CONTENTS

08 | EDITOR'S NOTE
Editorial

FEBRUARY 15 - MARCH 15, 2012

09 | READER'S RESPONSE
Letters to the Editor

INTERVIEWS
16 20 32 38 | | | | PTCL leader in telecom: Hamid Farooq iRaffles one stop solution for Apple lovers: Ayesha Rizwan Q stands for quality: Zeeshan Pervez The DNA of a company is its people: Reggie Aggarwal

TELEPEDIA
12 13 14 22 23 29 31 36 39 42 44 45 | | | | | | | | | | | | Telecom anchors Pakistan's economy Mobilink Jazz breathing life in Pak cricket team Warid Telecom rewards its retailers Ufone celebrates 11th Anniversary Telenor acts on Jewish agenda Cell phone snatching on top of all crimes Warid gets incredible response in LUMS annual career fair SC verdict brings Tsunami in Indian telecom Telenor comes under attack in Karachi Telenor files suits against Huawei, NSN Samsung pathetic service and hapless management 2011 mobile market share figures released

26 COVER STORY

COVER STORY
26 | Rehman Malik SIM card scam puts PTA, FIA on red alert

INSIGHT
10 18 21 30 34 40 41 46 48 51 52 53 54 56 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Broadband Qos Survey 2011 Postal services pays rich tribute to Arfa Karim PTA declares Wateen topper in Wireless Broadband Survey Horrible fire engulfs Wateen Telecom Pak-India trade bridging ties EcoStar launches affordable 3D LCD TVs E-waste becomes goldmine in Pakistan The dark side of Apple's digital textbook How to secure Wi-Fi home network? Data sharing and technology Fluttering butterflies in office IT bigwigs join hands to wipeout phishing Experts debate online Arabic content growth Virus infections stop after suspects unmasked Warid gets incredible response in LUMS annual career fair 31

MOSAIC
57 | National Mosaic 64 | International Mosaic

SYNOPSIS
57 | National News 64 | International News

PTCL leader in 16 telecom: Hamid Farooq

PTA declares Wateen 16 topper in Wireless Broadband Survey

SYNOPSIS
70 72 76 78 79 80 81 82 84 | | | | | | | | | Mobile Review Current Mobiles Upcoming Mobiles High Range Mobiles Low Range Mobiles Laptops Computers Accessories Gaming Zone

38 The DNA of a company is its people: Reggie Aggarwal

20 iRaffles one stop solution for Apple lovers: Ayesha Rizwan

Editor s No t e
Illegal SIM registration a dilemma?
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has introduced a new policy for issuance of SIM card, which will come into force from 1st April. We live where; nobody takes action until and unless something happens strange. PTA and FIA Crime branch came into action when a native news reporter got into the NADRA database and unfolded a new drama. This illegal SIM activation shattered PTA and cellular operators and forced them to mend procedure of SIM card activation. Pakistan is in grip of terrorism, no one is safe or our properties. In such situation, illegal SIM cards and usage could lead us to some untoward condition. Malik directed FIA crime branch for investigation, which arrested the suspects over night. CPLC has access to NADRA database which called vorasis. CPLC was given access to the NADRA for the elimination of terrorism in Karachi, so that timely action could be launched against the terrorists, but this access created a new dramatic scene; which forced the concerned departments for stern and swift action. PTA and cellular operators extended cooperation for national security, as per the new policy, now SIM will be issued after submission of a photocopy of CNIC and the applicant will be bound to produce the original CNIC also at the time of submission of the application. PTA has also developed a SIM information and Verification system to address associated risks on security and to ensure subscription regulations in cellular sector. The objective of the project is to provide a consumer-based facility to mobile subscribers in Pakistan by which they would be able to find out the total number of SIM(s) registered against their respective CNIC number with each mobile operator. In a statement PTA said, this new system will eliminate the need of paper documentation at the sale points by automating the Pre-Sale procedure thereby linking it with already automated Post-Sale procedure called 789. Chairman PTA congratulated all stakeholders on reaching this milestone and hoped that the new system will further strengthen the processes of SIM verification. He also thanked the mobile companies for extending cooperation in successful implementation of existing SIM verification processes and hoped that the same spirit of mutual cooperation may prevail in future as well. This kind of watchdog role performed by media helping in highlighting the loopholes existing in this system, we expect such swift actions to eradicate weaknesses. This also raises questions over PTAs performance. Not only SIM card activation or illegal SIM cards are the major areas where PTA showed hopelessness but grey telephony and poor quality service are also the core areas where PTA has to show swiftness. Telecom is the largest contributor to national kitty, which deposited Rs 627 billion in the last six years while also provided employment opportunities for millions. We have to play pivotal role in making it the most attractive sector in the region and world.

February 15 - March 15, 2011

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Irfan Khan Usman Yaqoob Director Marketing (Lhr) M. Farooq Malik Manager Marketing (Lhr) Zafar Khan Afridi Senior Graphic Designer M. Naeem Mughal Graphic Designer Azhar Javed General Manager Muhammad Saeed Chief Photographer Mobile: 0321 - 8404389

Editor Assistant Editor

Legal Penal: Sardar Fakhir Ahmed Advocate Rana Naveed Ahmed Joua Advocate Lahore Office 46J-Gulberg III, Lahore-Pakistan. Ph: +92-42-38350195, 042-35880183 Fax: +92-42-35880183 Islamabad Office Phone: +92-51-5892027 +92-51-2254548 Kasur Office Phone: +92-492-770820-763250 Karachi Office 14 Star Marketing & Production 32-1-C-1/6, Block 6 PECHS Main Shahrah-e-Faisal. Tel: 021 34311781-3 Registration No PCPB/105 (Vol. 8 Issue:6) Price Rs: 300 URL: www.fla r e.pk Email: flare.mag@gmail.com Colour Sepration: Fotoscan Process, 25-C Lower Mall, Lahore. Ph: 042-37111906, 37234042.

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri, (Editor-in-Chief) publisher of FLARE leading telecom magazine, printed it from Qasim Naeem Art Press, Near Bank Road, Main Bund Road, Lahore and published from 46J, Gulberg III, Lahore.

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For 1Mbps broadband package of wireless, Wateen Telecom has been placed in Category-A at Lahore and Rawalpindi and Category-B at Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar. Likewise, for 1Mbps broadband package of wireline broadband service providers, PTCL has been placed in Category-A at Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta and in Category-B at Karachi
n pursuant to safeguard consumer interests and in context of raising the quality of broadband services, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) under the direction of its Chairman, Dr Muhammad Yaseen carried out the second nationwide Braodband QoS Survey of all wireless and wireline service providers throughout the country during third and fourth quarter of 2011. During the survey the already devised Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in consultation with services providers were measured. These are Network Availability, Service Availability, Download and Upload bandwidth Speed (i.e. how much data a subscriber can receive or send to the maximum), Round-Trip Time (i.e. the time taken for the data to reach a particular destination and return), Contention Ratio (i.e. the ratio of Total bandwidth/No. of subscribers or number of subscribers per unit of bandwidth) and Retainability (i.e. for how much time a connection remained connected during the period of 60 minutes), etc. It is worthwhile to note that higher the bandwidth of download/upload speed and retain-ability and lower the round trip time and contention ratio, higher is the service quality is considered superior. PTA grades aforesaid parameters into categories like A, B, C etc, based on the percentage of score obtained during the measurement. For 1Mbps broadband package of wireless broadband service providers, Wateen Telecom has been placed in Category-A at Lahore and Rawalpindi and Category-B at Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar. Likewise, for 1Mbps broadband

package of wireline broadband service providers, PTCL has been placed in CategoryA at Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta and in Category-B at Karachi. It may be mentioned here that, Broadband is a significant economic stimulus for any country as changing dynamics of the world economy

the future of countrys economy by providing right information delivered through reliable and secure communication links at the right time. Performance indicators: PTA has considered the following indicators of performance in QoS Survey: Service Availability, Download and Upload bandwidth Speed, Round-Trip Time (RTT) Retain-ability. Service availability: Broadband Service Availability indicates the number of times we are able to successfully access the broadband services. Grade A applies to 95 percent, Grade B to greater than 80 percent but less than 95 percent, Grade C greater than 70 percent but less than 80 percent, GradeD greater than 50 percent but less than 70 percent and Grade E less than 50 percent. Bandwidth: if download and upload speed remains greater thah 75 percent of the advertised speed experienced for 70 percent of the time, it is categorized as Grade A, Grade B (greater than 60 percent), Grade C (greater than 45 percent but less than 60 percent), Grade D (greater than 30 percent but less than 45 percent) and Grade E (less than 30 percent). Round trip time: The operator with round trip time of less than 70ms is placed in Grade A, between 70 and 80ms Grade B, between 80 and 90ms Grade C and between 90 and 100ms or more is Grade D. Retain ability: Similarly retain-ability for

Broadband is a significant economic stimulus for any country as changing dynamics of the world economy rely heavily on well connected economic resources of a country. Advanced content, high quality mediums, reliable infrastructure and well linked information repositories determine the future of countrys economy by providing right information delivered through reliable and secure communication links at the right time
rely heavily on well connected economic resources of a country. Advanced content, high quality mediums, reliable infrastructure and well linked information repositories determine

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60 minutes without disconnection is considered as Grade A, greater than 45 minutes but less than 60 minutes is Grade B, between 30 to 45 minutes is Grade C, between 15 to 30 minutes is Grade D and less than 15 minutes is Grade E. Based on the overall score obtained in KPIs, operators are placed into categories A, B, C and D to gauge the performance of different operators. The survey was carried out in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi/ Islamabad and Muzaffarabad for two broadband services i.e. 512 Kbps and 1Mbps. 512 Kbps broadband packages: For 512Kbps broadband package of wireless broadband service providers, Wateen Telecom has been placed in CategoryA in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Quetta and CategoryB in Peshawar. Similarly Wi-Tribe in Karachi and Rawalpindi placed in category-A, while Qubee and WorldCall in Karachi are placed in category-B.

casion stated that This award recognizes Wateens excellence in delivering extraordinary customer value. Our initiatives taken over the last year and at the re-launch are now delivering the required results for our customers. Not only is this a recognition of the hard work put in by our employees, but also a confirmation from our regulator that Wateen is the leader in wireless broadband services. He said that the Abu Dhabi Group has continued to show confidence in the company and has provided cash support of over $57 million over the last one year.

PTCL is one of the most progressive data connectivity a provider of the world and Broadband is now a driver for Pakistans national GDP said Mr. Saeed. We have a responsibility to develop Pakistans technology and data network for establishing the echo system conducive for our countrys economic growth and social uplift, and PTCL is fully primed to facilitate that.

Similarly for 512Kbps broadband package of wireline broadband service providers, Cyber Net was placed in category-A in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Quetta whereas in category-B in Lahore and Peshawar. MicroNet in categoryA in Islamabad. 1 MBPS broadband packages: For 1Mbps broadband and package of wireless broadband service providers, Wateen Telecom has been palced in category-A in Lahore, Rawalpindi and category-B in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. Similarly Qubee and WorldCall placed at category-B at Karachi. Similarly for 1Mbps broadband package of wireline broadband service providers, PTCL has been placed in Category-A in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta and categoryB at Karachi. LinkDotNet has obtained category-A in Rawalpindi and Quetta and in Lahore in category-C. Whereas, MicroNet has been placed in category-A in Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

Qubee stands in second place followed by WorldCall at number 3. We have published users concerns over Qubee and WorldCall poor quality of service, which proved in PTA survey that Qubee and WorldCall are really plundering their consumers and providing low quality services, they attracted users through their intensive marketing campaigns but both have been failed to meet customers demands
Pakistan is the worlds 4th fastest growing broadband market, and PTCL is the countrys single largest broadband service provider with 95percent market share said Senior Executive Vice President, Naveed Saeed. In line with the Governments vision for Broadband growth in Pakistan, we are leading the countrys broadband revolution from the front by making this technology affordable through lowered entry barriers; by geographically bringing the service within the reach of a common user across the country; and by continuous improvements in customer care, he added. The PTA terms Broadband as a significant economic stimulus for any country and PTCL DSL is spearheading its exponential growth in Pakistan with a footprint in over 1,100 cities and towns. PTCL is the worlds first operator to introduce UltraNet using VDSL2 bonding technology with speeds up to 50mbps on a copper network; and it has deployed the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology. Last year, PTCL again became the worlds first operator to commercially launch 3G EVDO Rev B service. In the form of EVO NITRO, it gives consumers the markets maximum speed of 9.3MBPs. PTCL has Pakistans largest and fastest growing 3G EVDO wireless broadband networks, with connectivity and roaming in nearly 200 cities.

The first to bring to Pakistan EVO dongles with Internet connectivity, PTCL has followed by launching its innovative 3G EVO Wi-Fi Cloud to connect multiple Wi-Fi devices simultaneously and the first ever PTCL 3G Android EVO Tab with built-in wireless broadband offering Internet connectivity on the go. Recently, PTCL launched Pakistans first 3G enabled Android Smartphone, IVIO Icon Pro that offers dual support for both EVDO and GSM/CDMA network. It is merit mentioning here that, in this survey, Qubee stands in second place followed by WorldCall at number 3. We have published users concerns over Qubee and WorldCall poor quality of service, which has been proved in PTA survey that Qubee and WorldCall are really plundering their consumers and providing low quality services, their customer support staff is even poor in taking calls and responding. Whenever, a user calls on Qubee helpline, his/her call started transferring from one to another representative, promises of solving out problems but customers problems remained unsolved for several days.

Wateen Telecom a WiMAX broadband service provider in Pakistan has been ranked the best broadband service provider in Pakistan. Mr. Naeem Zamindar, CEO Wateen Telecom, in a message to the employees on this oc-

Sometimes, it took a month or two to provide seamless service.But after setting down users problems, their service goes down after two to three days of good connectivity and then again the same slow process of taking complaints by lingering problems for so long. It is worth to mention here, Qubee and WorldCall should have to invest in their business rather on marketing to attract users. They attracted users through their intensive marketing campaigns but both have been failed to meet customers demands. n

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Telepedia

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Telecom anchors Pakistan's economy

Despite challenges on the domestic outlook, FDI showed an encouraging trend as FDI by the telecom companies was more than 30 percent
elecom sector showed stability in the fiscal year 2011 and invested $495.8 million with cellular mobile sector being the leading contributor. In addition, Universal Service Fund (USF) also invested Rs 3.5 billion for unserved areas in the country. Despite challenges on the domestic outlook, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) showed an encouraging trend as FDI by the telecom companies was more than 30 percent of the total FDI landed in the country during last six years. Telecom companies reduced Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as they had already established their infrastructure. In FY 2011, telecom sector attracted over $79 million FDI in the country which is about 5 percent of the total besides this telecom and information technology sector in the country is also looking for potential opportunities with the possible emergence of Third Generation (3G) technology in Pakistan in March 2012. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was putting every endeavour to bring home latest cellular mobile technologies including the 3rd Generation. Telecom sector made its highest ever contribution to the national exchequer in the FY 2011 as around Rs. 117 billion were placed by the telecom companies and PTA compared to Rs. 109.1 billion that were deposited in the kitty last year, showing 7 percent growth during FY 2011. Telecom companies deposited over Rs. 100 billion on average a year totaling an amount of Rs. 627 billion deposited in the national exchequer during the past six years. The Authority alone has deposited over Rs. 72 billion in national exchequer during the last six years which include Initial and Annual License Fee, Annual Spectrum, USF and R&D Fund Contributions. However, a modest decline of Rs. 2 billion was witnessed since last year in PTA deposits owing to non-payment of APC for USF by a few telecom companies owing to litigations in the Court of Law. Tax collection from telecom sector remained the principal contributor in the total taxes received by the government. Telecom sector has more than 93 percent share in total GST/FED collection from services sector. During FY 2011 telecom companies con-

tributed Rs. 52.6 billion in the form of GST/FED, 20 percent more than Rs. 44 billion contributed in FY 2010. If one looks at the share of each service in total GST/FED collected from telecom sector, it is seen that cellular services contributed Rs. 44.9 billion (FY 2011) compared to Rs. 36.2 billion (FY 2010), reflecting an increase of 25 percent in one year.

Telecom sector made its highest ever contribution to the national exchequer in the FY 2011 as around Rs. 117 billion were placed by the telecom companies and PTA compared to Rs. 109.1 billion that were deposited in the kitty last year, showing 7 percent growth during FY 2011
As Basic Services have been exhibiting slow growth their GST collections dropped by 18 percent. Apart from GST/FED, activation tax collections also spiked from Rs. 6.6 billion (FY 2010) to Rs 7.1 billion (FY 2011) owing to improvement in net addition in mobile subscribers base. During FY 2011, telecom sector invested

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495.8 million with cellular mobile sector being the leading contributor. In addition, USF invested Rs. 3.5 billion in un-served and underserved areas. Analysis of FDI reveals that the telecom sector of Pakistan needs more investment to boost these figures in the near future. An ideal case could be the auction of 3G licenses which is expected to bring much needed FDI in the country. Better economic and security conditions in the country will further coax the investors to bring capital into Pakistan. Telecom sector imports showed an upward trend as these jumped to 766.3 million from $ 725.7 million in the year before. After getting relief in regulatory duty on the imports of cellular mobile handsets, mobile imports grew to $ 218 million in the FY 2011 as compared to $ 169 million in the previous year. Director PR, PTA M. Younis said 3G is a category of next generation mobile networks that operates at a higher frequency bandwidth and a larger channel bandwidth. Moreover, large bandwidth enables 3G networks to support very high data rates, up to 2 Mbps, he said. "There will be lot of applications and programming need to maintain 3G technology, therefore, companies have been waiting for the 3G to grab businesses from cellular companies to tap their potential,". 3G is likely to be the next big thing for the telecom sector, will meet their requirement with intelligence in the network therefore performance will be quick and better and information dissemination will be made easier. Also, the service will maintain tons of data and video content in the best organized form. He said that PTA would continue to introduce latest telecom technologies for the benefit of the consumers, adding shifting of cellular mobile technology from 2nd Generation to 3rd Generation would take place within due course oftime. He said that it has always been difficult to introduce new telecommunication methods and technologies, adding PTA would facilitate all operators to switch over to the latest technologies. 3G technology will enhance data speed and all convergence services while broadcasting facilities would also be available at one platform. n

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Telepedia

played with the UAE standing in as home ground for Team Green. The success of the team in both these tournaments is truly a matter of pride for the country; with Sri Lanka being a finalist of the 2011 World Cup and England the best Test-playing team. Ac-

or fans of Pakistani cricket, the sponsorship of cricket series by telecom operator Mobilink under the Jazz brand is a truly commendable and welcome experience. Mobilink has a long standing commitment to the game of cricket in Pakistan and is also the official cellular service partner for the Pakistan Cricket Board. Jazz has been at the forefront of promoting cricket in Pakistan, having previously contributed towards strengthening Pakistan's domestic cricket infrastructure as well as developing cricket stars for the future through talent hunt activities in partnership with the PCB. In the recent past, the company successfully organized nationwide cricket campaigns including the Mobilink Hunt for He-

Mobilink announced its support for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka One-day and Test Series beginning in 2009 as co-sponsor of the tournament. The series was played in Karachi and Lahore. Since 2009 however the Pakistani cricket fan has had to regretfully experience a dearth of international cricket on Pakistani soil owing to a

cording to Jahanzeb Taj, Vice President Marketing, Mobilink, Our support of Pakistan cricket is not just a continuation of our belief in the power of cricket in uniting the country, but also

roes drive that attracted over 12,000 young and budding cricketers from 52 districts throughout Pakistan last year. The entire Pakistan Under 15 team that participated in the Under 15 World Cup in the West Indies in 2009 had been unearthed by Mobilink Hunt for Heroes, with 5 of these cricketers making it to the U-19 squad in January 2010.

variety of reasons, but true to its commitment of supporting Pakistan cricket, Mobilink through its Jazz brand continued to bring the excitement and pride of Pakistani cricket when and where possible. In 2010, a nation-wide cricket tournament titled Jazz Cricket Hungama was initiated. During the 2011 World Cup, 30 Mobilink subscribers from all over Pakistan were flown to Colombo on an all-expense paid trip to closely experience and participate in the cricket frenzy that had gripped the entire nation. Later that year, Jazz announced its co-sponsorship of the local T20 tournament held in Karachi. Jazz then supported two international series; one against Sri Lanka and the ongoing series against England. Both tournaments were

symbolic of our faith in the team. This faith and power to unite has been witnessed in reality on the occasions of Pakistans wins in the test series against England and Sri Lanka. With the support of Mobilink Jazz, Pakistan cricket will no doubt continue to excite its fans all over the world, and keep the hope alive of international cricket one day returning to Pakistani soil. n

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Interview

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The following are excerpts of the interview with Hamid Farooq: How would you define Business Development for a company that has historically been seen as a basic telephony operation? Hamid Farooq: Historically PTCL had been seen as a basic telephony operation but PTCL had also been maintaining necessary national/international telecom infrastructure for the country. Business Development activities in saturated market having cut throat competition with a high number of cellular operators are obviously a big challenge. However, PTCL understands that the customer needs and preferences have been changing and PTCL had been adaptive to these changes. PTCL realized the increased demand of data and developed state of art and robust data network with highest growth rate in the region. PTCL has the privilege to introduce data services at corporate and consumer level. We have diversified our product portfolio and although basic telephony is still our core product but now we have augmented this core product in line with our customer requirements. Being incumbent operator, PTCL has advantage of developing technical expertise of maintaining telecom infrastructure and we have capitalized this advantage by offering wholesale services to other operators and to our corporate clients. Which entities and commercial targets PTCL aims to engage and achieve in its Business Development sphere? Hamid: PTCL aims to maintain its status as leading information and communication technology service provider in the region. We are focusing on corporate, consumer as well as wholesale segment to offer voice as well as data services. Being the leader in telecommunications in Pakistan we are committed to offer innovative solutions and extend technological revolution to our customers. Despite the current cutthroat competition in Pakistan telecom market we understand our additional responsibility to play our role in stabilizing the market. Please give us a review of the kind of services and products that PTCL is offering to its corporate clients. Hamid: PTCL being the only largest ICT and

Telecom Infrastructure provider offering complete products suite is fulfilling the demands of enterprise and corporate sectors. Following are the description of corporate products:

PTCL understands that the customer needs and preferences have been changing and PTCL had been adaptive to these changes. PTCL realized the increased demand of data and developed state of art and robust data network with highest growth rate in the region. PTCL has the privilege to introduce data services at corporate and consumer level
1. Connectivity Products: PTCL business connectivity offers secure, reliable and integrated endto-end domestic and global connectivity solutions

to cater for the demands of corporate and enterprise users. PTCLs connectivity products range includes a variety of corporate solutions for large as well as branch offices and small offices. Leased Lines: Leased lines can be extended in local, domestic and international fashions over different media like copper, fiber, radio, CDMA and satellite. Internet Protocol Products: IP based products include the Premium IP Bandwidth, Business DSL, VDSL, Business in a Box for SMEs, EV-DO Dongle, EVO Cloud, I Sentry - Security and Surveillance, VSAT, Virtual Private networks over various media like copper, fiber, radio, CDMA and Satellite. 2. Voice and VAS Products: PTCLs communication product portfolio is tailored to help business enterprises gain productivity advantages by offering a suite of powerful convergence, presence-enabled applications, and seamless fixed and wireless communications technologies. Plainly defined, PTCL solutions integrated telephony and IT applications in ways that make it easier to conduct business. Voice Services: These include PRI - Primary Rate Interface (30 Lines), BRI - Basic Rate Interface (2 lines), Voice over IP Services. Value Added Services: These include Toll Free Number (0800), Universal Access Number

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(UAN), Audio Conferencing, Video Conferencing, TelePresence, etc. 3. ICT and Hosted Products: PTCLs Hosted Services for businesses delivers a combination of traditional IT functions such as infrastructure, security, monitoring, storage, Web development, website hosting and email, over the Internet or other wide area networks (WAN). This approach enables customers to consolidate and outsource much of their IT needs for a predictable recurring fee. And PTCL being largest converged services provider integrate hosted services while giving customers a central repository to rapidly and efficiently distribute information and resources among employees, customers, partners and the general public. Hosted Service extends the benefit of economies of scale and operates on a one-tomany business model, delivering the same software and services to many customers at once. Customers are charged on a subscription basis, with having huge Capex savings. This also reduces the technology migration risks for customers while giving them an opportunity to focus on their core business in a faster manner. These include the Tier 3+ Data Centers, Unified Communications, Managed Services, Web Hosting and Hosted Email etc. What are your Business Development strategies for the future? Hamid: Customers satisfaction through improved service experience at affordable price remains at the core of PTCL future vision. By focusing the high value to volume ratio of broadband, PTCL will strive not only to maintain its leadership in both wire-line and wireless broadband but will continue to explore new positions, markets & capabilities in line with forwardlooking strategic positioning for the business, and reflecting anticipated state of business. Following are the core areas for future business development strategies: 1. Capitalize the data need of country through facilitating the corporate sector speed requirement (up to 50 Mbps), penetration into masses by introducing 256 Kbps DSL broadband to serve semi urban and rural areas by offering affordable yet faster alternative to dial-up service, offering high-speed wireless broadband with Internet speed up to 9.3 Mbps to capture on move data need, expansion of DSL footprint across Pakistan & EVO over 1000 sites. 2. Enhanced landline usage through innovation & quality of services with new products and services offering more value to the customers along with tariff optimization, innovative products for business solution e.g. date centers, Global IP Connect, Business in a Box - a small gateway device that provides broadband internet connection sharing, Firewall security, VPN connectivity, IP telephony, IP Camera Surveillance audio/video streaming and wireless LAN connectivity, better quality of services Next Generation Switching Network (NGN) using the MSAGs (Multi Service Access Gateway) is being completed for 1.3 million customers and started the transformation of network to GPON and new international packages, with addition of many global destinations. 3. Expansion of network for wholesale & IP band width, through commissioning of I-ME-

WE submarine cable system, which extends from Asia to Europe terminating in France and spanning 14,000 kms and additional national backbone network of 1,700 Km of optical fiber cable. How does PTCL create, manage and leverage synergies with its mobile subsidiary Ufone? Hamid: Synergy department is committed to facilitate all internal and external customers of fixed line, Broadband and EVO by providing

PTCL, being leading player in this segment, our focus is to maintain robust and diversified international connectivity through various mediums including satellite and submarine cables. We have invested in various submarine cables that connect Pakistan to rest of the world and PTCL is offering this connectivity to other operators in Pakistan as well to support their operations
services such as common bill collection points, common Electronic Voucher Card for Ufone and PTCL customers. Synergy is helping in areas such as joint procurement to get maximum discount, network infrastructure that can save OPEX and CAPEX. PTCL is also looking into the possibilities of sharing properties. Several options are being looked at on commercial/business side to create synergy. How does PTCL keep its competitive edge while providing carrier services to other operators in the country? Hamid: Being the largest integrated telecommunications service provider in the country PTCL keeps competitive advantage in the market place in the following manner. Our aim is to be a carrier of choice for all operators by offering the widest range of services based on our extensive and reliable infrastructure present in all areas across Pakistan. This ensures that carrier customers get a one-window-facility for all their needs and do not have to manage multiple service providers. Flexible and market aligned pricing of services. For international services, PTCL provides connectivity to our carrier customers through three (3) submarine fiber optic cables. PTCLs IP network connects to global tier-1 networks for providing reliable and resilient Internet connectivity to our data and Internet customers. PTCL ensures better quality of service compared to its competitors through a large pool of on-ground resources, which are mobilized quickly in times of service outages and other problems. In addition, PTCL possesses centralized network monitoring and management systems to monitor all aspects of its network operations.

Since PTCL itself is in the telecommunication services business, its carrier customers have the confidence that the technology and services being deployed to serve such customers is future proof and fully compliant with international standards to that effect. What are the scope, range and direction of PTCLs International Business Relations? Hamid: Being leading player in this segment, our focus is to maintain robust and diversified international connectivity through various mediums including satellite and submarine cables. We have invested in various submarine cables that connect Pakistan to rest of the world and PTCL is offering this connectivity to other operators in Pakistan as well to support their operations. We are constantly working to increase data bandwidths at reduced prices. We are offering voice and data services at corporate, wholesale and consumer levels. Apart from corporate sector, what broadband options PTCL is offering to the students? Hamid: PTCL has launched a new Broadband Student Bundle Package with free voice minutes included. In addition to PTCLs existing Broadband Student Basic Package, the new Student Bundle Package with PSTN includes 1Mbps broadband connectivity with unlimited downloads, 150 free voice minutes and buzz entertainment portal, all just for flat Rs.999 per month. PTCL has taken this initiative keeping in view the need to provide our youth with easy

and economical access to high speed broadband Internet, thereby expanding their knowledge, skills and productivity. Such a package will make the usage of high speed unlimited Internet not only affordable for students but also give them the liberty to download unlimited infotainment material, along with free minutes to call on landline numbers. (Courtesy The Nation) n

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that the Pakistan Post has issued a commemorative stamp on the 17th birthday of Arfa Karim. "Arfa Karim, who emerged as a shining star on the horizon, is no more amongst us today but her contributions in the field of Information Technology at such a young age will continue to be remembered for long time to come" the message said. He said that through her brilliant performance, she made the people of Pakistan proud and brought laurels to her country. The Prime Minister said that Arfa Karim wanted to do a lot for the talented youth all over the world, especially for those who lacked resources and requisite opportunities. "The issuance of commemorative stamps is a tribute to her services and will go a long way in disseminating her message through the world," he said.

