Data Strategy Briefing — May 12, 2025
With four months until the EU Data Act's cloud switching rules apply, providers must finalise exit support tooling, deprovisioning runbooks, and compensation models to avoid unfair contract findings.
Executive briefing: Data processing services (cloud, edge, PaaS) face a 12 September 2025 deadline to comply with Data Act Chapter VI switching obligations. By mid-May 2025, programmes should be deep in execution: removing switching fees, delivering interoperable export tooling, and documenting customer support procedures that meet Articles 23-26.
Key governance checkpoints
- Contract remediation. Finalise updates removing charges for switching or porting and insert transparent compensation formulas for post-transition assistance.
- Technical readiness. Validate that data export APIs and schema mappings cover all service layers (compute, storage, databases, AI workloads) with documented performance SLAs.
- Evidence collection. Build evidence packs showing test results, customer communications, and support training to satisfy national authority investigations.
Operational priorities
- Customer engagement. Notify EU customers about switching pathways, expected timelines, and contact channels for portability support.
- Third-party interoperability. Coordinate with competing providers to ensure export formats, authentication handshakes, and verification flows align with Article 25.
- Risk management. Model financial and operational impact of simultaneous large-scale exits and implement capacity plans.
Enablement moves
- Run simulated switching drills with marquee customers and regulators to demonstrate readiness.
- Integrate switching KPIs into executive dashboards ahead of September enforcement.
Sources
Zeph Tech drives Data Act cloud switching readiness with interoperability blueprints, contract remediation kits, and regulator-facing evidence management.