2024-07-04 10:36:09
During a meeting to present its opinion on “Cloud technology, a lever for digital transformation in the service of development”, the Council recommended the development of an action plan that gives priority to Cloud technology and promotes its use.
The Council highlighted the possibility of entrusting this task to a committee composed of the parties concerned under the supervision of the Ministry Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, in association with the main actors of the public and private sectors, with a view to providing the necessary expertise and ensuring the implementation of the action plan at the national level.
This opinion is in line with the discussions initiated by the EESC in 2021, as part of a self-referral entitled “Towards a responsible and inclusive digital transformation”, in particular the recommendation to develop sovereign Data Centers to enable the secure hosting and storage of the strategic digital activities of the State and businesses.
This advisory opinion highlights the factors that facilitate the adoption and use of Cloud technology by stakeholders, the objective being to accelerate digital transformation in Morocco while ensuring sovereignty over sensitive and vital data.
In this context, the opinion, presented by the rapporteur Abdellah Deguig, notes that the implementation of the action plan for the promotion of the use of Cloud technology could be entrusted to the Digital Development Agency.
According to him, the stated ambition is to elevate Morocco to the rank of regional benchmark player in Cloud technology services, particularly on the African continent, by providing services developed within the framework of collaboration with national players.
Mr. Deguig also emphasized the importance of encouraging the installation in Morocco of international players in the field of Cloud technology, following the example of the offshoring experience, in particular through the implementation of incentive measures (price of telecommunications services, confidentiality of information, cybersecurity, renewable energies and real estate), and the development of competitive fiber optic offers adapted to the needs of these players.
In this regard, the official noted that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) should implement regulatory measures aimed at diversifying the offer, ensuring the quality of services and lowering prices.
He also considered it necessary to develop a strategy for the adoption of sovereign Cloud technology (public and private) for vital and sensitive applications and data, promote the use of Cloud technology in new public projects and support administrations in the conversion of their current systems to the Cloud.
Mr. Dguig also called for supporting very small and medium-sized enterprises (VSEs) wishing to adopt Cloud technology through a series of incentive measures, stressing the need to promote national skills in professions related to Cloud technology and to develop an innovative system for emerging companies to give them access to this technology.
In a speech on the occasion, the President of the Council, Ahmed Reda Chami, affirmed that Cloud technology is a central element in the acceleration and success of the digital transition, which facilitates the storage and protection of data via servers accessible online while allowing a reduction in costs of up to 20%.
Mr. Chami highlighted the crucial role of Cloud technology, through its smart mobility and remote monitoring services, automatic access to services and live streaming, in the successful organization of major international events.
The EESC President indicated that despite the existence of many players offering cloud-based data hosting solutions, the national offer remains mainly oriented towards meeting current needs, such as site hosting services, data and basic infrastructure, without including all high added-value applications and services.
Several factors are hampering the development of this sector, including the contraction of the national market due to the insufficient anchoring of the culture of Cloud technology, as well as the relatively high rates for Internet access, he said, adding that it is essential for players in the sector to benefit from a high-speed connection via optical fiber at competitive costs, in order to guarantee sufficient bandwidths allowing their customers to use their services without hindrance and replicate data, facilitating access from various geographical locations.
These factors also include, according to Mr. Chami, a shortage of qualified human resources, exacerbated by international competition, particularly to attract high-level specialized skills, as well as the delay in implementing the classification of information assets according to their level of sensitivity, as stipulated in Law 05.20 relating to cybersecurity.
For his part, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Knowledge and Information Society under the Council, Ahmed Abbadi, stressed the importance of combining efforts and clarifying the vision in order to encourage the support of all stakeholders in the digital transformation project, in parallel with the development of artificial intelligence, calling for particular attention to be paid to the training and retention of human resources.
After recommending the development of good practices to stimulate this digital dynamic, Mr. Abbadi noted that all the institutional and legislative capacities are already in place.
In its advisory opinion, the EESC argues that, although cloud technology has significant potential, its adoption in Morocco remains “modest”, with only 14% of stakeholders opting for this digital solution to store their data in 2020. By comparison, this rate reached 35% in Western Europe and 51% in the Asia-Pacific region.
2024-07-04 10:36:09