Google Cloud, an accelerator of digital transformation for businesses, is expanding its presence in the Dutch public sector, having secured an agreement with the Central Dutch Government to provide access to the Google Workspace suite of cloud-based collaboration and productivity tools.
The Central Dutch Government acknowledged in a statement that the agreement will help its departments shift toward hybrid working methods while also allowing participants to adopt the multi cloud paradigm of IT service consumption. The new agreement’s goal is to make it easier and more effective for Central Dutch government agencies to use the entire suite of Google Workspace technologies under pre-negotiated terms.
In order to reach this goal, organizations will be able to fully utilize a variety of technologies, including industry-leading products such as Chat, Docs, Meet and Sheets, to better serve Dutch residents and enable new hybrid-working environments.
The Central Dutch Government initiated a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) for Google Workplace in 2020, laying the framework for the Google Cloud agreement. The Dutch education sector conducted a similar exercise around Google Cloud, which the statement described as a “normal step” for public sector organizations wanting to buy new technology.
Joris Schoonis, managing director Benelux, Google Cloud, commented: “This is a milestone for Google Cloud’s relationship with the Central Dutch Government, as we see the results of the DPIAs come to fruition. We’ve designed Google Workspace products and solutions, including Google Workspace for Education, to secure and protect the privacy of our customers’ data. Our tools will empower the Dutch public sector, while adhering to strict security and privacy requirements. We are also looking forward to supporting greater choice and flexibility for public sector entities and are already doing so for education institutions across the Netherlands, providing access to innovative solutions, with cutting-edge security and greater resiliency.”
