The Data Sovereignty Challenge: How CIOs Are Adapting in Real Time
InformationWeek, September 19,2025
Big tech companies may not be able to live up to their data sovereignty promises, leaving CIOs to figure out a path forward.
CIOs certainly are not new to the challenges of data sovereignty.
How and where data is stored has been top-of-mind for CIOs, from the days of on-premises systems to the era of hyperscalers and Saas applications, notes Shannon Bell, executive vice president, chief digital officer, and CIO of OpenText, an information management solutions company. 'It's always been important to know where your data is and how you're protecting it,' she said.
But current factors make that job more complex than ever. AI is now in the mix. Geopolitical tensions are rising. And equally unnerving -- the big tech companies are having to reconsider their data sovereignty promises.