At the Munich Security Conference, 16 technology companies from 10 countries launched the Trusted Tech Alliance (TTA), focused on setting shared, verifiable principles for how modern technology is built and operated.
The scope is broad, covering everything from connectivity and semiconductors to cloud platforms, software and AI.
The founding alliance members span cloud hyperscalers, telecom leaders, AI labs, defense and infrastructure players, including Anthropic, ASML, AWS, Cassava Technologies, Cohere, Ericsson, Google Cloud, Hanwha, Jio Platforms, Microsoft, Nokia, Nscale, NTT, Rapidus, Saab, and SAP.
The companies have agreed to five principles that they say define what it means to be a trusted global technology provider:
- Transparent Corporate Governance and Ethical Conduct
- Operational Transparency, Secure Development and Independent Assessment
- Robust Supply Chain and Security Oversight
- Open, Cooperative, Inclusive and Resilient Digital Ecosystem
- Respect for the Rule of Law and Data Protection
According to the statement announcing the launch:
“These principles are designed to ensure that, regardless of a supplier’s nationality, companies in this Alliance will adhere to common commitments of transparency, security and data protection, which build trust.”
As geopolitical tensions rise and AI adoption accelerates, customers want to have confidence in who is behind the technology, how it is governed and how their data is protected.
Trust as a CX Differentiator
The alliance is positioning trust as a foundational layer of the digital experience. Its principles emphasize transparency, security-by-design, resilient supply chains, open ecosystems, and respect for the rule of law and data protection, regardless of where a technology provider is headquartered.
That matters at a time when skepticism around digital technologies remains high and when outages, breaches, or opaque AI behavior can quickly erode customer confidence. By aligning on common commitments, alliance members say they want to give governments and customers clearer signals about which providers meet high global standards.
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, framed the effort as a shift toward shared accountability:
“In the current geopolitical environment, it is critical that like-minded companies work together to protect security and advance high global standards to preserve trust in technology across borders. Based not on the nationality of the provider but on shared commitments to customers, this Alliance brings together leading companies around clear, verifiable principles that show technology can be secure, reliable and responsibly operated wherever it is deployed.”
Several executives emphasized collaboration as the only realistic path forward. Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, said:
“AI is accelerating change across the technology stack and raising the bar for trust. Networks and critical infrastructure must be secure, resilient and interoperable by design. We’re joining with industry partners through the Trusted Tech Alliance to reinforce that foundation as intelligence scales globally.”
As Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, put it:
“No single company or country can build a secure and trusted digital stack alone. Rather, trust and security can only be achieved together.”
Members say they will hold suppliers to strong global security standards and use contractually binding assurances to reinforce quality and resilience throughout the technology lifecycle.
From a CX perspective, this is about reducing friction and uncertainty. Josh Payne, Founder and CEO of Nscale, pointed out:
“Customers must have absolute confidence in where their data resides, how it is protected and who governs the systems powering their AI.”
The goal is to make those answers easier to verify, not just easier to market.
The Trusted Tech Alliance plans to expand its membership and work alongside governments and customers to support national and international efforts around digital sovereignty, resilience, and competitiveness.
For CX leaders, the alliance signals a shift in how the industry talks about responsibility as trust, regulation and technology increasingly intersect.