Issuing the stamp is to recognise the talent and intellect of Arfa, who was an asset for the nation. Her death was a tragedy for the nation. Her extraordinary contribution in the field of IT will be a role model for the younger generation
haheed Benazir Bhutto was the most popular and charismatic leader who sacrificed her life for democracy, fighting for rights of masses. The government had issued Dukhtar-e-Mashriq Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto commemorative coins of Rs 10 denomination on the eve of her first death anniversary. After Benazir Bhutto, the government have issued the commemorative postage stamp on the 17th birth anniversary of Afra Karim for her service in the field of IT. We will never ever forget your awe-

Afra Karim, the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional. Federal Minister for Postal Services Alhaj Sardar Muhammad Umar Gorgaij, while addressing a function held here in connection of the issuance of the stamp as chief guest, said that some 2.5 million stamps have been issued. He said the purpose of issuing the stamp is to recognize the talent and intellect of Arfa, who was an asset for the nation. Her death was a tragedy for the nation. Her extraordinary contribution in

Parents and family of late Arfa Karim, including brothers were the guest of honour. Additional Director General (Operations) Pakistan Post Fazli Sattar Khan also spoke on the occasion. He presented the documentary on Arfa's achievements. Lt-Col (retd) Amjad Karim, father of Arfa, said that he would continue her mission through Arfa Karim Foundation. The Pakistan Post Foundation donated Rs 100,000 to Arfa Karim Foundation on the occasion.

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someness pride little princess. Unfortunately she is no more with us but her dreams and thoughts are still alive. We miss you angel! The Pakistan Post unveiled a commemorative postage stamp on the 17th birth anniversary of

the field of IT will be a role model for the younger generation, he added. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, in his message which was read by the Secretary Postal Services Ikram ul Haq, said he was happy to know

Malala Yausufzai also spoke on the occasion. The school kids also presented special songs paying tribute to Arfa Karim. A cake cutting ceremony also held on the occasion to celebrate her birth anniversary. n

Interview

Flare Report

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affles was established in the year 2000 to make a locally assembled branded computer systems based on quality, power, performance and reliability. Today Raffles is a company with full scale marketing, Distribution and Customer services operations. Raffles is an international brand as it is being sold in countries like UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Saudia Arabia and has Liaisons offices in UAE, Singapore, Canada and China. Flare: How did Raffles connect with Apple? Ayesha: Raffles appointed Authorized Distributor of Apple products in Pakistan in 2006. Raffles is also Authorized Support and Service partner of Apple Products in Pakistan . Flare: How many iRaffles stores in Pakistan? Ayesha: At present, we have three stores in Pakistan. Two in Lahore and one in Rawalpindi. iRaffles launched its first Apple Premium Reseller Retail Store in 2008. Former US Ambassoder Anne W. Pattererson and former US Consulate Principal Officer Bryan Hunt inaugurated the store. The second iRaffles Apple Store was launched in Rawalapindi in 2009. The third iRaffles store is the flagship store in Pakistan launched in 2010. It was inaugurated by US Ambassador Cameron Munter and American Counsulate General Carmela Conroy. Flare: Can you describe what is an Apple Premium Reseller (APR)? Ayesha: iRaffles is the only Premium Reseller Store in Pakistan at present. Apple Premium Reseller is the place to find your favourite Apple prod-

We employee Apple certified technicians, who complete regular Apple Training and assessments, so you are confident that youre getting help from qualified, experienced professionals. iRaffles as an AASP can deliver quick, efficient repairs and an easy straight forward customer experience: Ayesha
ucts. The entire store focuses exclusively on Apple products whether you are a new or existing customer our trained staff will be able to find a solution that is right for you. Apple Premium Reseller is a service and support counter to offer repair services to our customers regardless of where they originally purchased the Apple product. Store staff will offer hands on products demonstration.Apple trained and Apple certified experts are trained to offer expert advice to all kind of customers, from consumers and students to creative professional. Apple Premium Reseller also offer regular instore demonstration and training to help customers get the most out of there purchases. Flare: What is an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP)? Ayesha: AASP are a part of a network of Apple Authorized business that provide comprehensive repair and support for Mac products. Raffles is an AASP. We employee Apple certified technicians, who complete regular Apple Training and assessments, so you are confident that youre getting help from qualified, experienced professionals. iRaffles as an AASP can deliver quick, efficient repairs and an easy straight forward customer experience. We have a complete lab set up in our DHA iRaffles store. We as an AASP provide additional service often unavailable through other providers such as data transfer, data recovery, upgrade services and onsite deployment and installation. Flare: How do you relate Apple with education system? Ayesha: iRaffles conducts educational road shows every quarter. It was the first time all latest Apple products were on display for students. Top 20 institutions were selected to display Apple products. LUMS, University of Management of Technology, NCA, FAST, Punjab University, Lahore College for Women, Superior University are some of the institutions. Mac operating system is more advanced and helpful in making presentations and assignments with Key notes, pages and numbers its great. iBook plications of MaciPhotos. Subject was Take your photos further. In this students were taught how to organize, edit, enhance and share there photos in a way it has never been done before. The class was scheduled for a period of 2weeks.In response 80 students came to attend the class, about 20 CEOs also could not stop themselves from the magic of Apple. Flare: What is the response of customers regarding the product Harmon Kardon? Ayesha: Harmon Kardon is an American based very well known company. Raffles collaborated with Harmon Kardon in 2010, Raffles is an Authorized Distributor of Harmon Kardon Consumer products. Harmon Kardon is specialist in Multimedia which covers docking stations for iPhone, iPods, iPad, sound systems and high performance amplifiers. Harmon Kardon not only deals with superior quality but it gives a unique look to their products which makes them different. Overall response of customers and consumers is very positive .We have a great demand of this product. Customers are given complete instore and onsite services, which adds to its selling. Flare: Where do you see iRaffles in future? Ayesha: iRaffles is planning to launch Apple stores in Islamabad and Karachi very soon. iRaffles is a one stop solution for all the Apple lovers. We provide ultimate and reliable customer services. iRaffles is the only Apple premium reseller store in Pakistan. We see ourselves in educating and helping Pakistani youth towards the latest technology of the world, and becoming a brand that generation would trust. n

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is a platform where they can purchase any book they want .For multimedia and graphic designing students Final Cut Pro is the software that is most advanced for composing and editing. First time in Pakistan a free workshop was organized at iRaffles on one of the most famous ap-

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InsighT

akistans leading converged communications service provider, Wateen Telecom, has been ranked the number one wireless broadband service provider in the country by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). In a survey for quality of service for all broadband service providers, Wateen ranked first in the overall standings for all wireless broadband operators in the country. In pursuance of PTAs role to safeguard of consumer interests and growth of quality broadband services, PTA carried out the second nationwide Broadband Quality of Service (QoS) Survey of all wireless and wireline service providers throughout the country. The survey was conducted during third and fourth quarter of 2011. It is worthwhile to note that QoS generally determines the standing and status of countrys telecom services; therefore, special emphasis is exerted to keep the QoS of broadband companies at a satisfactory level. PTA has devised QoS standards/Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in line with best international practices and in consultation with service providers. The post survey analysis is carried out on the basis of scores against each KPI. Wateen Telecom, with its vision of enabling every man, woman and child in Pakistan through cutting edge technology is the leading wireless broadband service provider in the country. It is the pioneer in bringing wireless broadband technology to the country and the first in the world to rollout a WiMAX network on a nationwide scale. On this occasion, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wateen Telecom Naeem Zamindar in his message

PTA declares Wateen topper in Wireless Broadband

Wateen ranked first in the overall standings for all wireless broadband operators in the country
and relocating existing ones to deliver the best quality of service for its customers. Wateen began its operations in Pakistan in 2007 with the deployment of the largest fibre optic network in the country. Moreover, Wateen is the worlds first company to commercially roll out a WiMAX network on a nationwide scale. Wateen currently services over 250,000 WiMAX subscribers, provides enterprise solutions and data services to over 200 leading organisations and its cable network reaches over 125,000 households in Lahore and Multan. teen Telecom offers competitive solutions for enterprises that include Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and their management, International Private Lease Circuit (IPLC) set up and management and, finally, state of the art facilities for Coloca tion/Telehousing for customers to deploy their infrastructure. For consumers, Wateen offers complete WiMax coverage in over 23 cities around Pakistan, as well as wireline internet services and cable TV entertainment. For carriers and internet operators, Wateen offers managed capacity with its clear channel circuit or Layer 2 MPLS Virtual Private Network (VPN). Wateen also offers Dark Fibre leasing for carriers. Dark Fibre is leased to organisations seeking dark fibre connectivity on an IRU basis, i.e. Indefeasible Right of Use, which varies from 3 years to 20 years, depending on customer preference. Further, Wateens offerings for carriers include VSAT services, Lambda networking and IPLC private lines and colocation services. Wateen has a team of experienced and dedicated professionals who understand the business and technical issues of diverse industries and can therefore accurately translate customer requirements into the development of both network infrastructure and new services. Through the deployment of network integration and application skills, using leading data and Internet technology, Wateen provides its customers with realtime competitive advantage wherever they do business. n

CEO Wateen Telecom Naeem Zamindar in his message to the employees has said this award recognises Wateens excellence in delivering extraordinary customer value
to the employees has said: This award recognises Wateens excellence in delivering extraordinary customer value. Our initiatives taken over the last year and at the re-launch are now delivering the required results for our customers. Not only is this a recognition of the hard work put in by our employees, but also a confirmation from our regulator that Wateen is the leader in wireless broadband services. Over the last year, Wateen has invested heavily in improving and expanding its network, workforce, systems and processes to ensure delivery of an outstanding customer experience in the future. The Abu Dhabi Group has continued to show great confidence in Wateen and its new management and have provided cash support of over $57 m in the last 12 months. This has helped the company in optimizing its network by deploying new sites

With a new strategic vision and management in place, Wateen has steadily improved its service provision and its corporate structure to adequately reflect its corporate motto and beliefs of Enabling Customer Lifestyles. Wateen is aiming to help shape the education, social and economic devel opment in the country using broadbased Internet provision. Wateen offers a wide range of sophisticated technologies to meet the needs of institutional and personal users alike. In broadband internet Wa-

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Telepedia

UsmanYaqoob

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UfonesCEO,AbdulAzizcongratulatedtheUfonefamilyonsuccessfullycompleting11yearsofachievement.HealsosaidthatUfoneasanorganizationiswell positionedtorealizethebenefitsofourmajorstrategicgrowthinvestmentsand strongoperationalexecution

fone celebrated its 11th anniversary with great fervor and spirit, with the commitment to remain the best cellular company in Pakistan. Cake cutting ceremonies were held in all Ufone offices nationwide. Ufones CEO, Abdul Aziz congratulated the Ufone family on successfully completing 11 years of achievement. He also said that Ufone as an organization is well positioned to realize the benefits of our major strategic growth investments and strong operational execution. At the same time, we remain passionate about positioning Ufone as the leading integrated telecom company in Pakistan providing one of the most affordable and variety of services in the telecom market. Ufone GSM is a Pakistani GSM cellular service provider; its one of five GSM Mobile companies in Pakistan. Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) that started its operations in January 2001 under the brand name Ufone. As a result of PTCLs privatization, Ufone became a part of the Emirates Telecommunication Corporation Group (Etisalat) in 2006.

Since its inception, Ufone has focused on the people of Pakistan, empowering them with the most relevant communication modes and services that enable them to do a lot more than just talk, at a price that suits them the most. Along with the claim of lowest call rates, clear sound and best network, Ufone offers its customers simplified tariffs with no hidden charges. With a strong and uniquely humorous communication direction that has now become Ufones signature across all advertising media, Ufone gives its customers many reasons to smile.

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This customer focus and best offering has allowed Ufone to build a subscriber base of over 20 million in less than a decade. Ufone has network coverage in 10,000 locations and across all major

highways of Pakistan. Ufone currently caters for International Roaming to more than 288 live operators in more than 160 countries. Ufone also offers Pakistans largest GPRS & BlackBerry Roaming coverage available with more than 200 Live Operators across 122 countries. More recently, Ufone has become a focused and intensive leader in VAS, constantly introducing innovative services, which have been the first of their kind in the Pakistani cellular industry. Ufone is an Etisalat Group Company with its presence in all the major cities of Pakistan along with a comprehensive coverage across all major towns, villages and tehsil headquarters of the country. The company employs more than 3,850 people and operates with a network of more than 375 franchises and 22 company-owned customer service centers along with a distribution network of 150,000 outlets nationwide. As the world of telecommunications advances, Ufone promises its customers to stay ahead, developing and evolving, to go beyond their expectations, because at Ufone, its all about U. n

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Telenor is witnessing a prolonged period of management issues and as such its adverse consequences for the economy and poor and low network quality are quite visible. The present management failed to find its feet on the ground and continued to lurch from one crisis to another
here exist overwhelming empirical evidence across Pakistan and across time that Telenors managerial instability is negatively related to Telenors economic growth and performance. Managerial instability lowers investment, slows economic growth and gives rise to continuous poor performance. Telenor is witnessing a prolonged period of management issues and as such its adverse consequences for the economy and poor and low network quality are quite visible. The present management failed to find its feet on the ground and continued to lurch from one crisis to another. Managerial inability persisted throughout with a heavy toll on network quality and economic losses. The Telenor found itself clueless in addressing management-economic problems in general and external shocks in particular. Recently, Director Corporate Communications & Responsibility, Telenor Pakistan, Anjum Nida Rahman, has resigned from her position to get back to journalism. She had resigned and left Telenor Pakistan by end of January 2012. Anjum was appointed as Director Communications & Responsibility, at Telenor in October 2010 and after mere 15 months she left Telenor, there is something under the carpet. It gave the impression of having little sense of direction and purpose. Telenor continued to change its PR and HR team frequently and continued to appoint weak and frivolous teams with serious consequences for the quality of service and economy. Its strange that the current management team claiming to have a strong business team but failed to attract new subscribers and generate revenue. A series of events over the last few years followed by their inept handling contributed to the persistence and accelerated inefficiency. Telenors current state of the poor performance is the mirror image of the adverse consequences of immature management team. Over the last few years Telenor witnessed its investment rate decelerating, profit growth slowing and managerial instability rises. Recently, in a TV talk show (News Watch on Dunya TV) Senator Zahid Khan, ANP Leader from

KPK has revealed that a telecom operator (He hasnt mentioned Telenor name) had bought 7 hours of air time from all news channels on December 25th and had in fact sponsored PTIs Jalsa at Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi. In countries like United States, businesses and generally corporate sector supporting political campaigns through donations is in practice for long. However, at times questions are raised when these corporations start influencing in policy making for their respective sectors/domains.

Recently, Telenors marketing campaigns seem aligned with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, through their Khamoshi ka Boycott, Rockstar song Saada Haq Ithay Rakh and other similar activates that somehow give the impression that company is quietly but officially supporting PTI. All political parties should go to court of law to sui Telenor for supporting PTI, because its a Jewish company operating in Pakistan, if it supports PTI then there will be some hidden and unfold questions, which Telenor has to be answered. Telenor should have to concentrate on their network quality and service to improve rather to spon-

sor political parties and buy air time for their political campaigns. In the past Telenor had served with so many show-cause notices for poor and low quality service by Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). Telenor Pakistan, in the past did some hilarious acts through which it had been criticised in media, but it made its mind not to deviate from its Jewish agenda and will follow the same path to make Pakistan a senseless and disrespect country. Telenor advertising pollutes the minds of youngsters by highlighting negativity in the youth and by provoking them to disrespect teachers, elders and females. These students worked hard to win awards for the country but Telenor, trying to throw water on their efforts. Whats wrong with the so-called corporate reformers of Telenor who have initiated a senseless drive in the cover of service promotion? It merits mentioning here, Telenor has gone beyond its policies and allegedly hired a local Google Group moderator to send unsolicited emails to those internet users who never subscribed to the service. In the recent past Telenor hired a Christian model in a sacred Umrah ad, in which the Christian model performs Umrah in Holy and sacred Muslim place. Telenor Pakistan left no stone unturned to invade our religious and social values. It tried to deviate our youth not to study and indulge in girl trapping and all other unhealthy and disrespectful activities to bring bad name for their parents and Pakistan. Telenor with the slogan Its fun to be Young is actually making fun of people, by directing the ways of flirting and friendship in its advertisement campaigns to youngsters, which is in fact, unethical and destructive for our society. The incumbent government and law enforcement agencies should have to come on forefront and stop Telenor from spreading such negativity. This is high time for taking action against Telenor if not yet, then Telenor is acting under Jewish agenda and it will not only invade our religious values by polluting our youths fresh minds but also bringing a change to please their Jewish lord. n

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Cover Story

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri

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akistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has introduced a new policy for issuance of cell phones SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), which will come into force from April 1this year. PTA and FIA Crime branch came into action after a local news channel repoorter contacted Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) controller officer Mr Khalid Noor and asked for interior ministers CNIC copy to disclose the ineffective operational procedure of PTA and cellular operators, that how much the process is easier to activate a SIM card on someone else particulars. The reporter called on the helpline for SIM card activation, answered all questions correctly and activated a SIM card against Federal Minister for Interior affairs name, the SIM activation procedure has been Asif Ali Zardari captured and President of Pakistan then on-aired through a private news channel which brought Tsunami in the premises of national capital, Rehman Malik directed FIA crime branch to launch investigation, who arrested the suspects over night. It is pertinent to mention here that CPLC has access to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) database which called vorasis. According to sources, PTA investigated the scandal of issuance of SIMs on the name of federal interior minister Rehman Malik. After the scandal, the authority took the decision. As per the new policy, now SIM will be issued after submission of a photocopy of CNIC and the applicant will be bound to produce the original CNIC too at the time of submission of the application. The sources said that all the cellular companies have agreed on the new policy for SIM issuance. According to sources, Cyber Crime Wing of Karachi FIA overnight arrested Javed Noor, controller of CPLC and commenced investigations after registering a case against him for allegedly leaking out particulars of federal interior minister Rehman Malik. T h e sources said the federal minister Malik earlier directed to take action against the group involved in getting SIMs issued in the name of important personalities. Rehman Malik Federal Minister for Interior Moving on his direction, the FIA team arrested CPLC Controller. The sources told the CPLC was given access to the NADRA for the elimination of terrorism in Karachi, so that timely action could be launched against the terrorists. PTA has developed a SIM information and Verification system to address associated risks on security and to ensure subscription regulations in cellular sector. The objective of the project is to provide a consumer-based facility to mobile subscribers in Pakistan by which they would be able to find out the total number of SIM(s) registered against their respective CNIC number with each mobile operator.

Cover Story
PTA and all Cellular Mobile Operators of the country recently signed a joint framework to move forward towards a new era in mobile subscriber authentication and authorization. According to the details, CEOs or senior officials of all five cellular operators signed this new framework at PTAs headquarters, which is likely to be launched commercially by the end of 1st quarter of 2012. A statement issued by authority said that this new system will eliminate the need of paper documentation at the sale points by automating the Pre-Sale procedure thereby linking it with already automated Post-Sale procedure called 789. According to details we have obtained, customer will have to present his/her original ID card at the time of purchasing new SIM. Retailor will bind this ID card number with the SIM, which will be duly verified when customer will call at 789 for SIM activation. This procedure will also eliminate the chances if illegal sale of SIMs by unregistered sales channels. ification processes and hoped that the same spirit of mutual cooperation may prevail in future as well. Mobile Companies CEOs pledged that they will continue to implement innovative ideas with a view to improve verification procedures and to facilitate subscribers. Here it is worthy to mention that, this one kind of example set by media representatives to highlight the loopholes existing in this regard. This also raises questions over PTAs performance. Not only SIM card activation or illegal SIM cards are the major areas where PTA showed hopelessness but grey telephony and poor quality service are also the core areas where PTA yet to get control. Illegal termination of international traffic is a Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani thorny issue Prime Minister of Pakistan and is a drain on national resources; 40 percent traffic terminated illegally, which causes billions to national kitty; PTA fails to counter grey traffic in the country despite taking several measures; The grey-ness arises because at the far end the call is made to appear as if it originates locally; grey traffic can be recognised from the fact that such calls with either not show up or a fake number It is worthy to point out that illegal termination of international traffic is a thorny issue. Balance the right of a sovereign government to raise funds as it pleases with the benefits that flow from cheaper international communications. Smuggling telecoms traffic over borders is in principle no different to any other kind of smuggling. You can spend money on border controls, and make life harder for smugglers. You can fine them and imprison them. But the economic reasons that promote smuggling will remain: the costs being paid for international traffic are higher than they would be in a free market without border controls. Whilst it is easy to assess the loss in tax revenues due to illegal traffic termination, those revenues have to come from somewhere. With many Pakistanis living and working overseas, particularly in the USA, UK and Saudi Arabia, communication brings great benefits for society and the economy. There has been an explosion in international traffic with Pakistan, and prices are coming down, but I hope that Dr. Mohammed Yasin Chairman, PTA the PTA learns both lessons from this experience. Not only do you need to automatically monitor networks to assure revenues, but you also need to drive down prices to the rate that would prevail in a free market. Only the two together will deliver the best overall return to Pakistani citizens and consumers. PTA despite receiving billions in dues from LDI operators has failed to protect them. The authority has been unable to stop the illegal grey traffic. It would have been better if PTA would have taken action also on the complaints of mobile subscribers and land line owners. It would have been better if PTA would have kept strong check on the

PTA and all Cellular Mobile Operators of the country recently signed a joint framework to move forward towards a new era in mobile subscriber authentication and authorization. CEOs of all five cellular operators signed new framework at PTAs headquarters, a statement issued by authority said that this new system will eliminate the need of paper documentation at the sale points by automating the Pre-Sale procedure thereby linking it with already automated Post-Sale procedure called 789
The new system shall not only help to eliminate the misuse of CNICs copy but also facilitate in keeping real time record of sale of SIMs thereby enabling track of sale channels in case of any misuse. Moreover, transition of existing Cellular Subscriber Agreement Form (CSAF) to e-CSAF will help to maintain an authentic subscribers database.

On this occasion, Chairman PTA congratulated to all stake-holders on reaching this milestone and hoped that the new system will further strengthen the processes of SIM verification. He also thanked the mobile companies for extending cooperation in successful implementation of existing SIM ver-

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Cover Story
bad service provider in localities. It would have been better if PTA would have got some confidence and trust worthiness from the customers. It would have been better if PTA would have told countrymen how this is the loss of national resources when they are earning billions on tax collection. It is pertinent to mention here, that telecom is the largest contributor to national kitty but Though the operators defend these additional charges due to the increased operating expenses and low ARPUs and tariffs in Pakistani market, repeated additions in such charges and massive taxes on telecom services is putting the common customer with average usage under a lot of burden. At this critical stage when the country is heading for the auction of 3G/4G spectrum next month, hoping to receive heavy

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has been able to exceed the revenue collection of the previous year by a significant margin. After going through the survey, unrealistic and evasive appreciation is witnessed on the part of Government towards FBR performance. However, the FBR had missed the revenue collection target in July-April period and was not able to meet the target even in a single month. FBR is already facing problems to

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yet the one paying heavy taxes in the region. It still goes unnoticed that the telecom sector in Pakistan is paying 19.5 per cent as government taxes and this ratio is higher than that of other countries of the region. India and Bangladesh have respectively imposed 10.3 per cent and 15 per cent taxes on their telecom industries. While on the other hand, the Pakistani telecom operators are offering the lowest call rates in this region. Telecom sector is one of the most potential sectors which contributed Rs 627 billion during last six years to the national exchequer and provided employment opportunities in the country. There has been a strong observation that the high taxes on telecom sector are impeding the growth of this sector in the country. The government taxes on local telecom industry are 52 percent higher than the Indian telecom industry. If Pakistan takes measures to decrease this difference then the telecom sector growth will reach new heights in a couple years. However, ironically the government at all levels is now seeing the telecom operators as a cash cow, with each bringing its own charges and levies for one right or the other. Besides, the telecom operators had, in the past few years, been unable to operate in certain areas of the country like D.G.Khan, Wana, Swat and other troubled areas, while the general public demands quality services on the part of telecom operators, who find it a hard job especially amid the nonconducive law and order situation. Subsequently, this state of affairs may further discourage foreign investments. For the country to have healthy operations in the telecom sector there must be certainty in rates and certainty in the mechanism of collection. Rates should be as enshrined in statutes and government, rather than tax consultants, should collect taxes to remove any additional burden on the tax payers. Telenor Pakistan is going to increase service charges on card reloads to 7 percent effective from February 15 this year.

investments in shape of licence fee, the government needs to come up with a set of comfortable revenue policies as it would help in wooing more foreign investments in the country.

achieve the annual tax collection target. Direct taxes have been a major source of FBR tax revenue collection, contributing 38 percent of total receipts.

Telecom is the largest contributor to national kitty but yet the one paying heavy taxes in the region. It still goes unnoticed that the telecom sector in Pakistan is paying 19.5 percent as government taxes and this ratio is higher than that of other countries of the region. India and Bangladesh have respectively imposed 10.3 percent and 15 percent; the telecom operators are offering the lowest call rates in the region. Telecom sector contributed Rs 627 billion during last six years to the national exchequer
It is also worthwhile to discuss the poor performance of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Government showers endless praises on FBR despite its extremely poor performance in tax collection in the current fiscal year. The sub-committee of Public Account Committee (PAC) expressed its displeasure over unsatisfactory performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and directed its chairman to submit report about the pending paras within one month after holding Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meetings. FBR has failed to collect taxes; telecom is the only sector which paid highest taxes but on the other hand government agencies failed protect them and their investments. In Karachi, the economic hub of Pakistan, three different cellular franchises have been attacked by unknown terrorists, who yet to be identified. When something happens to govt officials their culprits arrested overnight but nothing happened to those who attacking on cellular offices and general public. Recently, Wateen Telecom head office caught fire which ate away more than Rs 2 billion, last year in Islamabad Mobilink office took fire but no measures have been put by the incumbent govt to prevent losses. The government should have to take on board all the stakeholders and introduce a framework to avoid such incidents in future or if unfortunately happens how we could minimize human and capital losses. n

According to the Economic Survey, despite economic slowdown - including a decline in both volumes of imports as well as landed prices - and the impact of the energy crisis, FBR

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oday the most fast growing crime is Mobile Snatching in Pakistan. Gangs of teenage boys armed with pistols operate in various parts of the city from early evening till late night. These criminals snatch mobile sets, handbags, watches or whatever they find from the victims. Upon resistance, the gangsters dont hesitate to fire at passers-by. Karachi topped the list of cellphone snatching across the country, a key indicator of street crimes, as more than 200,000 people were deprived of their cellphones during the last five years. The number of people, whose cellphones were either snatched or stolen across the country, excluding Karachi, between 2006 and 2011 was over 400,000. A recently released annual report of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said

as the resale of used phones. But the technology has been countered by better ones. Softwares available in the market unblock blocked phones within minutes. Cellphones of every brand and origin can be unblocked and unfortunately nothing has come up to counter that edge. If you are carrying a Nokia Cell Phone, you are more likely to get robbed (resale value of Nokia mobile phones maybe a reason). 74.5 percent Nokia Cell phones have been snatched followed by Samsung, which made it to mere 8.5 percent. 45 Trend mobile incidents are reported and in my opinion resale price might be a valid reason. Growing incidents of cell phone snatching is quite alarming; no recoveries are mentioned in the report presented by CPLC that is surprisingly unpleasant. This shows that authorities have failed to

The number of people, whose cellphones were either snatched or stolen across the country, excluding Karachi, between 2006 and 2011 was over 400,000; while PTA has blocked so far 623,495 stolen phones under IMEI code
that the number of snatched or stolen cellphones blocked since 2006 under their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers by the telecom watchdog with the assistance of the cellular companies and the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) stood at 623,495. During the five-year period, according to the CPLC, a total of 219,927 cellphones, or over 35 per cent of the total number in the country, were snatched or stolen in Karachi. Blocking of IMEI is another successful initiative of the authority for the community, said the PTA report. This facility, opened by the authority in 2006, is availed by the owners of mobile telephones for getting blocked the IMEI of their stolen, snatched or lost mobile phones. The fact came as a little surprise for many. With over 14,000 victims last year alone, street crimes at gunpoint remained a serious problem in the countrys commercial capital. The city police approach to combating the menace remained unclear, as people aware of the citys crime records, said that the situation would be no different in terms of other crimes like vehicles snatching and lifting. I firmly believe that the number of reported crimes is lower than the exact situation on ground, CPLC chief Ahmed Chinoy told. People have gradually accepted street crimes as a part of their routine life. No effective effort from police coupled with the typical thana culture have convinced them to stay away from reporting the crime. But another fact that raised several questions is about the effectiveness of the cellphones blocking system through the IMEI. The technology was initially meant to discourage the cellphone snatchings that on the one hand deprived the people of their valuables and on the other sparked a fear in society. However, the data collected and shared by the PTA report does not sound encouraging. PTA also provides the facility to unblock handsets following SOPs in case the lost or stolen mobile handset is found or recovered, it said. Since the commencement of this facility, 623,495 IMEIs have been blocked. Out of these, 34,902 handsets have been unblocked following proper verifications of owners claims. guide owners to use IMEI numbers for their cover of stolen/snatched mobile. Stolen cell phones seem to have a vast market and are easily sold/ purchased in the markets. Another thing worth mentioning is that mobile sellers can easily reset IMEI numbers with the help of easily available software and failing the whole purpose of IMEI number. I want to give message to all those who are concern and responsible please do positive steps and make sure how to eliminate mobile snatching crime in Karachi in order to protect the assets of every citizen. If we all can join hands together, then we can beat this evil. But first, Join Hands On PTAs part, these numbers suggest that regulator has failed to aware consumers and blocking handsets through IMEI system, that is

Growing incidents of cell phone snatching is quite alarming; no recoveries are mentioned in the report presented by CPLC that is surprisingly unpleasant. This shows that authorities have failed to guide owners to use IMEI numbers for their cover of stolen/snatched mobile
People engaged with the crime-handling business one way or the other do not sound convinced with the facility as claimed by the PTA. It has almost become ineffective, said the CPLC chief. When it was launched in 2006, it was quite useful and effective, as we personally had witnessed a decline in the crime trend as well

in place for years now. It looks that there is a huge market for stolen handsets, which are being purchased and then re-purchased with no hurdle at all. n

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Horrible fire engulfs

Wateen Telecom

Accessories turn into ashes, estimated loss worth Rs 2 billion

and accounted for. This not only included Wateen employees, but also other tenants in the building. We are thankful that there was no loss of life and that everyone was safely evacuated. Wateen Telecom has in place several network redundancies that automatically kick-in in the event of an emergency. Moreover, the company has alternate arrangements for the customer care helpline. Our data and enterprise customers will not be materially affected as our data warehousing and networking facilities are located elsewhere. We are therefore confident

that our customers will not suffer loss of quality and that our services will continue as normal. Mr Zamindar added that other telecom operators have rallied to the telecom giants support, providing infrastructure and office support to ensure that business goes on as usual. Abu Dhabi Group has assured that all the required support will be made available including leveraging existing infrastructure facilities of the Group companies.

