Marc Palazon, CEO of the Smile group, explains in "La Bourse et la Vie" why digital sovereignty has become the strategic priority of major clients.
The digital market is undergoing a major transformation. While agility and cost reduction have long been the driving forces behind digital transformation, a third pillar is now emerging with force: control over one's technological destiny.
The end of the imposed addiction
We are witnessing a "very strong awakening" among companies regarding the risks associated with technological dependence. In an unstable geopolitical and economic context, decision-makers are realizing that entrusting their entire data and application assets to closed, proprietary solutions (often non-European) represents a critical risk to their resilience.
There is a real desire to regain control, not through protectionism, but through pure economic intelligence.
Marc Palazon
CEO of Smile Group
This quest for sovereignty does not mean a retreat into oneself, but a demand for freedom of choice : the ability to change suppliers, to understand how data is processed and to no longer suffer arbitrary price increases.
Open source as a lever for freedom
Faced with these challenges, the model championed by Smile for over 30 years—open source—appears as the natural and most robust response. For Smile's president, open code and standards are no longer just a technical preference; they are a guarantee of sustainability .
By leveraging open technologies, companies secure three major competitive advantages:
- Interoperability: enabling complex systems to communicate without friction.
- Reversibility: maintaining control over one's data and algorithms to avoid vendor lock -in .
- Collaborative innovation: leveraging the power of global communities to stay ahead without reinventing the wheel.
Industrializing AI and the cloud
The interview also provided an opportunity to discuss the group's new growth areas. For Marc Palazon, the time for isolated "PoCs" (Proof of Concept) is over; now is the time for industrialization .
- Artificial intelligence : Smile 's teams now support their clients in integrating AI into the heart of their business processes. The challenge is to move from a mere gadget to a production tool, with particular attention paid to open-source AI , the only type capable of guaranteeing model transparency.
- Cloud and infrastructure : Smile's expertise now extends to the management of hybrid and sovereign infrastructures. The objective is simple: to offer the power of the cloud while guaranteeing data security and location that comply with European requirements.
Smile, committed to the future
In conclusion, Marc reaffirms Smile's ambition: to remain the leading partner for those who see digital technology as a space for freedom and performance. By combining cutting-edge technical expertise and strategic vision, the group continues to grow while staying true to its DNA as a pioneer of open technology.
In a world where technology defines power, Smile is establishing itself as the architect of European digital sovereignty.
Want to know more? Watch Marc Palazon's interview in La Bourse et la Vie .
Read Marc Palazon's opinion piece on the urgent need for digital sovereignty in Europe.
