February 15, March 15, 2010

Content

CONTENT
Editor's Note
CONTENT
Editorial 8

Reader's Response
Letters to the Editor 9

Interview
Averox has everything to offer: Khan 38

Telepedia
Telecom Security Guidelines: another regulatory effort by PTA 11
Resolution passes on banning late night packages 12
Ban on prepaid mobile phones in Kashmir revoked 13 Cover Story
Proficient policies marvels PTCL's performance 16 Page
Mobilink rewards Jazz customers with SMS Khazana
Etisalat net profit witness 16pc growth
19
26 48
Cover Story
Behind every flop company there is a CEO 48

InsighT
2010: IT exports to meet the mark 14
How will internet change in 2010? 20
Punjab government, Microsoft sign accord 29

Technobabble Page
Nothing succeed like success

Exclusive
24
10
Asim Zaffar: the living legend of IT 30
Use of position abuse of power 34 Internet project of USF unveiled by President
CCP unearths the monopoly of telcos 97
Page
Events
Internet project of USF unveiled by President
Warid strengthening the league of its ambassadors
10
17
12
Strings Glow the stage for Warid 21
Electrolux launches vividly 28
Fashion Week glittered by Zong 39

Tech Tools
The storm of BlackBerry phones in Pakistan 42
Mobile review 52
Current mobile 56
Upcoming mobile 60
High range mobile 62 Page
Low range mobile
Laptops
Computer
63
64
65
39 Fashion Week glittered Resolution passes on banning
Accessorise the way you live 66 by Zong late night packages
Gaming Zone 68

Mosaic
National 82
Fifi World Cup 2010: Sony draws lucky winner 84
International 89

Synopsis
Page
25
PTCL offers free connection to Boulton Market 70
Zong upgrades DialTunes 71
Zong reveals 'Family Pack' service 72
Benazir Employees S.O.S 73
Mobilink congratulates U-19 cricketers 75 Warid strengthening the league of its ambassadors
Ericsson inaugurates its new Karachi office 76
PTA block web site 77
PTCL's Largest data centre 79
India: 19m mobile phone users in one month 81
National 44
International 89

Page
6 87 Al Razi Healthcare Trip to Khewara Mines and Kattas Fort
 February 15, March 15, 2010

Editor s
N ote
When there’s a will,
there’s a way
I have witnessed different reactions on the
resolution passed in Punjab Assembly on banning late
night cell phone packages. On a number of blogs there
Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Editor-in-Chief
is unnecessary fuss about the issue. There are those
Fatima Batool Editor
who are in utter favour of the resolution and also those
who consider it an assault on the young generation. Usman Yaqoob
Director Marketing (Lhr)
Others claim that the attitude depends and one must M. Farooq Malik
Manager Marketing (Lhr)
know the way to extract maximum benefit out of Rashid Hussain Mughal
provisions. Marketing Executive (Khi)

I think that all of them are right in their respective

context. The young generation is so close to the edge Zafar Khan Afridi
that most of them are unable to detect the threat where Senior Graphic Designer
M. Naeem Mughal
elders are totally against the latest gadgets and reject Graphic Designer
at once all the facilities these handsets have brought Khawar Shahzad
into our lives. Of course the utilisation of a supply Manager Islamabad Office
Azhar Javed
matters but its provision is more important. And those General Manager
Muhammad Saeed
who are worried about the revenue of the cellular Chief Photographer
operators are ignoring the fact that the giants can feed Mobile: 0321 - 8404389

themselves on a number of other possible VAS.

Moreover, if they are going to close the late night Lahore Office
packages then ultimately their off-peak and/or peak 46J-Gulberg III, Lahore-Pakistan.
Ph: +92-42-38350195, 042-35880183
traffic will gain momentum. Fax: +92-42-35880183
Islamabad Office
All cellular operators with little margin introduced Phone: +92-51-5892027 +92-51-8235066
these packages. Most of the packages charge less than Kasur Office
Phone: +92-492-770820-763250
Rs 5 for one hour (vary between 40 to 55 minutes) cell Karachi Office
Phone: + 92-21-34602620
phone call on on-net friends and family numbers.
When they make such offers they are making most of it Registration No
PCPB/105
by fnf additions, call drops, subscription charges, etc.
(Vol. 6 Issue:5)
When someone subscribe to certain package he or she Price Rs: 300
is so desperate to avail the offer that a number of URL: www.flare.com.pk
Email: flare.mag@gmail.com
aspects are ignored.
Colour Sepration:
Youngsters are not aware of the wicked intentions Fotoscan Process, 25-C Lower Mall, Lahore.
of the businessman. They want to sale their products Ph: 042-37111906, 37234042.

at any cost at any rate. All those people who avail late
night packages are young. I have not seen any uncle
calling an aunti after 10 O’ clock as elders do have their
Zubair Ahmed Kasuri, publisher of FLARE
lines and limitations which they strictly follow.
leading telecom magazine, printed it from
Punjab Assembly must be encouraged for their pro- Qasim Naeem Art Press, Near Bank Road,
youth resolution. There will be no more late night Main Bund Road, Lahore and published
gossiping and no sleeping in the class rooms. Initially from 46J, Gulberg III, Lahore.

it will hurt the users but with the passage of time all
and sundry will realise that the bill is in their favour.
8
9
 Event Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Internet project of USF

niversal Service Fund was established

U by the Government of Pakistan

(Ministry of Information Technology)
to spread the benefits of the telecom

unveiled by President
revolution to all corners of Pakistan. USF
promotes the development of telecommunication
services in un-served and under-served areas.
The fund consists of contributions (1.5 per cent
of adjusted revenues) by the Telecom Operators
with no Government funding involved. To utilise
this fund for achievement of the targets, it was
decided to follow a “Public Private Partnership”
Model. This led to establishment of Universal
Service Fund (USF) Company under Section 42 of
the Companies Ordinance 1984. Universal Service
Fund (USF) has an independent Board of
Directors equally balanced between four members
from the government and four from the private
sector (industry and consumers).
Recently, President Asif Ali Zardari launched a
project to provide broadband internet in Southern
Punjab funded by USF worth Rs1.95 billion. A
plaque unveiling ceremony of the project was held
at the Governor House, Lahore.
Secretary IT, Naguibullah Malik and Chief
Executive Officer USF Parvez Iftikhar along with
Federal Ministers and Secretaries, MNAs, MPAs
and government officials were also present at the
occasion. Naguibullah briefed the President about
the USF projects and President desired for their
early completion.
The main objectives of Universal Service Fund
(USF) are:

To bring the focus of telecom operators
towards rural population and increase the level of This project (being implemented through PTCL and
telecom penetration significantly in the rural areas
through effective and fair utilisation of the fund; Worldcall) involves providing broadband facilities in

To bring significant advances towards
enhancement of e-services, both in rural as well as
un-served urban areas of Southern Punjab. There is an
urban areas of the country; and un-served population of 4.4 million, residing in 38 cities

To improve the Broadband penetration in
the country. of Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, D. G. Khan, Khanewal,
This project (being implemented through Leyyah, Lodhran, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan,
PTCL and Worldcall) involves providing
broadband facilities in un-served urban areas of Rajanpur and Vehari
Southern Punjab. There is an un-served
cannot afford PCs. operators to provide services to those areas,
population of 4.4 million, residing in 38 cities of
The project aims to deliver the social and on normal commercial terms. Telecom services
Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, D. G. Khan,
economic benefits of ICTs to the masses, by include basic telephony, broadband internet,
Khanewal, Leyyah, Lodhran, Multan,
breaking the poverty cycle and eliminating the infra structure for these services
Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur and
social divide. Broadband is also a key element of (like Optic Fibre) and Community Tele-centres
Vehari. Moreover, 101,500 broadband connections
the United Nations Millennium Development (for those who cannot afford the necessary
will be provided through this project and it also
Goals on poverty reduction and is globally instruments/devices).
includes providing broadband facilities in 388

USF marches towards green telecom

Board of directors of Universal Service Fund
(USF) in their 20th meeting decided to make it
mandatory for the telecom operators in rural
areas, where USF is providing subsidy, to power
their infrastructure through renewable energy
sources. The Board of Directors’ meeting was
chaired by Federal Secretary IT, Mr Naguibullah
Malik.
It has been observed that commercial power
has not reached most of the areas where USF is
running rural telecom projects, which proves to
be a barrier to provide smooth uninterrupted
telecom service. Even where commercial power
infrastructure is available, the availability of
power is extremely limited.
As a result, the telecom operators have to rely
on diesel generators. But not only there is the
cost of diesel, the re-fuelling at these sites is also
a big and expensive hassle. At the same time,
there is also a great need for cross-cutting
operational expenses for maintenance of remote
and hard-to-reach remote sites. Therefore, it was
decided in the meeting that operators will bid for
all future infrastructure in un-served areas with
renewable energy solutions.
This decision will play an important role in
reducing the energy costs and is also a small
contribution towards dealing with the energy
crisis in Pakistan. Moreover, this initiative will
also help in reducing carbon content in the
atmosphere.
Wind, solar and other forms of non-fossil fuel
energy, such as hydro and geothermal can
contribute in this effort. Thus hundreds of
renewable energy solutions will get deployed
which will not only reduce Green House Gasses
(mainly CO2) emissions in the atmosphere, it
will also help bring down prices of solar and
wind power solutions in the country.

bringing a paradigm shift to the way people run Challenge before USF is to achieve the targets
higher secondary schools, colleges and libraries
their lives. through an efficient and transparent process.
through the establishment of Educational
USF finances spread of telecom services to Therefore, all disbursements of the fund are done
Broadband Centres (EBCs) and 104 Community
previously un-served or under-served through open competitive bidding, encouraging
10 Broadband Centres (CBCs) for the citizens who
areas and makes it possible for licensed telecom full competition among telecom licensees. 
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Telepedia

Telecom Security
ll telecommunication and internet

A operators and service providers should

develop and practice a communication

Guidelines:
plan for dealing with network security
events, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) said.
Stakeholders including network operators,
service providers and equipment suppliers of
telecommunication and internet services should
have the capabilities to analyse the source of
malicious information traffic and its possible
another regulatory effort by PTA
whereabouts of emergence.
With the development of telecommunication and
information space across the world new types of
security threats have emerged. Criminals are using
telephone, internet and mobile networks for
committing various kinds of crimes categorised
under electronic crimes.
It is imperative that the distributed information
through communication systems and networks
should be made attack resistant, by a combination of
technical, organisational and legal measures.
In this regard, PTA’s expert group on
Information and Computer Technologies (ICT)
security in coordination with ICT Industry has
issued ‘Telecom Security Guidelines’.
According to the guidelines, the active ICT
security management could prevent damage and
minimise the threat of massive financial damage of
commercial and home users. There, the
communications plan should identify key players
and include as a minimum contact names, business
telephone numbers, residence telephone numbers,
pager numbers, fax numbers, cell phone numbers,
home addresses, internet addresses, permanent The plan should also include alternate communication
bridge numbers, etc. Notification plans should be
developed prior to an event/incident happening
channels such as alpha pagers, internet, satellite phones, VOIP,
where necessary. private lines, blackberries, etc. The standard of procedures can
The plan should also include alternate and should be part of the overall business continuity/recovery
communications channels such as alpha pagers,
internet, satellite phones, VOIP, private lines, plan. Where possible, the procedures should be exercised
blackberries, etc. The standard of procedures can periodically revised as needed. Procedures should cover likely
and should be part of the overall business
continuity/recovery plan. Where possible, the
threats to those elements infrastructure, which are critical to
procedures should be exercised periodically revised service delivery/business continuity
as needed. Procedures should cover likely threats to
accounts (abuse@provider.net, ip- Routing (CIDR) use network operators and service
those elements infrastructure, which are critical to
request@provider.net) versus general accounts providers should enable CIDR by implementing
service delivery/business continuity.
(noc@provider.net), which will help improve classless route prefixes on routing elements.
Telecommunication equipment suppliers should
organisational response time and also reduce the Route flapping network operators should
establish and use metrics to identify key areas and
impact of spam. manage the volatility of route advertisements in
measure progress in improving quality, reliability,
Network operators and service providers should, order to maintain stable IP service and transport.
and security, the guidelines further stated.
where appropriate, design networks to minimise the Procedures and systems to manage and control
Service providers should consider appropriate
impact of a single point of failure (SPOF). Network route flapping at the network edge should be
means for providing their customers with
monitoring and operators should monitor the implemented.
information about their traffic policies so that users
network to enable quick response to network issues. Route policy network operators should have a
should be informed when planning and utilising
Routing resiliency network operators should use route policy that is available, as appropriate. A
their applications.
consistent route policy facilitates network stability
Service providers should, for easy communication with and inter-network troubleshooting. Route
database network operators should operate a
subscribers and other operators and providers, use specific route database. The database should be accessible
role-based accounts (abuse@provider.net, by peers, customers and other users. The access
ip-request@provider.net) versus general accounts can be via a web interface similar to the looking
glass server’s or just telnet access.
(noc@provider.net), which will help improve organisational Route registry database network operators and
response time and also reduce the impact of spam service providers should operate a route registry
database of all the routes advertised by their
virtual interfaces (router loopback address) for network with the source of that advertisement.
Equipment suppliers should work to establish
routing protocols and network management to This database might be used as the source for
operational standards and practices that support
maintain connectivity to the network element in the interface configurations as well as troubleshooting
broadband capabilities and interoperability such as
presence of physical interface outages. problems. If an entity decides to operate a central
video, voice data and wireless.
Route aggregation network operators should route registry for a region or globally, the
Service providers should, for easy
aggregate routes where appropriate (singly-homed individual service provider database can
communication with subscribers and other
downstream networks) in order to minimise the size communicate with that central repository forming
operators and providers, use specific role-based 11
of the global routing table. Classless Inter-Domain a robust and efficient hierarchical system.

 Telepedia Usman Yaqoob
Resolution passes on preserving
future by banning late night packages
Cell phones nowadays have become fashion statement and symbol of independence for
our youth that mobile phone helps them to develop their own language and social groups
away from the snooping eyes of their parents. It is privacy and not mobility that matters. The
unpleasant effects of such packages were long ignored just to generate revenue for cellular
companies and taxes for the government but finally someone raised voice against it
lmost all the cellular companies in
A Pakistan are offering attractive late night
call packages that are quite popular
perhaps for the reason that they are
affordable. One of the reasons of fame for such
packages is that they help people in making
nationwide calls and in talking with relatives or
friends for hours and hours easily.
On the other hand cell phones nowadays have
become fashion statement and symbol of
independence for our youth that mobile phone
helps them to develop their own language and
social groups away from the snooping eyes of their
parents. It is privacy and not mobility that matters.
The unpleasant effects of such packages were long
ignored just to generate revenue for cellular
companies and taxes for the government but finally
someone raised voice against it.
Members of the Punjab Assembly unanimously
passed a resolution banning late night packages
offered by mobile networks at cheap rates declaring
them detrimental to the future of youth.
The resolution – tabled by opposition member
Samina Khawar Hayat – recommends that the
federal government direct mobile companies not to
promote “cheap rate, late night packages that alter
societal tendencies”. The document says, “Because
of such mobile packages … the young generation,
particularly students, remain busy texting and
talking over the phone the entire night, without
caring for their studies, health and sleep … these
packages … (are not in line with) social and moral
values and customs … a ban should be imposed on
all such packages”.
The resolution was passed unanimously, with
the speaker praising Ms Samina for tabling the
document. It is said that the Punjab Assembly has
also requested the Federal Government to do the
same. Before giving an opinion, let us look at the
possibility of the ban in accordance with law. First of
12 all, this is just a resolution tabled in Punjab
Assembly and for it to be made into law it has to be
taken up in the National Assembly. Then by
practice, it will have to evaluate by the telecom
regulatory authority (PTA) and in doing so
operator’s license terms will have to be taken care
of.
Let us look at the possibility
of the ban in accordance
with law. First of all, this is
just a resolution tabled in
Punjab Assembly and for it
to be made into law it has to
be taken up in the National
Assembly. Then by practice,
it will have to evaluate by
the telecom regulatory
authority (PTA) and in doing
so operator’s license terms
will have to be taken care of
It is pertinent to mention that all offers and
packages coming from the telecom operators are the
product they offer to the consumers and the licenses
issued by the Government of Pakistan do not
restrict operators from providing such products.
It is worth mentioning that off-peak hour calls
are always relatively cheaper but the late night
packages are almost free. One can talk for an hour
for just Rs three to seven at night while during the
day the call charges are Rs one to 3.5 (on an average)
per minute. Companies have marketed these
packages with a bang. Some of the taglines are Jazz
raat shru baat shru,Zem Infinite Craze, Djuice jagtay
raho, Talk all night long etc.
Not all of them but youth has certainly availing
the facility of late night call packages (which are in
Free download | flare.com.pk
effect usually from 11pm at night to 7am in the
morning) and spending sleepless nights which is
affecting their studies and even in some cases
they could not attend their colleges and schools
in the morning.
The ban itself is a good decision but will it be
the utter solution to help youth realise what their
moral and social obligations are? The most
contentious idea behind these packages is the
timing but is blaming the telecom companies the
right thing to do? After all it is business strategy
to attract customers. Parents are equally
responsible.
They should keep an eye on their children’s
activities, what kind a friends they are making,
how they are progressing academically and how
they are spending time.
Nowadays the youth is much mature and
have more exposure and more understanding of
things. The responsibility falls over to children of
how better they understand the life around them.
Certain priorities must be set according to the age
and these priorities should never be
compromised. Staying up at nights and fight
through long working days will definitely affect
your health, education and professional life.
It is obvious that the Authority will face
trouble in sanctioning the resolution but it is a
step that is surely going to change the life of a
majority of our youngsters. Let us see how
National Assembly respond to the bill.