CEO Wateen Telecom Mr Zamindar said our first and foremost concern was to ensure that everyone present in the building was safe and accounted for. This not only included Wateen employees, but also other tenants in the building. We are thankful that there was no loss of life and that everyone was safely evacuated
horrible fire erupted at the New Auriga Complex on the Main Boulevard Gulberg, Lahore at around 7:00 pm on February 10 last. The building also houses the head office of Wateen Telecom, Pakistans leading converged communications service provider. The cause of the fire remains to be ascertained, and investigations are pending as to where and how it started. Wateen employees immediately contacted the fire department and Rescue services, and while waiting valiantly attempted to put out the fire. However, despite their best efforts the fire spread quickly to engulf the third and fourth floors of the building. Company employees were evacuated in an orderly manner and the utmost efforts were made to also help evacuate other tenants of the building. Mr Naeem Zamindar, Wateen CEO, as well as other members of the management rushed to

the scene to ensure that all employees were safe. Speaking to the media, Mr Zamindar said: Our first and foremost concern was to ensure that everyone present in the building was safe

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Speaking about the incident, Wateen Telecom PR Manager Salman said they had not been able to establish the cause of the fire but the companys entire staff was rescued unhurt. He said ll accessories, including computers/equipment installed at the Wateen Telecom head office on the two floors (3rd and 4th) had were reduced to ashes. He said all Wateen services have been made operational and customers complaints were being addressed through the Warid Network helpline. He said all emergency service agencies had supported them and helped control the fire without delay. Salman said that around 25 people were present at the head office at the time of incident as working shift ended at 6 pm. Officials of Wateen Telecom said that estimated loss was around Rs 2 billion. n

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Warid Telecoms recruitment and staffing team provided advice to students about the job application process, requirements, eligibility criteria as well as the scope of career in telecom industry
qual opportunity employer, Warid Telecom recently participated with the theme of Transforming Futures at the LUMS Mega Career Fair 2012. Warid Telecoms recruitment and staffing team provided advice to students about the job application process, requirements, eligibility criteria as well as the scope of career in telecom industry. Coaching sessions for job-seekers were also held on this occasion, providing the graduating stu-

Warid Telecom, Allied Bank, KASB Bank, Indus Motors Pakistan, Nestle, Descon Chemicals, PSO, Teach Pakistan and several others set up their stalls at the fair. Each companys representative was present at its stall to guide students about available positions in their organisations. The event served as a bridge between industry leaders and job seekers, giving the students and employers a chance to interact with each

at the fair, where students were briefed about the procedures, requirements and eligibility criteria. Talking to the media, students said that every university should take it as its responsibility to help and guide its students with regards to their professional careers. However, they added that it was unfortunate that very few colleges and universities across the country held career fairs for outgoing students.

dents with career counseling. An incredible response was received from the university graduates and final year students, who turned up in large numbers to explore career opportunities available with Warid Telecom. As many as 41 noted organisations, including

other in a friendly environment, outside the office. The companies executives also conducted written tests and on-campus interviews to shortlist candidates. The stalls set up by different banks and telecom companies remained the centre of attention

A management studies student, Alisha, said that the government should hold career fairs at the national level where foreign companies could be invited to employ talented youth of the country. She added that the companies should also offer part-time jobs for students. n

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Interview

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Flare: Tell us about yourself? Zeeshan Pervez: After obtaining a degree from the United States, I returned to Pakistan in 2003 where I began working with foreign brands such as LG and Samsung. It was no coincidence that whatever brand I worked with quickly made its way to having the major market share in Pakistan. It was during the time of my involvement with the distribution of LG phones, when it became obvious, it was our understanding of the Pakistani market that had taken us so far, and it was thus time to give the Pakistani public exactly what they were looking for. With that in mind, Q Mobile came into existence. Flare: How do you see a bright prospect for QMobile in Pakistani market? Zeeshan: Pakistani mobile phone market is very dynamic, volatile and growing rapidly for the last couple of years. We see more than 20 percent growth YoY and year 2012 prospects are good as well because of 3G infrastructures set up rumors by leading service providers in telecom industry. As far as the key dynamics are concerned, its a very price sensitive market because of low income and recent economic issues faced by our nation which are lingering on for sometime; consumer is very smart and looking for phones which can ensure the value for money. Consumers are looking for competitive prices with maximum features. Dual SIM phones have gained a lot of popularity in last one year due to the diverse tariff plans being offered by different telecom service providers and now almost all manufacturers are into this segment, trying to provide larger portfolio of Dual SIM handsets. Flare: How do you encompass your experience for progress of QMobile? Zeeshan: It took 10 years for most of the foreign brands to realize that economies like Pakistan need a simple torchlight more than an organizer or an alarm clock. There are many other things could not be incorporated as per

Q stands for quality

FLARE Panel talks to Mr Zeeshan Pervez Akhtar, CEO QMobile, who says, the Q in QMobile stands for quality, which is the basis of a company that strives to offer the best quality in everything from their mobile sets to their state-of-the-art service and customer care. He strongly believes that it is this no-sacrifice-on-quality agenda that has taken the company so far; QMobile holds the second largest market share in Pakistan in an astonishing time period of just two and a half years, with a massive customer base, which is increasing day by day
this regions demands due to the distant and superficially statistical analysis by them. As I said earlier that Pakistan market is rapidly growing although in low tier price segment but still there is room for new players and brands to cater customer needs in a better way. I always believe that sales is all about satisfying the customer with good product, price and after sales service. This core idea, which I call, is the winning formula makes the backbone of Q mobile. Almost all foreign brands are working in Pakistan with local distributors. Q mobile product quality has got immense positive response from our valued customers while at the same time we are working very efficiently as well as effectively in order to communicate with our customers by utilizing all kinds of media available. We have also worked hard to make a proper after sales service and customer care set up all across Pakistan so that our valued customers must get proper support in case of any issue faced by them. I believe that we understand Pakistani customers and their needs in a much better way than foreign brands; our consistently growing sales numbers and consumer response towards our brand is a significant proof of it. Flare: How do you justify the charges level to the QMobile to the general public?

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Interview

Zeeshan: QMobile provides the Pakistani masses with a chance to upgrade their lifestyle with the help of advanced technology that they previously did not have access to, such as dual SIM features and social networking sites connectivity such as Facebook, Yahoo and MSN. The distinguishing element of this organization is its responsiveness to the local aspirations and demands by devising interfaces and technologies that suit this region. It is often observed that companies fail to keep up with their product successions but Q mobile has proved to be an exception since every product lineup has managed to produce equally exciting successors. The company currently has 32 different phones with a dedicated team of more than 400 employees to ensure that the brand promise is delivered. Flare: How do you see challenges in the emerging market of Pakistan? Zeeshan: Pakistani people are very conscious on price and demands maximum features at minimum prices. That is why if we analyze the price segmentation that more than 75% market is less than 4,500 PKR ($50), making it a low/mid segments market. Flare: How do you see the difference between the demand of developed and developing market? Zeeshan:I personally believe that Pakistani market has a lot of potential for further growth. If you compare developed markets with developing markets then in developed markets mostly operators provide packages while subsidizing the products in order to sell airtime on contractual basis. But here, in developing countries we still have to improve tele density, so cellular service providers are not much interested in selling devices. That is why market is open and more intense. Flare: Kindly give comments on where you see Q Mobile in particular and technology in general in next five years? Zeeshan: QMobile values the customer experience above everything therefore the complete business model revolves around the same spirit that ensures compliance with all the prevailing global standards. At operational level keeping in view the intense competition, I would say we are far more efficient and responsive as compared to others foreign/local brand. That is why we have been able to provide affordable touch, QWERTY and Wi-Fi enabled phones before than any other recognized brand by consumers. We have a state of the art distribution set up in order to fulfill the demands of our distribution channel partners. You must have noticed that we strongly emphasize to communicate with customer on regular basis and do our best to provide them better products so that they can upgrade their lifestyle by using more technology oriented phones in their daily lives. Our ultimate wish is that in next five years we become the most loved handset brand in Pakistan. Flare: How QMobile takes care of the warranty and after sales services aspect? Zeeshan:With more than 23 state of the art service centers and an impressive network of 400 collection points available nationwide, A Q

mobile customer can expect a comprehensive after sale support and the same intensity of cooperation which is usually find only in the point of selling the phone.

QMobile provides the Pakistani masses with a chance to upgrade their lifestyle with the help of advanced technology that they previously did not have access to, such as dual SIM features and social networking sites connectivity e.g. Facebook, Yahoo and MSN
Flare: Do you think that the latest QMobile phones capture the world market? Zeeshan: I believe in the fact that the best way to predict future is to create one. The future carries a lot of opportunities for the bold to capture.

ucts to people who did not have access to such high quality sophisticated gadgets. We have always believed in favorable joint ventures, Swarovski was a mega success and soon you will see a few more joint venture initiatives. Recent addition of E786 in our product portfolio is one of the efforts to facilitate our valued consumers to have a movie camera phone in a competitive price while providing the better quality of service. We are continuously working to bring products as per Pakistani consumer demand and trying even harder to make it in an affordable price range Flare: Are there any hindrances in realizing the potential of this market? Zeeshan: QMobile with the grace of Almighty is a well-recognized and appreciated brand in Pakistani handset market by our customers. In such a short span of time our growth and brand value has increased tremendously making us a very strong number 2 market share position holder. As I said earlier that Pakistan is a very volatile market but still we are keeping our pace in terms of growth, quality, product and service provision to our valued consumers. Flare: How do you describe your team? Zeeshan: I find myself very lucky to lead a

The Q in QMobile stands for quality, which is the basis of a company that strives to offer the best quality in everything from their mobile sets to their state-of-the-art service and customer care. Being CEO, I strongly believe that it is this no-sacrifice-on-quality agenda that has taken the company so far. Moreover, despite our focus on quality and technologically advanced products, Qmobiles prices currently range from Rs.1800 to Rs.9000, thus offering phones, which are comparable to foreign prod-

dream team of thorough bread professionals who are focused and committed enough to make us remain winning brand in every aspect of the world. We believe in teamwork, everybody at Q mobile is working for one common cause to diversify and grow the brand. An impressive 400-team member with proven track records in their respective fields ensure working for Q mobile is as good an experience as using one. n

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Irfan Khan

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Pak-India trade bridging ties

o expand the trade between two countries is good omen but there is need to cooperation in main source of telecommunication. Pakistan and India need to cooperate in various fields especially science and technology in order to learn from each others experiences. The real growth in trade between the two countries particularly in the fields of telecom and IT could multiply significantly when India and Pakistan establish and operate their offshore offices at each other soils. They will work to convince their respective governments to allow telecommunications access to work across borders. There is absolutely no question today that telecommunications has become a major tool for development especially for developing countries like India and Pakistan. Trade without telecommunication is impossible as it is major tool to connect each other. A multimillion fibre optic had been linked for the first time with foreign countries through optic fibre via Pakistan. Pakistan is laying optic-fibre to connect India at Wagah and Chaman and

Telecom to provide new horizons

Pakistan is laying optic-fibre to connect India at Wagah and Chaman and Turkhum to link Afghanistan. Pakistan-India trade could be increased from $1.4 billion to $144 billion if both governments act seriously and create a strong framework for Free Trade
India is committed to taking its economic and trade relationship with Pakistan to a new level. I have come with an open mind and to achieve substantial progress in our talks says Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma who led a delegation of 150 members, the first visit of an Indian trade minister to Pakistan in 30 years in an exercise aimed at ramping bilateral trade to $10 billion in three years
Tukhum to link Afghanistan. It will offer services to various telecommunication services inside and in neighboring countries of Pakistan. Pakistan and India are considering serious trading and thinking to open trade routes and this is very positive step toward better economy of two nations. There are many people in Pakistan who are talking negatively about Trade talks between Pakistan and India because they have monopolistic businesses in Pakistani market and they dont want to lose their position. They can use other forces to create controversy about India Pakistan trade relations such as Kashmir issue to disrupt the whole India Pakistan Friendship process. Here are some of benefits that we can get from india Pakistan free trade relationships: Pakistan-India trade could be increased from $1.4 billion to $144 billion if both governments act seriously and create a strong framework for Free Trade. At least businessmen, investors, industrialists and trades must enjoy the provision of hassle free visas. They should be exempted from police re-

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porting on arrival; should be granted multiple city visas and speedy approval process. Visa policy by both states to IT entrepreneurs is very strict with tough conditions. Besides, there is no bank of Pakistan in India and Indian in Pakistan to ensure

President FPCCI, Senator Ghulam Ali, President RCCI, Jawed Akhtar Bhatti, Mrs. Shireen Arshad Khan and others sit during Indo-Pak International Expo 2012.

letter of credits (LCs) facility and exchange of money by the two sides. Therefore, these measures must be resolved by the both government to facilitate entrepreneurs of their countries. The largest Indian business delegation to Pakistan, consisting of some 150 members and led by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand

talks. We are working hard on opening the second gate and an Integrated Customers Post (ICP) at the Wagah-Attari border and hope to finish it by April 30. The talks will help us in taking forward the process of establishing peace and trade. We will work towards deepening and diversifying the relationship, the Indian minister told. Recently, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a seminar in which, President Federation of Pakistan of chambers of commerce and industry (FPCCI) senator Ghulam Ali said that Rawalpindi chamber playing pivotal role for the uplift of the countrys economy and have panned 10 single country Expos in the year 2012 first time in the history of the chambers. Organizing Indo-Pak International Expo 2012 (IPEX 2012) is the land mark of the Rawalpindi Chamber and FPCCI will assist the said Chamber in this regard, he stated this while talking to the media men as a chief guest during the launching ceremony of the IPEX at a local hotel here in Islamabad. President RCCI Jawed Akhtar Bhatti, Chairman RCCI standing committee for Fairs and Expos Kashif Shabbir, Convener Expo Khursheed Barlas, former president and other members of the chamber were also present on the occasion. Ghulam Ali said that business community is

Jawed Akhtar Bhutti said that four days IPEX2012 will be kicked off from Feb 23-26 in Ludhiana, India. 50 companies and 175 trade delegation will participate in the Expo and more than 60 stalls would be set up, Bhutti said. He

Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Faheem and Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma waving hands toward the media persons at Baab-e-Azadi.

further said that basic purpose behind organizing the Expo is to promote local goods in the Indian trade market. Jawed Bhutti said that the said Expo is being organized by the joint collaboration of Rawalpindi Chamber and Punjab Haryana Delhi

Women members of Indian delegation arrive at Wahga Border.

Sharma, took part in a series of events, including an "India Show" in Lahore. Co-hosted by the two leading Indian business chambers, the event marked the first visit of an Indian trade minister to Pakistan in 30 years in an exercise aimed at ramping bilateral trade to $10 billion in three years. The delegation includes some top names from Indias corporate world, including Rajan Bharti Mittal, vice chairman and managing director, Bharti Enterprises; Sunil Kant Munjal, chairman, Hero Corporate Services; K K Modi, chairman, Modi Enterprises; Harsh Pati Singhania, managing director, JK Paper; Naresh Goyal, chairman, Jet Airways; Jyotsna Suri, chairperson and managing director, Bharat Hotels; and Arun Nanda, chairman, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts. No doubt, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma arrived in Pakistan in an effort to take down trade barriers, share economic prosperity and facilitate people-topeople exchange.India is committed to taking its economic and trade relationship with Pakistan to a new level. I have come with an open mind and to achieve substantial progress in our

agreed to give MFN status to India but government must have to provide level playing pitch to the businessmen community in this regard. He termed that RCC1 set an example for other

Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Faheem presents sweets to Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma at Baab-e-Azadi.

Visitors are seen on the showroom floor during the Indian Expo-Trade fair in Lahore.

Chambers of the country to organize such Expos to promote Pakistani products in other countries of the world. Speaking on the occasion president RCCI

(PHD) Chamber of commerce and Industry. He said that RCC1 is fully aware of the importance of promotion of trade activities in the SAARC region. He further said that share of trade volume among the SAARC countries is around 5 per cent which is very low, Our utmost efforts is to enhance the business activities with the said states, he added. President RCCI said that India can be the biggest market for Pakistani products having more than 1 billion population. Despite the mutual accord trade volume between Pakistan and India is around $2 billion it is need of the hour to augment the trading activities between two countries. He said that RCC1 is planned to organize 10 single countries Expos in different countries including SAARC region in the year 2012 to gear up the exports and strengthen national economy. He demanded of the government to facilitate the business community in this regard. At the end he thanked the chief guest and vowed that RCCI will continue its efforts for the betterment of the countrys economy. n

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Telepedia

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India has 926.53 million subscribers in the net; 46.32 million subscribers likely to be affected by Supreme Court verdict; 30 percent tariff hike expected; it is considered the worst nightmare in the history of Indian telecom sector and world; Opposition wants PM, FM to step down, while PM Singh yet to break silence
he Indian Supreme Court cancelled the 122 telecom licences that jailed former telecom minister A Raja had issued to eight companies in 2008 (Telenor among them), calling the allocation illegal, wholly arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest. By cancelling licences issued by the UPA government to telecommunications companies in 2008, the Supreme Court has ruled against discretion in the allotment of natural resources like radio frequencies. This is in contrast to the view of this government and that of its predecessor, the NDA, that big upfront costs like spectrum fees, which must be passed on to customers, don't serve the larger goal of universal telecom access in India. So, radio frequencies need to be farmed out cheap. The court, however, finds the method used by the then telecom minister A Raja to distribute permits tied to bundles of spectrum unacceptable. This is a noteworthy development in Indian policy-making. But while this should lead to a new transparency in policy-making, the question is whether such a decision will inhibit making policy at all. In the country's current industrial and economic atmosphere, pushing the pause button just to avoid future judicial reproach can be debilitating. The country's learning curve in telecom regulation has been steep: it has taken them 15 years to realise that the most efficient way to allot radio frequency, as with any other finite natural resource, is through open bidding. Fortunately, the government has, on its own, come to the same conclusion as the courts. Spectrum auctions are the way forward in a country that has more than 900 million cellphone subscribers and among the cheapest call charges in the world. From here on, calls are going to cost more and the number of new

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customers signing up will slow down from the eyepopping 20 million a month. The older telecom companies, which among them share 90 percent of the market, will get a chance to stop the insane price war the government's free-for-all policy had set off. The telecom watchdog reckons not more that 5 percent of India's mobile subscribers have signed up with the new players. When the government reverts with a new set of rules, it should squeeze out the spectrum that was traded for equity or is currently being hoarded. These rules will have to address the genuine grievance of the foreign partners of new telecom companies that paid top dollar to get into one of the hottest markets in the world. The lower courts will now go into fixing accountability within the government for undue favours in the `first come-first served' licences of 2008 while investigators are to hand over their evidence to an independent anti-corruption cell. The UPA argues the decision was isolated to Mr Raja, who, along with his predecessor Dayanidhi Maran, engineered the necessary concentration of powers in the telecom ministry that allowed them to exercise wide discretion in the grant of licences. On his part, Mr Raja has argued that all decisions he took had kept the entire Cabinet in the loop. The trial court could ask P Chidambaram to explain why as finance minister in 2008 he did not insist that spectrum be auctioned to start-up telecom companies, establish whether the government has been able to limit its embarrassment. The Supreme Court's judgment will push up companies' costs, reduce competition and may nudge firms to raise tariffs to maintain profit margins, experts said. We are looking at an increase in tariff by about 30 percent in the next one year,

CEO of an existing telecom service provider said. We were not able to reduce tariff earlier as the market was hyper competitive and we were offering tariff on the basis of what the competition is offering and not on the basis of our business

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plans. Currently, there are about 1012 operators providing services in a circle, making India one of the most competitive markets in the world. As a result, prices of telecom services in India are one of the lowest in the world. The 2G telecom spectrum scam is arguably the most high-profile corruption case in Indian history valued at as much as R1,76,000 crore by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in which former cabinet minister A Raja and former telecom secretary S Behura are behind bars in Delhi's Tihar jail. What's the allegation department of telecom (DoT), headed by Raja, it has been alleged, decided on who should be given the licences much before the bids had come, exploiting loopholes in the existing firstcome-first-served (FCFS) policy. Soon after the SC cancelled the 122 licences, the BJP launched a stinging attack on the government with party president Nitin Gadkari demanding PM Manmohan Singh's resignation on moral grounds. In Gujarat, CM Narendra Modi said the Centre had lost the right to stay in office. He charged that the Centre was trying to `save' then finance minister P Chidambaram, who, the BJP claims, was equally responsible as then telecom minister A Raja of the DMK. Telecom minister Kapil Sibal blamed the NDA regime for the current mess in the allotment of 2G spectrum even as the UPA government and Congress closed ranks to defend embattled home minister P Chidambaram on the issue. Sibal said the Supreme Court had found fault with the firstcome-first-served policy formulated by the BJP-led NDA government. We followed it. The court found the policy discriminatory, not the fact that we followed it, he said. Sibal said the court verdict was consistent with the UPA government's policy. I have stated earlier that we will de-link licence from the spec-

Supreme Court judgment that cancelled 122 licences. However, the company may not bid for all the circles if the reserve prices are very high. In principle we will go for auction but I am not saying that whether we will win everything, said Sigve

The older telecom companies share 90 percent of the market; not more than 5 percent of India's mobile subscribers have signed up with the new players; Telenor owns 67.25 percent stake in Uninor, Telenor net profit fell 44.6 percent; Telenor invested Rs 14,000 crore in Uninor; Telenor has to face the music as it entered into Indian telecom market unlawful
Brekke, managing director, Uninor. So, the option of exit cannot be ruled out. The company would finalise its strategy after looking at the base price and the reserve price for the 2G spectrum, said Brekke. The Supreme Court cancelled licences of all the new GSM service providers including Uninor, in which Telenor has more than 67 percent stake. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already started the consultation process for formulating recommendations for awarding new licences. The bidding should be limited between

Fredrik. We expect Indian authorities to conduct a swift and fair process. Facing adverse market reactions and under diplomatic pressure in the wake of the recent cancellation of the 122 second generation (2G) Spectrum licences by the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a crucial meeting with senior Cabinet colleagues about its overall impact on the telecom sector and the way forward. The meeting held at the Prime Ministers residence was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Law Minister Salman Khurshid. Attorney General GE Vahanvati and Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar were also present. The meeting assumes greater importance in the wake of intense diplomatic pressure on the government especially from Norway and Russia. The Norwegian and Russian Governments have major stakes in their local telecom firms that have, in turn, picked up majority stakes in joint venture partnerships in the affected telecom firms. The two governments hold majority stakes in Telenor and Sistema, respectively, which have partnered with Unitech and Shyam Telecom for the Uninor and MTS telecom brands operating. With Telenor having invested over Rs 14,000 crore in the Indian operations here, the Norwegian Government had sent its Minister for IT, Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs Rigmor Aasrud for a meeting with Kapil Sibal. Sistema claims to have also invested over Rs 12,000 crore and was seeking protection from the Indian Government for its investments. Reports suggested that in the wake of all the pressure and with the affected companies also looking to file a review petition in the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister also asked for the Attorney General's opinion.

trum, he said and assured that the government would put fresh rules in place within four months the deadline set by the apex court to set the ball rolling on the way forward on spectrum sale. On its part, the Congress dismissed as illogical and ridiculous the BJP's claim that the severe indictment of the UPA government by the apex court was collective responsibility of the ruling coalition, and hence Chidambaram should resign. Uninor, a joint venture between Norway-based Telenor group and Unitech Ltd, will participates in the bids for 2G spectrum, even as the company plans to keep legal options open to contest

new service providers and incumbent operators should not be allowed to participate in the bidding process, said Brekke. Telenor owns 67.25 percent in Unitech Wireless, while Unitech owns the rest. Telenor posted a sharp profit fall for 2011 after taking a charge of 4.2 billion kroner ($720 million) on its Indian unit after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences. Net profit in 2011 fell 44.6 percent from the level 7.9 billion kroner in large part due to complications from its majority stake in Uninor. We are working to protect our investment in all possible manners, and will consider every option prior to any further investments, said John

The Telecom Secretary apprised the Prime Minister and the other ministers present about the finer points of the judgment and its impact on the telecom sector, keeping in mind the possibility of FDI flow getting affected. "Ultimately, all the matters have to go to the Cabinet so the government has to be informed before that in order to take a decision," he added. According to the ministry, auctions, on the other hand, can favour large firms with deep pockets, leading to monopolies. On the land issue, the government is likely to adopt a competitive bidding or e-auctions methodology, especially for commercial and institutional properties. n

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rom delivering newspapers to spearheading a multi-million dollar software company Cvents CEO and founder Reggie Aggarwal attributes his success to his team

What time do you wake up every day? What time do you sleep? Reggie Aggarwal: I start my day at 7:30 am and sleep around midnight. I never leave home without Kissing my wife How do you commute to office? How long is the commute? Reggie: I drive to work and it is a 30- minute commute on average. How many hours a week do you work? Reggie: I work about 55-60 hours a week What is the first thing you do on reaching office? Reggie: Check my emails What do you like the most about your job? Reggie: The people and their energy levels What is the one thing you like least about your job? Reggie: Dealing with unmotivated people What is the secret of your success? Reggie: Building a great team. The DNA of a company is its people so we invest heavily in human capital. So hire good people, train them and then get out of the way What do you have for breakfast? Reggie: I start my day with cereal/oatmeal and some fruit What would you like to change about yourself/your life? Reggie: Id like to lead a healthier lifestyle, but my constant travelling makes it challenging sometimes How often do you exercise? Reggie: When Im in the US, I work out a cou-

Reggie Aggarwal has led Cvent from a two-person startup to a 900-person software company its technology has helped manage 350,000 events in 50 countries. In July 2011, the company received a $136 million investment-which, according to the Wall Street Journal, is the biggest US software funding deal since 2007 and the largest in the history of the events technology industry. With 500 employees in Gurgaon, India, 400 in Washington, DC, and 500 crore worth of turnover, Cvent has been thriving under Reggies leadership
ple of times a week; when Im in India, I work out four to five times in a week its hard to make an excuse when the gym is in your hotel. What exercise do you do? Reggie: Running and weights How do you relax? Any hobbies? Reggie: Who has time for hobbies when you have a thriving business and a young family? Your favorite book? Reggie: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett Your favourite film? Reggie: My favourite film is Lord of the Rings Trilogy When and where did you last go on holiday? Reggie: Mexico in December 2011 One gadget you cannot live without? Reggie: My BlackBerry What makes you happy? Reggie: Seeing my daughter laugh What is the most important lesson that life has taught you? Reggie: Persistency and consistency do pay off I promise What was your first job and salary? Reggie: I had my first job when I was 12, delivering newspapers At what age did you become CEO? Reggie: At 29 Which living person do you admire? Reggie: Its hard to pick one person because so many people have had a positive influence on my had to choose another profession, Id run an NGO. I like that their mission is to make an impact rather than just to make money What characteristic/behaviour do you dislike most in others? Reggie: People who are unkind to others Where do you see yourself in five years? Reggie: Tripling Cvents revenues and dedicating a substantial amount of my personal time to NGOs What is your biggest strength? Reggie: The passion that I show towards the things that I believe in, and my ability to ignite passion in others What is your biggest weakness? Reggie: Being impatient. I struggle with that reality that not everyone thinks like an entrepreneur At what age do you hope to retire? Reggie: I have too many exciting things going on right now to even think about retirement! What is your most cherished possession? Reggie: My family. Although it isnt really a possession, its definitely my most cherished blessing. Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Cvent was voted as one of the 50 Best Places to Work in Washington DC for three years in a row by the Washington Business Journal. Cvent was honoured for the 2010 Management Team of the Year by the American Business Awards
life. I admire my professors and mentors What job would you rather be doing? Reggie: I love being an entrepreneur, but if I

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Telenor comes under attack in Karachi

young receptionist and a security guard were killed and three others were wounded when armed men assaulted a Telenor franchise near the Matric Board Office in North Nazimabad. It is pertinent to mention that this was the 4th terrorist attack on franchises of telecommunication companies. Since December 2011, two franchises, of Telenor and Mobilink each, have been attacked in the same manner. A regional sales officer at Warid was shot dead at one of the companys franchise in Mehmoodabad for what the police say was putting up a resistance to a robbery. Pakistan is developing country and would not survive without foreign direct investments (FDIs). Some outlaws do not want to Pakistan growing and progress in the region. What is motive behind the attacks on the cellular franchises? It is completely failure of City Police Department including the Government of Sind. This is test time to catch the killers and expose whose instructions they are killing innocent people and hanged them in same place. During the operation, Crime Investigation Department killed and arrested the men they said were responsible for the attacks, they had also warned that there might be more. The men they had nabbed and killed in an alleged encounter near Dalmia were from the Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan and were targeting the franchises to compel the telecom companies to pay extortion. At around 12:52pm, two armed men in shal-

