Schwarz Digits and Zscaler will operate the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange on the sovereign STACKIT cloud, offering European customers a Zero Trust SASE security service hosted in German data centers.
Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital division of the Schwarz Group, and security vendor Zscaler have announced a strategic partnership for a sovereign cloud security platform in Europe. The collaboration centers on operating the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange on STACKIT, Schwarz Digits’ sovereign cloud infrastructure.
According to the companies, the combination results in a sovereign Zero Trust Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) security service designed to address AI-driven threats and increase organizations’ cyber resilience. The offering is hosted in German data centers and operated by STACKIT. It is available to customers across Europe with immediate effect.
Both companies cite growing demand from European customers for sovereign technology solutions as the rationale for the partnership. At the same time, they say cybersecurity threats are intensifying as attackers increasingly deploy AI tools, raising the speed and complexity of attacks. Regulatory requirements such as the NIS2 directive, the DORA regulation, and the AI Act have also pushed cybersecurity further up the boardroom agenda, as organizations must meet both sovereignty and regulatory requirements without compromising system performance, the companies say.
By deploying the Zscaler security platform in Schwarz Digits’ data centers, the partners aim to deliver an end-to-end approach for a sovereign Zero Trust SASE cloud. According to the companies, the joint offering covers deployment, management, operations, and support of the cloud-based security platform. The goal is to protect customer data and business operations from cyberattacks in line with European requirements while securing a hybrid workforce.
STACKIT is Schwarz Digits’ cloud platform and, according to the company, is operated exclusively in European data centers. Schwarz Digits is the IT and digital division of the Schwarz Group, whose businesses include Lidl and Kaufland. Zscaler positions itself as a provider of a cloud-based security platform with a global security-as-a-service approach, routing traffic through a network of data centers where it is screened for threats. The partnership is intended to replicate that approach entirely within European infrastructure for the first time.
The SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) concept combines networking and security functions in a cloud-based architecture, intended to let organizations secure users, devices, and applications regardless of location. Under the zero-trust model, no user or device is automatically trusted; every access request is continuously verified. For organizations in regulated sectors such as finance or the public sector, where data is processed and stored can be a decisive factor in choosing a provider.
Christian Müller, CEO of Schwarz Digits, said technological independence begins with infrastructure. The partnership raises network security to a new level by advancing existing security architectures and relying on high-performance identity verification, which he said translates into improved protection against cyberattacks for customers.
Misha Kuperman, Chief Reliability Officer at Zscaler, said that in an era of AI-driven cyber threats, a modern Zero Trust SASE solution is the most effective protection for sensitive corporate data. He described the partnership with Schwarz Digits as a sign of the company’s long-term commitment to Europe, adding that the companies aim to help customers limit their attack surface and contain the lateral spread of attacks while achieving compliance with European legislation through data residency in the EU.
Bernd Wagner, CSO of Schwarz Digits, pointed to the need among private- and public-sector customers for secure, resilient IT infrastructure without compromising digital sovereignty. By combining the two companies’ expertise — Zscaler’s Zero Trust SASE architecture against AI-driven cyberattacks and Schwarz Digits’ sovereign STACKIT cloud infrastructure — data remains in the EU and protected from third-party access, Wagner said.
Dr. Jakob Jung is Editor-in-Chief of Security Storage and Channel Germany. He has been working in IT journalism for more than 20 years. His career includes Computer Reseller News, Heise Resale, Informationweek, Techtarget (storage and data center) and ChannelBiz. He also freelances for numerous IT publications, including Computerwoche, Channelpartner, IT-Business, Storage-Insider and ZDnet. His main topics are channel, storage, security, data center, ERP and CRM.
Contact via Mail: jakob.jung@security-storage-und-channel-germany.de