Free download | flare.com.pk
Ban on prepaid mobile
phones in Kashmir revoked
The decision to lift the ban was taken after several
rounds of talks over the past one month between the
home ministry, telecom ministry, Indian government and
mobile telephone service providers. The matter was even
taken to the Supreme Court of India
he central government has lifted the ban
T on prepaid mobile phones in Jammu and
Kashmir, but with stringent conditions for
identity verification of existing or new
subscribers.
The decision to lift the ban was taken after
several rounds of talks over the past one month
between the home ministry, telecom ministry,
Indian government and mobile telephone service
providers. The matter was even taken to the
Supreme Court of India.
"Based on these discussions, the telecom
ministry has laid new guidelines for re-verification
of existing subscribers and verification of new
subscribers for both prepaid and postpaid SIM
cards," said a telecom ministry statement.
Mobile service providers have to "adhere
scrupulously" to the new guidelines, the statement
said. According to the new guidelines:
● Every existing prepaid subscriber shall be
re-verified through his identity proof and address;
● Students, government employees and
security force personnel have to get identity
certificates from their departmental heads;
● The details should be sent to law
enforcement agencies, police and
telecommunication office for verification and in the
event of negative report from authorities, the
existing SIM shall be disconnected or no new
connection issued; and
● No multiple connections, unless necessary,
should be issued.
"Ordinarily no individual may subscribe to
more than one mobile telephone connection, either
prepaid or postpaid," said the new advisory.
An individual desiring to avail of a second
connection or multiple connections has been asked
to disclose all other mobile phone numbers and the
reasons for seeking more connections. The degree
of verification for more connections will be even
stricter.
The ban had affected nearly 85 per cent of the
estimated 4.5 million mobile phone subscribers in
the state after the central government said it had
reports that many of these prepaid SIMs were being
issued without proper verification. Militants to stay
in touch with each other and also trigger landmines
used some of the SIM cards.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had expressed
his unhappiness over the ban and had even taken
the matter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Mobile phones were launched in Kashmir only in
2003 when security agencies gave the go-ahead, but
militants were soon suspected of relying on pre-
paid versions that are harder to trace.
The pre-paid mobile ban was unpopular among
young people in Kashmir, who said the phones
were a lifeline for courting couples wanting to
avoid detection by disapproving parents or prying
elders.
"The decision of lifting the ban has come as a
relief to tens of thousands of subscribers" and "also
thousands of young people who are engaged with
this activity," he said in a statement. The ban had
affected 3.8 million users in Kashmir.
In November 2009, hundreds of activists and
people protested against New Delhi's decision to
ban pre-paid mobile connections in the revolt-hit
Flare Report Telepedia
region. The Indian government announced the ban
on pre-paid connections, citing concerns that
militants were using them to trigger bombs in
Kashmir, the scene of a deadly 20-year-old
insurgency against New Delhi's rule. Secret lovers
in Kashmir used to arranging trysts on their mobile
phones, are up in arms over a ban on pre-paid
connections announced by the government.
Post-paid mobiles paid on a monthly basis - can
only be bought after a series of security checks and
official registration of personal details and passport
photographs. Pre-paid phones come with a set
number of minutes charged on them, have no bills
and were available without detailed ID checks.
Justified on security grounds after a string of
bomb blasts triggered by pre-paid mobiles, the ban
affects 3.8 million users in this socially conservative,
Muslim-majority region where romance is taboo.
In an area where home internet connections are
reserved for the wealthy, there are few alternatives
for illicit chats than pre-paid mobile phones, which
were easily bought in shops and had become
popular gifts for couples.
"The ban will hit us hard... I don't want to get
into the post-paid business of (police) verifications
and detailed bills arriving at your residence. I'll get
caught," said the student.
In recent years, some couples had begun openly
dating in parks, restaurants and internet cafes in
Kashmir, though love marriages are still rare in the
scenic region where arranged marriages are the
norm. For some, the ban is a welcome move to
stamp out modern influences.
The ban had affected nearly
85 per cent of the estimated
4.5 million mobile phone
subscribers in the state
after the central government
said it had reports that
many of these prepaid SIMs
were being issued without
proper verification. Militants
to stay in touch with each
other and also trigger
landmines used some of the
SIM cards
"This ban, I am sure, will help to curb immoral
activities," said 65-year Abdul Ahad, a retired
government official who is angered by the sight of
"young girls and women with mobile phones".
"This is not our culture."
There are some 20,000 people in the business of
selling pre-paid phone cards across Kashmir,
according to the public call offices association
(PCOA), which represents the shops where most
pre-paid phones are sold.
A wave of anger has swept through Jammu and
Kashmir with the central government deciding to
ban pre-paid mobile connections in the state due to
security concerns. Most angry are youths. Recently,
SMS services on mobile telephones were restored
in Jammu and Kashmir after some months ban.
The services were suspended on August 1, 2008
when the Amarnath land allotment agitation was
at its peak. Authorities had banned SMSs saying
agitators were spreading provocative messages and
rumours to fuel communal tensions over the land
dispute.
13
 InsighT Muhammad Yasir Free download | flare.com.pk

2010: IT exports to
As per statistics obtained from Pakistan
Software Export Board (PSEB), the country’s IT
and IT-enabled services exports have touched the
highest ever benchmark of USD 201 million

meet the mark

despite its plunging demand in the international
markets in the last fiscal year as compared to USD
169 million exports achievement in 2007-08.
However, the country has missed its export
target of USD 255 million of the closing fiscal year
as the global economic recession has affected its
offshore demands in the second half of 2008-09.
SBP reported that IT exports were recorded at
USD 98 million in July-December 2009 as against
USD 100 million of the same period of its
proceeding year.
He said the IT export sector is likely to meet its
target of the current fiscal year, which is to
maintain the level of previous exports, USD 201
million.

Multiple trends
of 2009
Federal Task Force on Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) Chairman
Salim Ghauri said the outgoing year 2009
would be remembered as a ‘mixed year’ for the
information technology (IT) industry in
As per statistics of PSEB, the country’s IT and Pakistan.
In a statement, the ICT chairman said the
IT-enabled services exports have touched the highest year 2009 would also be remembered as a year

ever benchmark of USD 201 million despite its

of ‘survival of the fittest’ for the IT industry,
which witnessed a change in very weak and
plunging demand in the international markets in the difficult business scenario of 2008 to a more
investment-oriented scene of 2009.
last fiscal year as compared to USD 169 million Especially, he said, the last part of 2009

exports achievement in 2007-08 proved a stimulus for growth in the Pakistan’s

The exports of information technology (IT) and
its enabled services have come back on the growth
track after a yearlong slump in the wake of global
economic recession.
The IT exports have recorded 50 per cent
growth in December from its proceeding month,
which is also the highest ever single month
exports’ figure in the current fiscal year.
As per State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) statistics,
the exports of computer and information services
have reached USD 21 million in the previous
month versus USD 14 million in the November.
Besides, it also posted growth of 16 per cent as
compared to December of last year, which stood at
USD 18 million. Besides, the exports were
recorded at an average of USD 15.4 million in the
first five months of 2009-10.
Exporters are optimistic on the sustainability
of export growth gradually in tandem with the
recovery of developed economies where country
has good markets.
A Karachi-based exporter Zarif Ahmed
observed that the demand of local IT services has
gotten better in the traditional exports’ market in
the last two months. He says the foreign-based
companies have entered the recovery phase and
started outsourcing their multiple services to the
IT and IT-enabled companies of various countries.
“Pakistan has potential to grab its share in IT-
enabled services market although it is also
competent in providing software applications to
various developed countries.”
14
He added the exports’ demand will be
flourishing in the upcoming months. Most of the
Pakistani companies are working for financial
institutions, automobile, call centres and
miscellaneous services sectors in different
countries.
United States of America is
the largest buyer of Pak-
istan IT-enabled services
with the share of 58 per
cent in the overall country’s
exports. It is followed by
UK, where the exports are
hovering around 10 per
cent. The pie of total ex-
ports shows 16 per cent
share to the other countries
including Australia, Canada,
Thailand, UAE and others
United States of America is the largest buyer of
Pakistan IT-enabled services with the share of 58
per cent in the overall country’s exports. It is
followed by UK, where the exports are hovering
around 10 per cent. The pie of total exports shows
16 per cent share to the other countries including
Australia, Canada, Thailand, UAE and others.
IT sector when the multinationals increased
their automation spending world over. Also,
he said, the small-size IT companies grabbed
the opportunities to grow with fast adaptation
of IT services in Asia Pacific region.
The IT industry handled the odd situation
very tactfully throughout last 2008 and first
half of 2009 and sent a message across the
globe that it is here to stay long. He said many
IT companies in Pakistan have developed their
niche in certain areas by developing state of the
art products. These new players have fetched
substantial amount of foreign exchange to the
country, he added.
Federal Task Force on IT chairman
expressed deep satisfaction over the
completion of first draft of IT policy
recommendations and submission to the
Planning Commission, which is due to issue
first document on IT sector policy by
February 2010. It is a milestone achievement in
the growth of IT sector in Pakistan, he
commented.
Ghauri further pointed out that the IT
institutions produced lowest number of
graduates during 2009 but expressed the hope
that the situation would be revived during
2010 and the number of IT graduates would
increase accordingly. Ghauri also urged the
government to appoint an IT minister
forthwith to facilitate the IT industry,
which is running from pillar to post to
present itself to the federal cabinet as well as
the parliament.
 Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Proficient policies marvels

nnovative products, attractive discounts,

I exciting packages, catchy advertisements and

improved customer services by PTCL show the
company has now learned the skill to withstand

PTCL’s performance
the tough competition given by foreign telecom
operators.
Since the advent of mobile era in Pakistan, the top
line of largest telecom operator has been under
continuous pressure because of diminishing land line
users. Though, this was being partially supported by
growth in wireless local loop segment up until now,
latest data suggests, that that support is now tapering
off.
However, PTCL's first half FY10 financial result
shows that increase in broadband revenue has
prevented a greater
fall in the overall
revenue, which
dipped by five per
cent to Rs29 billion
from Rs31 billion in
same period last year.
Like wise, it seems
that increase in
international revenue
also supported the
firm's top line.
Looking ahead,
Mr. Naveed Saeed broad band segment
Senior Executive Vice President, will help the firm
Commercial PTCL
realise growth, as all
The firm's operating income swelled by 19 per cent due
other communication products have reached to better cash position and possession of liquid assets,
saturation points. So far, PTCL leads the race in this while loan worth Rs three billion granted to Ufone also
segment as it captured nearly one-fourth of the
market by the end of first quarter of the current fiscal
boosted its interest income. Cash in hand, reduction in
year, according to the PTA. interest rate and relatively stable rupee, reduced PTCL's
The cost of services remained stable during the finance cost three quarters; consequently, its profit
first half because of cost cutting measures
implemented earlier by the company's new remained unchanged despite the fall in revenue
management. These measures also helped reduce labs under the auspices of Government of Punjab. amounting to Rs9.151 billion for the year ended June
Moreover PTCL earned Rs5.354 billion net profit 30, which was in line with many analysts’
The management and during past six expectations. Earning per share (EPS) stood at
employees of PTCL remain months, 13 per cent Rs1.79. The previous year, the telecom had drifted
committed to provide growth compared to into loss of Rs2.825 billion, translating into loss per
quality services at competitive same period last year.
As per PTCL
share of Re0.55.

prices through optimal use of management, the Rs (mn) 1HFY10 1HFY09 %chg
resource for achieving profit registered slight Revenue 29,424 31,127 -5.47%
enhanced revenue and increase as compared
to the same period
Cost of
services
18,671 18,586 0.46%

greater levels of customer last year which Gross profit 10,753 12,541 -14.26%
satisfaction as well as remained Rs5.314 Gross margin 37% 40% -9.29%
improved shareholders' value billion. On a Admin &
general 3,638 4,417 -17.64%
consolidated basis, for
PTCL's administrative expenses which dropped to expenses
Mr. Walid Irshaid half year ended Selling &
Chief Executive Officer PTCL
12 per cent as a percentage of sales from 14 per cent December 31, 2009, the marketing 926 906 2.21%
in the year ago period. Group earned Rs6.7 billion profit after taxation. expenses
In contrast, furious competition in nearly every For the PSTN customers, various innovative Operating 2,231 1,880 18.67%
segment made it difficult for the firm to cut its selling packages at national and regional levels have been income
and marketing expenditure - owing to which, it introduced. Free on-nets minutes for new Finance cost 216 841 -74.32%
increased marginally as a percentage of sales. PAT 5,354 5,314 0.75%
connections, Double-up Unlimited Package with
After posting a profit of Rs1.7 billion in FY09, Source: KSE Announcement
single pricing for voice and broadband services,
PTCL's wholly owned cellular arm, Ufone, may see a bundle deals in Lahore and Karachi and Regional The board did not announce a final dividend;
weaker bottom-line this year, given the seven per Packages all over the country are a few examples. the company having already paid an interim cash
cent fall in Ufone's subscriptions. But the launch of President PTCL Walid Irshaid commenting on dividend at Rs1.50 per share. Given substantial
value added products such as Tele-presence (TP) the results said the company strived hard to ensure cash holdings, some analysts were looking
service, smart TV, EVO wireless broadband, wi-fi the high standards of quality that our valued forward to a bit of more with the final accounts.
service, call packages etc, of late, can help the firm customers expect from us. "Now customers can The revenue of PTCL for the year under review
expand its market base and mitigate the likely hit on experience the internet at its fastest with high-speed stood at Rs59 billion, which represented 11 per
Ufone's bottom-line. access from broadband Pakistan, simultaneously, cent decline over the revenue of Rs66 billion
Data Centres equipped with latest technologies enjoy voice service over the same telephone line earned in FY08.
are also being established at Karachi and Lahore with without any extra cabling connections. Broadband The dwindling of fixed line subscriber base
the objective to provide data-hosting as well as Pakistan offers DSL service with unmatched was thought to be the factor in declining revenue,
disaster-recovery services to our valued corporate reliability, affordability and connectivity." but sector analysts said that increase in
customers. Another initiative is the on-going project Last year, Pakistan Telecommunication Company international and broad-band revenues might
16 to equip over four thousand (4,000) schools with IT Limited (PTCL) announced profit-after-tax have prevented a greater fall.

Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Event

Tariq Gulzar Chief Financial Officer Warid Telecom offers gift to Reema Khan Mr Parvez A. Shahid shakes hand with the new brand ambassador

Lahore Seen in the picture from left to right are Shahzad Rauf Chief Strategy & Operations Lahore Seen in the picture from left to right are Tariq Gulzar Chief Financial Officer Warid
Officer Warid Telecom, Mr Parvez A. Shahid Board Member Warid Telecom, Telecom, Suhail Jan General Manager Commercial Warid Telecom,
Mr Atif Aslam Warid Reema Khan Warid Bran

Mr Atif Aslam pictures with Suhail Jan General Manager Commercial Shahzad Rauf Chief Strategy & Operations Officer Warid Telecom with
Warid Telecom. Reema Khan

Signing ceremony of Atif Aslam as Warid Brand Ambassador Shahzad Rauf Chief Strategy & Operations Officer Warid Telecom with
Mr Suhail Jan General Manager Commercial Warid Telecom 17
 Telepedia Khawar Shahzad Free download | flare.com.pk

Education to eradicate
he usage of short message service (SMS)

T is one of the major sources of

communication in the developed nations
nowadays. A good number of the people

unauthentic SMS
prefer sending SMS for conveying messages and
communicating with each other which is not only
cheaper but also easier as compared to other
sources of communication.
People also send SMS to share thoughts, jokes,
quotations, greetings on important events such as
birthdays, Eids, Christmas, New Year, etc. No
doubt, SMS is easier and cheaper but on the other
hand, there are several drawbacks emerging with
the passage of time.
All cellular mobile operators have competed
aggressively for SMS and that has resulted in a
price war. The mobile operators offered lucrative
SMS deals including special one-time buckets of
messages for nominal charges. They offer SMS
bundles to their subscribers and these packages
offer low priced for those who prefer text
messaging instead of voice calls, to save both time
and money.
People, especially young generation, take full
benefit from these SMS services and use SMS
packages for sending text messages. It has been
seen that mostly people send SMS without any
reason and occasion. Multi type of messages
include critical messages which need to be
checked before forward them to others.
Religious text messages, containing quotes The people should not forward unauthentic text messages to
from Holy Quran, sayings of Holy Prophet others without knowing their credibility. Conveying messages
(PBUH) and other Islamic quotes should and
must be checked for authenticity. Most of us containing positive things is good but at the same time, the
forward such messages presuming it a sacred Prophet's sayings and quotations from Holy Quran should be
cause to forward such messages and take it for
granted that they would be blessed.
sent when know about meaning and authenticity. Mostly do not
The people should not forward unauthentic have enough religious knowledge and in these circumstances,
text messages to others without knowing their anti-Islamic forces take benefit from the situation and create fake
credibility. Conveying messages containing
positive things is good but at the same time, the messages in the name of religion and religious personalities
Prophet's sayings and quotations from Holy
The trend of SMS has been flourished in with 9.5 million MMS messages processed during
Quran should be sent when know about meaning
Pakistan. According to PTA report, during 2007- this festive season. MMS traffic is bound to increase
and authenticity. Mostly do not have enough
08 cellular mobile operators generated more than as consumers become increasingly savvy in
religious knowledge and in these circumstances,
25 billion SMS. One reason for this growth is that interacting with their personal blogs sites and
anti-Islamic forces take benefit from the situation
a majority of user base in Pakistan is youth and applications.
and create fake messages in the name of religion
they prefer to communicate via SMS. Text messages or SMS messages are a quick and
and religious personalities.
easy way to stay in touch with people. Sometimes,
Somebody receives Islamic messages saying The trend of SMS has been the messages can get annoying. It is possible in
that forward to 10 or 20 persons to this message,
as we have no authority to do so. Sometimes the flourished in Pakistan. most cases to block SMS messages temporarily.
Step 1 - Consider blocking incoming SMS
situation gets worst when the text messages warn According to PTA report, messages from one sender. This is usually the best
readers of severe circumstances if they do not
forward them. Government has taken certain
during 2007-08 cellular thing to do if the annoying messages are all coming
steps to scrutinise anti-government messages but mobile operators generated from the same sender.
Step 2 - Reply STOP to unwanted
there is dire need to work on the above lines as
well.
more than 25 billion SMS. marketing messages. This will usually remove you
Being Muslims, it is an obligation on all of us One reason for this growth from their text list.
to check the credibility and legitimacy while is that a majority of user Step 3 - Check the owner's manual for
your phone. Some phones have a way to block SMS
forwarding religious messages to others. At the
same time, it is expected that our religious
base in Pakistan is youth messaging.
organisations and ulema will also play their role and they prefer to Step 4 - Search online for special codes that
while giving an ear to this issue. communicate via SMS you can use for your phone or your service
provider to stop incoming SMS messages. You dial
SMS is a communication service standardised
in the GSM mobile communication system, using On major events and other celebrations, it is these codes on your phone like you would a regular
standardised communications protocols allowing now a common practice to send and receive phone number. You will usually get a confirmation
the interchange of short text messages between news/greetings through text messaging. Text text if the code worked.
mobile telephone devices. SMS text messaging is messaging also allows people to be more creative, Step 5 - Contact customer service for your
the most widely used data application on the though the SMS may not always be original. service provider. Some carriers will temporarily
planet, with 2.4 billion active users, or 74 per cent The festive season still remains a favourite block your SMS messaging abilities. Some service
of all mobile phone subscribers sending and high traffic period for operators and consumers providers may charge a fee for this service.
receiving text messages on their phones alike. Compared to last year's traffic, this year the Step 6 - Think about taking text messaging
worldwide. total messaging traffic in grew by 40 per cent. off of your service plan if you hardly ever use it.
18 MMS traffic picking up pace across the region This will probably save you some money.

Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Telepedia

tradition, the Jazz 24 Ghanta Offer connects more than 30 million Mobilink
family members without the restriction of day and night.
Commenting on the offer, Bilal
Munir Sheikh, Vice President
Mobilink shared, “Our new offer is
unique in the sense that there are
no time windows to worry about.
The Mobilink Jazz 24 Ghanta is the
only daily voice bundle of its size
available in the market, offering as
many as 100 minutes on-net, at
unmatched rates. Additionally, it
allows our customers the
flexibility to use their minutes at
any time of the day.”
To avail the Mobilink Jazz 24
Ghanta offer, available for a
obilink, Pakistan’s market leader in cellular services and part

M
limited period, customers can
of Orascom Telecom Holding has announced the winners of move to the new tariff plan by
Jazz SMS Khazana, an exciting trivia-based contest allowing sending SMS to 676 which is
Mobilink customers the chance to win cash prizes on a Daily subject to one time subscription charges.
and Weekly basis. Once on the “Jazz 24 Ghanta” tariff plan, customers can subscribe to daily
At Jazz SMS Khazana Prize Distribution Ceremony held at Mobilink bundle to avail 100 minutes in Rs 29 on any given day by dialling 121 or
House, Tariq Mehmood, The 1st Weekly Prize winner of Jazz SMS Khazana dialing *101*1*05#.
Campaign was awarded cheque worth Rs 500,000. Speaking to the Jazz SMS
Khazana team, Tariq said, “When I first received call from Mobilink
representative, I could not believe that I have won Rs 500,000. Now, with
Mobilink Jazz launches Audio Cinema
this money I will start a small business and will be in better position to Mobilink has triggered a new and innovative service allowing users to
support my parents and my family.” listen to select movies on their cell phones. Jazz Audio Cinema is the first of
So far, 18 Jazz customers have won daily prize of Rs 50,000 each and three its kind service allows users to enjoy the original dialogues and songs of
Jazz customers have won weekly prize of Rs 500,000 each. The names of all popular blockbusters on the go. The movies have been adapted into a
the announced lucky winners are published on: www.mobilinkworld.com storytelling format and converted into durations of 60 to 90 minutes.
and are weekly updated. Commenting on the service, Wasif Mustafa, Director Value Added
Services, IR and Products and Platform shared that, “Today the cellular
handset has become a tool not only for communication but also
entertainment. At Mobilink we continue to add value to the cellular
experience with our new and innovative
product portfolio which is the largest
in the telecom industry. The Jazz
Audio Cinema is an exclusive treat
brought to Pakistani audiences for the
first time.”
Mobilink Jazz users can subscribe to
this service by dialling IVR short code
606 for a nominal monthly subscription
fee and enjoy the service at low per
minute browsing rates.
Mobilink has the most diverse
bouquet of value added services
including revolutionary and exclusive
services such as Mobi Track, Mobilink
Wasif Mustafa, Director Value Added Services Mobilink hands over a cheque to Tariq Insurance and Mobile Money Order that
Mehmood, the lucky winner of Mobilink Jazz SMS Khazana scheme. provide users with convenience and
Wasif Mustafa, Director VAS, IR and Product & Platform, stated, “We flexibility no other operator provides.

have received an overwhelming response to the Jazz SMS Khazana
campaign with excited customers participating from all corners of the
country. We congratulate the winners of the hefty cash-prizes, and wish best
of luck to all other participants.”
Each Daily-prize is worth Rs 50,000 in cash, while the weekly prize is
valued at Rs 500,000 each. The grand prize at the end of this campaign will
be Rs 5,000,000. The participants are scored on a point based system. A user
gets 10 points for each correct answer, and five points for each wrong
answer, along with bonus points for games participation. Higher points
mean more chances to win.