It is pertinent to mention that this was the 4th terrorist attack on franchises of telecommunication companies, since December 2011

war kameez, entered the Telenor outlet and opened fire at the staffers before escaping within five minutes. As a result, Faiza, 25, security guard Mazhar Butt, salesman Mansoor, 37, and two customers, Waseem, 29, and Imtiaz, 26,

managed to take him away in a car. The attackers were six in number and they were driving a Hi-roof van. Police have obtained video footage of the incident in which three of the attackers can bee seen entering the franchise. All of them were wearing Shalwar Kameez. The franchise manager Shahzad luckily escaped the attack as he was in the washroom. Police were coordinating with the CitizensPolice Liaison Committee (CPLC) to develop the sketches of the suspects. It was the second such attack on a Telenor office in the city. On December 23 last year, four militants had barged

were wounded. They were rushed to hospital where doctors pronounced Faiza and Mazhar dead and the two others as critical. Apparently, this is part of the series of attacks on franchises whose purpose is extortion, said District West DIG Imran Yaqoob Minhas. We solved the previous two cases in which a Taliban member was killed and another was arrested. Perhaps these guys were their buddies. The North Nazimabad police said that one of the attackers was also injured when his pistol accidentally went off. However, his accomplices

into the franchise of the same cellular firm in the Shadman area and killed two of its employees. The attackers had also set the premises on fire before escaping. n

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InsighT

Farooq Malik

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WP Group is a leading business house with core activities in technology, logistics and consumer electronics. With over many years of experience, DWP Technologies Division is a leading provider of end-to-end IT services. DWP Tech Division serves large enterprises, corporate, small & medium companies and the home-users. Now DWP Group has lineup a new series of LCD LED and 3D TV in the local market of Pakistan with their own brand named EcoStar. EcoStar LCDs are the best and most affordable television sets with unmatched quality and durability. EcoStar televisions come with a range of exciting features and spectacular picture quality makes it a wonderful medium to watch all you desire. EcoStar has covered the market gap with in little time and begins to rise up as an affordable and durable brand name with an exciting range and feature. EcoStar is giving the best prices with the best services allover Pakistan. EcoStar is starting from as 19 inches to large as 55 inches LCD TV to the costumer. Their unique panel and modern designs with low energy consumption catered the customer and gave range of Rs 16,000 up to Rs 65,000; their all models can be seen and examined at Eco Star out lets and local dealers. Eco Star discovers the real 3D experience with breathtaking picture and stunning reality. Eco Star technology brings a world of excitement and entertainment in a whole new dimension. EcoStar CX- 42L 520 -3D Series are the best and most affordable television sets with unmatched quality and durability. EcoStar televisions come with a range of exciting features and

Now DWP Group has lineup a new series of LCD LED and 3D TV in the local market of Pakistan with their own brand named EcoStar. EcoStar LCDs are the best and most affordable television sets with unmatched quality and durability
spectacular picture quality makes it a wonderful medium to watch all you desire. Key Features Full HD Flicker Free, No Eye Stress Advance FPR 3D Real Color Engine Digital Comb Filter Energy Saving DynaCon Wide Viewing Angle Image Refinery Motion Engine Reflecto Con Nature View 3D Content Thru USB HDMI IPS ( In Plane Switching) HD 1080: 1080p images that bring out the originality of natural beauty on your screen. Due to the increased scanning lines and double the resolution as compared to standard HD LCDs, the Full HD 1080p shows the world truly picturesque. The rich texture of Full HD images makes picture so clear that it almost takes you there. Image refinery: The advanced engine by EcoStar comes with an ability to produce not only deeper black and white contrast but also enhance the color spectrums of the images. It enables motion engine to work efficiently with 1080p resulting into the ultimate output of colors and smooth picture of your EcoStar LCD TV. better motion quality and clarity to watch a whole new proportion of picture definition and a high picture quality regardless of how fast the image moves. REflecto Con: EcoStar LCDs come with ReflectoCon or anti-reflection screen panel that efficiently absorbs external light and removes reflection from your screen to the best. The Reflecto-Con provides you with more rich, natural, deeper and dynamic details of the picture for a colorful and comfortable viewing experience. Nature view: See colors as they were meant to be seen with EcoStar Natural View i.e. color enhancement technologyin its LCD televisions. The Natural View is fine-tuned to show every color of the picture in RGB spectrum that makes every image look closest to the natural DynaCon: DynaCon or Dynamic Contrast Control technology offered by EcoStar LCDs provides an enormous cinematic experience to the viewers. The special LCD backlight adjustment delivers a dynamic depth of color and deeper details that result in intense expression of every shade and hue of color you see on your screen. HDMI: EcoStar Television are equipped with High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) inputs providing hugely fast transfer speeds converting your LCD into your personal high speed multi-media hub. n

EcoStar is giving the best prices with the best services allover Pakistan. EcoStar is starting from as 19 inches to large as 55 inches LCD TV to the costumer. Their unique panel and modern designs with low energy consumption catered the customer and gave range of Rs 16,000 up to Rs 65,000; their all models can be seen and examined at EcoStar outlets and local dealers
Motion engine: EcoSt a r s Motion Engine technology helps you watch a seemless picture without any judder or blur effect. Making use of 3 different elements i.e. panel, video processing and backlit technology, the Motion Engine determines the clarity of motion. You will have

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Prof Hafiz UImair Munwar

InsighT

obody knows for sure how much electronic waste is dumped in Pakistan, but its easily in the thousands of tons every year. Some of it is generated internally but most is imported from developed countries. Its not legal under the Basel Convention to which Pakistan is a party to import Ewaste into the country, and legislation calls for proper handling of what does exist to minimize lead, cadmium, beryllium, and brominates flame retardant contamination, but these laws are not well enforced. Electrical Waste - switches, relays, connectors, and related scrap material; Telecommunication Waste - mobile phones, telephones, telephone exchanges, wireless equipment cables, and related scrap material; Electronic Waste - metal waste, printed circuit boards, e-equipment and machinery, IC, sockets, and connectors; Cable Waste - PVC, pre-insulated copper, and aluminum cable waste; Chemical Waste chemical sludge and residue. Regulatory environment The National Environment Policy of 2005 and the Import Policy Order 2009 are designed to regulate how E-waste is managed in Pakistan, but informal recycling centers continue to proliferate. Often teenagers are among those who separate out the various materials that can be

The radioactive source in smoke alarms, Americium, is a known carcinogenic. Sulphur in batteries can cause liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye and throat irritation
re-used, which can be dangerous. Dangers vary depending on the nature of waste being handled. For example, the radioactive source in smoke alarms, Americium, is a known carcinogenic. Sulphur in batteries can cause liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye and throat irritation. E-waste is shipped to Pakistan, India, China, and many African countries because labor is cheap and environmental standards are lax, making it easier to avoid costly dismantling procedures mandated by laws in developed countries. Lacking such strong environmental oversight, informal recycling centers in Pakistan often throw their E-waste onto a massive bonfire in order to melt down plastics and expose valuable metals that can then be re-used. This releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and black soot, all of which exacerbate respiratory problems. Pakistan lacks formal mechanisms to manage E-waste at the national level and that very little funding has been applied to research and development of suitable recycling technologies. The country lacks an inventory of e-waste and that the government has not paid sufficient attention to this issue. Incentives for change Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP warns of problems that will arise if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector, according to an article in Science Daily. He adds that establishing proper recycling facilities can have enormous benefits. In addition to curbing health problems, boosting developing country e-waste recycling rates can have the potential to generate decent employment, cut greenhouse gas emissions and recover a wide range of valuable metals including silver, gold, palladium, copper and indium by acting now and planning forward many countries can turn an e-challenge into an e-opportunity. The Basel Action Network is one of the few international organizations committed to rooting out injustices associated with the global trade of E-waste. Despite the absence of waste; Investment opportunity for financing in E-waste management under the take-back system. The bottom line Although it is true that E-waste in Pakistan is mounting, each new heap also represents a pile of opportunities. Those thousands of tons of dumped computers and phones contain valuable raw materials that can be re-used, obviating the need for additional mining. And if done safely, formal recycling facilities can offer scores of job opportunities. A successful recycling program starts with attractive incentives, which in turns greater government participation. However, the good news is that all mobile phone companies have agreed to setup collecting centres for unusable phones, some having already set up collecting facilities. Like the TV and the mobile phone, the computer has become a part of our lives; a fixture in our offices and increasingly in our homes today. A computer also has a short lifespan and can become obsolete with the invention of new faster models becoming e-waste quickly. While the international treaty on hazardous waste called the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal regulates e-waste disposal, it has however, become a practice for developed countries to send their ewaste to developing countries. Sri Lanka is a signatory of the Basel treaty and hence it is illegal to send any e-waste to Sri Lanka without declaring it. But there are other means by which developed nations transfer their e-waste to countries like Sri Lanka, for example under the guise of humanitarian reasons, that even old technology can still help. n

The good news is that all mobile phone companies have agreed to setup collecting centres for unusable phones, some having already set up collecting facilities. A computer also has a short lifespan and can become obsolete with the invention of new faster models becoming e-waste quickly
national mechanisms, Nokia and Unilever both launched Take Back programs whereby customers are invited to return any brand of phone in exchange for a gift hamper. Media among other organizations that have teamed up to make this venture a success. Pakistan can introduce initiatives for collection and transportation of E-waste under the take back system; Public private partnership for the development of E-waste Recycling facilities; Create public awareness for benefits of E-

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Telepedia

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If we glanced over the history and activities of Telenor, we have reached to a certain point that, Telenor has gone through the limits and now has the phobia of lawsuits of arbitration; it has problems with Huawei, NSN, VimpelCom and Unitech
elenor Pakistan has filed separate lawsuits against Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei Pakistan. According to the details the matter was moved to court for arbitration over a dispute in an agreement between Huawei Pakistan and Telenor Pakistan. According to the agreement, Huawei was supposed to offer managed network services to Telenor Pakistan for three years, starting April 2011, this was the same agreement under which Huawei had absorbed Telenor Pakistans whole department for Network Security and Maintenance. Aamer Izhar Ul Haq, Vice President Corporate Affairs & Security at Telenor Pakistan confirmed that Telenor is involved in separate legal proceedings with the Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei without mentioning the details. As the matter is sub-judice, we are unable to comment any further on the subject, he added. It merits mentioning here that Telenor Pakistan recently awarded ZTE a countrywide endto-end network swap contract valuing $850 million to beat NSN and Huaweis price. Telenor Pakistan has reportedly decided in principle to get ZTEs services for replacing its entire access and core network infrastructure throughout the country. After this contract ZTE will become sole vendor for Telenor Pakistan to setup, maintain and run its entire network, which will include 3G rollout in coming years. NSN after losing Telenors contract is left with no other work in the country except for minor chunk in PTCL and Mobilink. It had already started lay-offs, but loss of Telenor project might result into possible closure of NSN operations in Pakistan, but nothing can be said with certainty at this point of time. Earlier Telenor Pakistan has reportedly agreed to award 3G network deployment contract to NSN (Nokia Siemens Networks) in Pakistan, disclosed sources in NSN.

Huawei has inked a contract with Telenor Group to supply 1.2 million mobile broadband modems over the coming 12 months for Telenors 13 operating companies. But, if we glanced over the history and activities of Telenor, we have reached to a certain point that, Telenor has gone through the limits and now has the phobia of lawsuits of arbitration. Recently it has sued VimpelCom but now it bought VimpelCom shares and withdrawn its arbitration suit which it had filed against VimpelCom.

It merits mentioning here that Telenor Pakistan recently awarded ZTE a countrywide end-to-end network swap contract valuing $850 million to beat NSN and Huaweis price. Telenor Pakistan has reportedly decided in principle to get ZTEs services for replacing its entire access and core network infrastructure throughout the country
Telenor has purchased 234,000,000 VimpelCom preferred shares from Weather Investments, for $374,400,000, thereby increasing Telenor's voting share in VimpelCom Ltd. to 36.36 percent, subject to adjustment arising under certain put and call arrangements. Weather is the investment vehicle through which Mr. Naguib Sawiris and his family hold their interests in VimpelCom Ltd.

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In connection with the transaction, Telenor has withdrawn all its claims against Altimo Holdings & Investments Ltd., Altimo Cooperatief U.A. and VimpelCom Ltd. in the pending arbitration proceeding, and will work to expand the VimpelCom Board to eleven members. Telenor's withdrawal of its claims will result in the termination of the VimpelCom shareholders agreement. This is not yet done, Telenor issued a notice to its Indian strategic partner Unitech Limited, that it will seek indemnity and compensation following the cancellation of Uninor's 22 licenses by the Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court of India passed an order to revoke 122 licenses issued to all operators on and from January 10, 2008. This included all licenses issued to Uninor. Telenor Group holds Unitech Ltd. liable for the breach of warranties related to the cancellation of the licenses - seeking compensation for all investment, guarantees and damages caused by the Supreme Court Order. Telenor Group also makes an indemnity claim against Unitech for the failure to obtain spectrum in the strategically critical Delhi circle. Telenor Group will consider every option available to secure the continued successful development of its mobile services in the country. It is Telenor Group's position that the strategic partnership with Unitech Limited does not have a future, and it therefore will start the process of looking for a new Indian partner. Telenor Group has invested INR 61 billion (NOK 8.9 billion) for 67.25 percent ownership in Uninor, and additionally is also fully guaranteeing for INR 80 billion (NOK 8.1 billion) of shortterm debt. Now, Telenor looks like a mad beast, which has some viral infection, around the globe, wherever it has some business or partners, it has some problems and love to go to court of law against everyone. But, it will not give it any boost but breakdown. n

Telepedia

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amsung is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation and expanding its business throughout the world but in Pakistan, Samsung fails to deliver to the customers. The hapless management team of Samsung in Pakistan seems like immature adults (non-professionals). There are many reasons behind the deceleration of Samsung products especially mobile phone unit, the main reason is non-serious attitude of the management and strategy. The Samsung management in Pakistan lacks market knowledge and hence failed to fulfil customers demands which leading Samsung into complete loss. Another reason for the failure of Samsung in Pakistan is the non-professional attitude with reverend clients. The service support from Samsung is really pathetic. Why Samsungs Pakistani management is not interested to provide good service and support to their valued customers? Samsung needs perfect professional team as its experienced and dedicated team left the company due to non-professional attitude of other colleagues, now they are boosting the businesses of their respective organisations which they had joined. At the present, Samsung have totally nonprofessional and non-serious team who leading Samsung into complete collapse. The company have changed main distributors in Pakistan within no time. If Samsung wants to flourish in Pakistan, then it has to change its current management team, who are creating obstacles in Samsung progress. Samsung needs to open its distributing units in major cities across Pakistan to grab the most

The Samsung management in Pakistan lacks market knowledge and hence failed to fulfil customers demands which leading Samsung into complete loss. Another reason for the failure of Samsung in Pakistan is the non-professional attitude with reverend clients. The service support from Samsung is really pathetic
lucrative and expanding market of Pakistan. Today, Nokia is the largest shareholder, while QMobile snatch the 2nd spot in mere two and a half years. If Samsung wants to grab the No.1 spot, it has to beat Nokia and QMobile, and to beat them, Samsung needs devoted team, which it hasnt yet. Samsung Company does not possess good image in different advertising and PR agencies. Its PR and Media Department does need proper trained team, who know the art of media campaigns to introduce new products in the market. Though Samsung faces many challenges worldwide as Samsung is feeling the heat over an Israeli commercial, which features a Galaxy Tab 750 involved in the destruction of Iran's nuclear facility. The ad shows four characters from the popular Israeli TV series, Asfur. Disguised as women, the quartet bumps into an undercover Mossad agent, and accidently blows and speaks volume about the incompetency of authorities at Samsung, who approved this kind of discriminatory ads. Samsung faces an investigation by European competition authorities over allegations it abused patents on standard smartphone technology to attack Apple.

Today, Nokia is the largest shareholder, while QMobile snatch the 2nd spot in mere two and a half years. If Samsung wants to grab the No.1 spot, it has to beat Nokia and QMobile, and to beat them, Samsung needs devoted team, which it hasnt yet; its PR and Media Department does not have the required skills and decision making power for marketing and also lacking in business expanding strategies
not have the required skills and decision making power for marketing and also lacking in business expanding strategies. Planning and execution never ever glanced over them. They up Iran's nuclear facility. Needless to say, neither Ali Khamenei nor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was amused. I would say that it reflects a very bad taste

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The investigation marks a major regulatory intervention in Samsungs bitter patent dispute with Apple, which is ongoing in courts in the United States, Germany and Australia, among other jurisdictions. It gives the impression that Samsung has patents phobia. n

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nternational Data Corporation (IDC) has released the figures for worldwide mobile shipments. Reportedly, a staggering 1546 million phones were shipped last year. Out of around 120 vendors in the list though, only five managed to leave their mark. Nokia continues to lead the mobile space by moving 417.1 million devices, and accounting for 27 percent of the total market. Samsung notched up 329.4 million units to grab 21.3percent of the market share. Interestingly, Apple managed to grab the third spot by pushing LG down to fourth place. Considering that Apple only ships high-end phones, the fact that it has managed to find a place in a list that includes low-end phones as well is impressive. On the other hand, LG was the biggest loser with a whopping 25percent decline in sales. Surprisingly, the relatively obscure Chinese manufacturer ZTE has emerged as the worlds fifth biggest manufacturer. Other big names such as Sony Ericsson and Motorola couldn't even make it to the top five. This probably means that abandoning their mass-market phones to focus on Android devices wasn't really a smart move. The worldwide mobile phone market grew 6.1percent year over year in the fourth quarter of 2011 (4Q11), as the feature phone market declined faster than anticipated, dragging market growth down to its lowest point in over two years. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 427.4 million units in 4Q11 compared to 402.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2010. The 6.1percent year-over-year growth was higher than IDC's forecast of 4.4percent for the quarter, but weaker than the 9.3percent growth in 3Q11. "The mobile phone market exhibited unusually low growth last quarter, which shows it is not immune to weaker macroeconomic conditions worldwide," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. "The introduction of high-growth products such as the iPhone 4S, which shipped in the fourth quarter, bolstered smartphone growth. Yet overall market growth fell to its lowest point since 3Q09 when the global economic recession was in full bloom." While smartphones continue to grow in popularity, feature phones still comprise the majority of all mobile phone shipments. "Feature phones accounted for a majority of shipments from four of the five market leaders during the quarter," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Even though their proportion is eroding, feature phones maintain their appeal on the basis of price and ease of use. "At the same time, feature phones are fighting to maintain their market share," added Llamas. "To meet the challenge, feature phones are becoming more like smartphones, incorporating mobile Internet and third-party applications. While this may not stem the smartphone tide, it should slow down the rate at which smartphones are selected over feature phones." Nokia finished the year exactly where it began: as the undisputed leader of total mobile phone shipments. The company took another step in its storied transition, having officially launched its first Windows Phone-powered Lumia smartphones and its Asha line of smartphone-like feature phones. While

Nokia continues to lead the mobile space by moving 417.1 million devices, and accounting for 27 percent of the total market. Samsung notched up 329.4 million units to grab 21.3 percent of the market share. Interestingly, Apple managed to grab the third spot by pushing LG down to fourth place
both have received positive response from the market, Nokia has been quick to adjust its retail experience, customer engagement, and hardware bug fixes. At the same time, the increased focus on the Lumia, combined with changing market conditions in key markets, has prompted Nokia to change its strategy on Symbian smartphones. Fewer Symbian devices will be sold in 2012. Still, Nokia's broad distribution around the world and manufacturing capabilities make it a serious contender to maintain its leadership position. fewer than 20 million units separating them in 4Q11. Apple jumped into the third spot globally from the fifth spot last quarter thanks to a record-breaking quarter of shipments. That represents the Cupertinobased company's highest-ever ranking on IDC's Top 5 global mobile phone leaderboard. The launch of Apple's iPhone 4S smartphone, which is now available in over 90 countries (as of mid-January), was the primary reason the company leapt over LG and ZTE in 4Q11. Device sales in the U.S. and Japan were particularly strong given extra sales days in the quarter and carrier distribution. LG's total volumes declined for the third consecutive quarter, sinking to levels not seen since the second quarter of 2007. Driving this result was a combination of waning interest in its aging feature phones and stalled smartphone volumes. In addition, from a full year perspective, LG posted the largest full year-over-year decline among the leading vendors. Still, the quarter did have some bright spots, including a return to profitability and a warm reception for its Optimus LTE smartphones across multiple markets. 2012 will feature more smartphones from LG, especially LTE-powered models, but the competition has similar smartphone strategies. Chinese vendor ZTE nearly tied with LG for fourth place, with fewer than a million units separating the two vendors. Long known as a purveyor of entry level devices, ZTE's smartphones increasingly moved into the spotlight. The company's primary targets included countries throughout Asia/Pacific, but it also gained presence in EMEA and Latin America, and branched out into North America. Key models for the quarter included its popular massmarket Blade and mid-range Skate Android smartphones, and recently the company added its first Windows Phone-powered smartphone, the Tania. n

Samsung finished the quarter and the year reaching new record levels: breaking the 90 million unit mark for the first time in a single quarter and breaking the 300 million mark for the first time in a single year. Leading the charge for Samsung was its growing smartphone volumes, boosted by the release of several high-end devices (Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus), mass market models (Galaxy Ace, and Galaxy Y), and new Windows Phone smartphones (Focus Flash and the Focus S). These, along with its own steadily growing feature phone volumes, pushed Samsung closer to market leader Nokia, with

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The benefits of iBooks 2 and its interactive textbooks were hammered home during Apples New York City press event: theyre interactive, easily updated, portable, the list goes on. But now that Apples hype machine has calmed down a bit, the issues with the companys grand plan to revitalize education are becoming more apparent
s it did with music and cellphones, Apple recently fundamentally redefined what a textbook is with the announcement of iBooks 2 and its accompanying iBooks Author software. The benefits of iBooks 2 and its interactive textbooks were hammered home during Apples New York City press event: theyre interactive, easily updated, portable, the list goes on. But now that Apples hype machine has calmed down a bit, the issues with the companys grand plan to revitalize education are becoming more apparent. First, there are the obvious problems. For Apples digital textbooks to actually take off, more students will need easy access to iPads. I, along with many others, expected Apple to announce some sort of plan to get more iPads in schools. But instead, the event ended abruptly as if Apples executives left the stage in mid-song. At $500 a pop, an iPad isnt a light buying decision for most college students. Though if Apple is successful at convincing schools to adopt its digital textbooks, schools will likely be able to offer the tablets at a discount for students. In an ideal world, students would actually save money by purchasing an iPad and spending far less on books every semester (Apples current digital textbooks retail for $15 and under). For now though, an iPad will be another added expense on top of all the paper books students still need to buy. For K-12 public schools, it would be the school systems that have to purchase the iPads for students. Again, they may get some major discounts from Apple, but I cant imagine too many public schools that would be willing to give kids and teenagers an expensive gadget to take home. Paul Edelman, founder and CEO of the open education marketplace Teachers Pay Teachers,

calls the digital textbooks reliance on the iPad either a brilliant strategy on Apples part, or it will make its overall impact underwhelming. Teachers have already earned over $4 million on Teachers Pay Teachers selling course guides and other materials to other educators, something that shows many teachers will likely take up Apples offer to create textbooks using iBooks Author and sell them on the iBookstore.

Edelman said, iBooks Author, though very neat since it is available to everyone, my suffer the same fate since creators of content lock their users into one hardware device. Today teachers create content using many different applications that can then be used on any platform or device. I love Apple, but in education open is better than closed
Edelman goes on to say, iBooks Author, though very neat since it is available to everyone, my suffer the same fate since creators of content lock their users into one hardware device. Today teachers create content using many different applications that can then be used on any platform or device. I love Apple, but in education open is better than closed. In addition to being locked down to creating content for the iPad, there are also issues with

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Apples End User License Agreement (commonly called a EULA) for iBooks Author. In short, if you use the software to create an e-book, you can only sell the book on the iBookstore. Given that Apple is providing sophisticated e-book creation software for free, that doesnt seem too unreasonable. The real problem, though, is that Apple doesnt even ask you to agree to the EULA, its assumed that you do if you use the software, as Dan Winer points out. Winer writes: Apple has quietly pushed desktop software into uncharted territory with iBooks Author. As Winer points out, its as if Microsoft tried to enforce how you could use a Microsoft Word document. Its the sort of thing open source software types have been worrying about for years, especially after Apples extremely restrictive stance on iOS app development. While I applaud Apples idealism when it comes to technology and education, realistically were going to need a lot more than an updated iBooks app and snazzy e-book editor to make a real difference in schools. Technology-centric solutions also often fail to keep in mind the value of alternatives. Theres certainly something to be said for students engaging with material primarily because of an effective teacher. And when it comes to math problems, students will still need to be able to demonstrate on paper how they reached solutions, even if a calculator or iPad is helping them with the actual number crunching. My biggest worry is if Apples vision takes off at the expense of other useful strategies for educations. Given the cost of iPads, accessories, and maintenance, many schools could see their budgets blown away on Apples products, instead of other non-digital materials that could be just as helpful. n

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iFi is the over the air network used by millions of computers across the world to connect up to each other and the internet. There is no doubt that by now you are familiar with some of the basics of what this is with free WiFi hotspots all over the place. Many people do not even stop for second to consider how the technology works or why it is so fast and so easy to connect up. In this article I am going to examine the basics of wireless networking so you can have a better understanding of how the technology functions. Wireless Networking (Wi-Fi) has made it so easy for you to use the computer, portable media player, mobile

usually let you select which security method you wish to choose; if you have older devices, choose WEP, otherwise go with WPA2. Enter a passphrase to access the network; make sure to set this to something that would be difficult for others to guess, and consider using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters in the passphrase. What do the bad guys use - AirCrack and coWPAtty are some free tools that allow even non-hackers to crack the WEP / WPA (PSK) keys using dictionary or brute force techniques. A video on YouTube suggests that AirCrack may be easily used to break WiFi encryption using a jail-broken iPhone or an iPod Touch.

Wi-Fi has made it so easy for you to use the computer, portable media player, mobile phones, video game consoles, and other wireless devices anywhere in the house without the clutter of cables
phones, video game consoles, and other wireless devices anywhere in the house without the clutter of cables. With traditional wired networks, it is extremely difficult for someone to steal your bandwidth but the big problem with wireless signals is that others can access the Internet using your broadband connection even while they are in a neighboring building or sitting in a car that's parked outside your apartment. The good news is that it is not very hard to make your wireless network secure, which will both prevent others from stealing your internet and will also prevent hackers from taking control of your computers through your own wireless network. Here a few simple things that you should do to secure your wireless network: First, you need to know how to access your wireless routers settings. Usually you can do this by typing in 192.168.1.1 into your web browser, and then enter the correct user name and password for the router. This is different for each router, so first check your routers user manual. Once you have logged into your router, the first thing you should do to secure your network is to change the default password of the router to something more secure. This will prevent others from accessing the router and you can easily maintain the security settings that you want. You can change the password from the Administration settings on your routers settings page. The default values are generally admin / password. The SSID (or Wireless Network Name) of your Wireless Router is usually pre-defined as "default" or is set as the brand name of the router. Although this will not make your network inherently more secure, changing the SSID name of your network is a good idea as it will make it more obvious for others to know which network they are connecting to. Whether you have a laptop or a Wi-Fi enabled mobile phone, all your wireless devices have a unique MAC address (this has nothing to do with an Apple Mac) just like every computer connected to the Internet has a unique IP address. For an added layer of protection, you can add the MAC addresses of all your devices to your wireless routers settings so that only the specified devices can connect to your Wi-Fi network. If your wireless router has a high range but you are staying in a small studio apartment, you can consider decreasing the signal range by either changing the mode of your router to 802.11g (instead of 802.11n or 802.11b) or use a different wireless channel. You can also try placing the router under the bed, inside a shoe box or wrap a foil around the router antennas so that you can somewhat restrict the direction of signals. You should check the manufacturer's site occasionally to make sure that your router is running the latest firmware. You can find the existing firmware version of your router using from the router's dashboard at 192.168. Once you have enabled the various security settings in your wireless router, you need to add the new settings to your computers and other wireless devices so that they all can connect to the Wi-Fi network. You can select to have your computer automatically connect to this network, so you wont have to enter the SSID, passphrase and other information every time you connect to the Internet. Your wireless network will now be a lot more secure and intruders may have a tough time intercepting your Wi-Fi signals. n

In order to prevent other computers in the area from using your internet connection, you need to encrypt your wireless signals. There are several encryption methods for wireless settings, including WEP, WPA (WPA-Personal), and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2)
In order to prevent other computers in the area from using your internet connection, you need to encrypt your wireless signals. There are several encryption methods for wireless settings, including WEP, WPA (WPAPersonal), and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2). To enable encryption on your Wireless network, open the wireless security settings on your routers configuration page. This will

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National

Mosaic

Punjab Chief Minister along with family members of Arfa Karim inaugurates the Arfa IT Centre in Lahore.

CEO CMPAK Fan Yun Jun and CEO Wisecomm Shahid Mehmood Bhatti exchanging documents after singing a MoU in Islamabad

Managing Director PIA, Mr. Nadeem Khan Yousufzai and Mrs. Zareen Khan Youfufzai, the ailing children, Mr. Ishtiaq Baig, President Make a Wish Foundation-Pakistan and members of the Diplomatic core in Karachi.

Director Sales Mobilink Infinity Aamer Manzoor gives away prize to a lucky winner of Tombola Night.

Mobilink sales team and business partners at the Jazz Inami Hungama launch in Karachi.

Abacus Consutling participated in Lahore School of Economics job fair held in Lahore recently.

