BlackLine taps S3NS cloud in France as Thales signs on

BlackLine has partnered with S3NS to offer its financial operations platform on trusted cloud infrastructure in France, with Thales set to become the first customer to deploy it.

The move expands BlackLine's cloud presence in Europe for organisations facing strict data residency and sovereignty requirements.

Under the partnership, BlackLine's platform will run on PREMI3NS, the trusted cloud service from S3NS, a joint venture controlled by Thales in partnership with Google Cloud. Thales will also play a second role beyond that of launch customer: its digital services division will build and operate the local deployment.

The arrangement targets companies in regulated sectors that want cloud-based finance systems while keeping tighter control over where data is stored and managed. It also reflects rising scrutiny in Europe over the location of sensitive corporate information and the compliance obligations tied to cloud and artificial intelligence systems.

Infrastructure expansion

The French offering adds to BlackLine's broader investment in infrastructure for customers operating in more complex regulatory environments. The group also highlighted its ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its Artificial Intelligence Management System as part of that wider push on governance and security.

The partnership gives S3NS another commercial workload in France as businesses and public sector bodies examine cloud structures that can meet local rules on sovereignty and data handling. For BlackLine, it opens a route into a part of the market where multinational cloud services have often faced questions over control and jurisdiction.

Philippe Omer Decugis, Senior Vice President and General Manager for EMEA at BlackLine, said, "Finance cannot compromise on trust. As AI takes on more consequential work, organizations need confidence not only in the accuracy, transparency, and governance of the technology, but also in where their most sensitive financial data resides and how it is controlled. Consequently, data control and regulatory compliance are becoming an increasingly important part of the AI conversation. With this investment, we are giving organizations a path to put trusted AI to work in financial operations while meeting the stringent sovereignty requirements businesses demand."

Compliance requirements

S3NS said the partnership forms part of its effort to provide cloud services for organisations that must meet tighter standards on compliance and control.

Cyprien Falque, Chief Executive Officer of S3NS, said, "Our mission at S3NS is to enable organizations to modernize with leading cloud technologies while meeting the highest requirements for data control and regulatory compliance. By providing the trusted cloud foundation for BlackLine, we are creating an environment where organizations can adopt advanced financial technology while maintaining the control and protections their most sensitive workloads require."

Thales said the deployment is in line with its own requirements for handling sensitive information. Its involvement is notable because the group is both a customer for the software and a participant in the cloud venture supporting the service.

Thales deployment

Stéphanie Pétris, Vice President of Group Finance Transformation at Thales, said, "Data sovereignty isn't optional for an organization like Thales; it's foundational. Being the first to implement BlackLine's trusted cloud offering reflects our commitment to bringing advanced AI-driven finance capabilities into our operations without compromising the security and control our business demands."