Mobilink Jazz launches 24

Ghanta offer
Mobilink has launched its 24 Ghanta Offer which allows customers to
talk for 100 minutes in a day for only Rs 29. Mobilink Jazz, Pakistan’s
favourite prepaid cellular brand, always strives to bring unique offers to
address the needs of different prepaid customer segments. Continuing this
Rashid Khan, President and CEO Mobilink along with the medal winners of Pakistan
Open Clay Shooting Championships 2010 held at Mobilink Gun Club, Islamabad.
Pakistan Navy was declared the overall champions of this shooting championship. 19
 InsighT Flare Report
How will internet
change in 2010?
We have brought for our reverend readers some solid
prediction by the Microsoft on internet's continued
evolution and the ways in which it will affect you in 2010
F
orty years after it was invented, the
internet is straining under the weight of
cyber attacks, multimedia content and
new mobile applications. In response, U.S.
computer scientists are from IP addresses to
routing tables. There are many views about how
to fix the internet's architecture, but there's
widespread agreement about many aspects of the
future internet. Here's our list of 10 sure fire bets
for what the internet will look like in a decade.
More people will use the internet
Today's internet has 1.7 billion users,
according to Internet World Stats. This compares
with a world population of 6.7 billion people.
There's no doubt more people will have internet
access by 2020. Indeed, the National Science
Foundation predicts that the internet will have
nearly five billion users by then. So scaling
continues to be an issue for any future internet
architecture.
The internet will be more geographically
dispersed
Most of the internet's growth over the next 10
years will come from developing countries. The
regions with the lowest penetration rates are
Africa (6.8 per cent), Asia (19.4 per cent) and the
Middle East (28.3 per cent), according to Internet
World Stats. In contrast, North America has a
penetration rate of 74.2 per cent. This trend means
the internet in 2020 will not only reach more
remote locations around the globe but also will
support more languages and non-ASCII scripts.
The internet will be a network of things, not
computers
20 As more critical infrastructure gets hooked up
to the internet, the internet is expected to become
a network of devices rather than a network of
computers. Today, the internet has around 575
million host computers, according to the CIA
World Factbook 2009. But the NSF is expecting
billions of sensors on buildings and bridges to be
connected to the internet for such uses as
electricity and security monitoring. By 2020, it's
expected that the number of internet-connected
sensors will be orders of magnitude larger than
the number of users.
The internet will carry exabytes - perhaps
zettabytes - of content
Researchers have coined the term "exaflood"
to refer to the rapidly increasing amount of data -
particularly high-definition images and video -
that is being transferred over the internet. Cisco
estimates that global internet traffic will grow to
44 exabytes per month by 2012 - more than
double what it is today. Increasingly, content
providers such as Google are creating this content
rather than Tier 1 ISPs. This shift is driving
Free download | flare.com.pk
interest in re-architecting the Internet to be a
content-centric network, rather than a transport
network.
The internet will be wireless
The number of mobile broadband subscribers
is exploding, hitting 257 million in the second
quarter of 2009, according to Informa. This
represents an 85 per cent increase year-over-year
for 3G, WiMAX and other higher speed data
networking technologies. Currently, Asia has the
most wireless broadband subscribers, but the
growth is strongest in Latin America. By 2014,
Informa predicts that 2.5 billion people
worldwide will subscribe to mobile broadband.
The internet won't rely on always-on
connectivity
With more users in remote locations and more
users depending on wireless communications, the
internet's underlying architecture can no longer
presume that users have always-on connections.
Instead, researchers are looking into
communications techniques that can tolerate
delays or can forward communications from one
user to another in an opportunistic fashion,
particularly for mobile applications. There's even
research going on related to an inter-planetary
Internet protocol, which would bring a whole
new meaning to the idea of delay-tolerant
networking.
Internet operations
consume too much energy
today, and experts agree that
future internet architecture
needs to be more
energy efficient. The amount
of energy consumed by the
Internet doubled between
2000 and 2006, according to
Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory. But the
internet's so-called Energy In-
tensity is growing at a slower
rate than data traffic volumes
as networking technologies
become more energy efficient
The internet will attract more hackers
In 2020, more hackers will be attacking the
Internet because more critical infrastructure like the
electric grid will be online. The internet is already
under siege, as criminals launch a rising number of
web-based attacks against end users visiting
reputable sites. Symantec detected 1.6 million new
malicio us code threats in 2008 - more than double
the 600,000 detected the previous year. Experts say
these attacks will only get more targeted, more
sophisticated and more widespread in the future.
More than anything else, computer scientists
who are working on redesigning the internet are
trying to improve its security. Experts agree that
security cannot be an add-on in a redesign of the
internet. Instead, the new internet
must be built from the ground up to be a secure
communications platform. Specifically, researchers
are exploring new ways to ensure that
the internet of 2020 has confidentiality, integrity,
privacy and strong authentication. n
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Event

21
 Technobabble John Kosakowski Free download | flare.com.pk

ore than three decades ago,

M computers and related information

technologies were introduced to
educators as educational tools. Today,
there are computers of various descriptions in
nearly all schools in the United States. Teachers,
school administrators, government officials, and
others faced with the costs involved in technology
implementation must constantly evaluate the
educational benefits of technology.
Using educational technology for drill and
practice of basic skills can be highly effective
according to a large body of data and a long history
of use. Students usually learn more, and learn more
rapidly, in courses that use computer assisted
instruction (CAI). This has been shown to be the
case across all subject areas, from preschool to
higher education, and in both regular and special
education classes.
Drill and practice is the most common
application of CAI in elementary education, the
military, and in adult educational settings. Fletcher,

Nothing succeed
et al (1990) reports that in the military, emphasis is
on short and efficient training time, the use of CAI
can cut training time by one third. In the military,
CAI can also be more cost-effective than additional
tutoring, reduced class size, or increased instruction

time to attain equivalent educational gains.
The application of educational technologies to
instruction has progressed beyond the use of basic
drill and practice software, and now includes the
use of complex multimedia products and advanced
networking technologies. Today, students use
multimedia to learn interactively and work on class
projects. They use the internet to do research,
engage in projects, and to communicate. The new
technologies allow students to have more control
over their own learning, to think analytically and
critically, and to work collaboratively. This
"constructivist" approach is one effort at
educational reform made easier by technology, and
perhaps even driven by it.
The Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (Dwyer,
1994), a 10-year project where students and teachers
were each given two computers, one for school and
one for home, illustrates some of the gains made in
students' advanced skills. ACOT reports that
students:

Explored and represented information
dynamically and in many forms

Became socially aware and more confident

Communicated effectively about complex
processes

Became independent learners and self-
starters

Worked well collaboratively

Knew their areas of expertise and shared
expertise spontaneously and

Used technology routinely and
appropriately.
Numerous studies over the years, summarised
by Bialo and Sivin-Kachala (1996), report other
benefits enjoyed by students who use technology.
These benefits involve attitudes towards self and
towards learning. The studies reveal that students
feel more successful in school are more motivated
to learn and have increased self confidence and self
esteem when using CAI. This is particularly true
when the technology allows the students to control
their own learning. It's also true across a variety of
subject areas, and is especially noteworthy when
students are in at-risk groups (special education,
students from inner-city or rural schools).
22 Teachers and administrators use computer and
like success
Drill and practice is the most common application of CAI
in elementary education, the military, and in adult
educational settings. Fletcher, et al (1990) reports that in
the military, emphasis is on short and efficient training
time, the use of CAI can cut training time by one third.
In the military, CAI can also be more cost-effective than
additional tutoring, reduced class size, or increased
instruction time to attain equivalent educational gains
information technologies to improve their roles in support can come in the form of funding, or in
the educational process. Some examples include: restructuring schedules and physical space to
Using computer tools to streamline record reflect the new learning environment.
keeping and administrative tasks, thereby helping Support from the community: Parents,
to free up time for instruction or professional businesses, and community members can use
development, technology as a springboard to become more
Decreasing isolation by using e-mail and the involved in the activities of neighbourhood schools.
internet to communicate with colleagues, parents, All can help with wiring or technical support.
and the outside world, and Parents can use e-mail to facilitate communication
Increasing professional development activities with teachers and administrators. Businesses can
by taking distance education courses, accessing use e-mail to help mentor students and help them
educational research, and accessing classroom prepare for the workplace.
materials such as lesson plans. Support from government: Adequate funding
Some of the observed benefits associated with and appropriate policy making can help to assure
educational technology have been reviewed above,
that technology is accessible to all schools on an
but what are the factors that help technology
equal basis.
succeed in bringing about these benefits? Glenna &
These factors suggest that to succeed,
Melmed (1996) and the Technology Counts
technology, like any educational tool, cannot exist
analysis suggests the following factors observed in
in isolation, but must be made an integral part of
successful technology-rich schools:
the entire instructional process.
Evidence of a detailed technology plan: Such a
Technology has been shown to have positive
plan should consider funding, installation and
integration of equipment, ongoing management of effects on the instructional process, on basic and
the technology. The plan should also express a clear advanced skills. Technology is also changing the
vision of the goals of the technology integration. instructional process itself. To be effective,
Teacher training and continuing education: technology cannot exist in a vacuum, but must
Teachers should know how to operate the become part of the whole educational environment.
technology and how to integrate it into the New measures of evaluation are under
curriculum. development which would help to better define the
Support from administration: Administrative role of technology in its wider context. 
Free download | flare.com.pk
CIA hosts
drink and
dance party
CIA Public Relations at work? Do you
expect this “Pakistani media” would tell
you the truth? Shaukat Paracha, Asma
Shirazi, Meher Bukhari and Saima
Mohsin are some of the names that were
in attendance, in a drink and dance
party hosted by the US Ambassador to
Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson
Pakistani journalists enjoying themselves in the US Embassy
P
TV Suspends two journalists for
attending US Embassy CIA dance party.
The state-run PTV has taken stern action
against two of its journalists who
appeared in pictures of a private party at the
residence of US ambassador in Pakistan. Shaukat
Paracha, Asma Shirazi, Meher Bukhari, Saima
Mohsin are some of the names that were in
attendance, in a drink and dance party hosted by
the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W.
Patterson.
The pictures, posted on Facebook by an
American diplomat few days back, were widely
circulated by PakAlertPress, mainly because they
showed several prominent TV journalists and talk
show hosts drinking, dancing and having a good
time with US Embassy Staff.
PTV’s management suspended senior
producer Saghir Naqqash and an inquiry
committee is contemplating similar action against
Shakeel Awan, also a senior producer.
Government employees are not allowed to meet
foreign diplomats without prior permission and
only if their job descriptions justify such meetings.
PTV is a state-owned television network. It is the
only one so far to have taken action on the
controversy over the leaked pictures. Other TV
stations including Aaj, ARYOne, Samaa News
and Dawn News, all privately-owned, are not
known to be contemplating similar action.
In May 2009, Pakistan Foreign Office warned
Government employees are
not allowed to meet foreign
diplomats without prior
permission and only if their
job descriptions justify such
meetings. PTV is a
state-owned television
network. It is the only one so
far to have taken action on the
controversy over the leaked
pictures
Flare Report Exclusive
government employees to avoid attending private
gatherings at foreign diplomatic missions if they
have no business being there and only after
obtaining permission from their superiors. The
order came after a US diplomat and an Indian
diplomat arranged a private meeting with a
group of senior Pakistani federal government
bureaucrats at a private house.
Critics accused the US diplomat of covertly
facilitating contact between an Indian diplomat
and Pakistanis working in important government
positions, including one working as an
administrator in the office of the Prime Minister
of Pakistan. The episode had the word ‘espionage’
written all over it.
Apart from the two PTV journalists, who
basically did nothing wrong except violate
government rules of business, there was at least
one Pakistani TV journalist at the party who is
accused of peddling information provided to her
by US diplomats.
Saima Mohsin [Left-in red] from Dawn News
is accused of conducting at least one TV show
where she blatantly sided with the US embassy
against Dr Shireen Mazari, a renowned defence
analyst and long time critic of US policies. Dr
Mazari was a victim of US embassy’s bullying
when Ambassador Patterson tried last year to
block her widely-read newspaper columns.
Last year, a senior independent journalist Syed
Talat Hussain accused the US Embassy of
recruiting “a motley crew of former diplomats,
retired generals, socialites, slick civil society
begums, self-styled analysts, businessmen,
journalists, and now also lawyers” and said
individuals in this group “are the darlings of the
US embassy staff.”
While the pictures from the party were
harmless, they raised concern about how
impartial Pakistani journalists can be in covering
the news of US interference in Pakistani politics,
which is a hot issue, especially when the US
footprint has expanded in recent months thanks
to the entry into the country of tens of private US
defence contractors, similar to those active in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
23
 Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Etisalat net profit

new packages and services which have had the
desired effect of sustaining our growth even
despite the high penetration level within the
country, which today is one of the highest in the

witness 16pc growth

world. We have also been successful in reducing
our operational expenditure, which further
enhances our performance,” he added.
Mohammed Khalfan Al Qamzi, Chief
Executive Officer at Etisalat, said, “In 2009
Etisalat launched its next-generation services
across its eLife network and is in the process to
make Abu Dhabi the first capital city in the
world to be totally connected by fibre-optic
network infrastructure. In fact, our aim is that
the UAE will become one of the first countries in
the world to be entirely covered with fibre-optic
services in 2011. This reflects our commitment to
add value to the lives of our customers and
provide them access to the most sophisticated
and advanced services.”
“Etisalat also continued to develop its mobile
networks in 2009. The 2G network today covers
100 per cent of UAE, while 3G networks cover
99.5 per cent of the populated areas. We
continue to invest in the human resources
through training and qualifying programs,” he
added.

During past two years, Etisalat has continued its strategy

of developing new sources of income and achieved this
by introducing new packages and services which have
had the desired effect of sustaining growth even despite
the high penetration level within the country, which today
is one of the highest in the world
tisalat announced its preliminary 29,360m in 2008, an increase of five per cent.

E
“The number of mobile users in the UAE has
consolidated financial results for the Total assets for the Group increased by 13 per exceeded 7.74mn lines in 2009, with an increase
year 2009, revealing a net profit of AED cent to AED 40,389m compared to AED 35,620m of six per cent against the same period in 2008.
8,836m for the Group compared to AED in 2008. Earnings per share for 2009 are AED 1.23 Fixed line subscribers reached 1.31mn and
8,511m recorded in 2008, which included profit against AED 1.18 in 2008. Earnings per share for Etisalat’s internet subscriber base grew 16 per
on sale of shares in Mobily of AED 892m after the year 2008 were adjusted for bonus shares cent over the year reaching 1.33mn million in
federal royalty. Excluding this exceptional item, issued during year 2009. December 2009. These results reflect Etisalat’s
the net profit after Mohammed Omran, Chairman of Etisalat, commitment to provide best services to its
federal royalty for the said, “Etisalat has enjoyed another successful customers,” he concluded.
year 2009 would have year in 2009. This is in spite of the difficult Etisalat stands 140th among the Financial
increased by AED economic circumstances which the world’s Times Top 500 Corporations in the world in terms
1,217m which is 16
per cent higher than Mohammed Omran, Chairman, Etisalat said, “Etisalat has
2008.
Etisalat has been
enjoyed another successful year in 2009. This is in spite of the
the difficult economic circumstances which the world’s economy
telecommunications continues to face. These results highlight that Etisalat has
service provider in followed the correct strategy by following a selective policy in
the UAE since 1976,
and has built up a our international investments. In this way, we have made use of
File photo of Mohammed
Omran, Chairman, Etisalat
modern telecom the current financial environment to identify the brightest
infrastructure and opportunities that have arisen as a result of this situation
established itself as an innovative and reliable
operator. The comparative results for the economy continues to face. These results of market capitalization, and is ranked by The
financial year 2008 have been adjusted to comply highlight that Etisalat has followed the correct Middle East magazine as the 6th largest company
with “International Financial Reporting strategy by following a selective policy in our in the Middle East in terms of capitalisation and
Standards” that have been adopted for the first international investments. In this way, we have revenues. The Corporation is the largest
time in 2009 financial year. This has been made use of the current financial environment contributor outside the oil sector to development
affected to facilitate a direct comparison with to identify the brightest opportunities that have programmes of the UAE Federal Government,
year 2009 “International Financial Reporting arisen as a result of this situation.” and is an award-winning socially responsible
Standards” results. “During the past two years, Etisalat has corporation. Etisalat has also won accolades from
Etisalat recorded Net Revenues of AED continued its strategy of developing new sources across the region for its nationalisation
26 30,831m for the Group in 2009 compared to AED of income. We have achieved this by introducing programme.

 Event Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

From right, Mr. Mustansar Javed, Mr. Giampero Dipaolo, Electrolux products unveiled at the Electrolux launching ceremony.
Mr. Shahzad Khan

The hosts of Electrolux launching ceremony Mr. Giacomo Santoro the Regional Manager for
“Annushay & Sarmad” Middle East & Africa Electrolux

Mr. Mustansar Javed presenting shield to

Ms. Cristina Furlanis.

Ms. Cristina Furlanis the Marketing Manager of Mr. Mustansar Javed the Director Sales & Marketing of
Electrolux New Allied Electronics.
Domestic cultural dance performance at the Electrolux
launching ceremony.

The salsa dance performance at Electrolux

launching ceremony. Mr. Mustansar Javed presenting shield to Mr. Giacomo Santoro

Mian Shahzaid Akhtar, Mehr-e-Azam,

Group Director, New Allied General Manager,
Electronics. New Allied Electronics.

