Google market expands in Bhutan

Google is penetrating deep into Bhutanese life be it for knowing its geography or making the government use its products.

Only last year, Bhutan started Google map services. For the first time, Bhutanese welcomed Google caps running on streets. Now, the California-based multinational company has expanded its market in Bhutan with the government accepting to use the cloud services.

As part of the government’s e-governance master plan, agreement has been reached with Google. This will allow the government to migrate almost all its communications online, using a customised version of Google Apps.

Google is displacing Microsoft from Bhutan. The online office-like suit of Google Apps does everything online, reducing the cost of printing.

It will cost Nu 15.5 million initially and Nu 9.3 million every year to the state exchequer.

However, the system is unlikely to be effective. Similar effort in 2009 had failed after the government employees preferred to use the system what they were used to with.