CLOUD SOLUTION ARCHITECTURE
The cloud is not a place.
The cloud is a chain of decisions.
Anyone who thinks it’s primarily about hyperscalers, services, or price lists has not yet understood the real problem. Cloud architecture determines how much freedom you gain – or how much you pay for new dependencies.
I don’t design cloud architectures out of enthusiasm for Azure, AWS, or GCP.
I design them out of respect for data, risk, law, and organization.
WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT
Most cloud projects don’t fail because of the technology.
They fail because of false assumptions:
“We host in the EU, so we’re safe.”
“The provider will take care of it.”
“We’ll do compliance later.”
“DevOps is a toolset.”
All wrong. And all expensive.
Today, the cloud is geopolitics, contract law, data sovereignty, and architecture all rolled into one.
If you separate these aspects, you lose sight of the big picture—and ultimately, control.
MY APPROACH
I work at the intersection of:
Cloud architecture
Data & AI architecture
Law & governance
DevOps & organization
Not theoretically. But practically.
Among other things, as a cloud solution architect at Microsoft, in international enterprise projects, and in regulated environments.
I know how Azure works “properly.”
And I know where the limits lie.
CLOUD ≠ INFRASTRUCTURE
The closer you are to the cable, the less I am your man.
The closer you are to decisions, the more I am.
I don’t build “pretty” firewalls.
I build architectures that:
scale,
remain explainable,
are auditable,
and can be abandoned if necessary.
Vendor lock-in is not a technical problem.
It is an architectural failure. It is also a legal problem. This is because the Data Act (not the EU AI Act, which will come into force when we have AI systems in place), which has been in force since September 12, 2025, explicitly stipulates this: commercial, technical, contractual, and organizational barriers that hinder or prevent efficient switching between data processing services (cloud switching) must be removed.
In order to eliminate harmful “lock-in” effects, the law obliges providers to ensure data portability and actively facilitate the transition to competitors by providing technical, informational, and contractual support. Accordingly, architectures must rely on interoperability standards and open interfaces in the future in order to remain flexible and meet the legal requirements for a fair data market.
AZURE – WITH OPEN EYES
I specialize in Azure architectures, in particular:
Hub & spoke models
Application landing zones
Cloud migrations
Azure AI services
Data and integration architectures
Azure AI-102: 98%.
Not because exams are important, but because I know where marketing ends and reality begins.
Azure is powerful.
Azure is convenient.
Azure is not neutral.
And that’s exactly why you need to know when to use it – and when it’s better not to.
CLOUD, LAW, AND REALITY
An uncomfortable fact that many people like to ignore:
As long as the CLOUD Act and FISA 702 apply, no provider with US ties is completely sovereign.
Not even in EU regions. Not even with “trusted clouds.”
Anyone who processes highly sensitive data—military, government, research-related, or strategic—needs to know this.
And they must honestly consider alternatives:
European providers with no US connection
Private cloud approaches
Hybrid architectures
Conscious data classification instead of blanket cloud euphoria
I’m not trying to cause panic here.
I’m weighing up the options.
DEVOPS: NOT A TOOL, BUT A CULTURE
DevOps is one of my core topics.
Not as a buzzword, but as a system of feedback, responsibility, and learning.
I worked as a DevOps engineer for a long time.
Today, I work as an architect – and I still hold workshops on this topic, including at GFU (five stars across the board).
I distinguish between:
Vanity metrics and real DORA indicators
Speed and sustainability
Automation and blind activism
Lean is not a trend.
Lean is 60 years old: TPS, Mura, Muda, Muri.
And more relevant than ever.
WHAT YOU GET FROM ME
Cloud architectures with clear decision-making principles
Clean hub & spoke and landing zone concepts
Integration of AI and data architecture
DevOps structures that get people on board
Governance by design instead of compliance panic
Honest statements about risks, dependencies, and alternatives
I don’t explain what is technically possible.
I explain what is sensible, justifiable, and viable.
IN A NUTSHELL
I make the cloud for people
who bear responsibility.
For organizations
that don’t just want to scale – but remain sovereign.
And for decision-makers
who would rather weigh things up carefully today than dismantle them expensively tomorrow.
If you’re looking for someone who not only tells you how to get into the cloud,
but also when it’s better to keep your distance,
then we speak the same language.