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

Google Cloud has been selected as the primary public cloud provider for Smals, the joint IT organization serving Belgian public institutions focused on social security. The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation process conducted under GÉANT's OCRE24 framework, with SoftwareOne partnering with Google Cloud for the contract. This arrangement aims to enhance the delivery speed and quality of essential citizen services across Belgium.

Smals is integrating public cloud resources into its infrastructure strategy, complementing its existing on-premise systems and the governmental community cloud (G-Cloud). The addition of Google Cloud services offers member institutions increased flexibility and innovative features, such as access to AI models and agentic platforms. Smals will retain full operational control over the Google Cloud-hosted environments, ensuring a seamless management experience in line with its current operations.

All architectures deployed in the public cloud will follow the European Commission's Cloud Sovereignty Framework and the Federal Taskforce Cloud's Workload Policy. The public cloud implementation will also include portability requirements to maintain long-term flexibility and manage vendor dependencies.

In an effort to facilitate the transition to the public cloud, Smals and Belgium’s public social security institutions have established a Cloud Computing Center of Excellence (CCoE). This initiative is meant to encourage knowledge sharing, establish best practices across various cloud providers, and create a strategic vision for cloud computing within the Belgian public sector, eventually leading to a hybrid and multi-vendor cloud solution accessible to all social security institutions in Belgium.

"The inclusion of Google Cloud as a third pillar alongside our community cloud and on-premise systems provides member institutions with additional technical options," said Dirk Deridder, CTO of Smals. "This framework agreement allows us to address specific workload requirements in public administration while adhering to established security and sovereignty mandates."

Kurt Rommens, Head of Public Sector at Google Cloud Benelux, stated, "Google Cloud is providing the technology required to support both Smals' own ambitious AI plans and those of its members in Belgium. Our focus is on delivering a secure environment that meets the portability and sovereignty standards defined by the Belgian federal authorities."

Smals is an association of over 300 public institutions in Belgium that provides shared IT services and functions as their joint in-house IT organization. With a history spanning over 85 years, Smals is dedicated to supporting social security and healthcare institutions through innovative IT and infrastructure services.