OChK announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with its global technology partner, Google. The intent behind this partnership is to help Polish companies implement and leverage the potential of advanced cloud technologies in business. Google Cloud products will be included in the OChK product range and Google will open a so-called Google Cloud region in Warsaw, which is a technical infrastructure and software hub dedicated to clients in Poland and the CEE region.
The Google Cloud region will be the first global public cloud installation in Central Europe. The decision to locate the global cloud provider’s infrastructure in Warsaw and to work together to accelerate the implementation of these technologies in the economy further strengthens Poland’s position as a regional leader in this area. One of the key premises behind the establishment of OChK, a project initiated and developed by PKO Bank Polski and by the Polish Development Fund (Polski Fundusz Rozwoju, PFR), both OChK shareholders, was to foster the digitization of Polish enterprises.
“The partnership between OChK and Google is yet another important step on the roadmap we defined nearly a year ago when we announced the establishment of OChK. Our goal remains unchanged, that is to digitize the Polish economy and make its growth more dynamic. From now on, Polish companies will gain more sophisticated tools to achieve it. By using those tools, companies increase their chances to join the global league, something we all care about. OChK is an excellent platform for enterprises, technology providers and business solution owners to collaborate effectively. The fact that Google is joining this group today significantly strengthens our joint project,” said Zbigniew Jagiełło, President of PKO Bank Polski.
The Polish Development Fund provides support to investment projects that foster the development of innovative sectors and enterprises. The investment in OChK is a perfect complement to the Fund’s strategy as an important part of the digitization of Poland. OChK will provide entrepreneurs with innovative and affordable cloud-based solutions. We are pleased that OChK, of which we are a shareholder, has attracted a global leader in cloud technology as a partner to work with us. The partnership proves that OChK will be able to provide the highest quality of services, and its clients will gain access to the latest global technologies. I believe this partnership will also positively influence the development of the Polish IT market and attract the best specialists.” said Paweł Borys, President of the Polish Development Fund.
Google Cloud offers advanced technologies, products and analytical tools based on leading technical infrastructure, which provides computing power and data storage services. In the portfolio of Google services, clients in Poland will find all key Google Cloud products such as Compute Engine, App Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Bigtable, Cloud Spanner, and BigQuery.
“Integration of Google Cloud services in the OChK range of products will enable Polish entrepreneurs to use exactly the same advanced technologies that are used by their global competitors. We will make sure they remain within Polish jurisdiction and under the control of local regulators. Our partnership will also significantly accelerate the digital transformation processes. We will help Polish companies successfully develop innovative products and competitive advantages using the most technologically advanced solutions. We will also be ready to face megatrends, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), which will hugely increase the demand for computing power needed to process large data sets.” said Michal Potoczek, CEO of OChK.
Clients will be able to use these services by entering into a contract with OChK. Before the Polish Google Cloud region is even launched, they can join training and digital transformation programs in order to reach their full partnership potential as soon as possible. Once the region is activated, they will be able to use the infrastructure located in Warsaw. When launched, the Google Cloud region will be provided with 3 independent access zones, ensuring high availability and protection against service disruptions.
As previously announced, OChK implements a hybrid multi-cloud model. It offers its own services delivered using its own cloud infrastructure located close to its clients. The infrastructure consists of regions with at least two access points each. Services from global public cloud providers complement OChK’s own services. OChK will provide its clients with support for digital transformation processes under a contract concluded in the Polish jurisdiction and compliant with the requirements of Polish regulators, and a single billing for all services, for both its own services and for partner services. By combining its own and partner services, OChK will become the leading provider of cloud services for corporate clients in the Polish market.
