Data Residency

5 posts

gitlab2 min readCurated summary

GitLab on Google Cloud: Fully managed, compliant, and AI-ready

GitLab is introducing a fully managed deployment on Google Cloud through certified managed service providers such as Beyond and Digital Future. The offering combines data residency and compliance controls with access to Google’s Gemini and Gemma models through GitLab Duo Agent Platform. Organizations can also purchase the platform through Google Cloud Marketplace, applying existing cloud commitments to GitLab, AI inference, and infrastructure costs. ## Fully Managed GitLab on Google Cloud - Certified MSPs operate GitLab on Google Cloud under service-level agreements, removing infrastructure-management responsibilities from customer teams. - Organizations retain control over where code, pipelines, and security data are stored, supporting sovereignty and data-residency requirements. - GitLab’s audit and policy controls provide visibility into agent actions, merge requests, and security findings. ## AI Model Choice for Different Workloads - Gemini models, including Gemini 3.5 Flash, are available in Duo Agent Platform through Google’s Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. - GitLab’s participation in Google’s early-access program is intended to bring new Gemini models to Duo as they become available. - Regulated or self-hosted teams can use Gemma 4 with GitLab Duo Self-Hosted. - With self-hosted models, the AI Gateway and all requests and responses remain within an organization’s on-premises or private-cloud environment. ## Using Existing Google Cloud Commitments - GitLab and Duo Agent Platform can be purchased through Google Cloud Marketplace. - Existing Google Cloud commitments can fund GitLab subscriptions, model inference, and related infrastructure without starting a new procurement cycle. - Consolidated Google Cloud billing reduces reconciliation across vendors. - GitLab retains its own cost-management features, including usage dashboards, model policies, and GitLab Credits for more predictable AI spending. ## One Governed DevSecOps Platform - GitLab Duo Agent Platform provides software-delivery context that standalone coding assistants lack, including merge requests, pipelines, and deployment targets. - This context helps agents perform multi-step work and supports code review at monorepo scale. - Combining GitLab’s governance and lifecycle data with Google’s models keeps deployment, model selection, compliance, and spending aligned in one platform rather than fragmented across multiple tools. Organizations can start with a Duo Agent Platform trial, enable it through the free GitLab tier, or use included GitLab Credits with Premium and Ultimate subscriptions. Overall, the offering is aimed at teams that want managed GitLab operations, flexible AI model access, and strong control over data location and costs on Google Cloud.

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awsOriginal article

Opening the AWS European Sovereign Cloud (opens in new tab)

AWS has officially launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a specialized infrastructure designed to meet the rigorous data residency and operational autonomy requirements of European public sector organizations and highly regulated industries. This new offering provides a fully featured cloud environment that is physically and logically separate from existing AWS Regions, ensuring all data and metadata remain entirely within the European Union. By bridging the gap between legacy on-premises security and modern cloud innovation, AWS enables sensitive workloads to operate under strict European jurisdiction and independent governance. **Strategic Independence and Operational Control** Organizations in the EU often face complex regulatory hurdles that prevent them from using standard public cloud offerings, frequently forcing them to remain on aging on-premises hardware. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud addresses these challenges through: * **Independent Operations:** The infrastructure is operated independently from other AWS Regions, providing a distinct management layer specific to the EU. * **Enhanced Sovereignty Controls:** Robust technical controls and legal protections are integrated to ensure that data remains under European jurisdiction. * **Governance Autonomy:** The cloud is built to provide European entities with full control over their data residency and operational transparency. **Independent Infrastructure and Regional Presence** The architecture is designed for high availability and resilience, ensuring that mission-critical services remain functional regardless of external connectivity. * **Initial Region:** The first region is now generally available in Brandenburg, Germany, serving as the primary hub for the sovereign infrastructure. * **Redundancy:** The infrastructure utilizes multiple Availability Zones with redundant power and networking to maintain continuous operation. * **Isolated Connectivity:** The design allows the cloud to continue operating even if connectivity to the rest of the global AWS network is interrupted. **Expansion and Hybrid Deployment Options** To support the diverse needs of EU member states, AWS is expanding the footprint of this sovereign infrastructure through localized hardware and edge services. * **Sovereign Local Zones:** Future expansion plans include new Local Zones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal to provide low-latency access within specific borders. * **Hybrid Integration:** Customers can extend sovereign infrastructure to their own data centers using AWS Outposts or AWS Dedicated Local Zones. * **Advanced Capabilities:** The platform supports specialized workloads through AWS AI Factories, allowing regulated industries to leverage artificial intelligence within a sovereign boundary. For European organizations navigating strict compliance landscapes, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud provides a viable path to digital transformation. Decision-makers should evaluate their current on-premises or restricted cloud environments to determine how these new sovereign regions and local zones can fulfill upcoming data residency mandates while providing access to advanced cloud-native services.

figma2 min readCurated summary

Figma Expands Support for India with Local Data Hosting and New Governance Tools | Figma Blog

