Azure status of SecNumCloud Qualification by ANSSI

Tigrish Chakrabarty 40 Reputation points
2025-10-20T09:42:16.3733333+00:00

Hello,

We are a French based company and our business line will require the "SecNumCloud Qualification by ANSSI" late next year.
We are already established Azure customers and would like to know how the Azure platform is going to approach that certification/obligation by the French government.

If Azure is not going to implement that certification by the mid-year 2026 we would be forced by law to use another cloud provider that would not fit our needs properly as we are already well integrated within the ecosystem and have existing reservations.

Our legal team would like to know more about the steps Azure is going to take in order to comply with French laws.

Warm regards
T.C

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Tigrish Chakrabarty 40 Reputation points
2025-11-28T10:57:57.0833333+00:00

Hey Jerald,

Thanks for your detailed answer. We've come into contact with "Bleu" cloud. After talking with their representative it became clear that they do not target our business line in their offering.

Bleu requires public sector, defense and energy related business lines with a focus on much larger enterprise customers.

Unfortunately we will have to migrate to other SecNumCloud platforms that accept our lower volume and business line.

Warm regards

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  1. Jerald Felix 19,000 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-11-28T10:51:46.0433333+00:00

    Hello Tigrish Chakrabarty,

    Thanks for posting this question in Q&A Forum.

    Based on the latest announcements from Microsoft and its partners regarding the SecNumCloud qualification (specifically version 3.2) by ANSSI, here is the current status:

    1. Standard Azure Global Regions

    Status: Not Qualified.

    Standard commercial Azure regions (e.g., France Central) do not hold the SecNumCloud qualification.

    • Reason: The latest SecNumCloud 3.2 framework includes strict sovereignty requirements. It mandates that the cloud provider be immune to extraterritorial laws (such as the US CLOUD Act). Since Microsoft is a US-headquartered company, its standard global data centers cannot meet this specific criterion, even if they are located in France.

    2. The Solution: "Bleu" (Cloud de Confiance)

    To meet this requirement, Microsoft entered a strategic partnership with Orange and Capgemini to create a separate, independent company called Bleu.

    • What is Bleu? It is a sovereign cloud platform that runs Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 technologies but is wholly owned and operated by French entities (Capgemini and Orange) to satisfy ANSSI's sovereignty rules.
    • Data Isolation: It is completely isolated from Microsoft's global infrastructure.

    Timeline for Bleu

    According to the official commercial launch announcements (early 2024):

    • Commercial Engagement: Started in January 2024.
    • Platform Go-Live: The first services are expected to go live by the end of 2024.
    • SecNumCloud Qualification: The target date to obtain the actual SecNumCloud 3.2 qualification is 2025.

    Actionable Advice for Your Team

    If your deadline is "late next year" (late 2025) or mid-2026, Bleu is the designated path for staying within the Microsoft ecosystem while meeting the SecNumCloud obligation.

    • Recommendation: You should contact your Microsoft account representative or reach out to Bleu directly to initiate discussions about migration planning. Since the platform is distinct from standard Azure, it will likely require a migration project rather than a simple configuration change.

    If helps accept the answer.

    Best Regards,

    Jerald Felix

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