Our Expertise Sought in Bhutan
At Think Technology Australia, We have undertaken some extraordinary projects since our inception in 1995 from maintaining the IT network and security at a large correctional facility to taking remedial action for businesses who have fallen victim to ransomware or other cyber-attacks.
However, our latest overseas project has surpassed even our previous unique and specialised work – the digital transformation of the two houses of Parliament in one of the oldest countries in the world, Bhutan in the eastern Himalayas.
As part of an Australian overseas aid program, we were asked to advise the Bhutanese Parliament (pictured above) on how the latest advances in IT technology could potentially help reduce the massive amount of paper currently being consumed by the operations of the two houses of Parliament.
It’s an ambitious development for a nation which only transitioned to parliamentary democracy in 2008.
Unlike other countries in the world including Australia, Bhutan does not use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the only gauge of its development. Instead, it has championed a new approach that measures progress through Gross National Happiness (GNH) and the spiritual, physical, social and environmental health of its population and natural environment.
As part of the project, Think Technology Australia network engineer, Tom Gibson recently visited Bhutan and the capital of Thimphu.
He toured the parliamentary facilities to get firsthand knowledge of the existing IT infrastructure and met with political leaders and parliamentary staff to discuss their expectations for the project.
Tom Gibson and our Business Solutions team have now prepared a detailed report on how best the current IT network in the Bhutanese Parliament could be integrated with new cost-effective technology to significantly reduce paper use, while at the same time also improving the quality of informed parliamentary debate.
Tom says the tiny Buddhist state’s unique lifestyle and beliefs presented the project with some unusual challenges.
“For example, we found some strong cultural reservations about the use of tablets or iPads, which people in Bhutan normally associate with playing computer games. There were concerns about how citizens would react seeing their parliamentarians using gaming consoles in Parliament, although their use would greatly reduce the large volume of paper currently in the Parliament’s operations.”
“Think Technology Australia is looking forward to working further with the authorities in Bhutan to help bring this project to fruition, said Tom.
If you’d like to know more about our expertise can help your business, please call us on 1300 920 866.