Figma is expanding its support for India with local hosting for Figma file data and stronger enterprise governance tools. Local data residency is planned for Q1 2026, helping regulated organizations meet security and compliance requirements while maintaining Figma’s performance. Governance+ is already available to Enterprise customers in India. ## Local Data Hosting for Indian Customers - Figma file data will be hosted within India, including content from FigJam, Make, Sites, Buzz, and Slides. - The option is intended for regulated sectors such as public services, healthcare, and finance. - Indian users created more than 35 million files between October 2024 and September 2025. - India is Figma’s second-largest active user base globally. - The offering builds on existing data residency options in Australia, Europe, and the United States. - Figma has expanded its local presence through a new Bengaluru hub and serves companies including Airtel, Flipkart, Swiggy, TCS, and Zomato. ## Governance+ for Enterprise Teams Governance+ gives organizations more control over how employees access and use Figma: - **Centralized control:** IP Allowlisting and Network Access Restrictions help ensure work occurs in approved Figma instances and networks. - **Account security:** Enforced two-factor authentication, extended idle session timeouts, and support for multiple identity providers reduce account-compromise risks. - **Data governance:** The Discovery Pipeline provides visibility into activity to support retention policies and legal discovery. - Governance+ complements existing tools such as activity logs, SSO, SCIM-based seat management, and restrictions on external collaborators. - The feature is available now to all Enterprise-plan customers. Figma’s India strategy combines regional data residency with tighter administrative controls, making the platform more suitable for organizations with strict privacy, security, and regulatory obligations. Enterprises interested in local hosting can register their interest ahead of its planned Q1 2026 launch.

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figma2 min readCurated summary

Figma Deepens Roots in Australia with Local Data Hosting | Figma Blog

Figma is expanding its investment in Australia by introducing enterprise governance features and local hosting for Figma file data. Starting in Q4 2025, Australian customers will be able to store data locally, supporting organizations with strict security and compliance requirements. The move strengthens Figma’s position among regulated industries and marks its first data-residency offering in Asia Pacific. ## Local Data Hosting in Australia - Figma will host file data locally in Australia, including content from: - Figma - FigJam - Make - Sites - Buzz - Slides - Local hosting is intended for industries such as: - Government and the public sector - Healthcare - Financial services - The option provides greater control over data location while preserving Figma’s platform capabilities and scalability. - Australia is Figma’s first local data-hosting market in Asia Pacific, extending similar enterprise offerings already available in Europe and the United States. - Figma opened its Sydney office in November 2024 and serves customers including NAB, Safety Culture, and Atlassian. ## Governance+ for Enterprise Customers Governance+ gives enterprises more control over how employees access and use Figma. - **Centralized controls** - Enforce use of approved Figma instances and networks. - Use IP Allowlisting and Network Access Restrictions to prevent data from moving into unauthorized spaces. - **Account security** - Require two-factor authentication. - Extend idle session timeouts. - Support for multiple SSO configurations is planned. - **Data governance** - Monitor Figma activity through tools such as the Discovery Pipeline. - Support electronic communications retention and legal discovery requirements. ## Existing Enterprise Security Features Governance+ builds on existing enterprise capabilities, including: - Action logs - SAML single sign-on - Role assignments connected to identity-management systems - Restrictions on external collaborators joining an organization Governance+ is available now to customers on Figma’s Enterprise plan. Figma’s Australian data residency option will be particularly useful for organizations that must meet local storage, privacy, and regulatory obligations. Enterprise customers can adopt Governance+ immediately and register interest in local hosting ahead of its planned Q4 2025 launch.

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figma2 min readCurated summary

EU Hosting for Figma and FigJam Files | Figma Blog

Figma announced EU hosting for Figma and FigJam file data, giving European organizations more control over data location while retaining the benefits of its cloud platform. The service is intended to address regional privacy and regulatory concerns and is available exclusively to Enterprise customers. File contents are hosted primarily in Frankfurt, with backups in Dublin, though some metadata, login information, and temporary in-transit data remain outside the EU. ## EU Data Hosting Availability - Customers can host the document contents of Figma and FigJam files within the EU. - The option is available only on Figma’s Enterprise plan. - Existing customers can migrate files from the US after upgrading to Enterprise. - Account managers coordinate migration dates, and eligible customers can join a migration waitlist. ## Hosting Locations and Infrastructure - Primary file storage is located in Frankfurt, Germany. - Backup data is stored in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. - Figma uses AWS as its cloud infrastructure provider. ## Data Included and Excluded - EU hosting initially covers the contents of supported Figma and FigJam files. - User metadata and login data are not hosted within the EU. - Some data moving through Figma’s systems may be temporarily stored outside the EU. - Customers should consult Figma’s file-type breakdown to determine which data is covered. ## Security and Compliance Figma positions EU hosting as an addition to its existing security and privacy measures, including: - SOC 2 Type II reporting - ISO 27018 and ISO 27001 certifications - Level 2 adherence to the EU Cloud Code of Conduct The feature is particularly relevant to organizations such as Volkswagen Group, which require stronger control over data residency for regulatory and data-protection reasons. Organizations with strict EU residency requirements should evaluate which data types are covered and consider Figma Enterprise for localized file hosting.

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