According to the 2025 Global Cloud Storage Index published by Wasabi Technologies, more than half of French companies—specifically 53%—have exceeded their cloud storage budgets. This statistic places France in second position among European countries, just behind Germany where 66% of companies report overspending. The United Kingdom follows with 51%, indicating a significant regional trend toward budget overruns in cloud infrastructure.
This situation primarily stems from a disconnect between initial cloud cost forecasts and actual usage patterns. Many organizations underestimate the scale of their data needs or encounter unforeseen expenses associated with various data operations. Key among these are costs linked to data replication, object tagging, and other management activities, which can cumulatively escalate expenses beyond projections. Approximately 38% of French businesses observed a higher-than-anticipated growth in data storage requirements. However, in an overwhelming 85% of these cases, the root cause of exceeding the budget was not growth alone but the increased costs tied to data operations.
Data Storage: The Leading Cloud Service Expense
Data storage remains the dominant expense category in cloud computing, accounting for about 47% of overall cloud budgets. Interestingly, organizations tend to adopt a hybrid approach, deploying a mix of on-premises solutions combined with cloud storage, about 41% of the time. Meanwhile, another significant segment—37%—embraces a "cloud-first" strategy, prioritizing cloud solutions as the primary approach for their data needs.
Companies typically select their cloud providers based on several critical criteria. The most important factor, cited by 41%, is data protection, security, and compliance. Firms want assurance that their sensitive information remains secure and meets regulatory standards. Next in importance is sustainability, valued by 33% of organizations, reflecting the growing emphasis on environmentally responsible practices. Performance and scalability are also key considerations, with 29% of companies seeking cloud solutions that can efficiently grow and adapt to their evolving needs.
Shifting Paradigms in Cloud Sovereignty
While trusted cloud offerings are gradually gaining traction within the French market, concerns surrounding data sovereignty remain prominent. Only 15% of organizations consider sovereignty a primary criterion when selecting a cloud provider, a figure that is somewhat lower than the European average of 21%. This indicates that although concerns about where data is stored and governed exist, they are not the foremost priority for many French businesses when evaluating cloud services.
This trend underscores a complex balancing act: while data security and compliance tend to be at the forefront, sovereignty and control over data are still significant considerations, though perhaps less urgent or prioritized compared to other factors like performance and cost.
*This study, conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of Wasabi Technologies, surveyed 1,600 IT decision-makers involved in storage procurement and strategy.*
