Google Cloud and the El Salvadoran government have announced a multi-year agreement aimed at transforming the country into a technological hub within Central America.
As part of this agreement, Google Cloud plans to set up a legal entity and an office in El Salvador, launch a Google Distributed Cloud instance for the country and establish a Cloud Center of Excellence to provide technical guidance on maximizing the benefits of cloud technologies.
This strategic partnership will last for seven years, subject to legislative approval. It focuses on leveraging cloud technologies in three specific areas:
Digital government
As a strategic innovation partner, Google Cloud will assist in securely digitizing various government processes such as electronic invoicing and permitting. El Salvador will rely on Google Distributed Cloud as the foundational technology for this Digital Transformation. This arrangement makes El Salvador the first Latin American government to harness this powerful cloud infrastructure.
Healthcare
El Salvador will integrate Google Cloud’s Artificial Intelligence technologies to offer real-time information to medical professionals thereby enhancing the healthcare experience for its residents.
Education
The initiative also includes a unified Education Data Platform benefiting administrators, educators and parents alike. This builds on previous modernization efforts when Google Workspace was adopted as the main collaboration tool across 83 government agencies and over 1.5 million students and teachers. Consequently, Google for Education has become the go-to learning platform for the country’s national education system.
“El Salvador is moving forward. We believe technology and foreign investment are key for development. We are quickly becoming a hub for innovation. This groundbreaking alliance with Google Cloud opens unprecedented avenues for innovation, economic growth and enhanced public services. Google’s global expertise combined with El Salvador’s audacity is set to redefine the technological landscape,” said Nayib Bukele, President of the Republic of El Salvador.
Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO, commented: “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with El Salvador to foster technological development in Central America. Access to cloud computing has dramatically expanded across industries and regions throughout the world, enabling both small companies and the public sector to utilize the very same applications and services as more mature markets. 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 boosting economic development.”
This initiative aligns with Google’s ongoing commitment to fostering a robust digital future for Latin America. Last year the company announced a US$1.2 billion investment in the region which includes a Google.org grant to Pro Mujer to help Indigenous women-led businesses in Central America access microloans and digital skills training.
