Cloud in 2026: what changed
Provider-managed links between clouds and a European sovereign region. AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud foundations: supplied and integrated.
What changed this year for a hybrid and multi-cloud foundation, and what to put in your requirement.¹
Every date comes from the vendor's or publisher's own page. Third-party reports are marked.
1. Links between clouds
AWS Interconnect – multicloud became generally available with Google Cloud on April 14, 2026, with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in July 2026, and Microsoft Azure in preview since August 31, 2026. The design uses a provider-managed link between clouds wherever one is offered.
Fiber patch frames for cross-connects, cabled from overhead, in an Equinix data center in Silicon Valley. From ServeTheHome's December 2025 tour.
2. A sovereign region
The AWS European Sovereign Cloud became generally available on January 15, 2026. Every placement is assessed against the EU Cloud Sovereignty Framework v1.2.1, objective by objective.
Racks inside a locked customer cage in the same Equinix data center. From ServeTheHome's December 2025 tour.
3. FOCUS 1.4
FOCUS 1.4, the open format for cloud cost data, was ratified on June 4, 2026. The design takes each provider's cost export in FOCUS form, with 1.2 as its target floor.
Power distribution cabinets under the hall's lights in the same Equinix data center. From ServeTheHome's December 2025 tour.
4. Post-quantum keys: not yet
Post-quantum key exchange for IKEv2 with ML-KEM is still an IETF draft (February 2026). The private circuits therefore name AES-256 encryption and no key-exchange algorithm.
Coolant hoses dropping from overhead manifolds to the racks in the same Equinix data center. From ServeTheHome's December 2025 tour.
What this means for a buyer
The design uses what is generally available, watches what is still a draft, and assesses every placement against a published framework.
Read the full blueprint, or request a quote for Cloud.