Dutch senators are now using iPads in their meeting hall located in The Hague. The Associated Press explains the move to the modern technology is a way to reduce paper use. It is expected to also improve efficiency and lower costs.

The Dutch Senate may be the first legislature in Europe to eliminate the use of paper and instead use a tablet computer, The AP added.

Purchasing iPads for all 75 senators and developing a related app cost about $200,000, The AP said. But the savings in the first year alone totals some $194,000.

An added plus is that the Dutch legislators will no longer have “mounds of paper” on their desks, The AP said.  

The 75 members of the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer) are elected by the members of 12 Provincial Councils, according to the government’s website. The Senate has existed since 1815. It was instituted by King William I.

The Dutch are not the first government to opt for the iPad. A recent article in The Washington Post reported that BlackBerrys and other “traditional platforms” are being replaced by iPhones and iPads from Apple (News - Alert) among U.S. government officials, TMCnet said.

This move to iPads is taking place in the U.S. State Department, the Army, NASA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Post added. Congress is also allowing iPads and iPhones on the floor of the House of Representatives. Even President Barack Obama, who The Post described as a “BlackBerry (News - Alert) devotee,” has opted for an iPad, TMCnet reported.

In addition, the General Services Administration is shifting 17,000 U.S. government employees over to Gmail. The new devices will likely increase productivity and lower costs for government IT budgets, according to The Post. In addition, by the government moving to The Cloud, it will save money.

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