Community: Bhutan Telecom (BT) will be launching its own cloud services towards the end of next month.

Partnering with Hewlett Packard (HP) and Microsoft, the telecom company will offer services similar to that offered by Google Apps, the online suite.

However, the primary difference would be that the data is hosted within Bhutan at BT’s data centre in Phuentsholing.

A workshop was organised to raise awareness about its upcoming service among potential clients in Thimphu yesterday.

BT CEO Tshewang Gyeltshen said the service would be beneficial to offices and companies that have to store data as it would eliminate the need to maintain servers and other associated equipment and software. He said by using BT’s cloud, only a laptop or a desktop computer would be required by the client which means lower costs and higher efficiency.

He added that security of the data would also become the telecom company’s responsibility and that having the data stored locally would remove the risk of data being stored abroad and under different information laws.

Tshewang Gyeltshen said that potential customers are the DHI owned companies and the private sector. He said the cost of the service is yet to be determined as negotiations with HP and Microsoft are still underway.

Meanwhile, HP managing director, Vijay Balan said that the company is interested in partnering with the education sector in Bhutan to employ graduates in its projects in Bhutan and even abroad as part of its corporate social responsibility. He said that by using graduates in local projects, knowledge transfer could occur.

However, he said that there has not been a good response and it is still hoped that some graduates are identified to work with the company.

Gyalsten K Dorji