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A faithful takes a picture with a mobile phone as Pope Benedict XVI leads the Angelus prayer from the windows of his private apartment in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Sony's outgoing president and CEO Howard Stringer (R) and his successor Kazuo Hirai shake hands after their news conference in Tokyo.

Bollywood actress and Samsung India's brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra poses with the newly launch split air conditioners at a product launch in Hyderabad.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks at a phone message with Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Philip Gordon as they wait in a conference room for a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President.

Actor Steve Carell and wife Nancy (C) look at the cell phone of actress Jenna Fischer (L) at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

A model shows off the new FX-format digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera 'D800' Nikon, during a press preview in Tokyo.

Japanese actress Maki Horikita introduces a mobile produced by NTT DoCoMo and Walt Disney Japan during a press preview.

A demonstrator takes pictures with her mobile phone during a protest against Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in front of the Syrian Consulate in Istanbul.

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Maira Akhtar

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Data sharing and technology

The information economy is here - but governments and business are still obsessed with 'protecting' information, rather than making it more productive; globally, 30 billion pieces of information are shared on Facebook every month, 350 billion tweets make their way into the online world every day, and more than 300 billion email conversations happen daily
the right shoe for a user. Nike+ used this successfully to create a strategic advantage. Instant offers data around consumers, captured through different sources at multiple points in time, throws up a huge chunk of information. When high levels of analytics operate on that, what emerges is useful intelligence for creating relevant products and services. Quite often, data points talk to each other and help create an offering that is almost instantaneous. Consider, for example, that a shopper at a retail store reaches the billing desk. The moment the loyalty card is swiped, the counter staff gets to know that the consumer is a regular buyer of wine. In parallel, the store data system shows -in a popup -that there is an offer on a brand of wine that the consumer has purchased in the past. Back-end analytics suggest that the consumer has used reward points in the past to make a purchase, while counter staff can check the current reward points on the loyalty card. They can then make an offer with a marginally higher discount, persuading the consumer to buy the wine with the accumulated reward points. Technology has enabled a sale out of nowhere.

ince the 1970s, pundits have predicted a transition to an "information economy". The vision of an economy based on information seized the imaginations of the world's governments. For decades now, they have been creating policies to "protect" information stronger copyright laws, international treaties on patents and trademarks, treaties to protect anti-copying technology. The thinking is simple: an information economy must be based on buying and selling information. Therefore, we need policies to make it harder to get access to information unless you've paid for it. That means that we have to make it harder for you to share information, even after you've paid for it. Without the ability to fence off your information property, you can't have an information market to fuel the information economy. Globally, 30 billion pieces of information are shared on Facebook every month, 350 billion tweets make their way into the online world every day, and more than 300 billion email conversations happen daily, as a norm. Closer home, we have reached a milestone of 100 million internet users, with more than 33 million leading the way through social networks. Online reviews, references, likes and opinions are the order of the day. The fate of a movie gets decided by the number of SMSs sent out from a Send All command on a mobile phone. A bad experience at a restaurant travels on the net within minutes.

In parallel, companies capture trillions of bytes of information about their customers and other partners along the value chain from millions of networked devices such as mobile phones, automobiles and other consumer durables. All this data throws up challenges for marketers. Distilling insights and analysing consumer behavior now necessitates an understanding of the unique chemistry developing between consumers and technology. The implications are manifold. For starters, it puts the consumer truly in the center of all things. A greater degree of transparency, comparisons across different offerings and reviews and opinions has given a new meaning to terms such as advocacy and brand loyalty. Marketers have always prided themselves for their ability to understand consumer needs and design suitable offerings for such needs. Today, both of these are going through a metamorphosis. Data is everywhere there is a wealth of customer data being captured through the use of RFID, sensors, geo-tagging and other such methods. Even small amounts of data, when collected over time, can provide a wealth of pertinent information. A customer's grocery purchase data, if collated over a year as a part of a coalition loyalty card, could reveal buyer behaviour insights and at the same time, enable marketers to offer unique propositions. A sensor in the shoe or mobile phone can provide running patterns to a shoe manufacturer, who can then suggest

Even small amounts of data, when collected over time, can provide a wealth of pertinent information. A customer's grocery purchase data, if collated over a year as a part of a coalition loyalty card, could reveal buyer behaviour insights and at the same time, enable marketers to offer unique propositions
Indirect tech impact in many cases, the end user does not experience the technology effects directly. In a new experiment, insurance advisors have started using consumer insights and co-creation to deliver an on-the-spot policy, using a tablet. The result is a need-based, transparent and relevant. Technology is therefore getting re-born as a strategic enabler that can help the marketer influence all parts of the consumer buying behavior. It is also helping reduce the time to respond to such intelligence in parallel. Recognising that the decision making window is small, marketers can react fast with persuasive offers. The result: higher levels of customer satisfaction. n

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Fluttering butterflies in office

uman beings are emotional animals at the core; a strong affection or attraction can develop anywhere the street, the neighborhood, universities (ah yes, we have been there havent we?). Well, when romance springs up in an office setup it can lead to one of two things; it can either bloom into a beautiful tube rose, tall and magnificent or, it can be your worst nightmare (it can lead to a termination, a law suit for harassment, downfall of ones career and so on). There is nothing wrong with having an attraction or that special spark for someone; but one should be mindful of the line between a delicate passionate romance and an offending harassment. Research shows we are likely to spend a third or even more of our lives at places where we work; it is then not surprising for the buds of romance to bloom at the office. Companies have tried to put a ban on dating among employees; but they soon realized if it has to happen, it will happen. Also, if two employees are romantically attracted, and if these two employees happen to be among the best ones a company has, they might lose their sense of loyalty for the company. Today, responsible companies have removed the restriction with a statement what you do with your life is your business; we only care about how productive you are between office hours. Still, how to make sure a manager isnt taken off guard and

When romance springs up in an office setup it can lead to one of two things; it can either bloom into a beautiful tube rose, tall and magnificent or, it can be your worst nightmare (it can lead to a termination, a law suit for harassment, downfall of ones career and so on). There is nothing wrong with having an attraction or that special spark for someone
what is and what isnt appropriate. The benefits of allowing romance among employees within acceptable limits can do wonders for the morale of your human resource. To start with, you will have a bunch of happy workers who love to work together. A happy worker is a productive worker right? The other benefit is that you will have fewer absentees since workers emotionally connected will look forward to spending time with each other, and since they can be together for prolonged hours at the office they will do their best not to absent themselves from the office. Another advantage is that emotional partners know they have someone they can trust and confide in to talk about their activities and issues at work this way, they will try to resolve the issue among themselves before coming to you eventually, the management will have can be your strength should you decide to see it that way.

Acknowledging and appreciating the human element in your organization you obviously cannot create borders for emotions or feelings; but, you can make the harassment policy very clear to your human resource and let them know about the companys take on the issue should one be brought up. If there is an employee who is not interested or receptive to the advances of another
how to make sure you as the management get the best out of this inevitable situation? The first thing you as a manager need to do is make sure your company has a harassment policy if there is not one in place, generate one and have it enforced as soon as possible. Acknowledging and appreciating the human element in your organization you obviously cannot create borders for emotions or feelings; but, you can make the harassment policy very clear to your human resource and let them know about the companys take on the issue should one be brought up. If there is an employee who is not interested or receptive to the advances of another, they should know they can always come up to you and let you know with a confidence that their identity and the case will be dealt with high confidentiality. Many educational institutes as well as offices the world over have defined what is appropriate and what is not. Yes, this does sound a little harsh but then again, the company and its interests come first. The policy should spell out clearly more time to think about more serious issues like market competition and growth. Situations like these can be controlled in a way that most downsides are preventable; yet, there are some which are simply not, no matter how effective and well laid policy you have in place. If two employees decide to get married, you might lose one of perhaps both. On the other side, you will at times have a few couples who will start to

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think they are a little more smarter than you thinking that way, they will try to find loop holes within the policy. This particular disadvantage

Even if couples do find loopholes they are actually doing you a favor by finding them for you to fill. Another issue that may arise is the case of heartbreaks which is devastating to say the least you cannot prevent this from happening, but if it does you can ease the suffering, you will need to make sure there is someone in the company, who is friendly, popular among your employees and someone everyone likes to talk to. If an employee does give the appearance of a shipwreck, s/he can go to this individual and talk it out. You will be surprised how much a simple conversation can help. Prevention is better than cure and this is something you cannot prevent; but you can limit an undesirable event. Make sure you have a fraternization policy, well formulated and firmly enforced. A well composed, widely publicized and strictly enforced fraternization policy will still not prevent office romances from blooming; however, it will make it a lot easier and less litigious for everyone involved particularly you, the management. Remember, a good manager gets things done; a better manager mentors his/her subordinates to accomplish tasks time and time again, being mindful of their feelings and emotions. n

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Flare Report

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IT bigwigs join hands to wipe out Phishing

A common problem with email is that it is very easy to spoof the "from" address, making it difficult for an average user to know if an email is really from the domain it purports to be from

ompanies such as Facebook, Google and PayPal are pushing for widespread use of a new technical specification, DMARC, that could make it harder for phishers to reach their victims. A common problem with email is that it is very easy to spoof the "from" address, making it difficult for an average user to know if an email is really from the domain it purports to be from. Technologies such as DKIM and SPF already allow domain owners to vouch for mail sent in their name, but don't specify what to do with messages that fail the test. DMARC builds on those systems, allowing domain owners to ask receiving mail servers to discard mail that fails authentication tests. That will make it less likely that scam messages impersonating sites such as PayPal will appear in your inbox. There is a huge financial incentive for criminals to compromise user accounts on social internet and e-commerce sites in order to steal passwords and bank account or credit card details, according to the DMARC group. To do that, spammers and phishers often exploit trust in wellknown brands by sending email purporting to be from such sites. The specification for DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) allows organizations sending email to indicate whether they are using one or both of two security technologies to authenticate the sender of email messages, and includes a reporting mechanism where email senders can get feedback on

how their messages are being handled. With that information, once domain owners have fine tuned the mail-sending process, they can tell receivers to outright reject messages purporting to be from the domain that don't pass muster. One of the authentication technologies is DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), which ver-

DMARC standardizes how email receivers perform email authentication using the wellknown SPF and DKIM mechanisms. This means that senders will experience consistent authentication results for their messages at AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and any other email receiver
ifies the domain name through which a message was sent by analyzing the message's cryptographic signature. Recipients can choose to put more trust in messages coming from a domain that is considered reputable. The other is SPF (Sender Policy Framework), which allows domain owners to specify which hosts are allowed to send email for their domains. With SPF, if a scammer forges the "from " address, a bogus email can be identified by

checking the SPF record. DKIM and SPF have been used by a number of companies for several years. But there are several problems that DMARC aims to fix. It has been hard for email receivers to always authenticate messages sent with SPF or DKIM due to the use of third-party service providers, according to DMARC.org. Also, if a domain sends a mix of messages -some authenticated, some not -- it's hard for receivers to distinguish legitimate messages that haven't been authenticated from fraudulent ones. The DMARC group plans to submit a draft of the specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force in the hope that it will eventually become an industry standard. Google is hoping the industry's latest push for DMARC will maintain momentum for antispam efforts. So far, participating companies include Bank of America, Fidelity, Microsoft, Yahoo, PayPal, LinkedIn, AOL, American Greetings, Cloudmark and Agari. "Industry groups come and go, and it's not always easy to tell at the beginning which ones are actually going to generate good solutions," wrote Adam Dawes, a Google product manager. "When the right contributors come together to solve real problems, though, real things happen." The issue in the coming months will be how quickly the technology is adopted, said Paul Wood, senior intelligence analyst for Symantec.cloud, the company's Web-based security and email branch. There will be a certain amount of overhead that companies will incur when processing returned messages to see who is spoofing their domains, he said. With the rise of the social internet and the ubiquity of e-commerce, spammers and phishers have a tremendous financial incentive to compromise user accounts, enabling theft of passwords, bank accounts, credit cards, and more. Email is easy to spoof and criminals have found spoofing to be a proven way to exploit user trust of well-known brands. Simply inserting the logo of a well known brand into an email gives it instant legitimacy with many users. Users can't tell a real message from a fake one, and large mailbox providers have to make very difficult (and frequently incorrect) choices about which messages to deliver and which ones might harm users. Senders remain largely unaware of problems with their authentication practices because there's no scalable way for them to indicate they want feedback and where it should be sent. A DMARC policy allows a sender to indicate that their emails are protected by SPF and/or DKIM, and tells a receiver what to do if neither of those authentication methods passes - such as junk or reject the message. DMARC removes guesswork from the receiver's handling of these failed messages, limiting or eliminating the user's exposure to potentially fraudulent & harmful messages. DMARC also provides a way for the email receiver to report back to the sender about messages that pass and/or fail DMARC evaluation. DMARC policies are published in the public Domain Name System (DNS), and available to everyone. It is the goal of DMARC.org to submit the draft specification to the IETF so that it may begin the process of becoming an official Internet Standard RFC - available to everyone for reference, implementation, and improvement." n

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Experts debate online Arabic content growth

he growth of quality Arabic content online is being limited by a lack of talent, tools, funding and freedom, according to speakers at a digital media conference in Dubai last week. Although hindered by these factors, a study debated at the Digital Media Forum 2012 shows that Arabic user-generated content is slowly increasing, which presents opportunities for businesses to mine data and target advertising via social media platforms. According to the Arab Social Media Report (ASMR), 70 percent of Facebook users in the region are men, significantly bucking the global trend, as 61 percent of all Facebook users worldwide are women. It is men, explained report author Fadi Salem, who prefer the Arabic medium and the business world should take note. "I don't think companies are looking at these breakdowns seriously, but are just 'guestimating' and providing content based on what they have around their networks and because English is a primary business language," said Salem, during a panel discussion at the conference. The internet originated in the western world, resulting in English being adopted as the lingua franca, ultimately influencing global commerce and communication. But recent studies have estimated there are now 72.5 million internet users in the Middle East, of which 60.25 million are Arabic speakers. Dana Adhami, Digital Director of the annual media summit Mindshare, stated that the relatively small amount of Arabic content is directly linked to a lack of talent in

Digital Media Forum 2012 shows that Arabic user-generated content is slowly increasing, which presents opportunities for businesses to mine data and target advertising via social media platforms

Microblogging platform Twitter has announced that right-to-left languages are indeed in the works for its growing translation platform, starting with Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu. A team of 425,000 volunteer translators are involved with the new development, which is expected to be released later in the year
the region, both in terms of user generated content and digital production, which in turn related to a need for better facilities, or tools. "The other issue related to talent is infrastructure. The capability of writing right-toleft, and setting up technologies that adhere to Arabic language, is somewhat a challenge in the region. To create a platform or application in English could take around four weeks in development, but then if you wanted to do that that in Arabic,

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changing things around adds [much more time]," Adhami added. Meanwhile, microblogging platform Twitter has announced that right-to-left languages are indeed in the works for its growing translation platform, starting with Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu. A team of 425,000 volunteer translators are involved with the new development, which is expected to be released later in the year. Campaigns by Twitter users such as @supportarabic and @Taghreedat, who have promoted the #letstweetinarabic hashtag, have been lobbying tens of thousands of followers to communicate in their native language. There are now already 2.2m Arabic tweets daily, marking a 2,146 percent increase over 12 months, according to a separate study by Paris-based Semiocast. Total global tweets number 180 million per day. Twitter played an important role in the Arab Spring, particularly during the first part of 2011. The ASMR estimates the number or tweets generated by 'active users' in the first quarter of 2011 numbered 22,750,000 - roughly three tweets every second. The most popular hashtags were #egypt, with 1.4m mentions and #jan25, marking the outset of the Egyptian revolution, which was mentioned 1.2m times Sites such as Wikipedia in Arabic do show that there are online users translating vast libraries of information, but the prevalent issue in producing original content is freedom, which, ac-

cording to Hussein Hallak, co-founder of content development firm TheContentPeople, is a 'number one requirement.' With opinions varying on how to profit from the ever-growing online Arabic community, it is up to companies to learn from the seemingly endless flow of user generated content via social media. User generated content not only indicates trends, but plays a huge part in setting them, also providing greater opportunities for targeting advertising. As development continues with social and other digital media, governments and businesses will also need to regulate accordingly. This would create business opportunities surrounding compliance and consultancy, according to Fadi Salem, who subsequently tied monetisation to related political issues. "The changes that happened in the Arab world in 2011 will mean that there will be a lot of usage online for advocacy and political campaigning, etc. This is something that most businesses in the Arab world do not have any expertise in - and it's a matter of time. This is something that will be one of the key factors in online usage," he explained. Later, towards the close of the event, it was Etisalat's Vice President of Technology Strategy who had the last word, suggesting, in his keynote speech, that 'customer data is the new oil'. n

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PTCL EVO Wi-Fi Cloud introduces new packages

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) EVO Wi-Fi Cloud introduced new packages for its customers. EVO Wi-Fi Cloud is Pakistan's first intelligent mobile Wi-Fi device that puts the world of content, services and connectivity in the palm of the user's hand. It is a smart 3G enabled sleek and attractive Wi-Fi device that intelligently converts a user's home or work's space into a personalized Mobile Wi-Fi zone, just on the push of a button, said a press release. The dual capabilities of EVDO & Wi-Fi lets EVO Cloud's users enjoy the functionalities of a modem, router and an access point in a single pocket fit sized device, which is powerful enough to provide internet to five Wi-Fi enabled gadgets simultaneously. Now introducing new revised packages to accommodate the recently implemented GST on the product, EVO

Cloud device can be obtained for Rs.8,120 for monthly contract, while the massive savings bundle can now be availed for just Rs 12,120. With the massive savings bundle offer, customers can enjoy unlmited internet access for 3 months at the price of two months. SEVP Commercial PTCL Naveed Saeed on the occasion stated, "PTCL is determined to bring the most cutting edge innovative solutions and technologies to its customers. We are constantly introducing new technologies and products to provide customers with the most advanced mobility solutions available. The Evo Wi-Fi Cloud mobile hotspot with a form factor about the size of a few credit cards is convenient to carry in pocket and looks good anywhere from the boardroom to the coffee shop ". EVP Wireless business Omar Khalid stated; "The portability of the Evo Wi-Fi Cloud design with one-touch connectivity for up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices delivers a true wireless experience with no cables or software installation required, the EVO WiFi cloud easily support all the needs of a family household, a frequent traveler who wants to avoid Wi-Fi charges, or even a small business team". n

Telenor gives away notebooks to children

Telenor Pakistan, as part of its Karo Mumkin initiative, is helping provide 10,000 paper notebooks to school children belonging to low income families. The notebooks are made from recycled waste paper by Sabz, an NGO founded by Fariha Ambreen, who had won Telenors Karo Mumkin campaign. The two winning ideas out of 25,000 total ideas submitted to Karo Mumkin were funded by Telenor Pakistan with Rs. 2 million for each project. Fariha Ambreen had won for her idea of Recycling Paper to Provide Notebooks to Schools for Under Privileged Children while Mr. Abdul Haq Mohiuddins idea of Donating Rs. 100 from your Monthly Salary to Make Education Possible for Street Children had won the competition. n

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Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

ne of the most common sources of computer instrusions has stopped infecting new machines after security researchers working with Facebook released the names of five suspected ringleaders. After more than two years of work, a pair of researchers published the names, aliases and photographs of a gang they accused of running a criminal enterprise known as Koobface that had primarily targeted Facebook after it cropped up in 2008. German security researchers Jan Droemer and Dirk Kollberg said that servers that ran the Koobface operation stopped responding after they released an in-depth report via Kollberg's employer, the UK anti-virus software maker Sophos. Some computers used to control Koobface had previ-

port docking station, is mostly occupied by shipping companies. An employee of one of the firms told he had never heard of a firm by the name of MobSoft. "Our company has been renting an office here for three years, but there is no firm named MobSoft here and there has never been one," he said. Neither the building's concierge nor its manager, who had been in her job for the past 15 years, knew about MobSoft or the suspected hacker group. The legal address for MobSoft found in online directories, and in the SKRIN stock exchange companies' database, led media to an apartment complex a few blocks away from the Mariinsky theatre, whose ballet troupe ranks with Moscow's Bolshoi as Russia's most prestigious. There was no response when the reporter rang the bell and knocked on the old wooden rusty-colored door.

Koobface spread primarily through captured social networking accounts that prompted friends to install software to view a video; Koobface had previously been disabled and it had not spread through Facebook connections since early last year
ously been disabled and it had not spread through Facebook connections since early last year. But until the new disclosures, the Koobface gang had continued to target other social networks as a long-running FBI probe failed to result in arrests in Russia. Koobface spread primarily through captured social networking accounts that prompted friends to install software to view a video. Initially content with small-scale advertising fraud, the group had also begun to distribute more pernicious software, including the Zeus trojans for bank-account theft, according to another researcher collaborating with Facebook, Gary Warner of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Kaspersky Lab, a large security software company, said its database showed that the Koobface virus had afflicted between 400,000 and 800,000 computers during its heyday in 2010. "The thing that we are most excited about is that the botnet is down," said Facebook security official Ryan McGeehan. "Our decision to become transparent about this has had a 24-hour impact. Only time will tell if it's permanent but it was certainly effective." Droemer and Kollberg said that they had planned to hold off on publishing their data until law enforcement had captured the suspects. They released it earlier, with Facebook's blessing, after one of those suspects, who goes by the alias "Krotreal," was named last week by another researcher. Facebook Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said he had endorsed the release because he felt the exposure might disrupt the group. Indeed, those identified have erased social networking profiles cited by the researchers, and many of the phone numbers have been reassigned. "Krotreal," for example, renamed his account on the Russian social networking site twice, then deleted it altogether, along with his Twitter feed and LiveJournal accounts. Calls to the numbers provided in the Sophos reports yielded no valid leads. One of the names listed under the telephone numbers matched that in the report. But most did not. At the official MobSoft number, media reached a man calming a crying baby who said strangers had started calling him recently with questions about Koobface and MobSoft. He said he had not heard of either. The two German researchers said they suspected that the hackers had been working out of a third location in St. Petersburg. Russia's anti-cybercrime unit, the Interior Ministry's K Directorate, said it has yet to investigate the matter because it has not been asked to. "An official request needs to be filed to the K Directorate first, and when it's filed, we will certainly investigate and work on it," said Larisa Zhukova, a representative at the cyber unit, told. "The request must come from the victim, that is Facebook. Because anyone can say or write anything, but it is all unfounded so far," she added. Members of Facebook's security staff declined to comment on their discussions with law enforcement officials. Others working with Facebook said that the MVD, or Interior Ministry, had indeed been involved, with little visible progress. "I like that we're getting the dialogue about the challenges of cross-border enforcement," Sullivan, the Facebook security officer, said. "Ultimately, the goal here is to have an impact. As a security team, we don't have the luxury that every case ends in an arrest." n

Facebook Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said he had endorsed the release because he felt the exposure might disrupt the group. Indeed, those identified have erased social networking profiles cited by the researchers, and many of the phone numbers have been reassigned
None of the five alleged members of the hacking group could immediately be traced to the reported office addresses or phone numbers in St Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city. At the MobSoft address named by Sophos, a reporter found a dilapidated building that once belonged to a company controlling seaport currency trade in the Soviet Union. Today the building, near a

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Islamabad: Ufone has once again positioned itself as a market leader in innovation and unique ideas. Ufone has launched MyTunes service, one of the most promising value added service in the industry.

Ufone MyTunes, personalized ringtones

For the first time in Pakistan, Ufone users will have the exclusive option to listen to the songs of their choice once they call on any number. Officially known as MyTunes the caller gets to hear the tune that he

sets for himself, instead of listening to the conventional ring-tone, or caller tunes set by the person they are making a call to. Users can dial 666 and select MyTunes from Urdu and English melodies. Speaking at the launch, Akbar Khan, Chief marketing officer at Ufone said that it was important to understand the changing requirements of the customers and work towards developing such services and propositions which cater to the evolving needs of Ufone subscriber base. He also said that with this attractive service, call-making will become more enjoyable and fun! n

PTCL doubles up its Vfone package offer

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has launched an exciting Vfone 'Double Balance' offer for its customers to recharge their Vfone accounts and get an additional free balance equal to the load amount. Applicable for WIN subscribers, the Vfone Double Balance offer allows those customers who have not

Jazz introduces Background Music during calls

Islamabad: Jazz introduces Apna Background Music service which allows you to set-up a background music or effect of your own choice to play in the background during your calls. You can have different background music for different friends or family. Once you have the service activated you can easily make a background music call by dialing 22 followed by the callers numbers e.g. 2203xx1234567. n

President Commercial, Naveed Saeed. "With our latest Double Balance offer, we have made 24/7 connectivity possible at the lowest rates in the industry for all Vfone customers." PTCL Vfone has the country's largest WLL coverage offering prepaid and post-paid options that are supported by high-speed Internet with CDMA 1x technology.

Warid makes Valentines Day special

Islamabad: Making this Valentines Day special for its customers, Warid brings some extremely exciting Valentines value added services. It includes Love Meter, a meter that WAP through which users can download unlimited contents including Wallpapers, Ring Tones and Videos. With a lot of amazing Valentines Day special offers there is additionally a Diamond ring offered to the winner of Love Meter, based on sending as many SMS to increase chances of winning. Furthermore, with Song Dedication service, lucky winners can win Free Air Time as they dedicate songs to their loved ones. Warid also dressed its website with the Valentines Day Offer and updated the Official Warid Facebook page to make this Valentines Day special.n

recharged their accounts since August 31, 2011 to re-load and get an additional free balance equal to the load amount absolutely free. Not just that, Vfone customers can use the free balance acquired through this offer for on-net calling, Internet and SMS to on-net and off-net networks for 30 days. "PTCL continues to provide the most affordable packages and special offers to its customers in the market," said PTCL Senior Executive Vice Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has announced that laptops will be given to teachers showing excellent performance for their encouragement and improving a standard of education. He was talking to a delegation of Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association led by its president Dr Zahid Ahmad. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri, MPA and secretaries of Finance, Law and Higher Education were also present. Talking to the delegation, the chief minister said teachers played key role in imparting knowledge and the

Customers can avail the facility of SMS, unlimited free calls from Vfone to Vfone and an exciting Smart package, which offers extremely low rate of just Rs.1.30/min for any network anytime. "The Vfone Double Balance offer is aimed at increasing Vfone's active customer base, enhancing its usage and for longer customer retention," said Executive Vice President Wireless Business, Omar Khalid. n

Ufones10 second offer takes the market by storm

Islamabad: Once again Ufone has lived up to its reputation of delighting the customers with extreme value propositions. Ufone, being one of the most affordable telecom providers in the industry has launched a 10 Second package which is specifically designed for value-seeking customers who make quick and short calls. This package is an easy alternative to missed calls, brief work related conversations and quick updates etc. The low rates will enable customers to optimize their expenditure and get the most value for their money by making a quick impactful call rather than sending a text message. Ufone has once again successfully reinforced its stance as a customer centric organization by introducing this offer which is expected to create ripples in the market. Speaking on the launch Akbar Khan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ufone said, Ufone has always been conscious of the requirements of the end users and the 10 second package reinstates the organizations stance as being customer-centric. Ufone has lived up to its reputation by introducing another first in the market as currently this is a one of its kind offer in the industry. We are very proud to be able to serve the communication needs our valued customers. n

Teachers to get laptops, says Shahbaz

Punjab government was taking solid measures for improving education sector and the affairs of teaching community. Referring to service structure of teachers, he announced that 10 seats would be allocated for college teachers in Grade 21 out of which five will be for male and five for female teachers. He also gave approval to improving the 4-tier formula regarding promotion of college teachers. He said solution of genuine problems of teachers was the responsibility of the government, however, the teaching community should play its role in imparting knowledge to young generation. n

gauges couples compatibility, SMS love story, that tells a unique love story based on couples names, exciting Love Quizzes, Romantic Songs Caller Tunes, Song Dedication, Baba G k Valentines Predictions and a special Valentines Day

Warid brings amazing Karachi offer

Karachi: Warid Telecom recently announced its Karachi Offer Bol Utha Karachi in which people in Karachi can make free and unlimited calls to all Warid numbers from 12am till 12pm with the daily rental of only Rs. 3.99+t. This amazing offer can be subscribed by both existing and new Karachi based subscribers by sending KHI in SMS to 4337. This limited time offer is for prepaid subscribers only and will automatically be renewed daily at midnight. n

Islamabad: Competitive Commission of Pakistan (CCP) is working on anti-competitive cases in telecom sector against cellular phone operators, LDIs, broadband DSL services. Senior Joint Director of CCP Nadia Nabi, said this while giving briefing of the cases in different sectors to the participants of Competitive Consultative Group. The meeting was also attended by official of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). would be made public after legal proceeding and different inquiries. n

CCP works on telecom sector

PTCL creates Jadoo Box for endless connectivity

novelty device that gives uninterrupted connectivity on wired DSL as well as backup wireless. Starting from Rs.4,999 only, the three unbeatable Jadoo Box packages are also available on easy installments. Moreover customers can make free On-Net calls from PTCL to PTCL and to Vfone. Moreover, customers can get an EVO Nitro USB device absolutely free with 1Mbps DSL. PTCLs Jadoo Box will capitalize on the uninterrupted connectivity needs of our valued customers, said Senior Executive Vice President Commercial, Naveed Saeed. This cuttingedge new product providing limitless connectivity will firmly establish PTCL as the only integrated telecom solutions company of Pakistan. n

Islamabad: Following its tradition of providing state-of-the-art telecom services to the nation, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has brought to its customers a fascinating Jadoo Box a

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PTCL trains 115 senior executives for high effectiveness

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) has successfully trained 115 of its senior executives through an ongoing dynamic senior management program The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People pioneered by world-renowned U.S. expert, Stephen R. Covey. I congratulate our executives on this achievement, said Senior Executive Vice President HR, Mr. Syed Mazhar Hussain while addressing participants at the certificate distribution ceremony held at PTCL Academy, Islamabad. PTCL strongly believes that its talented and loyal employees are the Companys most precious asset. We are committed to the professional development of our employees beyond their current job. Thus, we are offering various opportunities for their learning, career growth and social mobility. A comprehensive three-days training program organized by PTCLs Training & Development department in collaboration with M/S Frankline Covey, The 7 Habits workshop helped participants to improve their performance by endeavoring at the highest levels of effectiveness and teamwork. Each habit was divided into segments and principles. With workshop facilitators help, participants applied their learning through case studies, group discussions, role-playing and reflective thinking. Mr. Hussain applauded the efforts carried out by PTCLs Training & Development team for making the program an exceptionally beneficial experience for its participants. The trainees highly appreciated the programs exceptional content and captivating methodology, declaring it as one of the best training programs they ever attended. We have a large training infrastructure spread throughout the country and we are investing heavily in our employees professional development through various training activities, said Shahzad Safdar Khan, Executive Vice President, Talent Management & Learning. Through successful initiatives like the Management Development Program, we are committed to making PTCL a customer-focused corporate organization by undertaking spectacular human resource development. n

Successful participants of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People recently conducted by Stephen R. Covey for senior managers of Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL) with SEVP HR, Syed Mazhar Hussain (center) at the PTCL Academy.