Electrolux products unveiled at the Dealers and other distinguished guests at the Mr. Giampero Dipaolo, Performance at the
28 Electrolux launching ceremony. Electrolux launching ceremony. Regional Manager Electrolux launching
Electrolux, Middle East. ceremony.
Free download | flare.com.pk
Punjab government,
Microsoft sign accord
Under the agreement government will invest a total sum
of Rs three billion in three years while Microsoft will
invest Rs 1.5 billion and resultantly the government will
earn a profit of Rs 500 million in three years
strategic partnership agreement was
A
signed between the Punjab government
and a leading computer software
company Microsoft, under which
Microsoft would extend all-out co-operation for
the development of local IT industry. The
company will also set up an innovation centre at
Software Technology Park, disclosed an official.
Additional Chief Secretary Punjab Javed Aslam
and the head of Microsoft Company in Pakistan
Kamal Ahmad signed the document.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Senior
Advisor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa,
Provincial Minister for Information Technology
Farooq Yousaf Ghurki, Chief Secretary, Secretary
Information Technology, Secretary Information
and President Microsoft for Middle East and
Africa Ali Faramawy were also present on the
occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister
Muhammad Shahaz Sharif said that signing of the
document is an important event in the history of
the province as the three-year agreement between
the Punjab government and Microsoft company
would prove to be a milestone in the promotion
of IT in the province. He also said the information
technology is essential capacity building of
various departments.
IT will help in checking misappropriation of
funds and implementation of development
projects in a transparent manner. In addition to
uplift of education sector, Microsoft Company will
also extend co-operation in improving the
efficiency of Tevta.
Microsoft will provide free software to 454 IT
academies running under the control of Tevta. He
said the agreement would usher in the era of
e-government, while IT will help in provision of
education, health and other facilities to the masses.
He also said Microsoft company will also set up
information centres that will strengthen IT sector.
He said under the agreement government will
IT media city project in Sindh approved
Sindh Minister for Information Technology
(IT) Muhammad Raza Haroon said that IT Media
City of located on 200 acres of land has been ap-
proved by the Cabinet and soon Expressions of
Interest will be invited from private sector com-
panies.
Public-private partnership project now will be
placed on the City’s Master Plan for its execution,
the Minister said in a meeting with members of
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(KCCI) at the Chamber.
Chairman, Businessmen Group (BMG) in
KCCI and former president KCCI Siraj Kassam
Teli, Acting President KCCI Rasheeduddin
Rashid, Chairman KCCI standing committee on
IT Asif Bega, former president KCCI Anjum
Nisar, Shamim Firpo were also present. Provin-
cial Secretary for IT, Muhammad Hussain Syed
accompanied the Minister.
The Sindh IT Minister said the seed money for
IT Media City has been provided and his
Ministry would invite private sector people to
take advantage from potential opportunity and
come up as partners. “I would request Karachi
Chamber especially to join us and make IT City a
Flare Report InsighT
invest a total sum of Rs three billion in three years
while Microsoft will invest Rs 1.5 billion and
resultantly the government will earn a profit of Rs
500 million in three years. Microsoft Company for
Middle East and Africa President Ali Faramawy
said this agreement is unique in the history of
Pakistan. He said the
importance of
information technology
has grown manifold in
the present era and this
technology is playing an
important role in the
promotion of economic
activities and generation
of employment
File photo of Shahbaz Sharif, opportunities.
Chief Minister Punjab "This agreement will
help in improving efficiency of education and
other sectors in Punjab and this partnership will
leave a far-reaching impact," he added. He paid
tributes to the vision of Punjab Chief Minister
Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for the promotion of
information technology in the province and said
that the efforts being made by the Chief Minister
will prove to be fruitful and a new era of
development will usher in the province.
The CM said IT gateway project and in the
first phase, admissions to first year in Lahore
College will be made under this programme so
as to save the students from inconvenience.
Similarly, he said IT technology will be utilised
in Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC),
availability of medicines in health sector,
registration of FIR in police and other sectors.
"Long term strategic partnership with Microsoft
will promote IT industry and bring about a
revolution in the province.
Despite wastage of huge national resources
on software project of land record
computerisation in the past no progress had been
made but the measures being taken by present
government for promotion of information
technology will yield positive result," he added.
big success.”
Many ideal IT complexes would be con-
structed there and it would provide employment
besides generating huge business, he said. He
said his vision was that at least one person in a
family be IT skilled throughout the Sindh. With
the support of very good and competent team of
experts, he has been carrying out many projects
to implement this vision, the Minister said.
He had constituted a Sindh IT Advisory Com-
mittee six months back. It has IBM, Pakistan Soft-
ware Board, representatives of industry and
academia, and IT professionals as its members,
he further said.
The IT Minister spoke of various IT projects
completed or initiated by the ministry. We are
setting up IT labs at Madaris as well. We have al-
ready started setting up these labs at
Government schools. He assured members of
KCCI all out support and cooperation if they
came up with IT projects. KCCI leadership
appreciated the role of provincial IT Ministry in
computerisation of various public sector
organisations besides spreading IT technology in
the province. 29
 Exclusive Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

yed Asim Zaffar, a legend in the IT retaining professionals and increasing the products.

S industry, with an experience of over 24

years born in Karachi. Completed his
education from University of Karachi and
got the scholarship from US Government for
University of Arkansas.
industry-academia liaison.
In appreciation to his effort in boosting the
USA economy, Syed Asim Zafar has been
Syed Asim Zaffar represented Pakistan at
different forums in different capacities in different
countries like USA, UK, Holland, Germany,
Switzerland, France, Japan, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia
and Singapore.
He has served IT industry in various domains
such as sales, marketing and operations
throughout his career. He was the Vice President
- Operations at M/s Crescent Software Products
(Pvt.) Ltd., a leading software houses in Pakistan.
He has also served as an Executive Vice President
of M/s ORA-Tech Systems (Pvt.) Ltd.

Syed Asim Zaffar believes, "Information

Syed Asim Zaffar with Former Governor of Sindh
Mr. Mian Mohd Somroh.
Later he joined Government of Sindh as a first
director of IT board and was directly reporting to
Mr Mian Mohammad Somroh former Governor of
Sindh and Chairman of IT board (SITB). He has
worked on various projects locally and
internationally. He has been instrumental in
bringing the international businesses to Pakistan
which resulted in building an image of Sindh as
well as Pakistan.
Technology is very dynamic and there is a huge
potential in this industry that even if 1,000 more
Mr Farooq Leghari former President of Pakistan appreciates
Syed Asim Zaffar on getting the key of Naperville, IL, USA.
companies will enter this industry the potential
cannot be exploited to the fullest.”
awarded the KEY of the CITY by the Mayor of
Naperville, IL, which symbolises Pakistan
Software Industry as the major back bone in the
development of USA economy. By far he is the
only individual in Pakistan to achieve this honour.
Currently Asim Zaffar is working with Vectra
Group of Companies as Group Director
Operations. When PASHA was formed he played
a very active role in Pakistan software house
association, also the member of Pakistan software
board executive committee when this committee
was formed.
Syed Asim Zaffar gets award for his exceptional qualities
To exploit the potential in this industry, the
need of the hour is to be zealous and smart to
equip ourselves with all the proper skills that

Syed Asim Zaffar with former Chairman of PTA.

Before Joining Government IT Board he served

Syed Asim Zaffar receives award from
Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan.
Asim Zaffar also worked as an advisor to IT
ministry in order to resolve issues and challenges
30 faced by local companies in recruiting as well as
for three years in PCIT and was the chairman of
PCITP (Pakistan Council of IT Professionals).
Recently Pakistan ORACLE user group has
elected Syed Asim Zaffar as Vice Chairman and
President of Pakistan ORACLE User Group. The
mission of the Oracle Users Group is to represent
the interests of the family of Oracle Applications
users of Pakistan in securing the optimum use and
ongoing development of Oracle Application
Syed Asim Zaffar rigorously shares his experience
with the audience.
make us adaptable to rapid change that is dictated
by the industry. "Our ideal strength should be to
dictate such changes rather adapting ourselves to
leverage that change."

 3G Comtech
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Email: khurram.mushtaq@comtech.net.pk
 Exclusive Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Dr. Abdul Jabbar

Director General Enforcement &
Executive Member of PEMRA

34
 Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Exclusive

akistan has climbed five places to This corruption is not

P number 42 in an annual list of the

world’s most corrupt countries,
Transparency International said in a
report last year. In its annual Corruption
Perceptions Index, the TI said Pakistan’s 2009
something only we are
aware off, any person
who has any interest in
newspapers and current
affairs would be aware of
Corruption Perceptions Index Score is 2.4, and of this case of corruption.
the 180 countries and in its ranking as the most We personally think
corrupt country, it has slipped five ranks, from that every person
47 in 2008 to the 42nd most corrupt country in affiliated with the media
2009. industry would be in
The Corruption Perceptions Index looks at knowledge of what
perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 PEMRA had been doing
countries and territories, - and is a composite in the past. We doubt if
index that draws on 13 expert opinion surveys. It there is any person in and
scores countries on a scale from zero to ten, with outside media who does
zero indicating high levels of perceived not know about the
corruption and ten indicating low levels of corrupt acts of Mr Abdul
perceived corruption. Majority of the 180 Jabbar in specific and
countries included in the 2009 index score below PEMRA as an
five on a scale from zero (perceived to be highly organisation.
corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of It is a custom to play
corruption). the blame game. We the
The CPI measures the perceived levels of journalist burn the
public sector corruption in a given country and midnight oil to break
is a composite index, drawing on 13 different scandals of national
expert and business surveys. The 2009 edition interest and all of a
scores 180 countries, the same number as the sudden the culprits claim
2008 CPI. that we are serving self-
In the light of TI’s report it is crystal clear that interest and the story has
the rate of corruption in Pakistan is increasing. nothing to do with them
The reason is simple – lack of accountability. Our as the news is false. This
government is bombarded with so many Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan attitude is certainly not
security, electricity, food and poverty issues that and making the corrupt people accountable to new. We are facing such
corruption could not gain enough attention. take back from them the national assets is a hope conditions from a long time but the authorities
However, corruption is the base of declining to improve our status. must remember that it is not so easy to suppress
performance of all sectors. Lack of accountability Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory the truth. By heavy fines and false accusations
makes it easier for the corrupt to slip from law Authority, PEMRA for the first time in the they can try to shut up one person but keeping
and legislation. Pakistan is under heavy loans history of its existence is the whole nation dumb is not that easy.
becoming efficient, their act of
efficiency is discussed in detail.
Unfortunately not in addressing
people’s problems but in serving
personal vendetta of a corrupt
executive. It is rather saddening
that the same efforts, if fully
utilised for the benefit of the
people, would bring a social
change idealised by millions of
Pakistani’s.
A complete detail of recent
acts of corruption in PEMRA
was published in the last edition
of Flare Magazine. We are
thankful to our hundreds and
thousands of readers for giving
us their valuable feedback.
People have not only
appreciated our efforts but also
acknowledged our initiative of
taking steps to practically
eradicate corruption from public
serving organisations.
We from our magazine want
to make a few points that would
clear a lot of things for all those
interested in this recent sage of
corruption. Firstly, Flare
Magazine was not the only
reputed paper that reported this
act of corruption by PEMRA.
The very same story was
published in “Daily Nawa-e-
Published in “The Nation” on December 20th, 2009 and Waqt” and “The Nation” as well.
Notice from PEMRA to Flare Magazine 35
available on www.nation.com.pk as well
 Exclusive Flare Report
Executive Member, PEMRA, Mr Abdul
Jabbar, is using PEMRA not only for his personal
financial gains but also to satisfy his personal
vengeance with those who dare to talk and to
report about his corrupt acts and uphold the
truth. As anticipated, a legal notice was recently
served against Flare Magazine making all sorts
of illogical and humorous claims by PEMRA. In
the legal cum defamatory notice served by
PEMRA they have claimed Rs 500 million in
damages, which is even more than the annual
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Chief Justice of Pakistan
budget of PEMRA which is a little over Rs 400
million. The whole notice was full of petty points
which further reiterated our claim of their
corruption.
Whatever is said in the notice is debatable in
long and would be discussed in detail at an
appropriate forum. Right now we would like to
Ad published in the newspapers
Expression of interest (EOIs) invited for Award of Cable TV
36 Licence at District level
recall the memories of all concerned about the
biddings of Phase VII in which licenses for
Faisalabad and Sialkot were awarded to the only
contestants in bidding process. According to the
rules and regulations when there is only one
contestant obviously there is no competition and
bidding is put forward or halted till there are two
or more bidders in the process. When other
higher officials of PEMRA, also member of the
bidding team, pointed out the very point,
licensees for Failsalabad and Sialkot were
Yusuf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
immediately suspended. Only after some kick
backs and back door deals were the two license
holders able to be a part of the bidding process.
Details of that incident are still sought and asked
by our peers in the radio industry. PEMRA itself
has the answer to everyone’s question in their
official records. Any literate and knowledgeable
person can go and verify our claims.
PEMRA has a habit of making decisions
without consulting the concerned people from
the relevant industry. Furthermore, the executive
member makes decisions haphazardly without
Ad published in the newspapers on Februrary, 11, 2010,
Expression of interest (EOIs) invited for Award of Cable TV Licence at District level has been postponed
even knowing what he is doing. The list of
irresponsible and corrupt acts by this corrupt
executive is not only confined to radio industry.
Just recently an advertisement appeared in all
the leading dailies of the country asking for EOI
from investors interested in putting up cable
network in various districts of the nation. Again
this decision was called off only after 15 days
after publication of the advertisement for the
Free download | flare.com.pk
EOI’s were cancelled. Sadly, just because Mr
Abdul Jabbar could not make up his mind
whether to go with the cable operators project or
not he first spend millions in advertising and
then just after 15 days spend millions again
cancelling the very same thing. Now how should
be held responsible for that?
Any sane person would definitely ask the
credibility of PEMRA while making such
decisions. Now what appears to a common man
is that PEMRA is so confused that one day they
Qamar Zaman Kaira
Minister for Information & Broadcasting
give an advertisement asking investors and few
days apart they cancel their own decisions.
Copies of the both the advertisements are
printed along for the interest of the readers.
We are aware of the circus that is being run
by Mr Abdul Jabbar and that is what we covered
in our previous story in the Flare Magazine.
What he does not realise is that he can not fool
170 million Pakistani’s. And he can certainly not
stop people from speaking the truth. We think
that a public sector organisation is established to
facilitate people and protect the rights of its
stakeholders. And if it is acting otherwise people
have the right to ask the public office holders of
their deeds and acts. Yes we as a responsible
stakeholder in the civil society do posses that
right. And we would certainly ask all corrupt
office holders about their personal interests and
gains and their decision making powers
especially when their decisions are made at the
cost of tax payers’ money.
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Exclusive

Dr. Abdul Jabbar

Director General Enforcement &
Executive Member of PEMRA
We take this defamatory notice served to us
as an acknowledgement of our claims and look
forward for some betterment in the attitude and
behaviour of a public sector organisation. We
desire that our corrupt executive fear Allah and

Mushtaq Malik, Chairman PEMRA (Left) &

Mansoor Suhail, Secretary Information & Broadcasting (Right)
serve people they have been hired to serve in financial embezzlement.
their best capacity. And instead of acting like a We are a responsible organisation and our
judgement passing court should perform their special report consists of truth only. Anyone who
basic duty of regulating media affairs rather than wants to investigate can find the truth with or
Mr. Sohail Ahmed Chairman FBR
(Ex-Officio Member)
using government machinery for vengeance and

Mr Abdul Jabbar does not

realise that he can not fool 170
million Pakistani’s. And he can
certainly not stop people from
speaking the truth. We think Dr Seemi
Naghmana (Member)
Adnan Khawaja
Chairman NAVTEC
Dr.Kaiser Bengali
Member
that a public sector
organisation is established to
facilitate people and protect the
rights of its stakeholders. And if
Dr. Muhammad Yaseen
Chairman PTA (Ex-Officio Member)
it is acting otherwise people Mr. Umer Aziz Asad Jahangir Khan Mrs. Najma Najam

have the right to ask the public

Member Member Member

office holders of their deeds without us. Regarding the

defamatory claim made by
and acts. Yes we as a PEMRA against Flare
responsible stakeholder in the Magazine. We would like to
civil society do posses that bring this entire case in the
right. And we would certainly notice of the President of
ask all corrupt office holders Pakistan, Prime Minister
of Pakistan, Information
about their personal interests Minister, Chief Justice of
and gains and their decision Ms Samar Minallah
Pakistan, the Ombudsmen of Pakistan and
Member
making powers especially when Chairman PEMRA, Secretary Information,
their decisions are made at the Secretary Interior, Chairman FBR &
cost of tax payers’ money. It is a Member PEMRA Authority of this tale of
marvellous corruption by a mere
custom to play the blame game.
Qamar Zaman Chaudhry
Secretary Interior executive.
37
 Interview Flare Panel
Averox has everything to offer: Khan
We sat down with the CTO of Averox Inc. Mohammad Ali Khan for a little Q&A. A pleasant nature
and a friendly attitude, he is the new breed of executives ready to take on the challenges of the
current market. But his youth and pro activeness are not to be taken for granted as he brings with
him extensive experience in the telecoms and IT sector spanning over a decade.
Q: Tell us a little about how you started off in
Averox and your journey all the way up to CTO of
a multinational Company.
MAK: well,i am performing the responsibilities
as a CTO at AVEROX for the last eight months.I
started my carrier in AVEROX as an Assistant
Manager Support,working on various projects
before moving on to bocome Manager
Technical.gradually i made my way through to
become Manager Technical Operations for the
entire Asian region in co-ordination with Managers
who operated in other regions,Middle East,Europe
and US.this was accompanied in parallel to look
after the technical sales aspects as well.
So it's been quite a steady growth for me with
in the past few years adding to my overall
experience, as I progressed to Senior Manager
Technical Operations overlooking all regions,
before finally becoming a Chief Technical Officer.
Q: So your climb from an Assistant Manager
to CTO of a company, how do you see the new
challenges you face and responsibilities?
MAK: Yes, previously working for a
government organization I was in a different
environment as compared to the private sector. The
transition was a welcomed change, and being in a
multinational company such as this one, the
atmosphere here is very cordial. The employees
interact with the management and superiors
without any communication gap and vice versa.
Ideas flow freely in both directions and are looked
into instead of just being thrown away without any
review. This provided me with the opportunity to
grow freely as I was able to share and act on my
ideas. I believe this progress has been two-fold in
regards to career growth and gaining new
knowledge as I had the chance to learn much more
when I was free to move and express my ideas and
take initiative action instead of being tied down to
a single routine or plan. I got to interact with high
tech companies around the world with their top
notch managers from companies like ATiS, Alcatel,
Lucent, Nortel, Ericsson, Juniper, Cisco, Azure,
Argela and eServGlobal to name a few.
38
So the responsibilities have increased but this
has only paved the way for myself acting more
confidently and effectively managing people and
projects on a short time line. Working in different
dimensions and branching out to other fields I have
gained an edge which I wouldn't have been able to
achieve working in any other environment. Under
the leadership of our CEO who himself is a young
and enthusiastic entrepreneur the opportunity to
grow has been immense because of his supportive
attitude and in promoting new ideas, which I
believe is essential in any organizational workforce
to succeed.
Q: You've interacted with every GSM operator
through different projects, in your view what's
your take on the current situation of these
operators in Pakistan market?
MAK: Well initially the growth was immense
and for quite a while telecom and IT sector was in
boom but due to the economic downturn it has had
its devastating effects in our local market as well.
Even though the economy is crumbling there is
another factor which I consider has affected the
market. Different operators working in Pakistan are
in a cut throat competition to gain subscribers by
lowering call rates and offering various incentives,
Pakistan can be considered as one of the few
countries where telecommunication is very cheap
but this has led to lower revenue as operational
costs are high.
The potential now is for those softwares and
solutions which could bring down the operating
expenses for these operators. Furthermore revenue
assurance is also a challenge to the operators in
pakistan as well as around the globe. Many system
integrators and solution vendors are winding up
their businesses in Pakistan and are laying off many
people, so in my view, yes, there is a downfall but
I believe if the focus is shifted towards controlling
or lowering the operational expenses and revenue
assurance there can be a way for the GSM operators
to bounce back up instead of going down in
competition.
Q: Ok, so Averox is in the telecom field, what
does Averox have to offer in the market?
Free download | flare.com.pk
MAK: Well, the beauty of Averox is that it has
everything to offer! If we talk about IT we are
capable of delivering offshore development to
clients around the globe, we provide ERP's, and
various management solutions such as resource
management solutions, project management
solutions and other top of the line products. With
the world shifting towards a paperless
environment in offices and organizations Pakistan
is also on the path and we believe our products
have the potential to capture the market, providing
local support and assistance which is cheaper and
more beneficial then let's say buying a multi million
dollar product from a foreign vendor.
In the Telecom sector Averox has many
solutions to offer in conjunction with our
partnerships with leading vendors around the
globe our range from OSS/BSS solutions to Value
Added services is just the tip of the iceberg. Being
a local system integrator we have vast experience
with system integration and project delivery in the
telecom domain and with confidence we can say
we are the best choice to cost effectively deliver the
job on time.
Our Research and Development center in
Pakistan is the first to develop a fully functional
service activation and provisioning system,
Provisus for Telecom operators. Not only does
Averox work in the fields of IT and Telecom but
also in renewable energy solutions. Our solutions
include renewable energy alternatives for different
sectors, where we offer 1kw to 200kw wind
turbines, hybrid solutions such as solar power for
BTS sites which can reduce the OPEX to around
30%. Averox has the competitive edge being a cost
effective local system integrator.
Q: Great! So quickly when you do get the time,
how do you tend to spend it?
MAK: I hardly get any spare time, but on the rare
occasions that I do I like to go out, tracking in the hills,
camping and hunting trips with my dogs, with an 10
hour day work routine you've got to manage things
wisely, that's why a few laps in the swimming pool
do me good after a long tiring day!

Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Event

our-day second Karachi Fashion Week

F ended with lots of promises. The

event supported by Ministry of Textile
Industry and Ministry of Commerce
and organised by Excellent Events and
Entertainment held at a local hotel in Karachi.
The main sponsor Pantene and co-sponsor is
Zong.
Zong is the first international brand of
China Mobile launched in Pakistan and would
offer its customers with entertaining and
innovative value added services and will
empower them by giving a wide variety of
products, services and content to choose from.
Karachi Fashion Week is Pakistan’s
platform on International Fashion Week
circuits joining Paris, Milan, New York,
Sydney, London and India. The models
presented outfits of different designers on the
occasion and amused the eyes of sophisticated
audience.

39
 Tech Tool Fatima Batool
All five cellular operators of Pakistan are offering BlackBerry services. It is interesting to
know that the handsets has gained so much momentum that more and better relative
options are given by the operators to facilitate the consumers
lackBerry is a line of wireless mobile
B devices developed by Canadian company
Research In Motion (RIM). While
including smartphone applications
(address book, calendar, to-do lists, etc.) as well as
telephone capabilities on newer models, the
BlackBerry is primarily known for its ability to
send and receive e-mail wherever it can access a
wireless network of certain cellular phone carriers.
It commands a 20.8 per cent share of
worldwide smartphone sales, making it the
second most popular platform after Nokia's
Symbian, and is the most popular smartphone
among business users.
The first BlackBerry device was introduced in
1999 as a two-way pager. In 2002, the more
commonly known smartphone BlackBerry was
released, which supports push e-mail, mobile
telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web
browsing and other wireless information services.
It is an example of a convergent device.
BlackBerry first made headway in the
marketplace by concentrating on e-mail. RIM
currently offers BlackBerry e-mail service to non-
BlackBerry devices, such as the Palm Treo,
through the BlackBerry Connect software. The
original BlackBerry device had a monochrome
display, but all current models have color
displays.
Most current BlackBerry models have a built-in
QWERTY keyboard, optimised for "thumbing",
the use of only the thumbs to type, and there are
also several models that include a standard cell
42 phone keypad for typing, and two models that are
full touch-screen devices with no physical
keyboard. System navigation is primarily
accomplished by a scroll ball, or "trackball" in the
middle of the device, older devices used a track
wheel on the side and newer devices like the
Blackberry Bold 9700 or Curve 8520/8530 use a
small pad for navigation "trackpad" instead of a
trackball. Some models (currently, those
manufactured for use with iDEN networks such
as Nextel and Mike) also incorporate a Push-to-
Talk (PTT) feature, similar to a two-way radio.
Modern GSM-based BlackBerry handhelds
incorporate an ARM 7 or 9 processor, while older
BlackBerry 950 and 957 handhelds used Intel
80386 processors. The latest GSM BlackBerry
models (8100, 8300 and 8700 series) have an Intel
PXA901 312 MHz processor, 64 MB flash memory
and 16 MB SDRAM. CDMA BlackBerry
smartphones are based on Qualcomm MSM6x00
chipsets which also include the ARM 9-based
processor and GSM 900/1800 roaming (as the case
with the 8830 and 9500) and include up to 256MB
flash memory.
Here we will focus on the latest BlackBerry
phones and features that are offered by the five
cellular operators of Pakistan.
Experience BlackBerry with Warid
Warid presents the BlackBerry® Bold – blend
of superior performance and exceptional style
bundled as a one package. The blackberry Bold
comes with the standard email features allowing
you to take your mail with you. Personal and
work mailbox is automatically updated whenever
Free download | flare.com.pk
you send, delete, file or read messages on your
Smartphone.
With the BlackBerry® Bold™ colour and
clarity come to life. The screen of the BlackBerry
Bold Smartphone catches the eye and is designed
to deliver colour and clarity that exceed
expectations. From the moment you turn it on,
you’ll be blown away by explicit colour and
quality. The built-in mobile streaming capabilities
on the BlackBerry Bold Smartphone are designed
so that you can watch online videos or listen to
streamed music broadcasts.
With WordToGo and SlideshowToGo, you can
work on Microsoft® Word and Microsoft®
PowerPoint® slides while you’re on the go. Copy
and paste, adjust font formatting and more – come
as the standard features for these applications.
Enjoy premier image and video viewing, build
playlists of your favourite songs and organise
your media files. You can even use BlackBerry®
Media Sync to transfer desktop iTunes® music
files to your Smartphone. The BlackBerry Bold
Smartphone delivers a wealth of entertainment.
The Bold Smartphone was designed to take
advantage of the speeds available on the HSDPA
network. Together, with the Warid high speed
network and the on-board 624-MHz processor
support – your need to multitask and prioritise
with access to your voice and data services are met
at the same time. All this with the standard email,
phone, IM and the internet – the Blackberry bold
connects you. It comes with an integrated
organiser to help you stay on top of your day.
With camera and video recording you can capture
 Free download | flare.com.pk
and share the moment with just a few clicks.
Besides BlackBerry Bold, Warid is also offering
BlackBerry Gemini 8520, BlackBerry Curve 8900,
BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry Pearl 8120,
BlackBerry Curve 8310 and BlackBerry 8820.
Warid offers you best services with most
affordable charges so you can enjoy the fastest
online experience with great ease.
BlackBerry Internet Service introduces both
significant functional and reliability
improvements. With BlackBerry BIS you can send
receive emails from up to 10 supported email
accounts. With just few clicks you can activate
your email service and in no time you can
exchange emails with your friends, family and
colleagues. BIS supports JPEG, BMP, TIFF,
Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and PDF.
Enjoy BlackBerry with ZONG
The BlackBerry solution by ZONG will connect
you to customers, colleagues and information
while on the move. Business and personal tasks
can be performed directly from one’s BlackBerry
handheld which is synchronised with one’s
laptop, official computer or even to one’s web
mailbox. Blackberry solutions are specially-
tailored to provide you a winning edge over the
accomplishments in your life and the
achievements yet to come your way.
From entertainment to travel plans, business
news to personal finance or personal productivity,
BlackBerry smartphones mobilise all areas of your
day-to-day life. It is a time-tested technological
excellence, which provides individuals and
corporate identities on-the-go solutions while
enabling them to remain connected to their loved
ones, business ventures and information within
Pakistan and around the globe at particular
locations.
With BlackBerry services from ZONG, you can
enjoy a breakthrough push-based email solution,
which helps you access your personal and/or
official information while roaming
locally and globally at specific locations.
Moreover, it offers you the privileged
service of Instant Messenger, email
access with attachment facility and
amazing surfing experience through
exclusive Edge/GPRS services by
ZONG.
Best available deals and offers are just
a couple of attractions from many and
latest handheld models make it more
exciting to use BlackBerry from ZONG.
Power the passions you pursue with a
BlackBerry Smartphone from ZONG that
expresses your style and simplifies your
life. There are two prestigious offers: BlackBerry
Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Bold 9000.
BlackBerry supported by Mobilink
BlackBerry is the most powerful wireless
solution offered by Research in Motion Ltd.
(RIM).This cutting edge push email solution
allows users to stay connected people and
information while on the go.
Mobilink introduced BlackBerry Services in
Pakistan in 2005 and provides unmatched after
sales customer support. BlackBerry from Mobilink
provides users with a secure, wireless access to a
full suite of business and social networking
applications including: push email, phone, SMS,
internet access, organiser features, social
networking – Facebook, G Talk, MSN Messenger
etc.
BlackBerry™ Solution consists of BlackBerry
Handhelds integrated with BlackBerry Device
Software that enables access to a variety of
wireless data and communication services.
BlackBerry handhelds allow the users to stay in
touch with everything that matters while they are
on the go including enhanced multi-media
features all packed in one stylish device.
Telenor in the Blackberry world
Step into the world of Blackberry with
Telenor, which helps you to get more out of
mobile communication through its professional
mobile solutions on Pakistan’s largest and
fastest data network supported by Edge
services. These Blackberry solutions are
specially-tailored to provide you a winning edge
Tech Tool
over the accomplishments in your life and the
achievements yet to come your way.
From entertainment to travel plans, business
news to personal finance or personal
productivity, the new Blackberry smartphones
mobilise many areas of your day-to-day life. It
is a time-tested technological excellence, which
provides individuals and corporate identities
on-the-go solutions and enables them to remain
connected to their loved ones, business ventures
and information within Pakistan and around the
globe at select locations.
With Blackberry services from Telenor, you
can enjoy a breakthrough push-based email
solution, which helps you to access your
personal or official information while roaming
locally and globally at specified locations.
Moreover, it offers you the privileged service of
Instant Messenger, email access with attachment
facility and amazing surfing experience through
Telenor’s exclusive Edge services. It’s time to get
on board with Blackberry powered by Telenor
and stay connected with the people, fun and
facts that matter to you.
Ufone launch BB Bold 9700
Ufone recently launched the most advanced
BlackBerry smart phone ever, The Bold 9700.
Starting from the BlackBerry Bold 9000, the
Gemini 8520 and now Bold 9700, this is the third
consecutive first with which Ufone has taken the
lead in launching the latest BlackBerry handsets
in the Pakistani telecom market.
This unmatched marvel in the local market
from Ufone comes with a mighty 624 MHz
processor, a luminous high resolution screen,
and state-of-art new version 5.0 operating
system. Hence the new Bold 9700 becomes a
‘must have’ for business professionals and
power users. Crafted with distinctiveness and
elegance, the cutting edge engineering infused
with smoothly integrated touch-sensitive track-
pad and a highly tactile & fretted keyboard
gives the new Bold 9700 the look others only
aspire. GPS, WiFi and a dazzling quality 3.2
Megapixel camera marks a new standard in the
smart phone segment that BOLD 9700 leads.
Mr Taimur Faiz Cheema, Head of Value
Added Services Ufone speaking about the new
launch said, “The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is a must
have. Its sleekness & elegance sets this device
apart from everything else in the market and
hence makes it the clear choice for business
executives. BlackBerry has moved forward leaps
& bounds with the latest member of the family &
is sure to create a lot of excitement in the
handset market”.
43
 Synopsis National Free download | flare.com.pk

PTCL broadband with additional VAS

Islamabad: Pakistan
Telecommunication
Company Ltd (PTCL) has
launched a WiFi facility
with its fixed line
broadband service that will
give the PTCL broadband
customers the ability to use
high speed and secure
broadband services
anywhere in the house.
This service will provide
wire free connectivity to all
WiFi enabled devices like
desktops, laptops, PSP, cell
phones etc with strong WiFi
signals up to 54MBPS, with
a secure password which
enables protection to avoid
any misuse.
PTCL is offering this
customer friendly WiFi
service at an additional
charge of only Rs 200 per
month. However, the
service has no extra cost for
the customers having
Broadband with the smart
TV service. The package
also includes a WiFi USB to
enable customer’s desktop
pc to be used on the WiFi
service.
SEVP Commercial
Naveed Saeed stated, “By
launching this service,
PTCL again has reinforced
its commitment to provide
our customers with
updated technology at
of PTCL Broadband as a
customer centric
organisation.”
value added cost and with
EVP Multimedia and
no additional cost for
broadband, Syed Zomma
Broadband customers with
Mohiuddin said that the
smart TV service. This is
aim of launching this
another milestone towards
service was to make the
reinforcing positive image
fixed line broadband
service available to multiple
people in the house at the
same time on a single
connection, thereby
providing users with the
fastest broadband
connectivity with the added
convenience of roaming
anywhere within in the
house.

ZTE builds EVDO Rev-B Oracle announces FLEXCUBE

Network
Islamabad: ZTE
Corporation announced
successful completion of
EVDO Rev-B Network in
country for Pakistan
Telecommunication
Company Limited (PTCL), an
Etisalat company which is the
biggest CDMA operator in
the country. In continuation
to evolution from existing
technology EVDO Rev-A to
EVDO Rev-B, the tests
revealed a download speed of
9.3Mbps and upload speed of
5.4Mbps.
This is the first successful
EVDO Rev-B application in
country. EVDO Rev-B
technology is based on EVDO
Rev-A using multi-carrier
bundled technology. EVDO
Rev-A can evolve to EVDO
Rev-B and LTE network
smoothly through software
upgrade as a convenient
method to meet current and
future development needs of
operators.
The successful application
with ZTE EVDO Rev-B
solution will strengthen
PTCL's reliance to deploy
large-scale EVDO Rev-B
network. PTCL can put into
practice its capability to offer
a faster 3G network in
Pakistan where users can
enjoy exciting and faster
broadband experience. ZTE
will use its SDR (Software
Defined Radio) platform to
provide EVDO Rev-B
services in Islamabad,
Faisalabad and other major
cities.

Universal Banking
Karachi: Oracle Financial
Services Software has
announced a new release of
Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal
Banking. This brings together
the Oracle, supporting banks
in more than 125 countries
including Pakistan, with a
combined asset base in excess
of 30 trillion dollars.
"Improving their reach
and generating fee-based
income through enhanced
origination and distribution
is at the top of the 2010
agenda for banks," said
Joseph John, Executive Vice
President, Banking Products,
Oracle Financial Services
Software.
"Oracle FLEXCUBE
Universal Banking release 11
marks a significant milestone,
providing unmatched improve profits and increase
extensibility and integration efficiency, questioning the
capabilities combined with
operational support. It builds
on our proven track record
and expertise in providing
banks with core banking
software solutions."
While enlightening on the
future prospects, Karen
Massey, Senior Analyst,
Consumer Banking, IDC tremendous maintenance
Financial Insights said, "The and integration costs of
new decade will bring a legacy core systems. The
renewed spotlight on core flexibility of a component-
banking renovation after a based approach will be the
prolonged period of delaying key to core renewal,
core projects, during the supporting unique strategies
global recession. as FI executives invoke
The focus will be on innovation to take a
refreshing the core to support leadership position in the
new business models as marketplace, the analyst
financial institutions look to added."

Cell phones not for

‘common folk’:
Ghafoor
Lahore: Chaudhry Abdul
Ghafoor, the provincial
minister for commerce,
investment and prisons,
suggested a ban on the use of
mobile phones, adding that
only government officials
and other privileged people
should be allowed to use cell
phones, a private TV channel
reported. He said that
youngsters were “giving
billions of rupees to
Christian and Jewish
franchises through the
mobile phone businesses”.
Therefore, he said, mobile
should only be with people
of “special status”, primarily
a select group of government
44
officials.

PIA appoints exclusive Cargo GSA in Denmark
Lahore: Managing been appointed in UK, example, he pointed out. cutting down the operational
Director PIA, Caption Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Capt. Aijaz said that PIA’s costs. The airline is also
Muhammad Aijaz Haroon Malaysia in 2009, he added. belief of satisfying its planning to appoint Cargo
and Chief Executive Officer, These objectives are being customers through GSSAs for its valued
Kales Group, Peter Kales,
signed an agreement at PIA
head office appointing Kales
as PIA’s exclusive Cargo
General Sales and Service
Agent in Denmark. Imran
Khan Director Marketing
PIA and Mamoon Rashid
General Manager PIA
Market Planning were also
present on the occasion. Lahore: Managing Director PIA, Caption Muhammad Aijaz Haroon and Chief Executive Officer, Kales Group, Mr Peter Kales
Speaking on the occasion sign the agreement for Cargo Sales and Services Agent – Denmark awarded to Ms Kales Group by PIA. Also seen in the pic-
ture are Director Marketing PIA, Mr Imran Ahmed Khan, General Manager, Market Planning PIA, Mr Mamoon Rashid and
Capt. Aijaz said that PIA has other airline officials.
an aggressive strategy for achieved through multi professional business customers in United Arab
increasing its selling base and pronged strategies and partners will not only result Emirates, in coming weeks,
presence to capture larger appointment of Cargo GSSA in more business for the he said that PIA is operating
market share. GSSAs have in Denmark is one such airline but also help in Boeing 777 to Denmark.

Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

Samsung unveils GenoA FIA raid for unlicensed software

Karachi: Samsung phone for its customers.
Electronics Co. Ltd a global Zeeshan Qureshi, Head
leader in cutting-edge of Mobile Phones Division,
technology has signed with Samsung Pakistan & company and confiscated
TeleTec Solutions Pakistan asAfghanistan at this occasion
its new official partner and expressing his views stated,
“The Samsung GenoA is a
testament to the
technological edge, and this
touch screen phone will
extend the most fulfilling
mobile experience to
customers. By having
TeleTec on board we have
ensured an even higher
standard of sophistication
and swiftness in our sales
has also unveiled its latest and service network to
GenoA touch screen mobile facilitate our customers.”

Islamabad: The Federal
Investigation Agency (FIA)
has raided a renowned
computers and software
worth millions of rupees.
The FIA initiated a plan to
carry out raids and
investigations against
organisations involved in
the use of unlicensed
software worth millions of
rupees in their daily
business processes. By using
unlicensed software, the
companies were depriving
the government of millions
in revenues from software
sales every year.
“Under strict instructions
software worth millions of
of FIA Islamabad Director rupees. SABRO Chairman
Tariq Hanif Johia, and as Muhammed Siddiq
phase one of the plan, an Chaudhry, along with other
FIA team raided a factory of
directors, fled the scene
SABRO; a renowned air- while making excuses of
presenting the original
Microsoft software license.
The FIA has registered a
case against the owners and
is following up with their
arrests,” the PR said.
According to reports,
FIA Director Shahid
Nadeem Baloch and Johia
had given strict instructions
to the FIA deputy director to
conditioned brand, and carry out the raid on the
confiscated computers and SABRO factory.

Microsoft to solve business challenges Efficient officials

Karachi: Microsoft
Pakistan in collaboration with
Maison Consulting and
Solutions held an interactive
seminar to address the
importance of having a
proficient ERP System for
Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs).
The seminar titled "Reduce
cost with Dynamics ERP and
CRM in tough financial times,"
was attended by CFOs,
internal auditors, finance
executives and other
dignitaries from the corporate
sector. The event highlighted
the importance of using IT
solutions to reduce costs and
operational inefficiencies
especially during the current
resource crunch.
While addressing the
audience, Kamal Ahmed,
Country Manager Microsoft
Pakistan said, "Microsoft is
committed to solving business
challenges faced by SMEs.
Investment in Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) can
allow firms better productivity
which will lead to better
profitability, market share and
customer service."
A major chunk of the
industrial sector in Pakistan
comprises of SMEs, which
play an important role in
shaping the economy. The
current economic downturn
has hit the SMEs, which are
left with lower scope of
operations and reduced
profitability. Traditionally,
SMEs have been reluctant to
invest in an ERP package due
to issues related to ease of
usage, flexibility and the total
cost of ownership.
CEO Maison Consulting,
Sultan Hamdani while
addressing the audience said,
"With the turbulent times
affecting most large and small
corporations, ERP solutions
have become the need of the
hour. A dynamic ERP
environment allows firms to
enjoy lower risk and higher
return in terms of effective
management and increased
profitability.

awarded by PTCL
Hyderabad: Pakistan
Telecommunication
Company Limited (PTCL)
has organised a ceremony to
distribute awards among the
officers and technical staff for
their outstanding
performance. Regional
General Manager PTCL STR-
I Hyderabad Abdul Rahim
Shaikh has said that the
management has introduced
various incentives to
encourage honest and hard
working officials.
Addressing the ceremony,
he said that the organisation
has extended modern
communication facilities to its
customers. He asked the
officers and technical staff to
keep themselves prepared for
providing maximum latest
facilities in minimum charges
to the customers.
He also congratulated the
staff for providing record
number of landline
connections, DSL system and
broadband facility through
simple method and efficient
delivery. Later, he gave way
the awards to Abdul Hakim
Ansari, Mohammad Yasir
Qaimkhani, Nayab
Mohammad Khan and
technical staff. Mirza Khan
Mughal, Shahmir Khan
Lund, Nisar Ahmed Nonari,
Muzaffar Shaikh, Niaz
Chandio, Shafaque Gharano,
Jamil Shaikh and Supervisory
staff members attended the
ceremony.

