Google (GOOGL) and the government of El Salvador announced a seven-year agreement on Tuesday to support the country on its journey to become a technology hub in Central America.In a statement, Google Cloud announced that it plans to establish a legal entity and office in El Salvador, start a Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) instance for the country, and establish a cloud center of excellence (CCoE) to offer technical guidance to companies and organizations.
Through this partnership, pending legislative approval, Google Cloud and the government will work together to put cloud technologies at the center of the country’s modernization effort in three distinct areas: digital government, healthcare, and education.
“This innovative alliance with Google Cloud opens unprecedented avenues for innovation, economic growth and the improvement of public services,” said NayibBukele, President of El Salvador.
Modernization in three areas
In the area of digital government, Google Cloud will help digitize government processes and projects, including e-invoicing, permitting, and other initiatives.Regarding health care, El Salvador has chosen to incorporate Google Cloud artificial intelligence technologies to help doctors with access to real-time information to improve the experience and health of people, including entire communities throughout the country.
Regarding education, the alliance establishes a commitment to implement a unified Educational Data Platform, providing administrators, educators, parents and public education leaders with the capabilities to receive timely, efficient and consistent information.
Working hand-in-hand
“We are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with El Salvador to foster technological development in Central America,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “Cloud computing can truly transform Latin America, and we look forward to exploring the full potential of those possibilities in El Salvador, benefiting its citizens and driving economic development.”
This announcement advances the country’s modernization efforts that began in 2021, when the El Salvador Ministry of Education and the country’s Department of Innovation adopted Google Workspace as the primary collaboration platform for 83 government agencies and more than 1.5 million students. and teachers. As a result, Google for Education is now the leading learning platform for the entire national education system.
In 2022, Google announced a US$1.2 billion investment in Latin America and the Caribbean over the next five years, including a grant from Google.org to Pro Mujer to help indigenous women-led businesses in Central America access microcredit and training in digital skills.