PIA inks agreement with Airbus

Lahore: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Airbus signed an agreement for transfer of ownership of Six A310 aircraft which were acquired by the airline on lease in year 2004. Transfer of ownership of the six aircraft to National Flag Carrier is another step forward in implementing the Business Plan under vision 2020 and will help PIA save about 2 million Dollars monthly rentals which will help greatly in reducing its losses.. The agreement was signed by Managing Director PIA, Mr. Nadeem Khan Yousufzai and Director Asset Management Airbus, Mr. Patrice De Puymorin participated by Deputy Managing Director PIA, Mr. Salim Sayani, Director Corporate Planning, Mr. Irshad Ghani,, Othman Ghedira, Sale Director Airbus Middle East, Pascal Lesaulnier Vice President - International Development Middle East EADS and other senior officials of PIA. MD PIA appreciating the efforts of both the teams finalizing the agreement said that Pakistan International Airlines and EADS have a long relationship. It started with the induction of A300-B4 in early 80s and was strengthened further by the purchase of A310 Aircraft in 1991. ATR42-500, another product of sister concern of Airbus both working under the umbrella of EADS have added another knot to the ties. n

Peshawar, Atd to get IT parks 11 Nadra

The provincial information technology department acquired 25,000 square feet space in Peshawars Deans Trade Centre for setting up an information technology park. Establishment of a similar park is also planned in Abbottabad. The government had announced establishment of the two IT parks last year to diversify its investment portfolio and promote information technology sector. KPITB managing director Amjad Shahid Afridi, on the occasion said that the government had allocated Rs1 billion for the project for the next five years and agreed to release it at once to prevent the project from possible interruptions in case of any change in political dispensation.n

officials arrested SIM scam

Each Pakistani eats 67 eggs annually

Lahore: The dean faculty of fisheries and wildlife of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Prof. Dr Muhammad Akram has said that egg consumption in Pakistan is 67 per person per year which is far less than 350 eggs in advanced countries. Speaking at a seminar, he said Karachi: wi-tribe Pakistan and Al-Khawarizmi Institute of Computer Science, University of Engineering and Technology (KICS-UET) unveiled wi-cam a tool to remotely debug CPEs. wi-cam, a CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) Management and Administration tool, developed by students and graduates of KICSUET using open-source technology, allows broadband companies to remotely configure and manage CPEs, while receiving instant notifications and access to live data. Not only does this result in an improved customer care experience, it also enables customers to continue enjoying seamless connectivity. wi-tribe entered into a strategic public-private partnership with KICS-UET to conceive, develop and launch a fully funded research and egg consumption in India was 92 per person per year and it was producing 2,740,000 million eggs every year while Pakistan had a production of 12,800 million eggs, he added. He said eggs promoted healthy hair and nails because of high sulpher content and vitamins and minerals. n development program, enabling the innovation of this breakthrough feature-rich management tool. With wi-cam, wi-tribe and UET jointly demonstrate that sourcing local development of critical customer service innovation is not only possible, but also essential to the proliferation of technical capabilities within Pakistan. At wi-tribe, we thrive on the potential of the Pakistani youth and are eager to foster innovative ideas that can elevate the local IT industry to international standards. With remote CPE management capabilities, providing real-time updates and support allows wi-tribe to stay focused on customer satisfaction, said Dr. Tanveer-ul-Haq, Vice President Technical at wi-tribe Pakistan. At KICS-UET, researchers are keen on capitalizing open source

Islamabad: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken into custody 11 employees, including two officers of Nadra, after a report that aired on a private TV channel exposed Pakistan Telecommunication Authortiys (PTA) incompetence in registering mechanism of mobile subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, according to reports. The report had shown how a mobile SIM was registered and activated by using particulars of Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The interior ministry swung into action after this and rounded up five Nadra officials from different parts of the country. The agency further extended its investigation circle and held 11 more employees of the registration authority. n

wi-tribe launches wi-cam service in KICS-UET

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technologies and developing cost effective solutions for local telecom and IT industry. wi-cam is a product built with local talent and it has helped KICS-UET researchers better understand software needs of the telecom industry. With these leading steps we foresee significant growth in such collaborative arrangement in telecom industry in Pakistan, said Dr. Waqar Mahmood, Director KICS-UET. Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Akram Khan, Vice-Chancellor of UET, said This is an achievement, not just for UET and wi-tribe, but for the entire telecom industry. KICS-UET is extremely proud of this successful collaboration with wi-tribe and looks forward to continuing the partnership. wi-cam is innovation brought to life by Pakistani students and graduates, showcasing local capabilities. n

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Mobilink eying PTA's 3G bid

Islamabad: Pakistan's largest cellular service provider, Mobilink, expressed its desire to go for a bid over the 3G telecommunication services. This was stated by CEO and President Mobilink Rashid Khan while addressing the news conference and informed the firm was considering to bid for the license. He said the firm "is evaluating the information memorandum of 3G spectrum and has decided to participate in the bidding". He also mentioned that despite the global recession, there was still a huge potential for cellular business in Pakistan. The telecom sector supervisory body has allowed a maximum number of three licenses for 3G services and as per the agreement, a firm cannot bid for more than two spectrums. Mobilink is the market leader in Pakistan cellular industry and has captured one-third of the total market. Mobilink along with Ufone, another leading mobile company operating in Pakistan have already bought the equipments from Huawei to upgrade their hardware to 3G. It is expected that the Government will generate almost Rs.75 billion ($833) through the auction scheduled in March, 2012. n

ISLAMABAD: President and CEO Mobilink, Rashid Khan addressing a press conference.

Sindh IT department developing GIS PTCL unveils its new Life in

Karachi: Sindh IT Department is developing a global information system (GIS) portal encompassing all the potential sectors and strength of Sindh province which would bring economic boom if properly tapped. This was stated by the Secretary Information Technology Department, Sualeh Ahmed Faruqui while speaking at the seminar, jointly organised by Karachi Chamber of KCCI for organizing seminar and said it was need of the day. He urged to formalize the trend and underscored the need to regular organizing of seminars with the interaction of Federal and Provincial Ministry of Information Technology. Chief Executive Officer, National ICT R&D Fund, Dr. Syed Aun Abbas said that as per the decision of the Parliament, some percentage of contribution erate and likely funding of the KCCI's project and the Sindh I.T. Departments GIS portal project which will benn accordance with the specified funding mechanism. He also endorsed the formation of committee comprising of representatives from Federal & Provincial Ministries of I.T. and KCCI. KCCI president Mian Abrar Ahmad asserted upon the need to take the maximum ad-

Motion campaign

Intel declares winners of National Science Fair

Intel Pakistan marked the end of its national science competition by announcing the winners of the Intel National Science Fair, who will go on to represent Pakistan at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2012, to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The grand winners of the Intel National Science Fair are; Shiza Ghulab, Mahnoor Hassan and Bushra Shahed from Institute of Computer and Management Sciences, Peshawar. The individual winners are; Musa Rahim Khan from Agha Khan Higher Secondary School, Chitral and Syed Shahzeb Hussain from Army Public School and College, Command and Staff College, Quetta. Intel recognizes that curiosity, critical thinking and a strong foundation in math and science are necessary for tomorrows workforce to compete for the high-tech jobs of the future. The National Science Fair encourages high school students to embrace and explore their interests in these subjects, and pursue paths that may lead to solving the worlds most pressing issues, said Naveed Siraj, country manager at Intel Pakistan. n

Commerce & Industry (KCCI) and Information Technology Ministry's National ICT R&D Fund on "ICT Application in Pakistan". He commended

given by telecom companies was accorded to the fund and so far more than 50 projects have been funded from this contribution. He agreed to coop-

vantage of the information and communication technology to explore market access of countries around the globe. n

Islamabad: In a sustained effort to redefine telecommunication usage in Pakistan by bringing value to the lives of its customers, PTCL has tapped into the charisma of Reema Khan, in its newly launched Life in Motion strategic campaign. The telecom giants new Life in Motion campaign depicts scenes from the life of an enterprising celebrity who successfully navigates her busy schedule round the clock with the help of PTCLs converged and innovative communications solutions. Whether it is plugging 3G EVO Dongle for connectivity while riding a car; or using EVO Wi-Fi Cloud to connect multiple devices simultaneously with Internet at an outdoor shoot; or making calls across the country with Vfone wireless from a remote studio; or video-chatting with

family on Video Con; or updating FaceBook status on EVO Tab from an airport lounge; or watching missed episodes of a favorite show in high-definition on Smart TV, the Life in Motion campaign shows PTCL customers a revolutionary range of products and services needed to compliment and complete an everyday busy life. "PTCL is proud to be Pakistans only integrated, most reliable and largest converged telecommunications operator providing cutting-edge services and products to consumers and businesses all over the country," said Senior Executive Vice President, Naveed Saeed. "The Life in Motion campaign creatively portrays the idea of a social hub that PTCL creates for a busy person through its integrated and complete telecommunication solutions." n

Telecom earns all-time high revenue in 2011

Islamabad: The revenue of telecom operators in Pakistan swelled to an all-time high of Rs363 billion in 2011, registering a boost of 5.4 percent compared to the previous year, according to a report published by the Pakistan Telecom Authority. During the fiscal year 2011, cellular revenues went up by 11 percent to reach Rs.262,761 million in comparison to Rs236,047 million in 2010. The telecom sector also made its highest ever contribution to the national exchequer in 2011, as approximately Rs117 billion were deposited by telecom companies and the PTA with a growth of 7 percent. The cellular mobile sector also proved to be the lead contributor as the telecom sector invested a total of $495.8 million in the fiscal year. n

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Airblue launches new destination Nokia appoints new GM

Islamabad: Pakistans fastest growing private airline, Airblue, is proud to announce an addition to its global airline network with the launch of new flights from Islamabad to Istanbul, Turkey. Airblue will operate 3 new flights a week Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from Islamabad to Istanbul, and Istanbul to Manchester through Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul. Mr. Raheel Ahmed, Airblue GM Commercial, says: With the launch of flights to Istanbul, Airblue has achieved yet another milestone in its journey as a pioneer in air travel. This new service is a step towards increased links between Pakistan, Turkey, and Europe. We are extremely grateful for the exceptional support and co-operation received from the Turkish Civil Aviation and ISG Sabiha Gokcen authorities. n Karachi: Nokia Pakistan announced that Arif Shafique, previously Head of Sales, Nokia Pakistan and Afghanistan has been promoted to the position of General Manager (GM), Nokia Pakistan and Afghanistan. Backed by more than four years of experience with in Nokia Pakistan, coupled with his overall 20 years of work experience, Arif has an indepth understanding of companys critical management processes and is one of the few employees to have been associated with the company since its inception in Pakistan, says a press release. He played a key role in taking Nokia brand to the next level in Pakistan, helping the overall telecom sector to flourish in the process as well. Under his able leadership, Nokia has achieved several notable milestones in Pakistan, most important of them being record-breaking sales last year. n

Yasmin takes additional PSEB portfolio

Yasmin Masood has taken up additional charge of Pakistan Software Exports Bureau (PSEB) as Managing Director after Imran Zias departure. She is Joint Secretary Admin presently at Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and likely to look after affairs at PSEB until the selection of new MD is completed. The government has already advertised the vacancy announcement for post of MD PSEB. n during the third and fourth quarter of 2011. During the survey the already devised QoS Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in consultation with services providers were measured. KPIs were network availability, service availability, download and upload bandwidth speed, how much data a subscriber can receive or send to the maximum, round-trip tionns have been reduced from Rs.13000 to Rs.6000/. The meeting was chaired by Advisor / Consultant Mr. Haider Jalal and attended by Maj. Khurram Mushtaq General Manager Passenger Sales, Mr. Tahir Niaz GM Revenue Management, Mr. Naveed DGM Pakistan, DM Lahore, Mr. Asadullah Ghauri Manager Passenger Sales Corporate, Mr. M. Shafiq Passenger Sales Manager, AssisObopay, a mobile tant Passenger Sales payments company Manager Dr. Muqadam headquartered in the and other marketing ofUS state of California, ficials. n has partnered with Warid Telecom, a Pakistan-based cellular phone service provider, tation on Board of Di- to launch a mobile rectors should not par- banking and payment ticipate in the bidding service in Uganda process. The Sub-Com- called Warid Pesa. mittee, however, decided to hold thorough con- Warid Pesa allows cussultation with all mem- tomers to transfer bers of the committee money to other people before finalizing any rec- and merchants, request ommendation in this re- money, obtain stategard. n ments, obtain account

Intel introduces SSD 520 series drives

Karachi: Intel Corporation announced today its fastest solidstate drive (SSD) to date, the Intel SolidState Drive 520 Series, a 6 gigabit-per-second (gbps) SATA III SSD produced using Intel computer-quality 25nanometer (nm) NAND memory process technology aimed at delivering world-class.n time, the time taken for the data to reach a particular destination and return, contention ratio, the ratio of total bandwidth and number of subscribers or number of subscribers per unit of bandwidth and retain ability, for how much time a connection remained connected during the period of 60 minutes. n

PTCL leads PTA QoS survey

Islamabad: Pakistan Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Company Limited (PTCL) leads all operators in wireline broadband category of 1 Mbps quality of service survey (QoS) conducted by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). PTCL is placed in category A at Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta and in category B at Karachi. According to a statement of PTA for 1Mbps broadband package of wireless broadband service providers, Wateen Telecom has been placed in category A at Lahore and Rawalpindi and category B at Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar. Similarly, Qubee and WorldCall are also in category A at Lahore and category B at Karachi and Wi-Tribe is in category B at Rawalpindi. PTA carried out the second nationwide broadband QoS survey of all wireless and wireline service providers throughout the country PIA discussed the strategy for next year and assured full support and commitment to the Travel Agents so that together they take PIA to greater heights and achieve benefits for all stakeholders. PIA has revised and reduced Refund Charges on International routes from Rs 13000/ to RS. 8000/. PIA has also simultaneously revised and decreased COB ( Change of Booking) charges on its International flights from Rs.8000/ to Rs. 4000/. NoShow charges for passengers traveling to International destina-

Lahore tops PIA sales

Obopay, Warid Telecom jointly launch Warid Pesa in Uganda

balances, change personal identity numbers and top up prepaid phones for themselves or others. The Warid Pesa platform can be used on any cellular device, including pre-paid mobile phones. Clients can access services via text message, interactive voice response or wireless access point. Deepak Chandnani, the CEO of Obopay, adds that optimum security has been provided for payment transactions to ensure that there is no money laundering and the users hard earned money is safe. Obopay currently offers services in North America, Kenya, Senegal and India. Warid Telecom has branches in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uganda and the Congo. n

Mr Haider Jalal Advisor / Consultant addressing Travel Agents and PIA Marketing officials alongwith Maj. Khurram Mushtaq General Manager Passenger Sales Marketing officals.

Lahore: Lahore registered a growth of 17 percent in Sales over last year. This was stated in the Marketing Conference held to ap-

preciate the performance of top twenty Agents of which ten were IATA Agents and ten PSAs Passenger Sales Agents.

Body asks USF to ensure transparency in bidding

Islamabad: SubCommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunication urged the Universal Services Fund (USF) to ensure transparency in the bidding process besides comprehensive mechanism for monitoring the projects. The committee met here under the chairmanship of Senator Zahid Khan to ascertain whether the specifications as advertised in tenders for invitation of bids were to benefit any specific vendor or otherwise. Members of the committee suggested revamping the USF board of Directors by giving representation to parliamentarians and Federal Union of Journalists. Moreover, it also suggested that companies having represen-

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wi-tribe launches witribe Bazaar

Scholars ask to boycott Facebook

Islamabad: Intellectuals and scholars have urged Muslims to use Millat Facebook, a Muslims alternative to the US Facebook, saying they should boycott products of the countries and organizations involved in blasphemy of the Holy Prophet (SAW). Muslim leaders at a round table conference have claimed that the social networking website, Facebook, which had been adamant on hosting a blasphemous page in the name of freedom of speech, was callously ignoring the annoyance of the whole Muslim world.

wi-tribe has launched beta version of software portal with an aim to offer local developers an opportunity to sell their software to local as well as global audience. With first of its kind initiative, wi-tribe is seeking developers to get themselves enlisted with wi-tribe to start selling their software in various categories. Anyone can buy/download software from witribe Bazaar, by paying for the software by using wi-tribe scratch cards, available within IslamLahore: A memoranabad, Rawalpindi, La- dum of understanding was signed between Punjab government and Google for co-operation in information technology sector at Arfa Software Technology Park. According to the agreement, Google will provide access to historical and tourist attrachore, Karachi and Faisal- tions of the province on abad, in denominations of Internet, to create worldRs.100, Rs.250, Rs.500 wide awareness about the rich heritage of the and Rs.1000. Currently the Bazaar province. Tourism Secretary Dr is in beta and has limited Allah Bakhsh Malik and software available on it. William Fitzgerald of But sure you can go Google Asia signed the ahead browse the cate- document in the presgories and get software ence of Punjab Chief Minyou need. n ister Mohammad Shah-

Speaking at the conference "Blasphemy by Facebook and the Role of Muslim Youth on Social Media", hosted by owners of Millat Facebook, a Muslim alternative to the

US Facebook at Hamdard center, the speakers Islamabad: Babar slammed the country's pseudo intellectuals and Iqbal, a 14 year old kid from Dera Ismail Khan, has set a world record by publishing his first research paper on digital forensic science. The field of Digital Forensic Science covers the recovery TV analysts who, they and investigation of data said, had been following in digital devices and is the footsteps of Facebook by advocating the abol- often used to aid comishment or amendment puter crime investigato the country's Blasphe- tions. Babars research permy laws. n

Babar publishes research on digital forensic science

tains to Apple iDevices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) and has been accepted by the 8th IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology. He has been invited to present his research at the conference as well. What sets his method apart is that it doesnt require jailbreaking and can image an iDevice in less than 30 minutes. n

Punjab govt, Google sign MoU to promote tourism

baz Sharif, Provincial Finance Minister Kamran Michael, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretary Irrigation, Chairman Information Technology Board and representatives of Google. Speaking on the occasion, the Punjab Chief Minister welcomed the agreement with Google for co-operation in information technology and said that access to the historical and tourist sites of Punjab through Google mailing and internet would promote awareness about the modern and ancient Lahore as well as its historical and cultural heritage. n

PTCL trains 29 management trainees in technology

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has successfully trained 29 young engineers as management trainees and future leaders of tomorrow who posses sound knowlPakistan. A group of 29 young engineers selected from all over the country were trained as PTCL Management Trainees in an intensive six-week training program held at PTCL Telecom Staff College in Haripur. "PTCL takes special interest in developing exceptional human capital to meet the challenging needs of today's competitive marketplace," said Senior Executive President, Syed Mazhar Husedge of the telecom giant sain. "Our management as well as the telecom- trainees' program is an munications industry of important initiative to of Samsung Cameras was given a ScratchCard, which provided an opportunity to win fabulous prizes including a cutting edge LCD TV. Samsung Pakistans Managing Director, Mr. provide a unique and exhilarating learning experience to newly inducted members in the Company." "PTCL takes a special pride in training its young leaders so they may become dynamic and productive in all spheres of life," said General Manager Training & Development, Ahmed Jalal. "We believe that if young professionals exert more during their formative phase, they can emerge as thorough professionals. PTCL wants to be the first institution to give them this opportunity." n

Mobilink develops content-filtering solution

Lahore: Mobilink has developed and implemented an innovative content-filtering solution to reinstate internet services for the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). The initiative by Mobilink allows subscribers to fully access the internet, including social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, using their mobile devices. Omar Manzur, Director PR & CSR, highlighted, Customer satisfaction is an essential driver at Mobilink, and this content filtering solution is our initiative to restore full functionality of internet services for our valued customers, while maintaining PTA regulations. Mobilink pioneered the provision of BlackBerry services in Pakistan in 2005. The service had been partially blocked in 2010 following directives from the PTA to block social networking sites and other websites that contained blasphemous content. n

Samsung rewards its camera customer with LCD TV

Lahore: Samsung Electronics Company Ltd., recently held a special Prize-Distribution ceremony for the Samsung Cameras Promotional Offer in Lahore. Mr. Zunair Sattar from Lahore was rewarded with a brand new Samsung LCD Television, as the first prize. To promote the innovative, sleek and feature-rich cameras by Samsung, a special consumer engagement initiative was launched.Each customer Cameras has actively engaged the fans and achieved an enormous response from the market. I congratulate Mr. Zunair Sattar on winning the revolutionary LCD Television while enjoying his stylish Samsung camera. The prize distribution ceremony held at the Samsung Lahore office was attended by senior management of Samsung Gulf Electronics and the management exJohn Park said; The ecutives of Orient Elecprize offer on Samsung tronics. n

Schneider Electric announces leadership commitment

Lahore: Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, announced its participation in the White Houses Better Buildings Challenge, pledging a commitment to reduce the energy use of 9 million square feet of its own building space, covering 40 different plants, by 25 percent. A component of the Better Buildings Initiative launched by the White House in February, the Challenge calls on chief executive officers, university presidents, and state and local leaders to create American jobs through energy efficiency. This program is a great example of the public-private partnerships that will be integral in steering our nation toward a more efficient and secure future, said Chris Curtis, North American CEO of Schneider Electric. Were reducing energy, but were also putting people to work creating jobs through the increased engineering and construction activity required to actively manage energy and create benchmarks. Its a winwin. n

Etihad Airways carries a record number of passengers in 2011

Lahore: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, carried a record 8.29 million passengers in 2011, a 17 per cent increase on the previous year. The jump represented an extra 1.197 million passengers on the carriers global network covering 82 passenger and cargo destinations. Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Hogan, said. This result, achieved while much of the world was facing the economic crunch and oil prices remained high, is testament to our emergence as a formidable force in the international aviation arena. Through strategic expansion we launched eight new routes to Bangalore, Maldives, Seychelles, Chengdu, Dusseldorf, Tripoli, Shanghai and Nairobi last year. n

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Punjab CM launches free laptops to Samsung offers a fabulous brilliant students opportunity for aspiring actors
spent Rs. 4 billion for 110,000 free laptops, while another 300,000 laptops are likely to be approved for free giveaway next year. Chief Minister also unveiled his plans for providing free internet connection at home for students, however, he said that procedures are being worked out to achieve the project. He announced that whole of Punjab University and its campuses will be equipped with WiFi for free and portable internet access. It is likely that other government universities will be converted into such hotspots as well. n Lahore: Samsung Electronics Company Ltd., has launched a new online offer, whereby aspiring artists, models and actors are being given a chance to become a part of Samsungs next Advertising campaign. This offer is being presented to the young, vibrant and talented people with good creative skills and a pleasant personal aura. Social media website facebook is being used to promote this campaign and reach out to the right segment. Social media is significantly influencing online users business behavior. It is another platform which is playing a critical role in enhancing an organizations image. The winning participants will be engaged to contribute in the new viral advertising campaign, being developed by Samsung. The young talent will walking on the Red Carpet to come into the glamorous shoot, full of Lights, Camera and Action for the youngsters. Shehryar Khalid, Samsung Pakistan said; brands in the world. This is your chance to feature in the next Galaxy Smartphones video. Samsung has already been featured as the most popular consumerelectronics company among the 5.8 million

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has launched the free laptop scheme in Punjab, under which 110,000 free laptops will be given away to bright students in the province. During a launch ceremony at Punjab University Lahore, Mr.

Sharif announced that giveaway of 110,000 laptops started from February 2nd, 2012 in Rahim Yar Khan and will run district wise to complete the delivery in whole province by end of March. He mentioned that Punjab Government

Samsung invites all those young aspiring actors and models who are brimming with confidence and dream to enter the glitz and glamour of the advertising world, with one of the biggest

facebook users in Pakistan. During recent months, more than 180,000 internet users have expressed their appreciation for Samsungs online branding activities and products. n

PTA caps on 13,000 porn websites

Government of Pakistan has blocked more than 13,000 sites in the country, which is the access to pornographic or adult nature, the Parliamentary Secretary for Information Technology, Nawab Liaqat Ali Khan said this while responding to pointing to the National Assembly of the notice. It is here worth mentioning that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority ordered Internet service providers in order to prevent the website of the list did not disclose the total number of blocked sites which are considered to be obscene in nature. Parliament IT minister said, This is a serious problem, we try to resolve it, plus the government did not take into account the situation. He expressed his concern in the obscene position of a rapid increase in the formation of a ministerial committee recommended that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Sub-Commission to consider the matter. n

Warid-Bank Alfalah to launch branchless banking

Lahore: Abu Dhabi Group has planned to launch an independent mobile financial services company through joinventure of Bank Alfalah and Warid, an official press statement said. The group will enter into Pakistans mobilebanking industry with combination of two subsidiaries that will develop a branchless and electronic eco-system comprising products and value proposition for merchants, businesses, consumers and the government sector. Ali Abbas Sikander will be heading the mobile-banking wing of Abu Dhabi Group. He worked with prominent international banks and led successful e-banking and branchless banking projects earlier in Pakistan and abroad. The name of service brand has not been exposed clearly, however there will be number of small businesses and employment generated and rapid transactions of money will be carried out easily. ADG is one of largest investors in Pakistan and has been operating in the country since 1997. The group companies have over $6.5 billion in

3G auction attracts $ 1billion: Governor SBP

Karachi: The auction of 3G licenses attracts more than one billion dollar as against a minimum target of $850 million, resulting positive impacts on economy mainly to contain a widening fiscal deficit of the country, said Yaseen Anwar Governor State Bank of Pakistan. Addressing a Press conference for the announcement of monetary policy, he appreciated the government efforts for auction of 3G licenses in the telecommunication sector as a positive development could help in containing the potential fiscal slippage. He said the governments projected privatization proceeds of $800 million of Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) will add handsome financial inflows to the state kitty along with different sources such as issuance of $500 million euro bonds and $800 million from Coalition Support Funds. The telecom sector has been in the limelight again as the sole sector that can prevent the country from economy crisis with inflows of handsome FDI through auction of 3G licenses with host of economic activities. PTA earlier this month announced the base price of 3G licenses at $ 210 million, with maximum of three 3G/4G licenses to be auctioned in addition to one defunct cellular licenses with base price of $ 150 million. Analysts predict the maximum value Government can attain for 3G auction wouldnt go beyond $ 230-250 million if government fails to attract any foreign investor (operator) in the bidding. However, 3G licenses price can go significantly high if 2-3 foreign operators get interested in operating in Pakistan. This increased the governments involvement in the bidding process, which will be supervised by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT). n

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total assets in Pakistan. ADG has invested in banking, telecommunications, real estate, insurance, sugar, asset management and health care sectors. It should be a matter of great comfort and satisfaction for our banking and telecom customers that their respective facilitators share a common vision to provide mobile based financial services which are convenient, need based and secure, Atif Bajwa, CEO, Bank Alfalah said. I am sure this will prove to be a very positive step towards the economic and social development of the country and for consumer financial access.

Muneer Farooqui, CEO Warid Telecom stated that Pakistan telecom industry has shown tremendous growth over the recent past, and now with the introduction of mobile financial services our subscribers will be equipped with highly accessible and convenient technology beyond traditional bank branches to ensure the much needed financial inclusion in this country. Pakistan is considered as model for mobile-banking services in the world as the sector has witnessed significant growth in utility by the customers through reliability, confidence and preference.

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Islamabad: Mobile communication technologies have evolved independently across continents and there is significant challenge in achieving success while introducing innovative services. Ufone continues to live up to these challenges and recently introduced UMonitor; a service with which customers will be able to monitor calls on three phone numbers. With this offer customers can

Manage outgoing, incoming calls with Ufone UMonitor!

