In our last post we deduced why IT compliance and corporate compliance have to go hand in hand with digital migration and business expansion. Now, however, the following problem arises: From the point of view of cloud providers, the implementation of customers’ compliance requirements is an important competitive factor. At the same time, numerous regulations apply equally to cloud systems operated by the provider and to customer-operated on-premises systems. So it is not only possible to support the implementation of compliance requirements through certain cloud services. The implementation, auditing and certification of compliance requirements can in some cases even fall directly into the responsibility of the provider.

Compliance as a strategy for cloud providers

A prerequisite for achieving synergy effects is that two actors work together in a way that is conducive to the overall benefit. In the context of data protection and information security, it has already been made clear that compliance with customer requirements is an important competitive factor from the supplier’s point of view. Assuming a generic, overarching perspective on the relationship between provider and customer requirements with regard to compliance, two observations can be made:

1. There are numerous offers on the cloud provider market that promise solutions for the comprehensive business and regulatory requirements of customers from various industries
2. Many IT compliance requirements that cloud providers have to meet must also be met in the same way by the IT systems and IT services of other companies – regardless of whether they are on-premises or on-purpose -Services acts.

Cloud releases usage potential by adhering to compliance requirements

What does this mean for companies and organizations that use or want to use cloud services and have to implement their own compliance requirements? On the one hand, cloud providers – as providers of IT services – are themselves subject to high compliance requirements. In addition, cloud providers attach immense importance to compliance as a sales argument. This is not only evident in the aforementioned constantly growing service portfolios with which cloud providers want to support their customers in complying with general and industry-specific requirements.

Constant high investments, for example in the area of ​​security and data protection, illustrate this interest on the part of the providers. From the customer’s point of view, this means that the cloud unleashes potential benefits when compliance requirements are met. Providers convert the technological innovation potential of the cloud into services that meet the compliance requirements of companies and organizations. Cloud providers are based on technical and organizational standards, which can also be of high relevance for customers.

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