New Civo research shows UK organisations face operational hurdles in multicloud adoption, with hybrid cloud emerging as a more effective model for managing complexity and control
London, UK, 30 July, 2025 – New research from Civo, the company reimagining cloud computing, found that 60% of UK organisations are no longer reliant on a single cloud provider. The move reflects a broader effort to avoid overdependence on any one platform, amid rising geopolitical uncertainty and growing concerns around digital sovereignty.
Amid mounting concerns about market consolidation, UK businesses are re-evaluating dependencies on foreign-owned cloud providers. With the CMA’s cloud services investigation findings due to be published , scrutiny is intensifying over how a small number of dominant players hold disproportionate control over the infrastructure and the data that underpins the UK’s digital economy. 78% of IT leaders now prioritise sovereignty when selecting technology or infrastructure partners.
Despite the clear momentum toward diversified infrastructure models, Civo’s research reveals a gap between strategic ambition and practical execution. 29% of organisations are pursuing multicloud strategies, spreading workloads across multiple providers, while 31% are adopting hybrid cloud models that blend public cloud with on-premises infrastructure. Yet many are struggling with the operational realities of this transition. Only 35% of organisations report having full visibility into where their data is stored and governed – an oversight that directly undermines the core goal of sovereignty-driven diversification.
A lack of visibility is compounded by the practical challenges of managing multicloud environments. Fragmented support models, inconsistent compliance requirements, and proprietary tooling often lead to increased complexity and duplicated effort. Rather than delivering flexibility, multicloud strategies can result in disconnected ecosystems that strain resources and elevate governance risk. In contrast, hybrid cloud is emerging as a more strategic and sustainable alternative. By combining public cloud scalability with the control and oversight of private infrastructure, hybrid models allow businesses to balance agility with accountability. This makes them better suited to regulated environments or those prioritising sovereignty and cost predictability.
68% of IT leaders say they would be more likely to switch to locally governed providers if UK or EU compliance frameworks were strengthened, indicating that uncertainty around regulation and jurisdiction continues to inhibit the transition away from single cloud dependencies.
Mark Boost, CEO of Civo, said: “I speak to founders and IT leaders all the time who tell me the same thing: they know they need to move away from relying on a single provider, but they feel stuck. Between licensing restrictions, integration hurdles, and long-standing vendor lock-in, it’s just not as easy as flipping a switch. What we’re seeing now is a real shift in how organisations think about infrastructure. It’s not just a technical decision anymore. They want control and the ability to stay resilient in the face of geopolitical uncertainty – that starts with sovereignty. Multi and hybrid cloud are part of that response, but in many cases, the ecosystem hasn’t caught up to the need.
“What’s becoming increasingly clear is that hybrid cloud offers a more practical path forward. It gives businesses the flexibility they’re looking for, without the operational complexity and fragmentation that often come with multicloud. But to fully realise the benefits of hybrid cloud, businesses need platforms that are open by design, interoperable, and built with transparency at their core.”
To download the full whitepaper and explore Civo’s sovereign-first cloud solutions, visit: https://www.civo.com/digital-sovereignty-revolution-report-2025