Warid Tijarat launched

Lahore: Warid Telecom (PVT) Ltd, the innovation leader, recently announced the launch of Warid Tijarat. This exciting portal allows Warid

and services that have met the changing needs of their customers. The organization has always been keen to introduce the most competitive products and services in the market. Akbar Khan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ufone said that it was a great achievement for Ufone to develop UMonitor for its valued customers. He stressed that the Pakistani telecom market is an example of

users to buy and sell simply through mobile phones. Warid Tijarat helps bridge the gap between people with similar interests by allowing them to trade their goods and services with someone in the same city. One can sell/buy property, cars, mobile phones, electronics, find jobs and join book clubs and even buy tickets for local events and concerts through

this portal. This exciting service is available on SMS, Web and Wap platIslamabad: After takforms at http://waridtijarat.wariding so many successive tel.com. steps and bringing smile on its customers face, here comes Zong again with another exciting offer this time for Islamabad and Rawalpindi users. Zong brings the free on-net calls to all over Pakistan from Islamabad / Rawalpindi only so that the customers can enjoy Warid leads the market with the free calls from Zong to Zong for just Rs.7/day+tax product portfolio of over 60 value or Rs.41.93/week+tax. added services based on IVR, SMS, Zong aims at touching MMS and GPRS platforms. With the lives of all Pakistanis. great brand repute, loyal subscriber Zong serves to inspire base and recognition as one of the most and qualify the people of Pakistan with innovative steadfast telecom operators, Warid technology and offers that Telecom continues to set the excellence keeps walking with tobenchmarks in the telecom industry days fast evolving culture. n of Pakistan. n

Zong launches special offer for two city

now create a list of selected numbers and control their incoming and outgoing calls. Taking another step forward in offering greater value-addition; Ufone introduced UMonitor for its postpaid and prepaid customers. Time and time again Ufone has been offering unmatched packages

rapid progression and sustenance. He proclaimed that at Ufone it was understood that different businesses have different service and package requirements. It is all about identifying and introducing an offering which fills the gap and satisfies the requirements of our valued customers. n

PTCL inaugurates 'Family Movie Night'

Islamabad: President & CEO, PTCL, Walid Irshaid, has said that his Company is committed to share its successes with all its employees as well as their families. "At PTCL, we want to make sure that our Company's dividends and successes are not only shared with our employees but also with their families," said Mr. Irshaid while inaugurating the 'PTCL Family Movie Night' for employees. "The welfare and well-being of the families of our dedicated and hard-working employees is equally important to us." The S. A. Siddiqui Auditorium in PTCL Headquarters Building, Islamabad wore a festive look as employees with their families poured in to experience a funfilled evening of movie, popcorns and other food offered by the Company's Cafeteria. "PTCL is working very hard to create a healthy corporate culture of balancing work and recreation," said Senior Executive Vice

ployees are the key to our Company's progress and development." Prior to the movie screening, a lucky prize draw was also held in which employees and families participated enthusiastically. Winners were given prizes by Mr. Ir-

Mobilink CSR building a wall at Pehli Kiran School

Islamabad: Mobilink Foundation and JAQ trust recently joined togather for an activity to build a wall at the Pehli Kiran School No. 8, a school for underprivileged children in Islamabad. The school provides primary education to over 100 students in the slum areas of Islamabad. The school consists of basic infrastructure and the children sat in a basic shed with a tin roof. It was open from all sides so cold winds made it very difficult for the students to sit there. 20 Mobilink Volunteers spent 4 hours at the school where they participated in hard labor building a wall. They also took time to do some fun face painting and played cricket with the children. Mobilink helped build the wall to give students some protection from the elements, and to create a safe environment for them to study in. n

President HR, Syed Mazhar Hus- shaid and other senior managesain on the occasion. "We believe ment officials who were also presthat happy and motivated em- ent on the occasion. n

Ufone re-launches best selling handsets

Islamabad: Ufone relaunched two of its most successful handsets, G-1000 and G3610, at an extremely reasonable price. The need to re-launch these It also has an impressive 1.18 display and a mini USB interface charging. The customers can get this handset at a price of Rs 799/- with a Ufone SIM card preslot, MP3 Player, 1.8 screen and a Camera. The handset is reasonably priced at Rs.1699/- and comes without a SIM card or any bundled offer. This handset is also network locked for Ufone Network only. G-3610 was previously priced at Rs.1999/-. Speaking on the launch, Akbar Khan, Ufones Chief Marketing Officer said that Ufone has the distinction of introducing the most affordable and dependable handsets in the market at a frequent pace. He appreciated the re-launch of low-end handsets which have previously catered to a large market. He said that Ufone strives to provide its customers with low-priced but sturdy handsets to cater to their daily communication needs. n
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Ufone AJK offer

Islamabad: If theres heaven on earth its right here - AJK now talks to Pakistan and the land of royalty, UK absolutely free. Ufone celebrates the beautiful land of beautiful people. After the smashing success of previous city based offers, Ufone introduces a special offer for the residents of AJK. The city can now enjoy free calls to all Ufone numbers anytime of the day and 10 free minutes daily to all UK landline numbers at a nominal subscription charge of Rs.11.99+tax/day and that too without changing your package. Now thats an offer thatll make U say offer ho tou aisi!. n

handsets comes with the expansion of coverage in rural and remote areas and the demand of low priced and viable handsets from customers. G-1000 comes equipped with a torch light and an FM loud speaker, with a 400 mAH battery.

loaded with balance of Rs 50/- or the handset can be acquired without a SIM at a price of Rs. 749/-. G-1000 was previously priced at Rs.999/-. G-3610 is a remarkable handset with 800 mAh battery, FM radio, Flash torch, T-Flast card

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Vodafone wins $2.5 bn tax fight in India Nokia fined for spam
India's top court rejected a $2.5 billion tax bill slapped on British phone giant Vodafone over its purchase of a local mobile operator in a ruling seen as a boost to foreign investment. Indian authorities imposed the $2.5 billion tax bill and sought an equal sum in penalties over Vodafone's $11.1 billion purchase thorities had no jurisdiction in 2007 of a majority stake Whampoa. But the Supreme Court to tax Vodafone" as it was in the Indian mobile unit of Hong Kong's Hutchison ruled that "Indian tax au- an overseas transaction. Vodafone's clear-cut win in the bitter legal battle was seen as delivering a shot-in-the-arm to India's battered reputation among foreign investors who have been rattled by the country's uncertain regulatory climate. Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao welcomed the judgment, saying it "underpins our confidence in India" and "faith in the Indian judicial system". n

texts in Australia

Facebook, Twitter engineers launch fairer version of Google

Australian regulators have fined Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker by volume, $58,000 for spamming customers and said the Finnish company should change its text message (SMS) marketing. The Australian Communications and Media Authority said texts Nokia sent to clients as tips to get more out of their phones promot-

ed the company without offering an 'unsubscribe' option as required by law. Nokia said it has discontinued the service in Australia and was ramping it down elsewhere, adding unsubscribing was simpler on its current devices. The regulator said Nokia had agreed to train employees engaged in SMS marketing about legal requirements. n

Snubbed Facebook and Twitter engineers are trying to teach Google a lesson in fairness. Google this month created a new search tool on its site. Search Plus scours the Internet through Google and Google Plus. Which means it leaves out the worlds most popular social-networking sites: Facebook and Twitter. No fair, said a group describing themselves as some engineers at Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and in consultation with several other social networking companies. To fight back, they created a proof of concept site called Focusontheuser.org. How much better would social search be if Google surfaced results from all across the web? the site says on its home page. We created a tool that uses Googles own relevance measure the ranking of their organic search results to determine what social content should appear in the areas where Google+ results are currently hardcoded. n

According to new information from the Pew Research Centers Internet and American Life Project, tablet ownership has jumped from about 1 out of every 10 Americans to approximately 19 percent. The previous study was conducted around the middle of December, thus the massive increase in tablet ownership can likely be attributed to the holiday shopping season. While Apples iPad definitely helped boost that percentage, less expensive tablets like Amazons Kindle Fire and Barnes and Nobles Nook Tablet were also partial contributors. Analysts have estimated that Apple sold approximately 13 million iPads over the holiday season while Amazon sold between four to five million Kindle Fire tablets. In addition to tablet ownership increasing rapidly, e-book reader ownership also spiked from 18 percent in December 2011 to 29 percent in January 2012. n

Tablet ownership nearly doubles in January

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ban youth are suffering soSince Google Inc. intro- and 1 hour of video upcial-media "fatigue," duced its Android operating loads per second. That is prompting a number to system in 2007, the com- the equivalent of more than delete their Facebook and pany's strategy has been half the world population other accounts, according simple: Give it to developers watching one video every to a new study. for free and make money day. "Youngsters have startVideos on YouTube when consumers click ads ed finding social media boron the Web or through apps. range through all genres ing, confusing, frustrating That model is hitting a and categories. Being userResearch In Motion's and time-consuming," the snag. generated, the quality is And while we some- just makes it easier for us to new chief executive survey commissioned by the often sub-standard. But times feel overwhelmed by communicate and to share. Amazon.com Inc. and Thorsten Heins said, he Associated Chambers of Chinese Internet giants these astonishing numbers new and fast-moving tech- At the end of the day we are plans to focus more on the Baidu Inc. and Tencent show one thing: Content nologies, technology has still a race of storytellers consumer market but that a Holdings Ltd. are using An- in whatever form is still not managed to change hu- which is a very re-assuring "drastic change" is not necdroid as a building block for King. man nature in its core. It thought. n essary at the struggling their devices, skipping preBlackBerry maker. Heins, who took over loaded applications such as KDDI net profit recently from co-CEOs Mike Gmail, Google Maps and falls 17pc Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, YouTube that generate ad Japanese telecom opalso said he had no plans to Jerusalem: Scientists work each individual plot. revenue for Google, as well erator KDDI said net profsplit up the company, which It tells them when it is as its app store. Amazon's it for the December quar- in Israel have developed a has been losing market Kindle Fire tablet, which is ter fell 17 percent on way of using satellite im- best to plant seeds, when share to Apple's iPhone and gaining ground on Apple falling income from voice ages to help farmers detect to spray pesticides and handsets powered by calls but raised its full- small-scale changes in cli- even which crop is most Google's Android platform. Commerce and Industry of Inc.'s iPad, comes with none year revenue outlook mate and improve their suitable for each squareof those apps. "We have fantastic dethanks to iPhone 4S sales. harvests, a method that kilometre field, said Uri India (ASSOCHAM) found. The country's number "The Fire may be the vices and a fantastic ecosyscould bolster food supplies Dayan, a climatologist India's youth have tem that we're building," best Android tablet out two telecom firm said its for an increasingly hungry from Hebrew University in "started experiencing sonet profit for the fiscal Heins said in a conference there, even though it's the world population. Jerusalem. call with financial analysts. cial-media fatigue" and are least Android-y of all of third quarter dropped to 54.2 billion yen ($698 milThe UN Food and AgriRather than analyse tending to log less fre"I want to build on that. them," said Noah Elkin, an lion) from 65.7 billion yen the weather and topogra- culture Organisation "I will not in any way quently onto social networks analyst at New York-based in the same period a year phy of large swathes of (FAO) has said that global split this up or separate like Facebook, Google+, earlier. Operating profit this into different business- Twitter, Orkut, and others research firm EMarketer for the quarter fell 5.4 per- land, the new system di- food output must increase es," said the 54-year-old than when they signed up, Inc. "The Google experi- cent to 117 billion yen from vides fields into smaller by 70 percent by 2050 to ence is very much in the 124 billion yen a year ear- microclimates that guide meet the needs of an exHeins, who joined RIM in the study reported.n farmers on the best way to pected 9.1 billion people. n lier, it said. n background." n December 2007 from German industrial giant amazingly, BlackBerry OS (despite the company's recent turmoil). Siemens, where he was chief Some of the insights revealed in the survey square with comtechnology officer. After conducting their second annual developers' survey, Lon- mon-sense views of the smartphone market. Interest continues Heins said he wants to build in Windows Phone 7, although it still lags far behind iOS RIM to "focus more on con- don-based IT consultancy firm Ovum found Android is fast set to eclipse iOS "in terms of importance to developers," according to and Android in terms of overall market share. The report also sumer, on consumer marshows an increasing interest in web-based standards such as keting" and he has received a recent press release. iOS and Android are currently the top two platforms for mo- HTML5 as the way forward for building cross-platform mobile ap"the support from the board in going down that path." n bile developers, with "growing interest" in Windows Phone and, plications. n

RIM new CEO Young Indians to focus more in social on consumer 'fatigue': study market New Delhi: India's ur-

Amazon Fire YouTube reaches 4bn video views per day Video-sharing website takes Android YouTube just announced leaving Google that it has now reached 4 apps behind billion video views per day

Food security with microclimates

2012 Android's year for developers

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Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl ar e. pk

World leading mobile phone maker Nokia posted deep 2011 losses amid slumping handset sales and as its first Windowsbased smartphone, aimed at shoring up its flagging market share, struggled to get off the ground. For all of 2011, the company posted a net loss of 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion), compared to a net profit of 1.8 billion euros a year earlier, while the final quarter of the year was hammered with a 1.07billion-euro net loss after a profit of 745 million in the same period a year earlier. Net sales for the October-December period meanwhile slumped 21

Nokia 2011 results deep in red despite new Lumia line

percent year-on-year to 10.0 billion euros, while sales for the full year were down nine percent at 38.66 billion euros. The massive fall was nonetheless largely in line with, and even slightly better than analyst expectations, and Nokia's stock initially

jumped nearly six percent after its earnings were made public. Several analysts hinted the boost to its stock may in part have been a correction to the hammering it received earlier when two suppliers issued weak reports. n

AT&T's failed merger plan with wireless carrier T-Mobile drove the US telecommunications giant deep into the red in the fourth quarter, the company reported. AT&T posted a huge $6.68 billion loss for the fourth quarter after paying $4.0 billion to Germany's Deutsche Telekom, parent of T-Mobile USA, to break up the deal after stiff opposition from US regulators. AT&T dropped its $39 billion offer to buy T-Mobile, the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the United States, on December 19. AT&T had banked on the tie-up Mobile to leapfrog industry leader Ver-

AT&T posts big loss after Ericsson, ZTE bury patent T-Mobile breakup fee
izon into first place. But it abandoned the plan after US regulators said it would reduce competition in the wireless services industry and the Justice Department sued to block the deal. AT&T said its fourthquarter loss was $1.12 per share, including a one-time charge of 44 cents for the termination of the merger. After adjustments, the company reported earnings per share of 42 cents, in line with analyst forecasts. Fourth-quarter revenues of $32.5 billion were up 3.6 percent from the year-ago period on record mobile broadband sales, it said. n

hatchets

Ericsson posts 73pc slide in profit

Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson reported a worsethan-expected 73-percent dive in its fourth quarter net profit on weak mobile network sales, sending its share price into freefall. For the period from October to December, Ericsson registered a net profit of 1.15 billion kronor (130.8 million euros, $170 million), compared with 4.32 billion a year earlier. Following the announcement, Ericsson's share price plunged by 13.28 percent in midday trading on the Stockholm stock exchange, which was down 1.23 percent. Network sales fell by nine percent to 33.3 billion kronor in the fourth quarter. For the full-year 2011, network sales rose by 17 percent. In the fourth quarter, overall sales climbed by 1.4 percent to 63.7 billion kronor while gross margin slipped from 34.7 percent in 2010 to 30.2 percent in 2011, Ericsson said. n

iPhone sales drive record quarter for Apple

Apple blew past forecasts and reported record quarterly net profit and revenue in the first quarter since the death of founder Steve Jobs, driven by strong sales of the new iPhone. Apple said its net profit more than doubled in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 to a record $13.06 billion while revenue soared to an alltime high of $46.33 billion from $26.74 billion a year ago. Apple said it sold

Survey rates Gulf Airs service, operations as Excellent

Manama: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, received positive results in an independent passenger survey carried out by

the global airline industrys governing body, International Air Transport Association (IATA), despite a difficult 2011 by improving on several serv-

37.04 million iPhones in 26 percent, and 15.4 milthe quarter which ended lion iPods, a 21 percent on December 31, up 128 decline from a year ago. percent from a year ago, "We're thrilled with and 15.43 million iPads, our outstanding results a 111 percent increase. and record-breaking sales The California-based of iPhones, iPads and gadget-maker sold 5.2 Macs," Apple chief execmillion Macintosh com- utive Tim Cook said in a puters in the quarter, up statement. n ice and performance aspects. a scale of 1 to 5. The rating for Gulf Air cabThe survey carried out over a six month period April to in crew remained high with an September 2011- revealed average of 4.16, once again that the customers overall highlighting the cabin crews satisfaction across the air- professional service that was lines several service areas re- rated excellent by an IATA ceived an average rating of survey in 2010. n 3.84 as against 3.76 in 2010 on

Swedish mobile network giant Ericsson and Chinese rival ZTE have settled their patent infringement disputes, Ericsson said in a statement. "The parties have now signed a global cross-licensing agreement and both parties have also agreed to drop all litigation," said the statement. In April, Ericsson filed lawsuits in Britain and Italy against ZTE for infringement of its patents on mobile phones plus a lawsuit in Germany regarding phones and infrastructure after saying it tried unsuccessfully to get the company to sign a license for several years. ZTE, which in recent years has zoomed to join the ranks of the world's top mobile phone manufacturers, responded within days with countersuits for allegedly breaching its Chinese patents on network technology. "Ericsson has the strongest patent portfolio in the industry with over 27,000 patents and any company which sells mobile devices or systems needs a license from Ericsson," said Kasim Alfalahi, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson. "We have signed more than 90 patent agreements with different vendors worldwide. Now we can add ZTE to this group," he added. n

HP to make webOS software public by September

Hewlett-Packard said it will make its webOS mobile operating system available to the open source community by September. HP announced in December that it was planning to make webOS open source, meaning that developers anywhere can tinker with it as they wish and it will be available for anyone to use free of charge. The Palo Alto, California-based HP acquired the webOS software as part of its $1.2 billion purchase of Palm in 2010 but later abandoned plans to make smartphones and tablet computers using the platform. "By contributing webOS to the open source community, HP unleashes the creativity of hardware and software developers to build a new generation of applications and devices," HP said in a statement. The computer maker said it would make the webOS source code available under an open source license "in its entirety by September." n

Smartphones power Samsung to record profit

South Korea's Samsung Electronics reported a record operating profit of 5.3 trillion won ($4.72 billion) in the fourth quarter, thanks largely to booming smartphone sales. The company also announced a 25 trillion won investment in its chipmaking and panel-making business. However, the world's largest technology firm by revenue slipped to back second place behind rival Apple in terms of smartphone sales, according to research. Samsung's telecoms businesses accounted for 2.64 trillion won out of the total quarterly operating profit, with the flagship Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note brands largely credited for the strong result. Revenue in OctoberDecember was 47.3 trillion won, a 13 percent rise year-onyear. Net profit of four trillion won was up 17 percent on a year earlier. For the whole of last year the company logged a net profit of 13.7 trillion won, down 15 percent from the previous year. Revenue rose 6.7 percent to a record 165 trillion won and operating profit de-

clined 6.05 percent to 16.2 trillion won. Samsung overtook Apple in the third quarter of last year to become the world's largest seller of smartphones. n

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South African mobile telephone operator MTN said that rival Turkcell has threatened to sue it in a US court for alleged corruption involving a deal in Iran. MTN said Turkcell has accused the South African group of bribing government officials and pressing Pretoria to endorse Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for rights to an Iranian GSM mobile operating licence. "Turkcell has informed MTN that it believes it has a claim against MTN and its relevant subsidiary, arising out of the award of (Iran's) second GSM licence, based on alleged violations of United States laws, and has indicated an intention to bring such a claim before a United States court," an MTN statement said. MTN owns a 49-percent stake in the Iranian mobile telecoms company Irancell, which holds the operating licence. Turkcell subsidiary East Asian Consortium made an unsuccessful bid to acquire the licence in 2005. n

Turkcell threatens suit over Iranian deal: MTN

Telenor asks India to protect 'lawful' investment Samsung

Telenor says it expects India to protect its "lawful investment" after an Indian court scrapped mobile permits held by the Norwegian giant and other firms on grounds the licensing process was rigged. Telenor entered India's growing telecom market in 2009, paying $1.1 billion for a majority stake in Indian mobile firm Uninor, which holds 22 of the 122 licences cancelled by the Supreme Court. "We look to the governdian assets would be worth 2.4 billion kroner. The Supreme Court scrapped the second-generation (2G) mobile licences issued in 2008 to a host of companies with foreign partners on the grounds the sale was fraudulent, costing the government up to $39 billion in lost revenues. Telenor is the second largest foreign investor in the country's telecom sector, after Britain's Vodafone Group. n

condemns 'anti-Iran' ad featuring its tablet

ment to arrive at a fair outcome that doesn't jeopardize our lawful investment," the company said in a statement. Telenor said separately

in Oslo it would take a charge of 4.2 billion kroner (550 million euros, $720 million) on its Indian unit. After the charge, the book value of the company's In-

Samsung Electronics condemned an Israeli commercial featuring a Samsung tablet, expressing dismay at Iran's threat to ban its products over the apparently anti-Tehran teaser. The South Korean electronics giant said it had not

Silicon Valley braces for Facebook millionaires

Even before Facebook goes public, Silicon Valley is buzzing in anticipation of the "instant millionaires" that may soon be looking for ways to spend their newfound wealth. Eight years after Mark Zuckerberg founded the company in a Harvard dorm room, the stock market debut is expected to value the social media giant at as much as $100 billion. While Zuckerberg and other longtime staffers stand to benefit the most, the initial public offering, which is expected early, could also make millionaires out of much of the company's rank-and-file. Local real estate agents say they expect the IPO -anticipated to be the largest ever by a technology company -- to boost already high home prices as newly wealthy staffers at the social media giant begin shopping. "It's going to have a great effect," said Pierre Buljan, a Silicon Valley real estate agent who shows homes to young technology executives. "I believe with 1,000 new millionaires, they're going to need a place to live." n

Micron CEO dies in plane crash

Steve Appleton, the chief executive of leading semiconductor maker Micron Technology, died at the age of 51 when a small plane he was piloting crashed at an Idaho airport, his company said. "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Appleton, Micron Chairman said in a statement. "Steve's passion and energy left an indelible mark on Micron, the Idaho community and the technology industry at large." Airport officials said the single-engine Lancair plane caught fire and went down between two runways. Appleton was the only person

and CEO, passed away this morning in a small plane accident in Boise," Idaho, the company's board of directors

been involved in production of the TV spot, produced by Israeli cable TV cannel HOT. HOT offered Galaxy tabs as gifts to attract new viewers and the advert was part of the station's subscription campaign, Samsung said. "We have absolutely nothing to do with this television spot," a Samsung Electronics spokesman told. The commercial was produced by HOT "without aboard. The cause of the incident is under investiga- Samsung's knowledge or participation," the company tion. n said in a statement. n

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The president and five other top executives of Japan's biggest mobile phone operator will take pay cuts to apologise for a series of network troubles. The firm admitted that it has struggled to deal with growing data traffic as smartphones boom in popularity, and pledged fresh investment to tackle the issue. President Ryuji Yamada will have his remuneration reduced by 20 percent for three months while the other executives will take a 10 percent trim over the same period. "I deeply apologise to our customers for the huge trouble," Yamada told a news conference. n

Japan Smartphone shipments overtake PC, tablets last telecom bosses take quarter while PC, Tablet computers atpay cuts for tracted millions of cus- last quartercomputers laptops, tablet and tomers last quarter, but netbooks shipped last system woes the numbers are not quarter was 120.2 million
enough to outsell the smartphones. According to Canalys, the total number of smartphone shipments in 2011 exceeded only. Laptops or notebooks is still more popular than tablet computers with 57.9 million units, followed by

Nokia Lumia 710 fails to impress

The first of Nokia's new generation of smartphones isn't flashy and certainly isn't an iPhone killer. But it's a nice device, and at Rs 15,500 it's a bargain. Nokia and Microsoft, erstwhile big players in the mobile market, have joined forces to get back in the game. A little more than a year ago, Microsoft launched a new mobile operating system called Windows Phone 7 to replace its aging Windows Mobile software. Then last February, the world's largest phone manufacturer announced that it would abandon Symbian, its longtime smartphone-operating system, and adopt Windows Phone 7 in its place. Windows Phone 7 devices have drawn little interest from consumers to date, but Microsoft hopes Nokia can help change that. The first Nokia Win-

Nokia leads dual-SIM phone market in India

New Delhi: Nokia, the worlds largest seller of mobile phones by volumes, had also recently leaded in the dual-SIM mobile handsets in India. Finnish handset manufacturer, Nokia entered the Dual SIM market in 2010. Nokia took corrective steps by joining the bandwagon of dual-SIM mobile phones by launching its first ever C1-00 and C2-00 phones in mid-2010. However, Nokia, a late entrant in the multi-SIM device category, fast tracked the process of consolidation by rolling out five models by Sept 2011, to make its presence felt in every price segment in India. Nokia has launched as many as seven phones including the Asha series in the dual-SIM category. n

desktop, and last quarter alone, more smartphones were shipped to stores than PC, tablets, netbooks and laptops combined. The market trend is obviously shifting from traditional desktop PCs, tablet computers and netbook computers to smartphones with larger screen sizes and better CPUs. According to the data, smartphone makers shipped 158.5 million smartphones

29.1 million desktop PCs, and 26.5 million tablet computers were reportedly shipped during the last three months of 2011. Apparently, smartphone growth last quarter was due to new features available, offered by the iPhone 4S and the new mobile operating system of Google, the Android Ice Cream Sandwich, plus, the more competitive tag prices of smartphones. n

dows Phone 7 devices started hitting store shelves around the globe last fall and hit American shores earlier this month when T-Mobile began selling the Lumia 710. n

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Google, Microsoft, Facebook, BoA team to wipe out phishing

Can industry heavyweights Google, PayPal, Microsoft and AOL -- along with 11 others in high-tech such as Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as the financial world's Bank of America and Fidelity Investments -- succeed in stopping phishing attacks right in their tracks? In uniting behind an effort called DMARC.org unveiled, the group says it can through policy-based steps filter out spoofed email that attackers use for phishing. "Whether you are an enterprise or offering a consumer service, you can apply this policy now," says Brett McDowell, senior manager of customer security initiatives at PayPal, who is chairman of the organization DMARC, which stands for "Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Confor-

mance." The DMARC.org site today published guide-

RI, Pakistan to further expand trade deal

Indonesia and Pakistan signed a preferential trade agreement in a bid to boost bilateral economic cooperation and are expected to expand the trade deal into a free trade agreement in the near future. Under the agreement, Indonesia offered reduced tariffs to Pakistan on 216 tariff lines, including fresh fruit, cotton yarn, cotton fabrics, ready made garments, fans, sporting goods and leather goods. Pakistan, on the other hand, has extended preferential rates on 287 tariff lines of Indonesian products, such as crude palm oil and its derivatives, sugar confectionery, cocoa products, consumer goods, chemicals, tableware,

lines and the specification for its technology, which makes use of the wellknown standards Sender Few may have enviPolicy Framework (SPF) sioned that an ultra-cheap and DomainKeys Identitablet sold by the most popfied Mail (DKIM), two basic ular online retailer in the approaches widely used toworld would be successful. And yet Amazon's Kindle Fire finds itself in just such a situation, according to estimates from Jordan Rohan, an analyst from Stifel Nicolaus. In a note to investors, Rohan said that Amazon sold an estimated 6 million Kindle Fires in the fourth quarter of 2011, reday for authenticating vised upward from the 5 email. n million units that Rohan had previously projected. Even so, the Kindle Fire kitchenware, rubber prodon its own was no match for ucts, wood products, glassApple's iPad, which sold ware products and elecmore than 15 million units tronics items. Indonesian Trade Min- in the fourth quarter of ister Gita Wirjawan said 2011. The iPad's dominance that the pact would allow in the tablet market has greater flow of goods and been well-documented as commodities between the Strategy Analytics last week two countries and enhance estimated that the iPad accooperation that had long counted for 57.6% of all tablet shipments in the existed. n fourth quarter of 2011. n

Kindle Fire king of Android tablets

NSN cutting 4,100 jobs

Nokia Siemens Networks is looking to cut 4,100 jobs in its home markets of Finland and Germany as part of a previously announced plan for 17,000 redundancies. The company confirmed to Reuters that it is talking to local unions about 2,900 job losses in Germany and 1,200 in Finland. The 2,900 cuts in Germany equate to roughly a third of the company's workforce in the country. "We will fight with the employees against this job cull. Our target is to save as many jobs as possible with a collective labour agreement and to avoid the closedown of Munich plant," union official Michael Leppel told Reuters. The Finnish economics ministry said the timing of job cuts was problematic as Nokia itself is in the midst cutting thousands of jobs. "For the Finnish economy the situation is challenging," it said in a statement. n

Slow growth ahead for telecom service provider revenues

The telecoms industry rebounded in 2011, with service provider revenues and capex growing robustly compared to the same period in 2010, according to Ovum. In a new report, the telecoms analyst found that service provider (SP) capex and revenues grew an estimated 12 per cent and seven per cent respectively in 2011, with capex reaching $314bn and revenues $1,962bn. However, the report forecasts that SP revenues will advance at a CAGR of 2.9 per cent over the 20102017 period, which is markedly down from the historic CAGR of 6.3 per cent achieved in 20042010. There is a similar slowdown with capex: capex expanded at a CAGR of 6.5 per cent in 2004-2010, but this will likely slow to 3.1 per cent in 2010-2017.

