Abandonment of Druknet Email service will disrupt services, Tour Operators

As the Druknet division plans to abandon the Druknet email service by 2013, Tour operators across the country are already bracing for the negative impact it will have on their businesses.

The email informing the abandoning of the service was forwarded by the Druknet Division, General Manager Tshering Norbu to the tour operators across the country.

“Tour operators have been using the services through emails and internet using the Druknet IDs for ten years and mail IDs have gone to the hands of the clients through distribution of the company’s visiting cards, leaflets, brochures, listing in guide books both print and online, information and review sites, travel portals and web directories and social media platforms,” Karma Tashi from Bhutan Travelers said.

“We cannot imagine the loss that would be incurred on us – it’s huge and irreparable,” he added.

Since the migration of the Druknet mail server, there has been intermittent problems with the Druknet mail service (including the mail server often blocked by others for insecurity) almost for half a year.

The tour operators ascertain tow reasons behind the closures. They say either they (Druknet) do not want people to irritate them by frequent calls or are not capable of handling the mail server, “trouble shooting”.

“If so we (tour operators) are disheartened not having a single genius in a country to manage the mail server and we are concerned about the inefficiency and the need for another ISP in the country,” wrote Karma Tashi in an email to this paper.

According to the GM undertaking will be done for the cost cutting measures, said Karma and that by doing this they are denying their rights to service and Druknet is concerned only about the paid services.

Every ISP provides mail service and Karma recommends the Druknet to levy cost for usage of mail boxes like some ISPs have been doing.

The other justification made by the Druknet is availability of other mail service providers like Gmail, Yahoo and Bing.

Thukten Zangpo 

Karma said they do not trust and find it credible as people trust the emails received from druknet.bt extension as they know that it is from Bhutan’s ISP and Druknet mail IDs are awarded only upon certain scrutiny by way of filling up individual details at the service counter and other email IDs are not trustworthy as they are given free globally to anyone.

The GM of Druknet division could not be contacted to grab the other side of the story.

The Druknet provides services on broadband, Domain registration; Internet leased line, web hosting, technical consultancy.