Initially, around 35,000 BBVA workers in Spain will switch to Google Apps tools, including Gmail, Chat, Calendar, Docs, Groups, Sites and Video. By the end of the year, the bank plans to have moved all of its 110,000 employees in 26 countries.

BBVA says it chose Google Apps to increase efficiency and to help its workers collaborate more easily, regardless of location. Users will have access to information they need at any time from any Internet connected device, making workers more flexible and mobile. Meanwhile, Google's collaboration tools such as Talk, Sites and Docs will allow them to communicate and share ideas more easily, says the vendor.

The bank highlights its new global intranet as the main technology project that will be transformed thanks to Google's collaboration tools, changing it from a corporate communications and process management site to a place where all employees will be able to share, contribute and manage knowledge globally. In addition, it plans to build a its own social network.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed but the contract will run for one year and then be automatically renewed until one of the firms decides to bail out.

José Olalla, CIO, BBVA, says,: "We were looking for a technology that would transform our business operations - not just make our workers more efficient. Integrating the Google Apps for Business suite with our own tools will allow us to introduce a new way of working where employees have access to all the information they need with just one click, no matter where they are, and can reap the benefits of using advanced collaboration tools."

Sebastián Marotte, VP, Google Enterprise, Emea, adds: "Companies of all sizes, including those with tens of thousands of employees, are now embracing cloud computing. It means a lot to us that BBVA, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, has decided to migrate to Google Apps. It shows that cloud computing is now a reality - and leading organisations are already realising its potential to transform their business."