Do you trust American legislation to control your IT Services?

When Swedish authorities procure IT services, they play a crucial role in national security and control. According to Annika Rydström, CEO of Binero, many still fail to set the right requirements – and do not always understand why they are needed.

– ‘It's not just about technology, but about control, access and responsibility,’ she says.

At a time when data is a strategic resource and digital infrastructure is a security issue, it is becoming increasingly important for Swedish contracting authorities to set requirements that focus not only on price but also on where data is stored and how it is handled, as the choice of cloud service provider can have significant and long-term consequences.

– All data stored and managed in a cloud service must be protected in accordance with both national and European regulations. It's not just about technology, but also about control, access and responsibility. That's why it's crucial that both data centres and data remain in Sweden – and that only authorised persons within the country's borders have access. You cannot outsource or use underlying infrastructure, such as a cloud service, in a third country with access to your data in any way, says Annika Rydström, CEO of Binero.

All data is stored in Sweden

Binero is a Swedish provider of cloud services with data centres in Sweden. This means that all data remains within the country's borders and that no third party in another country has access to it, either directly or indirectly. Annika Rydström points out that this may sound obvious, but that reality shows otherwise.

– We can see that many authorities and companies still choose American suppliers, even though this means that American legislation can overrule Swedish and European legislation. This jeopardises both security and trust.

‘The authorities have a big responsibility’

She notes that contracting authorities have a responsibility to understand what requirements can and should be imposed and that these must include factors such as resilience in the supply chain, data access and who is responsible for operation and support.

– When an IT function is outsourced to a third country with different legislation, control is practically lost. This is something that must be included in the requirements specification from the outset. Binero has developed a European, open and secure cloud platform based on open standards, with Swedish technology and full transparency. Our goal is to help the public sector and businesses make informed choices and ensure that data and control remain where they belong. We don't just want to deliver a service, we also want to help raise the level of knowledge among both procurement officers and decision-makers – only then can we talk about real control, concludes Annika Rydström.

About Binero

Binero is a Swedish provider of open, secure and sustainable cloud services. With data centres in Sweden and a total focus on control, Binero offers a cloud platform that meets both European and national requirements.

Read the article in Swedish DI here.

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