Cloud computing market size in Europe 2017-2021, by quarter

By the second quarter of 2021, revenues from cloud computing in Europe amounted to approximately 7.3 billion euros. At the same time, European service providers' market share declined to under 16 percent, although their revenues increased. Both government investments in cloud computing initiatives as well as general digital transformation processes drive market growth.

American cloud providers dominate the European market

European cloud providers’ decline in market share is due the rise of American cloud providers including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Together, these three global players take 66 percent of the European market. Deutsche Telekom is the leader among European cloud providers, taking two percent of the market. It is followed by OVH Cloud from France and many regional cloud specialists and national telcos.

European initiatives to strengthen regional providers

Given the relative prominence of American cloud providers in the European market, the GAIA-X initiative has formed in 2019 to regain control over data sovereignty while simultaneously strengthening European cloud providers. Catching up with the US companies’ dominance in the European market will remain a challenge, however, given that in the future, European customers expect to increase spending on the American cloud companies rather than on regional providers.