Zafar Iqbal: GM Human Ufone proposes discount

the Etisalat UAE network.
This offer is backed by an

Resources & Administration for Dubai Shopping festival

Zafar Iqbal is heading
Human Resource, Adminis-
tration & Infrastructure Divi-
sion at Wateen Telecom and
brings with him an accom-
plished management career,
which reflects over 40 years
of multifunctional experience
in human resource manage-
ment, administration serv-
ices, real estate and
government relations.
His diversified experience
includes 10 years with inter-
continental hotels corpora-
tion (IHC- owned by
Panam), more than 10 years
with Lyton, Electrolux, Sher-
aton and pharmaceutical so-
lutions (KSA), five years with
Marriot (Islamabad), eight
years with Mobilink GSM,
two years at Dillard Corpo-
ration (USA) and almost five
years with Warid Telecom.
A professional who has
the ability to address busi-
ness challenges of (streamlin-
ing and redefining
workflows roles and respon-
sibilities) compensation
structures, employee reten-
tion, building employee rela-
tions and translating
resource productivity into
accelerated business growth.
Now Ufone customers
can enjoy Dubai Shopping
Festival with unmatched
offer of 30 per cent discount
on international roaming
charges.
This exclusive promotion
is for both Ufone postpaid
and prepaid customers
visiting UAE from 15th
January till 15th March 2010
while connected to the
Etisalat network.
This is one of the best
discount promotions offered
by any GSM operator in
Pakistan and is surely
another milestone among
many other offers from
Ufone. The discount is valid
on all outgoing calls (Local
within UAE), outgoing calls
back to Pakistan (all
networks), outgoing SMS
and asll EDGE/GPRS use
age.
Other than this irresistible
discount Ufone is also
offering the lowest incoming
call rates while roaming on
array of exciting prizes for
those who avail this offer. All
customers with roaming
usage of Rs 3,000 or above
during the promotion period
will automatically qualify for
a lucky draw to win five high
end handsets, other than that
top five postpaid users
during the promotion will
win Black Berry handsets and
the top two prepaid users
during the promotion will be
rewarded with return Air
tickets to Dubai.
Mr Syed Zeeshan Ali
Head of International
roaming at Ufone said, “With
this exclusive offer we wish
to make our customer’s
roaming experience even
more affordable and
rewarding while providing
quality services abroad.”
45
 Synopsis National
PTCL launches
TP service
Lahore: PTCL introduced
its latest TelePresence (TP)
service to the corporate
customers in a two-day demo
at its newly developed
TelePresence facility in
Lahore. The TP sessions were
running in parallel at Karachi
and Islamabad where the
business customers
experienced the service. The
service is the first-ever in
Pakistan and is a good value
addition for business
customers. The customers
expressed their appreciation
about the service and the
initiatives PTCL is bringing to
create value for their
businesses.

To resolve the payment dispute with Etisalat
Islamabad: Minister for
Privatisation Waqar Ahmed
Khan said that the dispute of
payment of USD800 million
between Etisalat and the
government of Pakistan
would be resolved in March.
The Minister stated this at a
press conference. He
expressed hope that the issue
would be resolved next month
and USD800 million would be
released to Pakistan soon.
He said that international
investors on the sidelines of
Friends of Democratic
Pakistan (FODP) meeting held
in Dubai expressed
willingness to participate in
the privatisation programme
of Pakistan.
"The Privatisation
Commission will re-assess the
Samsung Wins 23 ICES Innovation Awards
Karachi: Samsung
Electronics Co., Ltd., an
established leader and
innovator in consumer
electronics, I.T. and Telecom,
has won International CES
2010 Innovations Awards for
23 different products,
including three best of
innovation awards.
Samsung has won more than
100 CES Innovation Awards
in three years, for multiple
product categories like; TVs,
home theatre, digital audio,
cameras, home appliances
and mobile phones.
Mr Steve Han, Managing
Director, Samsung
Electronics-Pakistan said,
"We are honoured to be
46 recognized by CES for our
Complete depletion of IPv4 likely in 2014:PTA
Karachi: A recently
concluded report of IPv6
Monitory Group, formulated
by Pakistan
Telecommunication
Authority (PTA) in view of
the future forecast and usage
of IP (internet protocol), has
estimated that complete
depletion of IPv4 addresses
would take place somewhere
in mid 2014.
The PTA has formulated
this group to determine
estimated depletion timeline
of IPv4 and suggest
necessary policy and
regulatory areas to promote
IPv6 adoption. The report
value of national assets on
privatisation list through fresh
appointment of financial
advisors to realise true sale
potential of the public sector
entities," he said, adding that
23 out of 80 public sector
enterprises were currently on
the list of privatisation.
"Once the evaluation
process is completed after 90
days of the appointment of
financial advisors, the results
will be shared with investors
interested in privatisation of
public sector entities in
Pakistan," he added. "We want
to realise maximum potential
of the state-owned enterprises
(SOE) by enhancing their cash
value through value-addition,
besides enhancing their
efficiency and competitiveness
achievements and
commitment to innovation,
as we seek to enrich
consumers’ lives. The 23
prestigious ICES 2010
Innovation Awards,
including the three Eco-
Design Products, reinforce
Samsung's efforts to provide
cutting edge technology and
services from 3D to Web-TV
provides a detail insight of
global IF addressing
mechanism and statistics. It
also presents brief benefits
attached with this next
generation version of IP (i.e.
IPv6).
The report says that by
the end of year 2009, 1.7
million lPv4 addresses were
allocated to the Pakistani
industry while eight IF
service providers were
assigned IPv6 address blocks
by Asian-Pacific Network
Information Centre
(APNIC). The report also
envisions necessary role of
the government and the
for getting higher prices in the
privatisation process for the
benefit of the country", he
added.
He said that the
Privatisation Commission
Board was being revamped
and all four provinces would
be given representation on the
board including renowned
jurists, journalists, bankers,
academics and women for
transparent decision making
He said that the policy of
privatisation of 26 per cent
shares along with
management control would
help realise more price of
to LEDs to mobility”.
Samsung’s products that
won “Best of Innovations
2010” Awards include: the
UNXXC9000 - World’s
slimmest LED HDTV with
the first on-board TV display
touch-screen remote control,
3D technology, amazing
picture & connectivity. BD-
C6900 is the world’s first 3D
Blu-ray player with
incredible multi-channel HD
surround-sound and the HT-
C6730W is a Blu-ray home
theater with 7.1-channel,
advanced connectivity,
powerful audio system and
stunning video.
The Honoree award-
winning Samsung products
include: two LED HDTVs,
Free download | flare.com.pk
regulator with regards to
tPv6 transition mechanism
inside the country.
Presenting its
recommendations, the report
emphasises on increasing
iPv6 awareness and capacity
building, providing
necessary industrial
incentives to IPv6 adopters,
establishment of research
labs through government
funding and devising a
'National IPv6 Roadmap.
The report has been
published at PTA website. It
may be mentioned here that
IP has emerged as the most
popular communication
public assets as the private
management would
restructure and improve the
efficiency of the public sector
enterprises and would
increase the value of the
government's shareholding in
such PSEs. “President and
Prime Minister wanted to
empower the employees of the
institutions and the launching
to Benazir Employees Stock
Option Scheme (BESOS) was
an effort to achieve this
objective,” he said.
He said that it would make
the workers responsible in
further improving the overall
performance of the entity and
their representation on the
Boards of Directors would
directly involve them in the
decision making process.

one plasma TV, two Blu-ray
players, two digital audio
players, two digital cameras,
one refrigerator, six mobile
phones, and one LCD
monitor. The “Eco-Design
and Sustainable
Technology” Award
winners include;
FTQ307NWGX – a 30" free-
standing induction range,
with fast & efficient cooking,
precise controls, cool-to-the-
touch features and easy
clean. Reclaim™ (SPH-
m560) - The first phone in
the U.S. constructed from
eco-friendly bio-plastics, and
the only one honoured in its
category in 2010. The 700Z -
Samsung’s first OLED
digital photo frame with a 7–
inch screen, Blue-tooth &
Wi-Fi.

protocol in today's world.
With the original scope of
delivering Data packets, IF
has evolved tremendously
over the period and is now
being utilised to offer "triple
play bundled" services by
telecommunication
operators. With the advent
of new enriched applications
and services, a rapid
adoption of IP-based
platforms (especially the
Internet) is being observed.
The situation is resulting in
massive allocation of IPv4
(the present version of
Internet Protocol)
addresses.

Wateen
brings more
thrills on
WOG
Karachi: Wateen brings
more thrills on the Wateen
Online Gaming (WOG) portal
by introducing six new exciting
multiplayer online games in
partnership with Arvato
Middle East, under their brand
name Getmo. To electrify
online gaming adventures
Dark Orbit, Sea Fight, XBlaster,
Soccer Manager, Mafia 1930
and Damoria have been added
to the list.
Without the hassle of
additional software or
upgrades, Wateen's
Multiplayer Online Gaming
can be played with and against
your friends no matter where
they are. With no restrictions
on the gaming experience, one
can play from any computer,
anywhere in the world as long
as it is connected to the internet.
Online multiplayer gaming
makes an easy play for the
cyber gamers. By simply
logging onto the Wateen
gaming portal and one can take
the adventure ride through
various games without
installing new software every
time they want to play a new
game. Enjoy the inexpensive
convenience, having no need to
upgrade hardware/software,
just play as preferred by friends
or clan members.

 Free download | flare.com.pk
Islamabad: The top ten
Asia Pacific IT services
vendors won 38 per cent
share in the Asia Pacific
(excluding Japan) IT Services
Market in 2009, says the latest
IT services research report
“Asia Pacific IT Services
Competitive Report: Survival
of the Fittest”, published by
Springboard Research, a
leading innovator in the IT
Market Research industry.
IBM and HP Enterprise
Services lead the market with
a combined market share of
close to 20 per cent.
Although IBM was the
KHL -
Broadening
Horizons
KHL is in the process of
expanding at a very fast pace,
amalgamating with
international vendors and
suppliers to further the
execution of international
projects in a timely and
professional manner. In the 8
years since the inception, KHL
has built relations with
numerous brands and become
the sole representative of their
products in Pakistan. KHL has
explored new possibilities for
attaining projects in Western
Asia. In order to progress
further, KHL is sorting out an
agreement with ETK Kablo
producing state of the art
telecom and IT passive
equipment; a name of trust
and liability for the banking,
telecom, electronics, armed
forces, power and construction
sectors.

Intel Education awards honour schools
Lahore: Intel Pakistan
hosted the Intel Education
Awards ceremony in Lahore,
in recognition of schools and
teachers using technology to
enhance learning. The award
ceremony, held jointly by the
Intel Education Initiative and
Federal Ministry of Education,
Government of Pakistan, was
attended by Mr Aslam
Kamboh, Secretary Education.
"Teachers play a significant
and valuable role in our society
and the Intel Education
Awards are held with this in
mind,” said Ashar H. Zaidi,
Country Manager, Intel
Pakistan. “The programme
inspires teachers to revisit their
views on how ICT can be used
in education, and encourages
IBM, HP crowned as leaders in IT vices
overall leader in the region, it from being ranked at number
was only the market share two in both infrastructure
leader for Application services and consulting.
Services. HP Enterprise Unisys, Fujitsu and CSC
Services had the largest were the other strong
market share for performers in the region but
Infrastructure Services and their market share is
Accenture was the market traditionally over dependent
share leader for Consulting. upon their infrastructure
IBM clearly benefited overall service portfolio and a
limited number of
geographies in the region.
Korean vendors like
Samsung SDS and LG CNS
also scored well overall but
this was due to their
dominance in their home
market. Their failure to
Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists dilated upon the close
cooperation between the
Islamabad: Appreciating shown tremendous growth
the role played by Pakistani in the last decade and have
media in providing empowered the people by
information to the people in providing them access to
very trying times, Ufone has information. He
announced a capacity congratulated the newly
building initiative that will elected members of the
train journalists for National Press Club cabinet
reporting in security and expressed confidence
sensitive situations. that that their tenure will
Akbar Khan, Chief bring further improvements
Marketing Officer, Ufone to the important
announced the initiative at a organisation like National
dinner hosted in the honour Press Club.
of the elected cabinet of the President National Press
National Press Club Club Afzal Butt thanked
Islamabad. The capacity Ufone for inviting the
building workshop will be elected body and
held with international emphasised that
trainers in the month of telecommunication and
April this year. media were interconnected
Speaking on the occasion in many ways and support
he said that both the cellular each other. He hoped that
industry and the media had the cooperation between
them to use technology to
enhance the learning of their
The Intel Education
Awards are held annually in
students. Pakistan in conjunction with
"Schools and teachers who the implementation of the Intel
take an innovative approach to Teach programme, which
use of technology are provides professional
equipping their students with development and guidance to
teachers on how to use
real-world skills. Intel invests
more than USD 100 million technology to enhance student
annually to promote education learning in the digital world.
and technological literacy To date, the programme
across the globe, and we are has trained 220,000 teachers in
Pakistan, reaching out to over
60 cities and districts. In
addition to the teacher training,
the Intel Teach Programme
also hosts forums and
workshops to enhance the use
pleased to be working closely of ICT in learning
with the Government to ensure environment, and so far has
this training reaches teachers reached more than 28,000
across Pakistan,” Zaidi said. teachers and principals.

National
significantly penetrate
outside of Korea highlights
the significant challenge that
they face in growing revenue
and capability.
“Organisations with a
multi-dimensional approach
to IT services, a focus on
industry specific solutions
and ability to transform
customer’s business to keep
pace with the market are
better placed than any other
service provider to overcome
challenges that economic
downturn throw up,” said
Sudip Saha, Senior Analyst,
IT Services, at Springboard
Picture shows Mr. Afzal Butt, President National Press Club, Mr. Akbar Khan, Chief
Marketing Officer Ufone, Mr. Tariq Chaudhry, Ex. President National Press Club
and other officials at a reception hosted by Ufone in the honor of recently elected
Governing Body of National Press Club, Islamabad.
Ufone and the National
Press club will further grow.
He proposed a few steps to
strengthen the relationship
with the journalist
community.
Moazzam Ali Khan,
Head of Public Relations
and Corporate Social
Responsibility at Ufone
'IT becomes need
of the hour'
Karachi: Information
Technology (IT) has become
need of the hour and it is
essential to attain expertise
in this very field. This was
stated by Sindh Minister for
IT Muhammad Raza
Haroon. He was speaking at
an education award
ceremony held under the
auspices of the Intel
Pakistan.
The Minister pointed out
that the government had
initiate programmes in
collaboration with Intel
Pakistan to impart training
in IT to the teachers as well
as the students to help
enhance their skills in the
Synopsis
Research.
According to
Springboard’s Vendor
Maturity Curve, both IBM
and HP Enterprise Services
are clearly the key leaders in
the region. Based on analysis
of key parameters including
market performance (market
share, revenue growth) and
growth potential (ability to
deliver locally, client base,
employee base, off-shoring
ability and capacity for
solution and delivery
innovation), IBM scored 7.7
and HP scored 7.5 on a scale
of 10.

media and Ufone in the last
couple of years. Tariq
Chaudhry, the former
President National Press
Club also spoke on the
occasion and thanked the
Ufone for its initiative of
inviting the National Press
Club.

discipline of IT. He asked
those receiving the training
to pass in this knowledge to
the others as well.
Country Manager of
Intel Pakistan, Ashar Zaidi
shed light on the teachers
training programme that
had been initiated in
collaboration with the
federal government. He said
the training programme
was being carried out on
nation-wide basis.
47
 Cover Story Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Free download | flare.com.pk

48
Free download | flare.com.pk Cover Story

ou must be wondering at the

Y transformation of famous cliché – behind

every successful man there is a woman –
but I am not mistaken in altering the
quotation. All of us have seen that most promising
companies turned bankrupt merely because of
corrupted management. How can a company or
investment can survive if the investors are not
sincere? A horse cannot win unless the rider is
honest to his ride. The achievements of those
companies that survive toughest circumstances are
on credit of their officials who indulge in burning
the midnight oil to
make the venture
a success.
I have no
personal grudges
with Ufone, a
subsidiary of
PTCL, but am
mourning at the
aftermath of
Ufone’s unethical
and illogical
measures that will
Abdul Aziz Khan surely cause the
President & CEO Ufone nation a heavy
price. Whatever
Ufone is doing, management is held responsible.
The corruption and selfishness of the higher ups is
evident of the poor performance of the company in
the market.
It is evident from the latest report for the year
2009 published by the Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority that Warid Telecom and Ufone are
working very hard to score the third place however
Ufone has considerably lost its strong position in
2009 as compared to its progress in 2008. We have A true certified copy by Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan
witnessed Ufone indulged in a number of
commercial TVC (TV commercial) – a motive that invested in the company over last ten years from
commercial campaigns in order to defend its status
was not approved by the viewers at large. tax payer’s money.
but the effort resulted otherwise, and a majority of
Ufone, one of the country’s largest cellular Ufone does not pay head to the improvement of
viewers were disgusted by the pathetic and
providers, has paid a hefty amount of Rs 1.3 billion its services or to comforting its subscribers. The
in year 2009 and Rs 991.7 million in 2008 to Etisalat only goal of Ufone has remained to grab as much
as Technical Service Fee - Etisalat owns 26 per cent credit as possible. You will be shocked to know the
stake in Ufone when it took over management utilisation of its revenue by the hands of Ufone.
control of PTCL with 26 per cent shareholding in Scrutiny of Ufone’s Balance Sheet for 2009 reveals

