New UK Data Centre for Therefore™ Online

 

Therefore Corporation is proud to announce the addition of a new UK-based data centre to its cloud service, Therefore™ Online. This expansion leverages Microsoft Azure infrastructure, with the primary data centre located in London and a backup site in Cardiff. This development enhances Therefore™ Online’s capabilities, offering improved performance and data sovereignty for UK customers.

 

The UK data centre is expected to be available in early June. Please stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletter to be informed as soon as the data centre goes live.

 

Industries such as healthcare, legal services, finance, and government often handle sensitive information and may benefit from local data storage. For these sectors, the new UK data centre offers a solution that aligns with their data handling requirements. Additionally, organisations with UK-based operations can experience reduced latency and improved service reliability.

This strategic move by Therefore Corporation demonstrates a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of its UK clientele. By providing a local data centre, the company enhances its service offerings, ensuring that customers can manage their information efficiently while adhering to relevant data protection standards.

Are there any laws in the UK that mandate cloud data be stored in the UK?

In the UK, there are no broad laws that universally mandate that cloud data must be stored within the UK. However, there are certain sector-specific regulations and conditions, especially within public sector contracts and highly regulated industries, where data residency within the UK is either required or strongly preferred.

1. GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018

• These laws do not explicitly require data to be stored within the UK, but they do impose strict controls on international data transfers.
• Data can be transferred outside the UK only if adequate safeguards (like Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions) are in place.
• Storing data within the UK simplifies compliance and avoids cross-border data transfer complexities.

2. Public Sector Contracts and Government Data

• The UK government often stipulates data residency requirements for suppliers handling sensitive or classified information.
• For example, contracts with the NHS, Ministry of Defence, or local councils may require that data be stored and processed only within UK borders.
• The Government Cloud (G-Cloud) framework may include conditions for data localisation based on sensitivity or national security concerns.

3. Healthcare Sector (NHS)

• While not a blanket legal requirement, NHS organisations are encouraged or required under certain policies to ensure patient data is stored within the UK or in approved jurisdictions.
• NHS Digital previously provided guidance suggesting UK-based storage for most health data.

4. Financial Services

• The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) require financial institutions to ensure appropriate oversight and control over outsourced services, including cloud providers.
• This doesn’t mandate UK storage, but firms must demonstrate control, security, and compliance, and using UK-based data centres can help satisfy those expectations.