Introduction

Recently, Dutch tech leaders and politicians sounded the alarm about the Netherlands’ heavy reliance on American cloud services. In fact, an NOS analysis found that 67% of important Dutch websites depend on at least one US cloud provider, such as Microsoft, Google, or Amazon. This dependence has sparked urgent discussions on digital sovereignty. One expert starkly warned: “The unthinkable has become thinkable – a conflict between the US and Europe could plunge us into a digital winter if a foreign government ordered American companies to cut off their services”. It’s a chilling scenario: imagine waking up to find your business’s email, data storage, and critical apps suddenly inaccessible due to geopolitics or a Big Tech decision.

For Dutch small and mid-sized businesses (MKB/SMBs), this issue is not abstract. Business continuity is at stake. If your company runs on US-based cloud software and that plug gets pulled (whether due to political tensions, a trade dispute, or even a severe outage), could you still operate? Beyond the doomsday scenario, there are everyday concerns: legal and privacy risks (U.S. providers fall under laws like the Cloud Act that could expose EU data), loss of control over your IT, and vendor lock-in that makes you overly dependent on one provider. It’s no wonder the call for a “Nederlandse cloud” – a sovereign Dutch cloud – is growing louder. The good news: gaining digital independence is absolutely possible, even for small businesses. In this article, we’ll explore why reducing reliance on US tech matters and how Dutch SMBs can strategically migrate to local alternatives to ensure their business stays running no matter what.

The Hidden Risks of US Cloud Dependency

Using popular cloud platforms from the US can be convenient, but putting all your IT eggs in the Big Tech basket comes with hidden risks for SMBs:

• Single Point of Failure – Business Continuity Threat: If your email, files, accounting software and more are all tied to accounts with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, AWS, or other US services, a single disruption can bring your operations to a halt. We tend to assume these platforms will always be there, but recent history shows that even giant providers suffer outages. Worse, geopolitical fallout or trade conflicts could lead to access restrictions. Dutch experts point out that if a figure like Trump or US authorities decided to “flip the switch,” vast portions of Dutch digital life could freeze. For an SMB, losing access even for a day means lost revenue and customer trust. Relying less on foreign providers gives you multiple backups: if one system goes down, you have another available hosted on Dutch/EU soil to keep you running.
• Legal and Privacy Concerns: American companies must comply with American laws (like the Cloud Act) even when serving foreign clients. This means Dutch business data stored in, say, an Azure or Google Cloud server could be subject to US government requests or surveillance without your consent. Aside from privacy issues, this can conflict with EU data protection regulations. By keeping sensitive data in the Netherlands or EU-only clouds, you ensure EU privacy laws guard your information, and you reduce worries about foreign subpoenas over your customer data.
• Vendor Lock-in and Higher Costs: Many SMBs feel “locked in” to big vendors like Microsoft. All your files might be in OneDrive, your spreadsheets in Excel, your customer contacts in a Salesforce cloud. Switching seems daunting, so you stick with the same provider even as costs rise or terms change. This dependency can hurt your bargaining power and budget. If Microsoft or Google decides to increase prices or bundle products differently, a small business has little say. Diversifying your IT stack with alternative solutions (or at least having an exit plan) introduces competition and keeps your providers on their toes. It can even save money, as many European alternatives have competitive pricing or allow more flexible pay-as-you-go models.
• Support and Control: Ever tried to get quick support from a tech giant? As an SMB, you’re one of millions of customers. In a critical moment, you might face long support wait times or impersonal service. With local providers or self-hosted solutions, you often get more personalized support, sometimes even directly from a technician who knows your business. Plus, hosting in the Netherlands means you can physically know where your servers are and even visit them if needed – adding a sense of control and trust.

In short, depending 100% on U.S. cloud services leaves your business vulnerable – to external shocks, legal exposures, and inflexible conditions. Digital independence is about cutting those hidden strings so your company can stand on its own feet online.

Dutch Cloud Alternatives: Yes, They Exist!