On one hand in the year 2009 Ufone has given 158 of its
executives a total salary (bonus, gratuity, managerial
remuneration, company’s contribution of provident fund,
housing and utilities included) of Rs 72,328,300 per month
State Minister for Health, Afzal Sandhu inaugurating the revamped
where on the other hand it has given Mr Abdul Aziz alone Rs
Children Ward and OPD of FGSH, a pilot project of Ufone’s Child
Healthcare initiative. Also seen in the picture President & CEO Ufone,
3,526,000. In 2008 Mr Abdul Aziz was taking Rs 2,523,500 in
Abdul Aziz Khan and Excutive Director FGSH, Dr. Shaukat Kiani. terms of salary where 234 executives were hired on a total
repeated ideas of same jugglers. sum of Rs 48,800,700 per month. It is pertinent to remind that
While standing on a mountain it is very hard to
compromise even for a single step as the initiation
not only Chief Executives but also some of the other
can lead to the lost of balance. Ufone is no doubt executives were provided with medical facility, company
the subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication maintained cars and residential telephone facility
Company Limited and it was not very hard for
Ufone to make a significant mark in the cellular
2005 under the famous PTCL Privatisation. Since that company has been paying a huge salary of Rs
services by following the footmarks of its parent
PTCL owns 100 per cent shares of Ufone, Etisalat three million per month to its CEO, Abdul Aziz,
company, the largest landline provider company.
became the 26 per cent shareholder in Ufone. The besides medical facilities, company maintained cars
With the passage of time the competition in the
amount of fee paid by Ufone to Etisalat in 2009 is 76 and other facilities.
telecommunication sector became so hard that once
per cent of its net profit for the same year that A local company that is semi-owned by the
one loss his balance others would hit him with
stands at Rs 1.7 billion. This shows that Ufone has Government of Pakistan is giving three million per
taunting remarks and try their level best to dig the
been depriving its principal shareholder that is month to its Chief Executive, a person who has no
victim under piles of embracement to crush his
Government of Pakistan with its 62 per cent technical proficiency. How can the company bear
strength into pieces. Ufone took advantage of the
shareholding, to earn a decent profit on the amount such a large expense for a single person? Is not it
situation and start to mock at its competitors in 49
 Cover Story Free download | flare.com.pk

has spent Rs 221,988,100 on marketing and

promotion of the brand where the total cost of

Since the market shares of all

the operators have marginal
difference and the gap
between the market leader
(Mobilink) and the rest of the
operators is rapidly
narrowing, the companies are
now getting into a price war,
whereby undercutting each
other for Voice and SMS
services is resulting into
higher financial burden on the
companies. The operators
have come to launch a range
of value added services like
Mobile banking, Mobile
Internet, Music Library, Utility
Bills Payment, Stock Market
Updates, Voice Messaging,
GPRS services, etc. that
would help industry to
improve ARPUs. PTA has
estimated that cellular mobile
subscribers would cross 102
million by 2011 in Pakistan
Distribution and Selling remained Rs 600,299,600.
Before the employment of the famous teen bata
A true certified copy by Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan teen teen, in 2008, the marketing and promotional
unjust with all those CEOs who are serving other maintained cars and residential telephone facility. cost of the company was Rs 138,948,500. I
leading mobile phone service providers? Have Moreover, the Ufone has paid Rs 500,000 to the personally think that the Ufone can altogether
PTA mentioned any tool by the help of which Directors during 2009 in respect of Board meeting change its impression in the market if it has spent
executives can be paid? If not then, why not PTA fee where the same fee was Rs 220,000 in 2008. the Rs 221 million not in commercials but on
takes a stand against such actions? What traits have In a poor country like Pakistan where people upgrading its infrastructure and on improving the
are dying of basic necessaries,
where there is no electricity and
petroleum gas, where sugar,
wheat and rice are scarce, Ufone
has managed to keep the head
of its executives high, and no
one knows how it does so. The
company has not shown any
extraordinary performance
during the year and unluckily a
large number of its members
Foot note: Courtesy: Official Report of PTA for the Year 2009 ported their SIMs to other
networks. Service is poor, call
made Mr Abdul Aziz eligible of making such a centres are hostile, hidden
huge salary? Does he has any worth-mentioning charges are enormous,
par-excellent achievements in his profile that can moreover packages of value
defend such a huge amount of salary? Is Ufone in added services (VAS) are
a position to justify the act? abundant but the conspiracy of
On one hand in the year 2009 Ufone has given charging users with huge
158 of its executives a total salary (bonus, gratuity, package conversions fees and
managerial remuneration, company’s contribution daily subscription charges have
of provident fund, housing and utilities included) disappointed the subscribers.
of Rs 72,328,300 per month where on the other The 2009 has remained not
hand it has given Mr Abdul Aziz alone Rs very good for all cellular
3,526,000. In 2008 Mr Abdul Aziz was taking Rs operators due to the poor state
2,523,500 in terms of salary where 234 executives of economy and security along
were hired on a total sum of Rs 48,800,700 per with declining foreign direct
month. It is pertinent to remind that not only Chief investment (FDI) in the country
Executives but also some of the other executives but in case of Ufone it has
were provided with medical facility, company remained terrible. In 2009 Ufone
50 Image showing the notice to Ufone
Free download | flare.com.pk Cover Story

networks. Today, the total mobile penetration

stands at 58.2 per cent, showing a growth of 6.4 per
cent this year. As the companies had been
aggressively expanding their networks and
offering attractive packages during the past two
years, the average growth remained more than 50
per cent. In the reported period, however,
international financial turmoil and saturation in
metropolitan areas caused less increase in
penetration.
A country fighting with not only internal
insurgency but also deplorable domestic
economy has managed to improve its
performance in the telecom sector – a filed that is
generating huge revenue in terms of tax and fees

A true certified copy by Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan

performance of its low wage employees. by 2011 in Pakistan.”
The tele-density is about 58 per cent where the With the passage of time the lead will not only
race of scoring maximum subscribers is between be made by
five players (Mobilink, Telenor, Warid, Ufone and cutting the cost
Zone). This is indeed not an easy market. As per and by giving
PTA report, “As for competitive environment in the additional
sector, there is intense competition among all five advantages but for the Government. This shows that the people
operators. Since the market shares of all the also through of Pakistan have learnt to employ the latest
operators have marginal difference and the gap maintain the technologies into their lives for the greater good.
between the market leader (Mobilink) and the rest quality of service. The decline in the popularity of the Ufone is a
of the operators is rapidly narrowing, the The results of proof of the increased awareness of the public
companies are now getting into a price war, surveys especially who no more encouraged by mocking TVCs and
whereby undercutting each other for Voice and on the Quality of are more interested in transparent and lucid
SMS services is resulting into higher financial Service have advertisement.
burden on the companies. The operators have come shown Ufone not It is also an open secret that why the
to launch a range of value added services like in a very healthy Competition Commission of Pakistan issued a
Mobile banking, Mobile Internet, Music Library, condition. The show cause notice to the Ufone in September,
Utility Bills Payment, Stock Market Updates, Voice Authority has 2009 for the misleading advertisement of its
Messaging, GPRS services, etc. that would help issued show cause UWon package along with the company’s claim
industry to improve ARPUs. The regulator, notices to all five of offering the lowest call rate in the Asia.
operators and the Government, in their own operators for their respective not up to the mark Mr Abdul Aziz was fired from Pakistan’s
respective spheres, have been taking care of the performance in different categories. leading mobile phone operator on the charges of
mobile subscribers in Pakistan. The steps taken by Cellular Mobile is the only segment that showed corruption before joining to Ufone. His bad
intention were earlier punctured but now he is
In 2009 Ufone has spent Rs 221,988,100 on marketing and taking full advantage of his post and influence
promotion of the brand where the total cost of Distribution and throwing not only the company but millions
of subscribers into a gorge.
and Selling remained Rs 600,299,600. Before the employment Ufone is making a history of blunders and I
of the famous teen bata teen teen, in 2008, the marketing and am not biased in blaming the Chief Executive for
promotional cost of the company was Rs 138,948,500. I the misdeeds. Making wrong policies for
fulfilling subterranean motives is a practice that
personally think that the Ufone can altogether change its can spoil a company’s image.
impression in the market if it has spent the Rs 221 million not Ufone has already disappointed its customers
in commercials but on upgrading its infrastructure and by compromising on transparency as well as
commercial ethics.
improving the performance of its low wage employees The facilities Ufone has provided to its
executives are far ahead of a layman’s
these three are bringing value added services, an encouraging growth pattern during the tough imagination. It would be better if those who are
increased accessibility, better quality, lower tariffs year 2008-09 for Pakistan telecom sector. Mobile above the CEO Ufone took serious notice of
and better value for money. PTA has estimated that operators kept on expanding their service areas, practices and incentive of Mr Abdul Aziz to save
cellular mobile subscribers would cross 102 million and new subscribers also continued to join the the public property in time.
51
 Tech Tool Mobile Reviews Free download | flare.com.pk

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2

It was back in February 2008 that the XPERIA lineup was born and it
took Sony Ericsson almost two years to bring about the XPERIA X1 suc-
cessor. The long waiting is over now and the XPERIA X2 is keen to prove
to us all it was worth it.
Both devices obviously have lots of features in common (it's the same
amount of memory both RAM and ROM, and the same CPU) but there are
possibly enough improvements to make the XPERIA X2 a strong succes-
sor and a valuable upgrade. And by telling you that, we don't only mean
the more recent version of WinMo. 6.5 were never officially compatible
with the original. Anyway, the upgraded imaging is the greatest asset of
the XPERIA X2 hardware and we're about to see how much it works in its
favour.
Before we kick off though, a bit of family tree stuff. The XPERIA X2 is
only the second PocketPC in the series after the X1. The X10 runs Android
and so does the rumoured Robyn, while the Pureness isn't even a smart-
phone. The XPERIA line up comes in different shapes and sizes but it all
started with Windows Mobile. The X2 is perfectly aware of that and comes
to offer some all-round PocketPC skills and the aggressive styling of its
forerunner.
The menu consists of seven items - Call history, Messages, Calendar,
Media, PlayNow, Sony Ericsson Sync and Panels - most of them with plen-
ty of subsections. The Media department will sure ring a bell for Sony
Ericsson users. It collects all your pictures, music, videos and games and
packs them into its own gallery, music and video players.

Nokia X6
In the world of Nokia it is all about evolution, rather than revolution. So do
not expect the specs on the X6 to blow your mind. The handset is the next step
for the market leader scrambling to make up for a late start in touch- screens.
To be honest, the Symbian S60 touch edition has been struggling to catch up
with the standard setters in terms of user experience. And the X6 claims to have
the answer: the responsiveness only a capacitive screen can bring.
The Nokia X6 is also the first XpressMusic handset to head straight for the
high-end. Midrange is the highest the music Finns have gone so we are inter-
ested to see how this change of approach works. Nokia have always had a
strong appeal to the masses, but pleasing the selected few is undoubtedly
harder.
As you can see in the two lists above there is almost nothing new in the soft-
ware package, so it all falls on the hardware to justify the high asking price. The
well-stuffed retail package is a great place to start but does the capacitive
screen improve usability enough to be worth the extra money over, say, the
5800 XpressMusic? And the difference in price is by no means trivial.
In the increasingly competitive touchscreen market manufacturers do not
have much room for error. The unpolished S60 UI is enough of a burden
already, so Nokia X6 has to be near perfect in every other respect. A tall task
indeed, but let us see how they have tackled it.
The Nokia X6 phonebook has virtually unlimited capacity and its functional-
ity is certainly among the best out there. Nokia X6 contacts list also has kinet-
ic scrolling enabled that is a welcome enhancement but nowadays all Nokia
touch phones have that already.

52
Free download | flare.com.pk Mobile Reviews Tech Tool

Samsung S5620 Monte

The Samsung S5600 Preston which rolled out last sum-
mer might be in line for a new successor known as the
Samsung S5620 Monte. This yet unannounced handset
does seem to be shaping up pretty nicely, what with a 3"
touchscreen display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS sup-
port and a microSD memory card slot accompanying the
device. It will also take advantage of Samsung's TouchWiz
user interface, although there is the possibility of it running
their very own Bada OS as well. No idea on when the
Samsung S5620 Monte will roll out officially, and neither
do we have details on its price, but one thing is sure.

HTC Smart
The HTC Smart is at your service, be it for your productive side or
your playful side. HTC Smart comes with Scenes—different phone con-
figurations that reflect different moods in your daily self. There’s a mode
for your busy weekdays, filling your home screen with panels that help
you ease on through your workdays with apps like email, calendar and
the web browser. There’s a mode for relaxing (or not!) weekends, which
brings fun to the forefront with music, camera, and photo album panels.
There’s even a scene that you can personalize to fit your unique style
and daily needs.
With HTC Smart, your interactions are neatly placed right under the
pics of your favorite people. Rather than having to open multiple appli-
cations, there’s a single view of all your communications, be it email,
text, or a Facebook update with any one of your contacts.
The more you use the HTC Smart, the more small touches you will
find – each one elevating your phone experience. For example, with just
one tap you can turn your web browser to landscape mode so you can
get a better view while surfing the internet. There is also smart zoom,
which enlarges and reflows the text for your reading pleasure with just
a double tap on the screen.

53
 Tech Tool Free download | flare.com.pk

Nokia 3710 fold

The 3710 Fold is a glamorous looking fold opening handset which comes in three colours
including pink, plum and a black coloured casing. The overall look of the handset is stylish com-
plete with a hidden external screen. This hidden screen lights up and comes to life when a new call
or message is received or when the volume key is pressed. Its internal screen can be viewed when
the handset is in its fold open position and the screen is 2.2 inches in size when measured diago-
nally. This screen is a TFT QVGA type screen which displays up to sixteen million colours on this
high resolution screen.
The Nokia 3710 Fold is an environmentally friendly focused handset which is made from PCV
and nickel free material, eighty per cent of the handset is recyclable materials, the packaging is
made from sixty per cent recycled materials & the Nokia 3710 Fold comes with a high efficiency bat-
tery charger.
The 3710 Fold comes with seventy megabytes of memory and the handset supports MicroSD™
type memory card which provides an expandable memory option and the Nokia 3710 Fold supports
up to eight gigabytes of expandable memory. It weighs ninety four grams including the fitted bat-
tery and the overall size of the handset is neat and compact which measures 8.9cm in height, 4.7cm
in width and 1.52cm in depth.
It's built in EDGE technology allows the user to experience fast speed data transfer rates when
connecting their handset to other devices and transfer data between these devices. The user can
connect to other devices using either a Bluetooth® wireless connection or by using a UBS cabled
connection between two compatible connectivity devices. An integrated A GPS navigation feature
supports a Nokia maps application which allows the user to view maps on their handset which is
useful when getting directions & finding nearby places of interest.

Samsung S5550 Shark 2

TThe Shark series by Samsung is a line of three feature phones that focuses mainly on
style and reliability. Neither of them is designed to offer great functionality, but all of them will
be there when you need to make an urgent phone call. The most sophisticated of the three
is the Samsung Shark 2 S5550, as it tries to cross the line between basic and multifunction-
al handsets, by featuring a five megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash. Even more, with
its 2.2 inch AMOLED display, it takes some of the eye candy we normally see in high-end
touchscreen phones and brings it to the mainstream market.
The package contains the standard stuff, nothing extra:

• Samsung Shark 2 S5550

• Wall charger
• Wired handsfree
• Data cable

It is great that the Shark line has not gotten its name on random basis. Although you may
have to get your imagination working in order to discover the similarities with the sweet little
fish, all three handsets undeniably share the same design language with smooth curves and
streamlined bodies. Once opened, the S5550 assumes the characteristic torpedo-like shape
that sharks have.
The Samsung Shark 2 S5550 feels really nice in the hand; it can be comfortably operated
in both closed and opened mode, which is not typical of every slider out there. Build quality
is good on the whole, although the slider wobbles just a little, and the nicely-patterned back
cover is plastic, instead of metal as on the Shark S5350.

54
Free download | flare.com.pk Tech Tool

Motorola XT800
Motorola, elevating high in terms of services and coverage, seems to be all determined
to set itself apart in its new step. Yes, Cloned in China has reported that the company is
now prepared to land in the Chinese market with its latest XT800 smartphone.
Previously codenamed as Motorola Zeppelin and showcased to the masses in Beijing,
the arresting device is headline-grabber by virtue of its avant-garde features and leading-
edge technology.
Introduced by China Telecom, the latest device is said to be running Android 2.0.1
which is the newest Android version and would be in dual SIM card slots. Besides, the
device is also reported to offer support for CDMA and GSM. As its reviews, the XT800
comes built-in with five MP camera, a 3.7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, WAPI
(Wi-Fi), and FM Radio. What else, the all new device also comes subsumed with an ARM
Cortex A8 processor.
Reportedly, the arresting or prepossessing handset also comes featured with a
microSD slot which can take 32GB cards and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Ostensibly, the
device is also claimed to have the capacity of doing skilful playback 720p video and also
boasts of an HDMI port.
Obviously, so far, there is no word as to pricing information of the Motorola XT800, but
as and when it comes we will let you know. However, so far as its availability in the US
market is concerned, it is expected to come in 2010, named as the Motorola Titanium. In
North America, the device, supporting EV-DO Rev A networks, will be made available via
Verizon or Sprint operator.

Nokia 6303i classic

MNew Nokia 6303i Classic also has slightly better resolution camera with 3.2 mega
pixel capacity. Based on the Nokia 6303 Classic, the device has sports a 2.2-inch screen
with a 240x320 resolution. This one adds a few more features and comes in more color
versions when compared with its predecessor.
This device is available with some enhancements which can be widely enjoyed by
its users. One of the most significant features can be the battery and social messaging
attributes. This phone encompasses improved battery capabilities, facilitating around 8
hours of calls.
The Nokia 6303i Classic has internal memory of 50 MB which is expandable with SD
card to 2 GB. The Nokia 6303 classic has only 17 MB inbuilt memory and expandable
memory up to 1 GB with SD card. Nokia 6303i classic is also equipped with FM radio
making it preferred for music lovers. To give better experience on FM, battery lasts for
30 hours when phone is on FM. The new phone is fully 2.75G equipped and supports
tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity (900 / 1800 / 1900). No sign of 3G, however.
The Nokia 6303i classic is compatible with instant messaging for improved social
abilities. The handset embraces a 3.2-megapixel camera with dual LED flash. This can
facilitate sharp and picture-clear snaps. One can even share these images online with
friends and family. The mobile phone comes in two colors namely silver and khaki gold.

55
 Tech Tool Current Mobiles Free download | flare.com.pk

Rs Rs
3,800 3,250

Nokia 1680 Classic Samsung C450

Dimension Dimension
108x46x15 mm, Weight 73.7 g 103.5x44.5x14.9 mm Weight 72 g
Memory Memory
Combo 32 MB Built-in Flash, 4 MB 2 MB shared memory (20 dialed, 20
SDRAM received, 20 missed calls)
Connectivity Connectivity
GPRS Class 10, EGPRS Class 6, GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps), USB
SyncML 1.2 Display Size 128 x 160 Display Size 128 x 128 pixels, 1.52
pixels inches
Features Features
Colors Black, Slate Gray, Wine Red, Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML
Deep Plum Entertainment Nokia Entertainment Games, FM radio
Xpress Audio Messaging, Video Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels Ring
recording/playback, Games, Tones Polyphonic (16 channels)
Camera VGA, video Ring Tones Messaging SMS, MMS
Polyphonic (24 channels), MP3 Battery
Battery Talk time Up to 3 h 20 min, Stand-by Up
Talk time Up to 7 h 40 min, Stand-by to 300 h
Up to 424 h

Rs Rs.
2,400 3,050

LG KP105 Samsung C260

Dimension Dimension
101x46x12.9 mm Weight 65 g 88 x 45 x 19.8 mm Weight 74 g
Memory Memory
Built-in, 300 Phonebook entries (10 600 KB user memory (Phonebook 500
dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls) entries, 10 dialed, 10 received, 10
Connectivity missed calls)
USB Display Size 128 x 128 pix- Connectivity
els, 1.5 inches Display Colour GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps) Display
CSTN, 65K colors Size 128 x 128 pixels, 1.5 inches
Features Display Colour UFB, 65K colors
Colors White, Black, Silver Features
Entertainment FM Radio, Games Browser WAP 1.2 Entertainment
(Sudoku) Other Features Built-in Games Ring Tones Polyphonic (16
handsfree, Calculator Ring Tones channels) Messaging SMS, EMS
Polyphonic (16 channels) Battery
Messaging SMS Talk time Up to 7 h, Stand-by Up to 220
Battery h
Talk time Up to 4 h 30 min, Stand-by
Up to 475 h

56

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Free download | flare.com.pk Current Mobiles Tech Tool

Rs Rs
9,900 7,550

Nokia 2730 Classic Samsung J700

Dimension Dimension
109.6x46.9x14.4mm, Weight 87.7 g 99.5 x 48 x 14.8 mm Weight 92 g
Memory Memory
30 MB Built-in + 1GB microSD Card 10 MB user memory + Memory Card
included (microSD TransFlash)
Connectivity Connectivity
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, GPRS Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, GPRS
Class 32, EDGE, Class 32, 3G (384 Class 10 (48 kbps), EDGE Class 10
kbps) (236.8 kbps)
Features Features
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML Colors Black Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
or Dark Magenta Entertainment Stereo Colors Black Entertainment FM
FM radio with RDS, 3.5 mm audio jack, radio, MPEG4/3GP video
MP3/WAV/WMV/eAAC+ player, p l a y e r / r e c o r d e r ,
MP4/H.263 player, Flash Lite 3.0, Games MP3/AAC/AAC+/MIDI player, Games
(4 + Downloadable) Camera 2 MP, Camera 1.3 MP, 1280x960 pixels,
1600x1200 pixels, 4x digital zoom, Video video Other Features Bluetooth
(176x144 10fps) printing, Voice memo Ring Tones
Battery Polyphonic, MP3 Messaging SMS,
Talk time Up to 7 h 20 min, Stand-by Up EMS, MMS
to 396 h, Battery
Talk time Up to 180 mins, Stand-by
Up to 250 hrs

Rs Rs
9,600 6,950

Nokia 3610 Fold LG KP220

Dimension
99.6x44.3x19.6 mm, Weight 97 g
Memory
30 MB Built-in + microSD Card (sup-
ports up to 4GB)
Connectivity
Bluetooth v2.0, USB, GPRS Class 10
(48 kbps), EDGE Class 32 (236 kbits)
Display Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0
inches
Features
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Colors Blue, Red, Green, Rose
Entertainment Video player
mp4/3gpp, MP3/AAC/eAAC+/WMA
player, Games (4 + downloadable)
Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels,
video(QCIF) Other Features Built-in
handsfree, Voice memo/commands,
Stopwatch Ring Tones Polyphonic
Battery
Talk time Up to 4h 38 min, Stand-by
Up to 457h
Dimension
103x46x12 mm, Weight 72 g
Memory
64 MB internal memory + Extendable
microSD (TransFlash)
Connectivity
Bluetooth v1.2, USB, GPRS Class 10
(48 kbps) Display Size 120 x 160 pix-
els Display Colour TFT, 256K colors
Features
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML Colors Silver
Entertainment Music dedicated key,
MP3/MPEG4 player, FM radio, Games
Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels,
video Other Features Built-in hands-
free, Voice memo Ring Tones
Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS
Battery
Talk time up to 3h, Stand-by Up to 300 h
57