Mobile shopping across Europe has grown by 510pc

increase by 16percent in 2012 and smartphone usage at a record high, shopping using mobile devices will become an increasingly important part of retail sales, set to represent 6.1percent of all online retail spending in Europe this year. For the third year running, consumers in the UK are predicted to be the biggest mobile shoppers in Europe in 2012 and are ex2010, according to a survey erated growth of 510% in pected to spend 5.4 billion commissioned by Kelkoo. just two years. With total using mobile devices. This The report reveals that European online sales set to is followed by consumers in European online shoppers are expected to spend 14.6bn on mobile devices in 2012, up from 2.4bn in mobile shopping across Europe will increase from just 2.4bn in 2010 to 14.6bn by the end of 2012, accelGermany (3.2bn) and France (2.2bn). The Spanish will spend the least on mobile shopping this year at just 0.2bn closely followed by the Danes (0.3bn). The UK also tops Europe for the highest proportion of all online spending using a mobile at 7.9percent. Conversely, those in Poland (4.1percent), France (4.6percent) Denmark (5percent) and Italy (5.3percent) are expected to spend the lowest proportion of their online budget on their mobiles. n

China Telecom's Beijing division has issued a statement confirming that it will start selling the CDMA version of Apple's iPhone 4S. Citing a press statement from the company, the semi-official China Daily newspaper said that sales are expected to start late next month or early March at the latest. "China Telecom has already started preparatory work for the launch of the iPhone 4S," according to the press release. The smartphone has already been approved for sale by the country's regulators. Currently, only China Unicom officially sells the iPhone in the country, on its 3G network - although over 6 million handsets have been detected on China Mobile's GSM only network. n

China Telecom to start sales of Apple's iPhone

Samsung facing European investigation into patent abuse allegations

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation to assess whether Samsung Electronics has abusively used certain of its standard essential patent rights to distort competition in European mobile device markets. The opening of proceedings means that the Commission will examine the case as a matter of priority. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. In 2011, Samsung Samsung has failed to honour its commitment given in 1998 to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to license any standard essential patents relating to European mobile telephony standards on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. The Commission will examine whether such behaviour amounts to an abuse of a dominant position prohibited by Article on alleged infringements sion will investigate, in par- 102 of the Treaty on the of certain of its patent ticular, whether in doing so Functioning of the EU. n sought injunctive relief in various Member States' courts against competing mobile device makers based rights which it has declared essential to implement European mobile telephony standards. The Commis"2011 represents a good bounce-back for the industry," noted report author and Ovum principal analyst Matt Walker. However, Walker added that "macroeconomic weakness is constraining top-line SP revenue growth. Service providers are coping with this reality by aggressively attacking their cost structures, both capex and opex." n

Huawei Technologies Co. has dropped its plan to set up a factory in India for now and has contracted a unit of Flextronics International Ltd. to manufacture telecommunications equipment for local supplies, said a top executive at the Chinese company's Indian operations. The company, which has a small Indian unit to make fiber-optic equipment near the southern city of Chennai, has been planning to set up a factory to make more products locally, keeping in mind New Delhi's concerns that imported telecom gear may contain spyware. Also, local manufacturing would help it avoid anti-dumping taxes and meet some guidelines India proposes to implement. n

Huawei drops plan to set up India plant

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Saleh appoints CEO for Etisalat UAE Microsoft lays off 200 in
Etisalat Group announced that Emirates Telecommunications Corporation Etisalat Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Saleh Al Abdooli as Chief Executive Officer for Etisalat UAE, the largest company of Etisalat Group that generates more than 70percent of the total of revenue of the Group, effective 8th April 2012. A strong leader with a proven track record, Saleh Etisalat Misr, one of the Al Abdooli has been for the largest and most successful past five years the CEO of subsidiaries of Etisalat Group. His leadership years in the Egyptian market have been a great success story in the telecom industry and have earned him a great reputation and several international awards as a leader of one of the best third entrants in mobile operation worldwide. He has achieved remarkable results in the mature Egyptian market that had been dominated for about a decade by a duopoly of two giant operators, Vodafone and Orange (Mobinil). n Microsoft Corp. laid off roughly 200 employees as the software giant restructured its marketing operations in an effort to streamline job responsibilities and eliminate duplication. Microsoft said the layoffs were intended to reduce overlapping responsibilities of the Redmond, Wash., company's central marketing team and its various business divisions, which also conduct marketing activities. The move will rationalize and define job responsibili-

reorganising effort

ties, a company spokesman said. The reorganization gives Microsoft's central marketing group greater responsibility for managing the company's nearly two dozen brands, from the umbrella Microsoft brand to Bing and Xbox. It will be responsible for coordinating advertising messages among the company's divisions. It also will supervise the company's relationships with ad agencies, especially as ad messages present bundled features. n

Artists $200m Facebook windfall

NEW YORK: Jackson Pollock may lose his record for creating the most expensive painting ever and not to another enfant terrible of the art world, but to a minor Los Angeles mural painter who happened upon the Facebook offices in 2005. David Choe could be the unlikeliest of all the millionaires and billionaires who will be minted by the social networks flotation this year. If the company hits the top valuations being talked about, then Choe will have been paid about $200 million

Facebook India users doubled in last one year

Washington: Popular social networking site Facebook finds India a major growth market, where the number of users have more than doubled in the past one year, as against near-zero penetration in the neighbouring China. For Facebook, looking to raise $5 billion through initial share sale, India is a key source for future higher than many other growth. countries, including home The growth of 132 per market in US. cent in India has been "We have achieved book has said, while noting that its penetration rate in India was estimated to be 20-30 per cent. "... in China, where Facebook access is restricted, we have near zero penetration. We continue to invest in growing our user base, particularly in markets where we are relatively less penetrated," according to Facebook's documents for IPO filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). n

varying levels of penetration within the population of Internet users in different countries," Face-

Etisalat Group announced that Emirates Telecommunications Corporation Etisalat Board of Directors has appointed Saeed Al Hamli as Chief Executive Officer for Etisalat Misr, one of the largest and the most successful subsidiaries of Etisalat Group, effective 8th April 2012. Saeed Al Hamli, who comes from diverse technical and commercial backgrounds, enjoys more than 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. Since he joined Etisalat in 1991, he has held a range of managerial and executive positions and demonstrated remarkable performance. Al Hamli has worked both inside and outside the UAE, a diverse exposure that has enriched his knowledge of the industry in various competitive business environments. From 2007 to 2011, he worked as the CEO of Etisalat Afghanistan where he achieved excellent business and operational results. n

Saeed appoints CEO for Etisalat Misr

Outrage over Steve Jobs angel in Taiwan ad

A Taiwanese television commercial featuring a Steve Jobs look-alike angel complete with white wings and a halo has caused uproar, with critics saying it is disrespectful towards Apple's late founder. The commercial shows well-known local comedian A-Ken in blue jeans and a black turtleneck praising the virtues of a tablet from Taiwan-based Action Electronics that runs on Google's Android operating system. "I'd like to present to you a new generation of tablets. It's amazing," a smiling AKen says in the 20-second commercial. "My God, I finally have another Pad to play with." Jobs, who died in October at the age 56, was no fan of Google's Android system, considering it a rip-off of Apple's technology. n

for the graphic sexual murals that adorned Facebooks walls in its early years. Choe, who says his dirty-style figure paintings combine themes of desire, degradation, and exaltation, took shares in Facebook instead of a cash payment. Although he told friends at the time that Facebook was a ridiculous and pointless idea that wouldnt succeed, he made the gamble, and now the shares look like being the hottest property on the US stock market. n

ner (550 million euros, $720 million) on its Indian unit after New Delhi scrapped mobile licences in a massive fraud probe. Net profit in 2011 fell 44.6 percent from the level a year earlier to 7.9 billion kroner in large part due to complications from its majority stake in Indian company Uninor. India's Supreme Court recently cancelled second-generation (2G) mobile licences issued in 2008 to a host of companies with foreign partners on the grounds the sale was rigged, costing the government some $40 billion in lost revenues.

Telenor posts 44.6pc Nokia to profit drop cut 4,000 Norwegian telecom gijobs in ant Telenor posted a sharp profit fall for 2011 after tak2012 ing a charge of 4.2 billion kroTelenor entered what is now the world's secondbiggest telecom market in 2009, taking a 67.25 percent stake in Uninor which holds 22 of the 122 licences cancelled by the Supreme Court. "We are working to protect our investments in all possible manners, and will consider every option prior to any further investments," Telenor Chief Executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas said in a statement. n World-leading mobile phone maker Nokia will cut 4,000 jobs at its smartphone manufacturing facilities in Finland, Hungary and Mexico by the end of 2012, it said. "The expected headcount impact by country is 2,300 in Komarom (Hungary), 700 in Reynosa (Mexico) and 1,000 in Salo (Finland)," company spokesman James Etheridge told. The job cuts follow a review of smartphone operations announced in September 2011, when the company warned jobs may be cut at the plants in question. The factories in Komarom, Reynosa and Salo will in the future focus on software-heavy smartphone customisation, while manufacturing will shift to Asia to shorten the time it takes for products to get to market, the company said in a statement. "But these planned changes are all about speed and responsiveness and ultimately, our competitiveness," Etheridge said. n

EU approves Google's $12.5 billion Motorola takeover

European Union competition regulators approved the $12.5-billion takeover of Motorola Mobility by Google, judging the move unlikely to impact on the market for smartphone operating systems. "We have approved the acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google because, upon careful examination, this transaction does not itself raise competition issues," said Joaquin Almunia, the EU's anti-trust commissioner. An investigation centred on whether Google might make it harder for big-selling handset manufacturers such as Samsung or HTC to use the operating system Google developed, Android. n

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Bahrain Telecommunications Co (Batelco) has agreed to sell its 43 percent stake in Indian affiliate S Tel for $175 million, in the first foreign exit since India scrapped 122 telecoms licences as part of a corruption probe. Batelco will sell the stake to India partner Sky City Foundation Limited and will receive the same price it paid to acquire its holding in S Tel in 2009, the Bahraini operator said. Batelco said the deal would be completed by the fourth quarter. S Tel was not immediately available for comment.

Batelco sells India venture after telecom scandal

"This is a part of an earlier understanding with its Indian Partner to exit, given the circumstances surrounding the 2G probe in India over the past twelve months," Batelco said in a statement. The now-revoked licences were awarded in 2008, before Batelco bought into S Tel. n

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Egyptian mobile phone services company, Orascom, said it was holding advanced talks with France Telecom over the future of mobile operator Mobinil. France Telecom controls 71.25 percent of Mobinil and has been seeking to expand its control over the Egyptian mobile phone provider. In April 2010 an Egyptian administrative court ruled against a France Telecom bid to take over Mobinil, cancelling a previous decision by the market regulator. n

Orascom in Google users warned of threat advanced talks to smartphone wallets Users of Google smart- ly figures out a Google Walwith France phone wallets were being let personal identification Telecom warned on Friday that there number (PIN), provided the
is a way to crack pass codes intended to thwart thieves from going on illicit shopping sprees. Zvelo Labs researcher Joshua Rubin was

Apple's 4Q tablet share falls to 57pc

Amazon Kindle Fire and other low-priced tablets cut into Apple Inc.'s mediatablet market share in the fourth quarter, but Apple's newly introduced iPhone 4S was the strongest competitor for the iPad, according to market researcher IHS Inc. The firm said Apple's fourth-quarter iPad shipments were 15.4 million, up 39 percent from the third quarter, but the device's share of the global mediatablet market fell to 57 percent from 64 percent in the prior quarter. "Shipments of the iPad line fell short of IHS esti-

Alcatel unveils first profit in six years

French telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent caught investors by surprise with a 2011 profit of more than a billion euros ($1.33 billion), its first positive result in six years. In 2010 the group had posted a loss of 334 million. The rebound was unveiled along with news of a positive fourth-quarter cash flow and sent Alcatel shares soaring in midday trading to lead gainers on the Paris stock exchange. "The group's results are far better than expected," commented Arnaud de Champvallier, head of Turgot Asset Management. "Many investors had given up on its stock because the group was very disappointing and its strategy was confused," he said. "But with these kinds of results, part of the market might pile back in." Alcatel managed its full-year profit of 1.09 billion euros despite a 2.1 slip in sales to 15.3 billion. n

crook has the smartphone. Rubin said that Google has been alerted to the vulnerability and is moving swiftly to fix it. He has not made his wallet "Cracker" application public. "Google Wallet allows only five invalid PIN entry attempts before locking the user out," Rubin said in a blog post. "What makes Wallet easy for you to use now makes it easy for attackers to use; they can now spend featured in a video at the your money and credit just company's website demon- as if your phone were an strating software that quick- ATM card." n

mates in the fourth quarter as many loyal Apple customers devoted their dollars to shiny new alternatives," said Rhoda Alexander, senior manager of tablet and monitor research for IHS. "However, the primary alternative wasn't the Kindle Fire -- which debuted to solid sales in the fourth quarter -- but Apple's own iPhone 4S smartphone." n

Researchers revealed a flaw in the way data is scrambled to protect the privacy of online banking, shopping and other kinds of sensitive exchanges. A program used to generate random number sequences for encrypting digital information worked properly 99.8 percent of the time, meaning that two out of every thousand "keys" wouldn't

Flaw found in securing online transactions

thwart crooks or spies, the report warned. "We found that the vast majority of public keys work as intended," said a report based on work by a team of US and European researchers led by Arjen Lenstra of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). "A more disconcerting finding is that two out of every one thousand RSA

Motorola teams up with Intel to launch ICS phone

Intel's new Medfield platform. What we can gather, is that the new Motorola phone will be button-free , as well as sport a newer version of the MotoBlur UI. According to sources, the camera will be one of the hardware highlights of the device, offering 15-frame per second burst capture. Medfield though, will be the selling point. n

moduli that we collected offer no security." Online rights champion Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) supplied key data for the research, and said that Lenstra's team found tens of thousands of keys that essentially failed to guard data in supposedly encrypted online sessions. n

Motorola is hitting back hard with not only its first Ice Cream Sandwich handset, but with a smartphone running an Intel core. The phone is an unnamed Android 4.0 device powered by

Unitech in war with Telenor

MUMBAI: Shares of Unitech ended on a flat note on the bourses, even as its telecom business partner Telenor sought "indemnity and compensation" for cancellation of 22 licences held by their joint-venture Uninor. The scrip finished the trade at Rs 31.65 apiece on the BSE, down 0.31 per cent from the previous close. In the intra-day trade, the stock had fallen by as much as 5.19 per cent to a low of Rs 30.10, but recouped almost all the losses.

The Norwegian firm has over 67 per cent stake in Uninor. Reacting to Telenor's stateTelenor also said it would start the ment, Unitech also issued a press reprocess of looking for a new partner lease today, wherein it expressed since the strategic tie-up with Unitech surprise over its foreign partner's in"does not have a future". demnity claim and accused Telenor of violating the confidentiality covenants of their shareholders' agreement. Unitech further said Telenor's action was to malign its reputation and said it reserves its rights to take appropriate action for damages caused by the "breach of confidentiality obligation" by the Norwegian group. n

France Telecom to buy Sawiris's Orascom for $2 bn

France Telecom SA may spend about $2 billion to buy most of billionaire Naguib Sawiris's stake in their Egyptian wireless venture and delist the operator. France's largest telecommunications company reached a preliminary agreement with Sawiris's Orascom Telecom Media & Technology Holding SAE over Egyptian Co. for Mobile Services, the operator known as Mobinil, at 202.5 Egyptian pounds ($33.54) a share, it said today. That's 8.7 percent less than the price it would have paid under an earlier option agreement with Sariwis. France Telecom will offer the same price for Mobinil shares traded on the Cairo exchange. France Telecom is refocusing its business on fast-growing emerging markets as mobile revenue in Europe stalls. The Paris- based company has announced the sale of its units in Switzerland and Austria, and in the past two years struck deals to enter Morocco, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo. n

Dubai: Kuwaits Wataniya reported a 57 percent rise in its fourth-quarter net profit as the telecoms operator included more consolidated earnings from its Tunisian unit. Wataniya, majorityowned by Qatar Telecom (Qtel), made a net profit of 38.2 million dinars ($137.4 million) in the fourth quarter, compared with a profit of 24.3 million dinars in the same period a year earlier. In 2011, Wataniya raised its stake in its unit Tunisiana to 75 percent. This enabled Wataniya to consolidate 100 percent of Tunisianas revenue from the first-quarter of 2011 onwards, up from 50 percent, while it now includes three-quarters of Tunisianas profit, also up from 50 percent. n

Wataniya Telecom 4Q profit rises 57pc

Google on assured users of its smartphone wallets that the mobile-age technology thwarts thieves better than old-school cash or credit cards. "Mobile payments are going to become more common in the coming years, and we will learn much more as we continue to develop Google Wallet," Google payments vice presidentOsama Bedier said in a blog post. "In the meantime, you can be confident that the digital wallet you carry provides defenses that plastic and leather simply don't." A Google Wallet feature that lets people load prepaid cardinformation in smartphones for spending was re-activated this week after being shut off for a few days to fix a potential security vulnerability. n

Google tightens grip on smartphone wallets

A European court has ruled that social networks are not required to install filters to stop the sharing of copyrighted material. The Luxembourg-based EU Court of Justice found that the installation of such filters would be too costly and complex and likely hamper the use of legitimate content. The ruling comes after the Belgian Society of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (SABAM) sued Bel- gium-based social network Netlog

Social networks don't filter content: EU Court

over the distribution of copyrighted material on Netlog profiles. SABAM lost another case back in November that called on ISPs to install filters that would stop illegal downloads. As a result, SABAM said in a statement that it "takes note of this ruling without surprise." Given the outcome of the November case, it was expected the EU Court of Justice "would adopt the same position," SABAM said.

Saudi Oger gets bids for telecommunications unit

Saudi Oger Ltd., a construction and telecommunications company, has received bids for its Oger Telecom Ltd. unit, the majority owner of Turk Telekomunikasyon AS (TTKOM), said Vice Chairman Mohammed Hariri. Prices offered by potential buyers, all from the Gulf region, werent satisfactory and Saudi Oger thinks its not the right time to sell the unit, the Istanbul-based newspaper cited Hariri as saying. Dubai-based Oger Telecom, which invests in telecommunications companies, owns 55 percent of Turk Telekom, Turkeys biggest phone company. n

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Nikon Coolpix L810 delivers super zoom capability

Nikon is back with yet another digital camera for the mass market, pushing out its Coolpix L810 shooter this time around. Just what does the L810 have in terms of improved performance over its predecessors? For starters, it will come with a CCD image sensor that has an effective pixel count of 16.1-million pixels, in addition to a 26x optical zoom NIKKOR lens which is capable of covering angles of view from the wide-angle 22.5 to super telephoto 585 mm (equivalent in 35-mm format), and a new lensshift vibration reduction (VR) function. Despite all of those capabilities, the Coolpix L810 will still deliver the same form factor that will be able to support a firm, steady grip and side zoom control which has become the signature physical format for its predecessors, delivering high performance without a second thought.

Sony DSC-TX200V digital camera is super slim

This would clearly place the Sony DSC-TX200V as the highest-resolution digital camera that is currently on offer in the point and shoot market segment, and when coupled with the spanking new BIONZ processor, both of them will work in tandem to create images as well as video files with extremely low noise. Just what else do you expect the Sony DSC-TX200V to carry? This advanced model is also tipped to deliver lightning-fast AutoFocus speeds of approximately 0.13 seconds in daytime and 0.25 seconds in low-light situations. Bear in mind that the speeds quoted are just on paper, when in real life, they might vary depending on shooting conditions. With such shooting speeds, they will more or less ensure you are able to capture the right moment at all times.

Hand Reflexology Massager

When we talk about reflexology, most of the time we are drawn to something that has to do with the feet but the folks over at Hammacher have very different ideas of associating the verb with, by introducing the $119.95 Hand Reflexology Massager. This device will apply a gentle, soothing massage to both the top and bottom of your hand, making me feel as though I ought to place an order for this puppy right away considering the amount of typing that I do each day in order to bring home the bacon. This is a machine that intends to replicate the hand reflexology treatment, where it will compress trigger points on the palm and back of hand using a mechanical air pressure system which kneads the hand. A bunch of physical therapists realized that this massager has proven itself to be effective in relieving pain and discomfort in the hands, and thanks to its soothing rhythm, it is capable of relieving tension.

Panasonic Lumix TS20 rugged digital camera

For those of you out there who tend to be a little bit careless with your belongings, no matter how expensive they are, then it would always be better to pick up something which is cheap instead of gunning for an expensive make or model all the time. After all, it is rather difficult to predict just when you are going to be at your butterfingers best which is why Panasonic figured out the consumer digital camera market has a need for the Panasonic Lumix TS20 rugged digital camera. This entry-level shooter is not only shockproof and dustproof, it is also waterproof, so that you can continue to shoot photos with this puppy even when it pours outside, or should you want to go snorkelling and take underwater shots, the Lumix TS20 would also deliver results just as well.

Color Changing Umbrella

If you have stayed in London for some years, you would know that carrying around an umbrella is always a good idea as well as for those living in tropical countries, as the umbrella not only keeps the glare and heat off from your skin, it also makes sure you remain somewhat dry to a certain extent should the heavens decide to feel extra generous and pour out its abundant blessings onto the masses down here. Well, if you are going to tote an umbrella around, you might as well make the most of it with the 19.99 Color Changing Umbrella.
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USB Floppy Disk Drive

The famous 5.25 floppy single-sided or double-sided, sir? Imagine swapping such disks when playing games, and installation proved to be a pain when you have seven, nay, eight of these floppies to go through. 3.5 floppies were far sturdier and less prone to damage, so why not usher in a modern interpretation of a retro device? The 26.99 USB Floppy Disk Drive is as what it says all you need to do is plug this into any available USB port, and it is capable of transferring all 1.44MB of data on a 3.5 floppy disk over to your computer. Pretty pointless actually, and in this day and age, probably the only things you can carry around on the floppy would be a couple of sized down images and perhaps a text file or two.

The name of this umbrella gives the game away, where this rather compact device will feature a white raindrop pattern located around the canopy flitted past and sprinkled some magic dust on it.

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Polly Camera Trolley Helps Stabilise Your Recordings

We have featured a number of devices designed to help provide a more stable and smooth platform for camcorders and cameras here on Geeky Gadgets. Including the awesomeCineSkates Camera Slider which started its journey on Kickstarter not so long ago. Now a new design has been launched by Polly Systems called the Polly, which uses a flywheel driven chassis to hold your camera and keep everything stable as your record. Polly has been designed to be ultra compact, portable and a flexible solution to create and capture smooth tracking shots. The flywheel gear allows you to move the camera extra smoothly on flat ground. Tracking shots which would normally require at least one assistant or even a motion control system.

Pentax K-01 Mirrorless Camera

Pentax has officially announced the new highly anticipated Pentax K-01 mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera. Which is equipped with the same K-mount lens mount used by Pentaxs DSLR lenses. The design for the new Pentax K-01 has been created by Australian industrial designer Marc Newson, featuring a rubberised, ribbed grip covering on an aluminium frame. The Pentax K-01 has been built around a 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, providing roughly 13 times the size of the 1/2.3-inch-type sensor found in the Pentax Q. ISO settings range from ISO 100 to ISO 25,600, and burst mode provides 6 frames per second capture at full resolution, and the camera will capture 1080p video at 24 fps, 25 fps, and 30 fps, as well as 720p video at 60 fps.

Web Cube 3G HSPA+ Broadband Alternative

UK mobile carrier Three has just announced the Three Web Cube, which is basically a mobile alternative to broadband for your home, and the device is HSPA+ enabled. According to Three the Web Cube will offer typical download speeds of between 2Mbps to 5Mbps with a maximum speed in excess of 10 Mbps, and you can also connect up to five different devices to the web cube at once. Three will be offering the Web Cube with a one month rolling contract, and 10GB of data per month will cost you 15 and there is also an up front charge of 59.99 for the Web Cube. This is for a contract free version of the device, basically with the one month rolling contract you will be able to cancel it at any time, they will also offer a 24 month contract for the Web Cube.

DVDO Air Wireless HD

Media Streaming System Unveiled
DVDO has this week unveiled a new addition to their product range with the launch of the DVDO Air. A wireless HD streaming solution that will enable you to stream HD quality video and audio from a cable/satellite box, Blu- ray, DVD, AVR, etc. to another wirelessly. The wireless AIR system has been created by DVDO to transfer full, uncompressed 1080p HD, enabling you can watch 3D Blu-ray movies and enjoy full 7.1 channel surround sound without the need for the player and HDTV to be near each other. The DVDO Air is equipped with 60-GHz wireless technology which achieves the highest performance and provides interference-free operation. Because other wireless devices such as smartphones and WiFi networks use much lower frequency radio signals.

Vizios 21:9 CinemaWide LED HTDV

Vizio showed of a number of cool new products at CES 2012 last month, one of those was their new 21:9 aspect ratio LED HDTV, and now the company has announced that the device will launch in March. The Vizio 21:9 CinemaWide LED HDTV will retail for $3,500 when it launches in March, and the device will let you watch widescreen movies without the need for the black bars that you get on standard HDTVs. It will also upscale 16:9 ratio videos to fit the 58 inch display which features a 2560 x 1080 resolution, and the HDTV also features passive 3D and comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. As well as being able to watch you favourite movies in the 21:9 format, the Vizio 21:9 CinemaWide LED HDTV also comes with a range of built in applications.

MSI AMD R7950 GPU Video Cards

The launch of three new video cards for gaming enthusiasts and overclockers fromMSI. All through the video cards use the new AMD R7950 GPU inside and have different cooling solutions and presumably different clock speeds. The coolest of three cards uses MSIs custom Twin Frozr cooling solution. That custom cooling solution promises 10C lower temperatures and 13.7 dB less noise than traditional cooling systems. Better cooling means higher clock speeds to overclockers. MSI claims that you can overclock up to 37.5% more with the custom cooling solution. Its not clear what the clock speeds are on any of the new video cards. We do know that the video cards use military class III components.
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Immortality has its drawbacks. Yes, you do get to live a life free from the health concerns that haunt mortal beings, but the rolling snowball of past regret can incapacitate you in your day-to-day living. Outstanding gifts rarely exist without some drawback, and that frustrating dichotomy is exhibited in NeverDead. Like Bryce, its perpetually living protagonist, NeverDead has abundant strengths. A number of unique elements urge you to continue playing to see how this demon-hunting tale concludes. But the pieces fail to fit together, which results in a rocky adventure in which exciting highs are frequently interrupted by maddening lows. Uneven as it may be, if you can brave the agonizing setbacks, NeverDead delivers enough riveting successes to keep you invested. As the title of the game implies, Bryce cannot be killed. However, though neither pain nor death causes him fear, he can still be put out of commission by his abundant enemies. Attacks cause his arms, legs, and even head to pop cleanly from his body, and in your dismembered form, you have to scour the playing field to reassemble those pieces. Obviously, your actions are affected by what part of your body is removed. If, for instance, you lose your left leg to a ravaging puppy, Bryce mutters about his absent appendage while hopping around one-legged. Losing an arm is handled in an even more interesting way. Once disarmed, you can no longer aim your reticle at those attacking you, but because you still have control over your fingers, you can spray bullets wildly from wherever your arm is currently located. This is particularly useful if an enemy is gnawing on your fleshy forearm. When the story finally wraps up, you're treated to a cliff-hanger that would segue nicely into a sequel. Normally, such a perfunctory ending would be frustrating because you want a strong resolution to the events you just played through. However, in the case of NeverDead, it only reminds you of the untapped potential that is the most striking element of this game. The ideas that separate this from other shooters are a lot of fun, but the edges are so rough that it can be difficult to enjoy these pieces. A second game could be used to iron out the kinks. But that's an idea that's not worth dwelling on. NeverDead doesn't have a sequel, and may never get one, so what you're left with is a game bursting with ideas that it struggles to showcase. By making your body the controller, the Kinect has promised the fulfillment of many fantasies, from being an action hero to a dancer on stage. Being a kung-fu superstar on the level of Bruce Lee is a fantasy many have had at one time or another, and Kung-Fu High Impact has some nice ideas about how to make that fantasy a reality by using the backdrop of a comic-book-style superhero story. Unfortunately, even in the tiniest sense, the game doesn't make you feel like a martial arts master but, rather, wears you out with imprecise controls and boring game design. There are a few modes outside of the single-player story, but they operate the same way. Survival mode drops you into a stage to see how long you can last before dying (either by losing all your health or by real, physical exhaustion). Mayhem Designer allows you to choose exactly which enemies you want to fight and where while giving you a small selection of other options to tweak, such as speed. Multiplayer deviates from the formula ever so slightly by allowing friends to use gamepads to control enemies in the game while the main Kinect player fights them. The laughs in this mode will probably be more at the Kinect player's expense than from actual fun being had. It's tempting to think that this game might have been better if it took video or pictures of you performing each motion and then let you play as your digitized self with a standard controller. However, even with precise controls, Kung-Fu High Impact wouldn't be very exciting. Environments are bland and uninteresting, enemies are brainless and uninventive, and the boring Story mode is over within a couple of hours of playing at most. In fact, without the motion-gaming hook, Kung-Fu High Impact might be an even less appealing product than it is now because there's at least a little bit of goofy fun to be had by pretending to fight monsters in your living room. But as a retail Kinect product, there is too much in the way of either frustrating or boring content. You should do your kung-fu fighting somewhere else. Disneyland is one of the only places in the world where you can stroll down an idealized version of a small-town American Main Street, visit a haunted mansion, get a hug from Mickey Mouse, soar over London and into Neverland with Peter Pan, and have other wondrous experiences that are normally available only in the imagination. Disneyland Adventures tries to make these and other quintessentially Disneyland experiences available to you in the comfort of your own home. And in many ways, it succeeds. The park is re-created here with impressive accuracy and detail, and the attractions you can visit admirably capture the spirit of the rides that inspired them. Unfortunately , flawed controls mar nearly every aspect of Disneyland Adventures, making what should be a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the happiest place on earth as frustrating as it is fantastical. Some attractions (or sections of attractions) fare better. The sword fights that cap off Peter Pan's Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean are good fun; you wave your arm vertically or horizontally to swing your sword in those directions, and you have plenty of time to leap over or duck under your nefarious opponents' attacks. Other attractions focus on dancing. It's a Small World has you dance along with dolls that are doing traditional dances from around the world, and the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire imitates the format of Dance Central, with the sequence of dance moves you must follow scrolling up the screen. These simple movements are recognized by the game, so you can focus on dancing along with Ariel as she sings "Part of Your World" rather than struggling with the controls. But more often than not, the controls come between you and your adventures in Disneyland. Whether you're trying to take a picture of one of the many hidden Mickeys throughout the park or you're bouncing down a country path with Tigger, the game's failure to recognize and respond to your movements frequently takes you out of the moment. It's too bad, too, because the park here so accurately captures the atmosphere of the place itself, and the attractions offer such a visually diverse assortment of experiences.

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