Blog | 13 August 2026
Do you have control over your data and your digital platform?
When a public sector organisation chooses a digital platform, its features are often the most important consideration. But before you look at e-services, publishing, and user-friendliness, there’s a more fundamental question to ask: Do you really have control over where your data is stored, who has access to it, and who owns your digital platform?
Do you know where your data is located?
Public sector organisations handle large amounts of information. Some of this information is public and should be easily accessible. Other information may be sensitive or subject to special requirements.
That’s why you need to know:
- In which country is the information stored?
- Which vendors and subcontractors have access to it?
- How is the information protected?
- How is it backed up?
- What happens in the event of a security incident?
- How easy is it to retrieve or transfer the information?
This is an important part of your digital sovereignty. In other words: your ability to maintain control over your data, your technology, and the decisions that affect your business.
It’s not always enough to know which company is named in the contract. You also need to understand the entire chain behind the service. After all, the cloud isn’t some magical place above the rooftops. It’s someone else’s data center.
Who owns the platform?
Digital sovereignty isn’t just about where the data is stored. It’s also about who controls the platform and what opportunities you have to influence it. Can you decide for yourselves how the platform should be developed? Are you dependent on a specific provider for every change? Can terms, prices, or features be changed without you having much say in the matter?
And what happens the day you want to switch? A platform that works well today may become limiting tomorrow if you don’t have control over your information, integrations, and content.
This can lead to a situation where your business is effectively stuck—not because the solution is the best, but because it has become too difficult or expensive to leave it. Strengthening your digital sovereignty is therefore also about freedom of action. You should be able to develop, modify, and switch solutions without losing control along the way.
How dependent are you on your supplier?
All businesses are more or less dependent on suppliers. That’s neither surprising nor wrong. The question is what form this dependence takes.
A good partnership is built on the supplier creating opportunities, not locking the business in. You should receive support, growth, and security without having to give up control over your own information. A good supplier strengthens your digital sovereignty. It makes you more empowered, not more dependent.
Questions to bring to the next meeting
Feel free to use these questions to conduct a quick status review:
- Do we know exactly where our data is stored?
- Do we know which parties can access it?
- Do we fully own our content and information?
- Can we easily export data if we switch platforms?
- Do we have control over permissions and access?
- Can our employees develop and improve the services themselves?
- Do we know what will happen if the provider changes its terms or changes ownership?
- Do we have a clear exit plan?
- Can we switch providers without losing data or functionality?
If the answers are clear and well-documented, you probably have a solid foundation. If several answers begin with “I think,” it may be time to look into the matter more closely.
Secure technology rarely stands out—but insecure technology certainly does
Citizens shouldn’t have to worry about server rooms, data streams, or supplier contracts. It just needs to work. But for it to feel simple on the outside, you need to have things in order on the inside. You need to know where the information is located, how it’s handled, and who has control over the platform.
This provides security for the organisation, better conditions for employees, and a smoother experience for citizens.
So, are you in control?
What’s the situation like for you?
With Sitevision, you get a platform trusted by 76% of Sweden’s municipalities and 33% of the country’s government agencies . It gives you the ability to develop secure digital services on your own terms—without compromising data security or freedom of action.