A common reaction is: “Sure, in theory we’d love to use Dutch or European IT solutions, but can they really replace Microsoft or Google?” Politicians and tech entrepreneurs heard this objection frequently – “there is no alternative” – but that myth is being busted. **Dutch cloud providers assert they can deliver 80% of what American tech giants offer. While you might not get a single monolithic suite that does everything, you can mix and match to cover your needs. Here are some examples of how Dutch/EU alternatives can fill the gap:

• Email and Office Productivity: Instead of Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, you can choose a Dutch email hosting service and open-source productivity tools. For instance, many businesses use Nextcloud – a popular European platform – combined with OnlyOffice or LibreOffice for documents, spreadsheets and collaboration. There are also Netherlands-based email providers that offer secure, GDPR-compliant email and calendar services. While these might lack a few advanced bells and whistles of Microsoft’s ecosystem, they deliver the core functionality that 95% of users need – email, calendaring, document sharing, video meetings – all hosted in local data centers.
• Data Storage and Backup: Need cloud storage or backup? There are reputable Dutch companies (like the one in Ede, or the Dutch Cloud Community members) offering cloud servers, backup vaults, and file storage on Dutch soil. For example,BIT, a Dutch cloud service mentioned in parliament, and other providers supply object storage similar to AWS S3, virtual machines akin to AWS EC2 or Azure VM, and backup solutions – with your data residing in the Netherlands. By using these, your files and database backups remain under Dutch jurisdiction. Plus, physical proximity can mean faster speeds and lower latency for local users compared to transatlantic data travel.
• Business Software (CRM, ERP, etc.): Replacing specialized SaaS like Salesforce or QuickBooks might seem harder, but European alternatives are emerging in many areas. There are EU-based CRM systems, project management tools, and accounting packages designed for SMEs that you can host on EU servers or that are provided by EU companies. In some cases, open-source software can be a savior – you can have a partner like ARS-ICT implement a self-hosted CRM or ERP tailored to you, so you’re not tied to a US vendor’s roadmap. Modern open-source tools often have active communities and support options via local IT firms.
• Cloud Infrastructure & Websites: If your company website or app is running on AWS or Azure, consider shifting to a Dutch hosting provider or a European cloud. The Netherlands has a robust network of data centers and hosting firms known worldwide (Amsterdam is a major internet hub). Whether it’s a simple website on a Dutch hosting plan or a complex application on a European cloud platform (like Greenhost, TransIP, Leaseweb, or OVHcloud in nearby France), you have choices that keep your stack within EU borders. These often come with guarantees that data stays in-country or in-EU, alleviating sovereignty concerns.

Certainly, no single European service is a drop-in clone of Microsoft’s full suite – and that’s okay. You might use one provider for email, another for cloud storage, and a third for a specific app. With smart integration (which can be automated with the right IT partner), this mosaic of tools can work smoothly together. In return, you gain true redundancy and sovereignty: if one piece falters, it doesn’t bring down your entire operation. And you’ll likely find the user experience for your staff can remain very similar. For example, your team can still edit documents online, chat and video call, share files, and manage customers – but now via systems hosted in the Netherlands or at least by companies that answer to EU regulations. The transition might require a short adjustment period (and perhaps a bit of training on the new interfaces), but the payoff is long-term peace of mind.

Step-by-Step: Making Your Business Digitally Independent

Achieving cloud independence doesn’t happen overnight – but it doesn’t have to be disruptive either. Here’s a practical roadmap that we at ARS-ICT recommend for Dutch SMBs to systematically reduce dependence on US tech:

1. Take Inventory of Your IT Landscape. Start by mapping out all the digital services and software your business uses. List everything: email providers, document storage, CRM, finance software, website hosting, marketing tools, etc. Note which ones are provided by US-based companies or run on servers of AWS/Azure/Google. This list might surprise you – many companies discover the majority of their workflow touches a handful of Big Tech firms. Identifying these dependencies is the critical first step.

2. Identify What Can Stay and What Must Change. Not every tool needs replacing. Determine which services are mission-critical (e.g. communications, client data, operational systems) and pose the biggest risk if suddenly unavailable. Also flag any that raise compliance issues (e.g. storing personal data in a US cloud). These are your top candidates for replacement or backup solutions. Less critical tools or ones with no good alternative yet can be addressed later or kept with proper contingency plans. The goal is to prioritize: for instance, an SMB might decide email and file storage are phase 1 to migrate to a Dutch provider, because without them business stops.

3. Research and Choose European Alternatives. For each high-priority dependency, research the European (preferably Dutch) alternatives. This is where partnering with an IT expert can save a lot of time – at ARS-ICT, we keep tabs on reliable local solutions for common SMB needs. Check for features, cost, ease of migration, and support. Maybe you’ll choose a Dutch hosted Exchange-compatible email service, or set up Nextcloud for file sharing, or move your website to a Dutch host. Don’t forget to evaluate the provider’s trustworthiness: data security certifications, data center locations, and client reviews in the Netherlands are good indicators. In this phase, making a realistic plan is key – decide which new services to adopt and map out how to transfer your data into them.

