Global cloud provider OVHcloud and global IT services firm Crayon have entered into a strategic partnership. The alliance, announced jointly by the two companies, is set to expand access to flexible, affordable, and compliant cloud infrastructure for businesses across more than 45 regions worldwide, including key European markets such as Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
At the core of the partnership lies a shared ambition: enabling enterprises to deploy and manage their digital infrastructure with greater autonomy, transparency, and cost-efficiency. Both companies, headquartered in Europe but serving a global clientele, bring complementary capabilities to the collaboration.
OVHcloud, based in France, is recognized as a leading European cloud services provider with a presence in more than 140 countries. Its global infrastructure includes over 450,000 servers distributed across 44 data centers on four continents.
Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Crayon is a well-established IT advisory and software services company, operating in the areas of cloud optimization, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence, with more than 4,000 employees supporting over 100,000 organizations worldwide.
The collaboration is especially significant in the context of growing concerns around data sovereignty and cloud monopolies. As enterprise adoption of cloud computing continues to mature, there is a notable shift in demand toward more regionally governed, vendor-neutral alternatives – particularly in Europe, where regulatory frameworks like the GDPR and the upcoming NIS2 directive place strict requirements on data handling and infrastructure resilience. This strategic alignment between OVHcloud and Crayon speaks directly to those needs.
Caroline Comet-Fraigneau, Chief Sales Officer at OVHcloud, emphasized the opportunity for mutual growth through the partnership, noting that the combination of Crayon’s strategic cloud consulting capabilities and OVHcloud’s infrastructure will allow organizations to design cloud environments tailored to their specific operational and regulatory needs. She described the initiative as part of OVHcloud’s broader effort to deliver “sustainable, independent cloud services with the highest performance-price ratio,” adding that working closely with Crayon and its partner ecosystem is essential to that mission.
Public Cloud, Kubernetes, Private Cloud, Nutanix
The partnership enables OVHcloud customers and partners to leverage Crayon’s extensive consulting services in areas such as FinOps, governance, and cloud strategy, while Crayon clients gain access to OVHcloud’s broad range of cloud infrastructure solutions. These include public cloud services, managed Kubernetes, hosted private cloud platforms based on VMware and Nutanix technologies, and dedicated bare metal server options.
Erling Hesselberg, Crayon’s Vice President of Enterprise Software, pointed out the strategic importance of offering customers infrastructure choices that align with both current and future demands. He noted that this partnership brings together Crayon’s vendor-agnostic software expertise with OVHcloud’s sovereign and sustainable cloud solutions, allowing businesses to not only meet today’s compliance and performance needs but also scale efficiently while managing costs. Hesselberg said the collaboration is positioned to help organizations confidently navigate increasingly complex regulatory environments without sacrificing agility or control.
This vendor-neutral stance is a hallmark of Crayon’s approach to cloud consultancy, particularly in helping enterprises manage hybrid and multi-cloud environments. By incorporating OVHcloud into its portfolio, Crayon adds a uniquely European, independent option for clients seeking alternatives to U.S.-based hyperscalers. This is particularly relevant in public sector, healthcare, and finance verticals where data residency and transparency are non-negotiable.
The collaboration also arrives at a time when sustainability is no longer a secondary consideration but a strategic imperative. OVHcloud’s infrastructure is designed with energy efficiency and resource optimization in mind, which aligns with Crayon’s commitment to helping organizations implement greener digital strategies. The ability to integrate cost-effective, eco-conscious cloud solutions into enterprise IT frameworks adds another layer of relevance to this partnership.
By combining forces, OVHcloud and Crayon are addressing a convergence of trends shaping enterprise IT: the demand for cost transparency and optimization (FinOps), the need for regulatory compliance and sovereignty, and the growing appetite for sustainable digital infrastructure. Their joint proposition appears well-timed for companies seeking to modernize their operations without compromising control, data locality, or budget.
Although the partnership primarily targets markets across Europe, the global footprints of both organizations ensure broader reach and impact. With enterprises in over 140 countries already using OVHcloud infrastructure and more than 100,000 organizations advised by Crayon’s consultants, the potential scale and scope of this alliance is considerable.
