. This will support the emergence of sovereign solutions on a European level and contribute to the development of this ecosystem.
Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, said: “As a strategic partner to our clients, Capgemini is focused on building the services they need, based on leading technologies and the highest standards. The creation of a ”Cloud de Confiance” for France will provide French State and critical infrastructure organizations with the many benefits of flexible cloud services on a secure platform. Now is the right moment to launch this project which benefits from strong political will and very advanced technologies. We are excited to be partnering with Orange on this pioneering project.”
In May, the government of France outlined its national cloud strategy,
France's strategy states that cloud offers must achieve excellency in both performance and trustworthiness. The French National Agency for Information Systems Security (ANSSI) will certify this through its SecNumCloud label.
Guillaume Poupard, Director General of ANSSI, said: “The overall ambition is to enable users to benefit from the best technologies that are run by trusted players from within an exclusively European legal framework and that these services provide unfailing security. With this in mind, ANSSI enthusiastically welcomes this ambitious project that meets these requirements.”
