Amazon in Talks to Expand Cloud Deal with Dutch Government
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently in discussions with the Dutch government to significantly expand their cloud contract. According to an internal document obtained by Insider, the deal could potentially reach $85 million over a period of 5 to 6 years, a substantial increase from the current $250,000 contract.
The negotiations come as AWS recently passed an important data privacy test conducted by the Dutch government. The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security’s deal with AWS has faced scrutiny in the past, with “high risk” findings in AWS’s data privacy measures. However, the recent passing of the Data Privacy Impact Assessment (DPIA) has alleviated these concerns.
In addition to the successful DPIA, AWS is also preparing for another privacy audit by the Dutch government later this year. This audit is considered a “top priority” for the company and will focus on AWS’s EC2 compute, S3 storage, and Redshift database services.
A positive outcome from the DPIA and the upcoming audit could pave the way for a larger deal between Amazon and the Dutch government. It may also encourage other European countries to establish similar agreements with AWS, provided GDPR-compliance is ensured.
The Dutch government has been actively enforcing GDPR compliance, making their approval a sought-after “status symbol” for US tech companies. This compliance process serves as a seal of approval, indicating that companies have met Europe’s stringent data protection guidelines.
Amazon and the Dutch government have not commented on the ongoing negotiations.