CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bahamas-based Cloud Carib that is intended to support the realization of a single Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) space in the sub-region.
OECS Director General. Dr. Didacus Jules and Cloud Carib director, Eamonn Sheehy signing MoUA statement from the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission said that the ICT space will be established through the delivery of sovereign cloud, data residency, data sovereignty, mission critical services, and cybersecurity in support of the member states’ digital transformation.
OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules expressed his desire for a whole-of-society approach to sustainable digital transformation across the OECS member states that will include a sustainable cost sharing model.
“Given Cloud Carib’s focus in the region and its commitment to the sovereign cloud, OECS states can, through this MoU, leverage Cloud Carib’s expertise to accelerate digital transformation. Due to the implementation of GDPR-type legislation in the region and the global geopolitical situation, data sovereignty is a very important consideration for countries.”
Cloud Carib director, Eamonn Sheehy, reiterated Cloud Carib’s commitment to implementing dedicated cloud infrastructure in jurisdictions where the company provides relevant services for government entities. He spoke of Cloud Carib’s participation in VMware’s sovereign cloud initiative, the first Caribbean cloud services company to join this global initiative.
Sheehy also highlighted Cloud Carib’s commitment to cybersecurity, which has significant implications for secure sustainable cloud services, particularly in the creation of a single cloud space for OECS states.
The statement said that the parties also discussed the use of a single OECS integrated cloud space to leverage economies of scale for the procurement of both cloud infrastructure and applications.
As part of the MoU, an agreement was made to host a conference on the topic, where Cloud Carib would demonstrate how such an environment will lead to benefit for OECS Member states, the statement said, noting that the two parties “are committed to working together to create a more secure, integrated, cost-effective, and sustainable digital transformation model in the region”.
The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.
