Reduced app deployment time from 4 years to 4 months
Integrated seamlessly with legacy systems and regional datacenters
Strengthened security with Firebase AppCheck and remote configuration capabilities
Enabled predictive analytics to optimize public service availability
Supported compliance with data localization laws in Italy
The Umbria Region launched a cloud-based mobile app to streamline citizens' access to public services. By leveraging Google Cloud, they reduced deployment time from years to months while ensuring security and scalability.
The Umbria Region launched a cloud-based mobile app to streamline citizens' access to public services. By leveraging Google Cloud, they reduced deployment time from years to months while ensuring security and scalability.
In the heart of Italy, Umbria—renowned for its picturesque historic villages, natural attractions, and exquisite cuisine—is now embracing the digital revolution to enhance daily life for its citizens. The territory of the region, mostly hilly and mountainous, along with its population—whose average age is just under 50—make it an ideal place to combine tradition and innovation, offering new services that can bring generations and communities closer together. Coherently, a new mobile app has been launched, consolidating all regional services in one place. Users can book appointments, access documents, and retrieve information seamlessly from their smartphones. The platform is fully powered by Google Cloud.
The Umbria Region is a public entity that includes numerous other autonomous institutions and organizations, each offering services through separate platforms. For citizens, this meant navigating multiple websites, managing distinct login credentials, and booking services individually—a fragmented and complex service landscape.
We want to make Umbria the most digital region in Italy, and on this I have a clear mandate from President Proietti.
Tommaso Bori
Vice President, Umbria Region
A cloud-based project designed to connect data centers
"When we started the project for a unified platform, we realized that a web-based solution wouldn’t be practical. Integrating all the portals would have been time-consuming and complicated", explains Fortunato Bianconi, ICT Manager at Puntozero. "We decided to go directly with an app that everyone could use easily. Additionally, we needed a modern system that could seamlessly integrate with the existing ones."
The experts at Puntozero, the in-house company of the public entity, had no doubts. "The app had to be cloud-based to ensure easy configuration, smooth connection to various services, and continuous updates." The real challenge was integrating the new system with existing infrastructure, particularly the Region’s data centers, which store sensitive information, including healthcare data.
We realized that a web-based solution wouldn’t be practical: integrating all the portals would have been time-consuming and complicated. The app needed to be cloud-based to ensure easy configuration, seamless integration with various services, and continuous updates.
Fortunato Bianconi
CIO, Punto Zero in-house Umbria Region
From vision to production in just four months
We didn’t have to build an infrastructure from scratch, thanks to Cloud Run Functions. This allowed us to focus on production, confident in our ability to scale without the need to purchase, manage, or maintain services. It was a game-changer.
Francesco Azzola
Head of Application Platforms for Services, Punto Zero in-house Umbria Region
"If we had started from scratch, it would have taken four years. By leveraging Google Cloud, we went live in just four months," says Francesco Azzola, Head of Application Platforms for Services. "For an Italian public administration, it was both a challenge and a major success."
"Thanks to Cloud Run Functions, we were able to focus on development, confident in our ability to scale without the need to purchase, manage, or maintain infrastructure. It was a game-changer," the technical team adds.
"This project has significantly elevated our internal expertise, allowing us to set even higher standards for our technology partnerships, particularly as we expand our cloud capabilities."
The innovation is already proving to be a game-changer for citizens across various public sector services. “In a field where changes are often slow and complex, we have delivered a small revolution in record time. What stands out the most is that we have created a system that allows users to quickly access a wide range of services through a universally accessible device like a smartphone. This will drive the digitization of many more services, even those managed by other providers.”
Secure integration with legacy systems: a key reason for choosing Google Cloud
The adoption of Google Cloud was crucial, particularly the use of Kubernetes, which manages the APIs needed to connect the app with external systems. "We are talking about APIs interfacing with legacy systems so old that they predate the modern concept of APIs. In these cases, we had to tailor our work extensively," the technical team explains.
Other key tools included Firebase App Check which was used to ensure the app remains tamper-proof—a critical aspect of security—and Firebase Remote Config, which allows for remote management of the app’s configuration.
To connect the regional data centers to Google Cloud, Cloud VPN was employed, while BigQuery is being leveraged for service analytics.
We want to build a system that leverages ML modeling and analyzes historical user and local facility data to predict where and when appointments or exams might be available, helping to reduce waiting lists.
Fortunato Bianconi
CIO, Punto Zero in-house Umbria Region
BigQuery is a key tool for the next goal: "We want to build a system that uses ML modeling and analyzes historical user and local office data to predict where and when availability for appointments or exams might be available, helping to reduce waiting lists," the team affirms.
Data sovereignty and Openness: advancing digital innovation for the Umbria Region
Google Cloud demonstrated a fresher approach compared to competitors and offered a smart system that suited our diverse needs.
Fortunato Bianconi
CIO, Punto Zero in-house Umbria Region
The decision to adopt Google Cloud was driven by the need to balance data sovereignty with principles of openness. "Google Cloud demonstrated a fresher approach compared to others and offered a smart system that suited our diverse needs," the project leaders explain. Google Cloud not only enabled the team to develop new cloud competencies but also allowed data to be stored in Italy, helping Umbria Region to comply with legal requirements: "Having data residency options for Italy was essential, both for legal reasons and the sensitive nature of the data being managed."
With this strategic decision, the Umbria Region has taken a significant step toward innovation and the digital transformation of public services, with a strong focus on security and privacy. This shift, enabled by the adoption of cloud technology, promises to make services increasingly accessible and efficient for citizens.
Umbria is a region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Apennine Peninsula. The capital is Perugia. The region has 851,954 inhabitants as of 2025.
Industry: Public Sector (Region)
Location: Italy
Products: Google Cloud, BigQuery, Cloud VPN, Firebase, Google Kubernetes
