The new initiative combines Veeam’s data protection technology with qualified local service providers to help enterprises address data residency, jurisdiction, governance and recovery requirements.
As data sovereignty moves higher on enterprise agendas amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, Veeam has launched a global programme designed to help organisations identify service providers capable of supporting local data control without compromising cyber resilience.
The Veeam Sovereign Service Providers Program will connect Veeam’s data protection and security capabilities with the local operating models, governance expertise and jurisdictional knowledge of participating service providers. The first phase introduces a Data Sovereignty Competency within the Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) programme, with further offerings planned for later this year.
The initiative comes as governments and regulators place greater emphasis on where data resides, who can access it, how it is governed and which legal jurisdictions apply. Cross-border dependencies and the growing use of AI are adding complexity, particularly for organisations managing sensitive information across cloud, SaaS, legacy and operational environments.
“Sovereignty isn’t a checkbox. It is proof of jurisdiction, residency and control, verified end to end.”
— Ahsan Khan, Chief Technology Officer, ThinkOn
Veeam’s approach combines technology with the operational practices of local providers. The new competency is intended to help customers evaluate providers against defined criteria covering local operations, jurisdictional controls, in-region personnel, data governance, customer oversight and resilient data protection.
Michelle Graff, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships at Veeam, said sovereignty depends on both the technology protecting data and the way services are operated. The programme brings these dimensions together, giving customers a clearer way to identify providers that have invested in sovereign operating capabilities alongside Veeam-powered data resilience.
The urgency is reinforced by Veeam research, which found that 70% of organisations reported AI workflows interacting with sensitive corporate data without full oversight, while 67% said employees were creating autonomous AI workflows that IT teams could not fully track. These findings highlight the governance challenges that emerge when AI agents and workflows operate across enterprise data environments.
Without adequate visibility and control, organisations may struggle to establish who can access sensitive information and how data is handled across jurisdictions. Sovereignty requirements therefore increasingly intersect with security, compliance, business continuity and the ability to recover trusted data after a cyber incident.
Tim Pfaelzer, General Manager and Senior Vice President, EMEA at Veeam, said sovereignty has evolved from a compliance consideration into a strategic business requirement in Europe. He added that combining Veeam technology with the local operating capabilities of trusted providers can help organisations strengthen data control while maintaining resilience and recovery.
The programme is designed to complement other VCSP competencies, including disaster recovery as a service and off-site backup. Only providers meeting the defined requirements will qualify, with customers able to review approved providers through Veeam partner profiles detailing their capabilities, regional coverage and competency status.
Veeam has also stressed that the competency does not replace customers’ own legal, regulatory, risk or compliance assessments. Instead, it provides a framework for identifying providers with demonstrated capabilities relevant to sovereignty requirements.
The first phase marks the beginning of a broader initiative, with Veeam planning additional offerings as it works with product teams and selected service providers. As AI adoption and geopolitical pressures reshape enterprise risk, the programme reflects a growing industry focus on combining local control with the resilience needed to protect and recover business-critical data.