4. Migrate Step by Step – with Safety Nets. When it comes time to move, do it in phases. Avoid a “big bang” migration where everything switches at once. For example, start by migrating a copy of your data to the new cloud while still running the old one, then switch over when ready. Many email providers allow a staged migration where all your past emails and contacts are imported to the new system before you flip the switch. For file storage, you might run the new cloud storage in parallel and gradually have users start using it while still keeping the old as backup until fully confident. Throughout the migration, ensure you have backups of all data in a safe place (preferably offline or at least in a separate location). That way, if anything goes wrong, you can restore and try again. The priority is to prevent downtime or data loss during the transition. With careful planning, most migrations – even of thousands of emails or big databases – can happen overnight or over a weekend with minimal disruption to your business.

5. Integrate and Train Your Team. Once the new solutions are in place, make sure they are well-integrated into your daily workflows. Set up any needed interfaces or API connections (for example, linking your new email/calendaring system with your CRM, or connecting a local invoicing tool with your accounting software). If something was previously all-in-one under a Microsoft suite, you might now use a couple of different apps – so it’s worth creating shortcuts or a central dashboard for your staff to access everything easily. Equally important, take time to train your employees on the new tools. Even if they are intuitive, a short orientation prevents frustration and ensures everyone knows how to log in, share files, schedule meetings, etc., in the new environment. Emphasize to your team why you made the change – not only can this increase buy-in, but it also raises awareness about digital independence and security. Often, employees appreciate knowing that their company’s data is now kept locally and their tools are chosen with privacy and reliability in mind.

6. Establish a Contingency Plan. Ironically, one big reason to leave a single cloud provider is to improve resilience – but true resilience means always having a Plan B. Now that you have moved to mostly Dutch/EU services, consider what happens if they encounter issues. Ideally, avoid simply creating a new single point of failure. For critical systems, you might keep periodic backups on a different platform or format. For instance, if you migrated from Google to a Dutch cloud storage, maybe keep an extra backup of key files on an encrypted hard drive or another cloud in a different EU region. If you shifted from Microsoft 365 to a local email service, you could maintain an emergency fallback email account (even a basic Gmail) for crisis use. These precautions mean that even if the worst happens – whether it’s a local outage or a global one – your business won’t be knocked offline.

By following these steps, a Dutch SMB can gradually transform its IT backbone into one that is location-independent and politics-independent. You’ll still enjoy all the modern conveniences of cloud tech – but with far less worry about sudden shocks. Moreover, this process often reveals opportunities to modernize and streamline: when reviewing alternatives, you might find a new tool that fits your workflow even better, or eliminate redundant software, and potentially save costs through a more tailored selection of services.

Conclusion: Independence Equals Continuity – And We Can Help

In a time when even governments are realizing “we hang on an American IV drip” for our digital needs, it’s wise for small businesses to also take charge of their digital destiny. Digital independence doesn’t mean isolating yourself – it means having choices and control. By reducing reliance on US cloud giants, you protect your company’s continuity against unpredictable events and align your IT with European standards of privacy and security. The end result? Peace of mind. You can sleep knowing a geopolitical storm or a foreign policy change won’t turn off your lights. Your customers’ data stays on Dutch/EU soil, and your operations remain in your hands.

At ARS-ICT, we specialize in guiding Dutch MKB companies on this journey to a more sovereign IT setup. Think of us as your Trusted IT Fixer – zonder contracten. With 20+ years of experience, we’ve seen it all: cloud migrations, custom integrations, and rescue missions when systems fail. Our approach is flexible and client-focused. You don’t need any long-term subscription or contract to work with us – we can step in on demand, assess your IT environment, and implement changes at a flat, agreed price. Whether it’s mapping your current cloud usage, finding the right Dutch alternatives, migrating data safely, or building fail-safes for continuity, our experts are ready to help. We combine technical know-how with a practical understanding of business needs, so you get solutions that make both tech and business sense.

Don’t wait for a digital crisis or a mandate from above to secure your IT – you have the power to act now. The movement toward a Dutch cloud and digital autonomy is “within reach” for the Netherlands, and that includes your business. By taking proactive steps today, you ensure that your company can keep running tomorrow, no matter what. Ready to reclaim your digital independence? Feel free to contact ARS-ICT for a no-obligation consult. We’ll help you untangle those last ties to Big Tech and set up a robust, locally-powered IT environment that keeps your business humming – on your terms and on your turf.