Smals Selects Google Cloud to Drive Digital Transformation in Belgian Public Administrations

Smals, the central IT organization supporting Belgian public social security institutions, has announced a significant partnership with Google Cloud, designating it as their primary public cloud provider. This collaboration is a pivotal step in Smals' broader digital transformation agenda, aimed at modernizing IT infrastructure and improving the efficiency and quality of citizen services across Belgium. The selection process was thorough, with SoftwareOne securing the contract in partnership with Google Cloud under the GÉANT's OCRE24 framework. The strategy adopted by Smals is comprehensive, integrating Google Cloud services with their existing on-premise systems and the governmental community cloud (G-Cloud). This approach establishes a robust hybrid and multi-vendor cloud environment, providing member institutions with increased flexibility and access to innovative, AI-powered capabilities, including advanced AI models and agentic platforms. Smals will retain full operational control over the environments hosted on Google Cloud, ensuring a consistent management experience with its on-premise operations. A key aspect of this architectural shift is a strong commitment to compliance and data sovereignty. All public cloud deployments will adhere strictly to the European Commission's Cloud Sovereignty Framework and the Federal Taskforce Cloud's Workload Policy. Furthermore, the implementation includes specific portability requirements to ensure long-term technical flexibility and mitigate vendor lock-in. This focus on sovereignty and portability is crucial for public sector entities handling sensitive data. To facilitate this transition and promote a unified vision for cloud computing, Smals and Belgium's public social security institutions have jointly launched a Cloud Computing Center of Excellence (CCoE). This CCoE will serve as a hub for knowledge sharing, establishing best practices across various cloud providers, and driving the strategic direction for cloud adoption throughout the Belgian public sector. The ultimate goal is to evolve towards a single, integrated hybrid and multi-vendor cloud offering that will be utilized by all Belgian social security institutions, streamlining operations and fostering innovation.