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 Tech Tool Current Mobiles Free download | flare.com.pk

Rs Rs
12,800 10,700

Nokia X3 Samsung C3510 Genoa

Dimension
Dimension 103.9x55.4x12.9 mm Weight 92.2 g
96x49.3x14.1 mm, Weight 103 g Memory
Music play Up to 26 h Built-in 30 MB + microSD Card
Memory Connectivity
46 MB Built-in + 2GB microSD Card Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB, GPRS
included Class 10 (48 kbps), EDGE Class 10
Connectivity (236.8 kbps)
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB, GPRS Features
Class 32, EDGE Class 32 (296 / 178.8 Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
kbits) Colors Black Entertainment Stereo
Features FM radio with RDS,
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML MP3/WMA/eAAC+ player, 3.5 mm
Colors Red on Black, Blue on Silver audio jack, MP4/H.263/H.264 player,
Entertainment Stereo FM radio with Games (built-in + downloadable),
RDS (built-in antenna), Social networking integration with
MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player, 3.5 live updates Camera 1.3 MP, 1280
mm audio jack, stereo speakers, x 1024 pixels, 4x Digital Zoom,
Dedicated music keys, Video (QCIF 15fps) Downloadable
MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, Flash Polyphonic MP3
Lite 3.0, Games Camera 3.2 MP, Battery
2048x1536 pixels, enhanced fixed Talk time Up to 10 h, Stand-by Up to
focus, 4x digital zoom, 720 h,
Battery
Talk time Up to 7h 30 min, Stand-by
Up to 200h

Rs Rs
12,300 10,400

Samsung B3210 CorbyTXT Nokia 5220

Dimension
Dimension
108x43.5x10.5 mm, Weight 78 g
91x54x16.95 mm Weight 94 g
Memory
Memory 40 MB Built-in + microSD
30 MB Built-in + microSD card
Card (up to 8GB)
Connectivity
Connectivity
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB,
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB,
GPRS Class 32, EDGE Class 32
GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps), EDGE
(296 kbit/s RX), HSCSD
Class 10 (236.8 kbps)
Features
Features
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML,
Browser WAP 2.0 / xHTML, HTML
Opera Mini Colors Blue, Red,
NetFront 3.5 Colors Black
Green Entertainment FM stereo
Entertainment Stereo FM radio
radio with RDS, 3.5 mm audio out-
with RDS, FM recording,
put jack, MP3/MPEG4 player,
MP3/eAAC+/WMA player, 3.5 mm
Nokia Xpress Audio & Flash mes-
audio jack, MP4/H.263 player,
saging, Link to YouTube service,
Fashion Jackets, Games Camera
Yahoo! Go & Yahoo! Ready,
2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, Video
WidSets, Camera 2 MP,
Other Features QWERTY key-
1600x1200 pixels, video (QCIF)
board, Speakerphone, Office doc-
lights flash Ring Tones
ument viewer, MP3 ringtones
Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3,
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM
AAC, 3D, True & video tones
Battery
Messaging SMS,
Talk time Up to 3 h 30 min, Stand-
Battery
by Up to 200 h
58 Talk time Up to 5 h 15 min, Stand-
by Up to 406 h

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Free download | flare.com.pk Current Mobiles Tech Tool

Rs Rs
22,300 23,100

Sony Ericsson C903

Nokia 6760 slide
Dimension
Dimension 97 x 49 x 16mm Weight 96 g
97.5x57.9x15.5 mm, Weight 123.9 g OS Memory
Memory 105 MB Built-in + Memory Stick
128 MB Built-in + 2GB microSD Card Micro (M2, supports up to 8GB)
included (supports up to 16GB) Connectivity
Connectivity Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB,
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, GPRS Class GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps), HSCSD,
32, HSCSD, EDGE Class 32, 3G (HSDPA EDGE Class 10 (236.8 kbps), 3G
3.6 Mbps) (HSDPA, HSUPA)
Features Features
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML Colors Browser WAP 2.0/HTML
Black, Red, White Entertainment Stereo (NetFront), RSS reader Colors
MPEG4/H.264/H.263/RV10/WMV9 player, Lacquer Black, Techno White,
MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA9 player, Games Glamour Red, Metal Pink, Stereo
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, FM radio with RDS, Media Go™,
enhanced fixed focus, Video (QVGA 15fps), MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, YouTube
2ndary VideoCall Camera, Quickoffice, PDF application, TrackID music recogni-
Reader, Photo editor Other Features GPS tion, TV-out, Picture editor/blog-
+ A-GPS support, Nokia Maps, Full QWER- ging, Camera 5 MP, 2592 x 1944
TY keyboard, Speakerphone, pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Video,
Battery Geo-tagging, face & smile
Talk time Up to 5 h, Stand-by Up to 500 h, Battery
Music play Up to 17 h Talk time Up to 10 h , Stand-by Up
to 400 h

Rs Rs
20,000 45,000

Samsung B5722 BlackBerry Bold 9000

Dimension
Dimension
114 x 66 x 15 mm Weight 136 g
104 x 54.9 x 14.4 mm Weight 105
Memory
g Memory
1 GB Built-in (128 MB RAM) +
Built-in 30 MB + microSD Card
microSD Card
(supports up to 8GB)
Connectivity
Connectivity
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, GPRS
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB,
Class 10 (48 kbps), EDGE Class 10
GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps), EDGE
(236.8 kbps), 3G (HSDPA 3.6 Mbps),
Class 10 (236.8 kbps)
WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g) Display
Features
Size 480 x 320 pixels
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Features
Colors Dark Brown, Elegant Pink
Browser HTML Colors Black
Entertainment Stereo FM radio with
Entertainment Media player
MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+ player,
MP3/WMA/AAC+, 3.5 mm stereo
Duel Sim, MP4/H.263/H.264 player,
headset jack, Video player
Games (built-in + downloadable)
DivX/WMV/XviD/3gp, Games (built-
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels,
in + downloadable) Camera 2
LED flash, Video (QVGA 15fps)
MP, 1600x1200 pixels, LED flash,
Other Features Dual SIM,
Video Other Features Keyboard
Speakerphone, Google Talk,
backlighting Trackball navigation,
Battery
BlackBerry maps, Built-in GPS,
Talk time Up to 4 h 30 min, Stand-by
Document editor
Up to 400 h
Battery
Talk time Up to 4.5 h, Stand-by Up to
59
324 h

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 Tech Tool Upcoming Mobiles
Nokia X6 16GB
Size
Dimensions 111x51x13.8 mm, Weight 122g
Display
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 360x640pixels, 3.2 inches, Proximity sen-
sor for auto turn-off, Accelerometer sensor for
auto-rotate, Scratch-resistant glass surface
Sound Alert types, Vibration, MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone Yes,
Memory
Phonebook, Practically unlimited entries and
fields, Photocall, Call records, Detailed, max
30 days, Internal 16 GB storage, 128 MB RAM
Data
GPRS Class 32, EDGE Class 32, 3G HSDPA,
3.6 Mbps, WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP tech-
nology, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB
Yes, v2.0 microUSB, Camera Primary, 5 MP,
2592x1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofo-
cus, Dual LED flash, video light
Features
OS Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5, CPU
ARM 11 434 MHz processor, Messaging,
SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging, D Mix
Tour, Asphalt4 + downloadable
Colors, Black, Pink on White, Yellow on White
GPS, Yes, with A-GPS support; Ovi Maps 3.0
Java, Yes, MIDP 2.1, WMV/RV/MP4/3GP play-
er, MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A player,
Organizer, Photo editor, Voice command/dial
- TV-out, Flash Lite 3.0,
Battery
Stand-by Up to 401h (2G) / 420 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 8 h30 min (2G) / 6 h (3G)
Music play Up to 35 h
Samsung S3550 Shark 3
Size
Dimensions 95.8x45.8x14.4 mm, Weight 79g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240x320 pixels,
2.0” Sound Alert types, Vibration; MP3 ring-
tones, Speakerphone Yes, DNSe (Digital
Natural Sound Engine)
Memory
Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall, Call
records 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls,
Internal 35 MB storage, Card slot microSD
(TransFlash) up to 8GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps,
EDGE
Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with
A2DP
USB Yes, v2.0, Camera Primary, 2 MP,
1600x1200 pixels, Video Yes
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM, Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM
radio with RDS Games Yes + downloadable,
Colors Black, Java Yes, MIDP 2.0, Social net-
working integration with live updates, Google
Maps, MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player,
MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player
Battery
Stand-by Up to 430h, Talk time Up to 7h 30 min
60
Free download | flare.com.pk
LG GS500 Cookie Plus
Size
Dimensions 107.1x52.5x11.9 mm,
Display
Type TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors
Size 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches, Flash UI
Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate,
Handwriting recognition, Sound Alert types,
Vibration, MP3 ringtones, composer,
Speakerphone Yes
Memory
Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall, Call
records, 40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed
calls, Card slot microSD (TransFlash) up to
16GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G HSDPA 7.2
Mbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, USB
Yes, v2.0 Camera Primary, 3.15 MP,
2048x1536 pixels, Video Yes
Features
Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM
radio with RDS, Games Yes + downloadable
Colors Black, Silver, Purple, Java Yes, MIDP
2.0, Social networking integration with live
updates, MP3/WMA/AAC player, MP4/H.263
player, Organizer Document viewer (Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), Voice memo, T9
Motorola BACKFLIP
Size
Dimensions 108x53x15.3 mm, Weight 133g
Display
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K col-
ors Size 320x480 pixels, 3.1 inches,
Accelerometer sensor, Reverse flip with full
QWERTY keyboard
BACKTRACK touch panel, MOTOBLUR UI
with Live Widgets, Sound Alert types,
Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones,
Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook, Practically unlimited entries
and fields, Photo call, Call records
Practically unlimited, Card slot microSD,
32GB, 2GB included
Data
GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32
- 48 kbps, EDGE Class 12, 3G HSDPA, 7.2
Mbps, WLAN, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth
Yes, v2.1 with A2DP,
Features
OS Android OS, v1.5 (Cupcake), upgrad-
able Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push
Email, IM Browser HTML, Games Yes,
Colors Platinum Silver, GPS Yes, with A-
GPS support, Java Via third party applica-
tion, Noise cancellation with dedicated
microphone, Google Maps with Street View,
MP3/eAAC+/WAV/WMA9 player,
MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV9 player, Facebook,
MySpace, Twitter apps, Photobucket,
Picasa integration
Battery
Stand-by Up to 315 h, Talk time Up to 6 h
Free download | flare.com.pk
Nokia 6303i classic
Size
Dimensions 108.8x46.2x11.7mm, Weight 96g
Display
Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240x320 pixels, 2.2
inches, Sound Alert types, Vibration, MP3 ring-
tones, Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook 2000 entries, Photocall, Call records
20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls, Internal
55 MB, Card slot microSD, up to 8GB, 2GB
included
Data
GPRS Class 32, EDGE Class 32, Bluetooth Yes,
v2.1 with A2DP, USB Yes, microUSB v2.0,
Camera Primary, 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, aut-
ofocus, dual LED flash, Video Yes, QVGA@8fps;
QCIF@15fps
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM, Browser WAP
2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM radio with
RDS, Games 8 + Downloadable, Colors Steel,
Matt Black, Chestnut, Illuvial pink, White on
Silver, Khaki on Gold, Java, Yes, MIDP 2.1,
Nokia Maps 2.0, H.263/H.264 player,
MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player, Organizer
Battery
Stand-by Up to 515h, Talk time Up 8h
LG GD880 Mini
Size
Dimensions 102.1x47.8x10.5mm, Weight
92g
Display
Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, Size
480 x 854 pixels, 3.2 inches, Accelerometer
sensor for UI auto-rotate, Sound Alert types
Vibration, MP3 ringtones, Speakerphone
Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall, Call
records 20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed
calls, Internal 100 MB, Card slot
microSD up to 16GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48
kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth Yes,
v2.1 with A2DP USB Yes, microUSB v2.0,
Camera Primary 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels,
autofocus
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM
radio with RDS, Games Yes, Colors Black,
GPS Yes, with A-GPS support, Java Yes,
MIDP 2.1, Social networking integration
with live updates, MP4/H.264/H.263 player,
MP3/WMA/eAAC+ player, Organizer, Voice
memo, T9
Upcoming Mobiles Tech Tool
Sony Ericsson Vivaz
Size
Dimensions 107x51.7x12.5mm, Weight 97g
Display
Type TFT touchscreen, 16M colors, Size 360 x
640 pixels, 3.2 inches, Sound Alert types,
Vibration; MP3 ringtones, Speakerphone Yes, 3.5
mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook Yes, Photocall, Call records 30 dialed,
30 received, 30 missed calls, Internal 75 MB stor-
age, Card slot microSD (TransFlash) up to 16GB,
8GB included
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps,
EDGE, Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G HSDPA, 10.2
Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps, WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g,
DLNA Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, USB Yes,
microUSB v2.0, Camera Primary, 8 MP,
3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Features
OS Symbian Series 60, 5th edition, CPU 720
MHz, PowerVR SGX graphics, Messaging SMS
(threaded view), Colors Silver Moon, Cosmic
Black, Galaxy Blue, Venus Ruby, GPS Yes, with
A-GPS support; Wisepilot navigation, Java Yes,
MIDP 2.1, Google maps, Facebook and Twitter
apps, YouTube and Picasa integration,
WMV/RV/MP4/3GP video player,
MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A music player
TV out (VGA resolution), Organizer, QuickOffice
document reader, Gesture control,
Battery
Stand-by Up to 430 h (2G) / Up to 440 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 13 h (2G) / Up to 5 h 20 min (3G)
Samsung S5350 Shark
Size
Dimensions 115.2x46.7x11.9 mm, Weight 99.2g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels,
2.2 inches, Sound Alert types, Vibration; MP3
ringtones, Speakerphone Yes, DNSe (Digital
Natural Sound Engine)
Memory
Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall, Call records
30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls, Internal
100 MB storage, Card slot microSD
(TransFlash) up to 16GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G HSDPA 3.6
Mbps
Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
Camera Primary, 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels,
autofocus
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM, Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM radio
with RDS, Games Yes + downloadable, Colors
Black
Java Yes, MIDP 2.0, Social networking integra-
tion with live updates, Google Maps,
MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player,
MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player, Organizer
Document viewer, Voice memo, T9
Battery
Stand-by Up to 450h (2G) / Up to 450 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 10h 30 min (2G) / Up to 3h 10
min (3G)
61
 Tech Tool High Range Mobiles
Rs
40390
Nokia N97 mini
The sleek Nokia N97 mini integrates the
web into your life and seamlessly con-
nects you to your friends and favourite
online services. Get your message
across quickly and easily using the full
tactile or onscreen QWERTY key-
boards. Access your favourite web con-
tent directly from the customisable
home screen. Keep moving in the right
direction with the integrated compass.
Store up to 1700 of your favourite tracks
on the eight GB internal memory.
Capture high-resolution photos and
DVD-quality video using the five
megapixel digital camera.
Rs
57,000
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1
Life is mobile. Let everything that's
important to you be with you all the
time. The people in your life, the inter-
net, your music, pictures and video, so
make the new Sony Ericsson XPERIA
X1 yours now. Style the panel display
to suit your needs and Switch between
as you like - enjoy seamless access to
the info and apps of your choice. Sony
Ericsson XPERIA X1 has Windows
Mobile® inside. Arc slider design,
three inch wide VGA display & premi-
um metal body: with its sophisticated
and distinctive design, Sony Ericsson
XPERIA X1 redefines premium.
Rs.
79,990
Apple Iphone 3GS 32GB
iPhone 3GS -Meet the fastest, most
powerful iPhone yet. iPhone 3GS fea-
tures video recording, Voice Control,
up to 32GB of storage, & more. The
first thing you’ll notice about iPhone
3GS is how quickly you can launch
apps. Webpages render in a fraction of
time, & you can view email attach-
ments faster. On iPhone 3GS improved
performance & updated 3D graphics
deliver an incredible gaming experi-
ence, too. In fact, everything you do on
iPhone 3GS is up to 2x faster & more
62 responsive than iPhone 3G.
Above prices are subject to change as per market
Free download | flare.com.pk
Rs
48,000
Samsung i8910 Omnia HD
Samsung presents Samsung i8910
Omnia HD, the world’s 1st HD video
recording mobile providing you with
superior image quality on world’s
largest 3.7” AMOLED screen. Samsung
i8910 Omnia HD provides you Vivid
QHD (640X360) display with 16M
colour screen. With advance functions
such as face detection, smile shot, blink
shot and panorama shot, Samsung
i8910 Omnia HD has eight MP auto
focus camera with power LED flash.
Spacious memory up to 48 GB, Multi-
codec support and cinema-like sound
with dual stereo speaker and DNSe 2.0,
Rs
31,900
Nokia E72
Nokia E72 is a high-performance device
tailor-made for seamless business and
personal communication. Use the highly
responsive Optical Navi Key™ of Nokia
E72 to scroll quickly and smoothly
through web pages, emails, and menus.
Nokia E72 is the best-in-class messaging
device offering emails in real time through
Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes
Traveler, directly on your Nokia E72. It is
about all-day efficiency. Nokia E72 is the
perfect balance of form and function with
its innovative design and cutting-edge
technology.
Rs
40,000
BlackBerry Curve 8900
BlackBerry Curve 8900 a sleek new twist
on a classic style. You can keep your fin-
ger on the pulse of what’s important to
you with the BlackBerry Curve 8900
smartphone. The striking 480x360-pixel
screen offers up crisp on-the-go video,
images, text, maps and more. With a
refined design, the BlackBerry Curve 8900
smartphone delivers expanded functional-
ity & reliable results. BlackBerry Curve
8900 fits in your hand, like it fits in your
life. Perfectly…
Free download | flare.com.pk Low Range Mobiles Low Range Mobile Tech Tool

Rs Rs
3190 2340

Nokia 1662 Nokia 1203

Display: Display
Display Type TFT, 65K colours, Size 128 x 160 Type Monochrome graphic, Size 96 x 68 pix-
pixels, 1.8 inches els, 1.3 inches, Themes and wallpapers
Ringtones Ringtones
Sound Alert types Vibration; Downloadable poly- Type Polyphonic, Vibration Yes
phonic ringtones, Speakerphone Yes, 2.5 mm Memory
audio jack Phonebook 200 entries, Call records 20
Memory dialled, 20 received, 20 missed calls
Phonebook 500 entries, Call records 20 dialled, Features
20 received, 20 missed calls, Up to 250 SMS Messaging SMS, Flashlight, T9, Calendar
Features Calculator, Currency converter
Messaging SMS, Radio FM radio, Flashlight, Built-in handsfree
Organiser, T9 Battery
Battery Stand-by Up to 624h, Talk time Up to 8h
Stand-by Up to 475h, Talk time Up to 4h 10 min

Rs Rs
2450 3250

Samsung E1080 LG KP110

Display Display
Display Type CSTN, 65K colours, Size 128 x 128 Display Type CSTN, 65K colours, Size 128 x
pixels, 1.43 inches 128 pixels, 1.5 inches, Sound Alert types
Ringtones Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones,
Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3 ringtones, Speakerphone Yes
Speakerphone Yes Memory:
Memory Memory Phonebook Yes, Call records 10 dialled,
Memory Phonebook 500 entries, Call records 30 10 received, 10 missed calls, Internal 1 MB
dialled, 30 missed calls, Internal 1 MB Data:
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps USB Yes, v1.1
USB Yes Features:
Features Messaging SMS, MMS, Browser WAP
Messaging SMS, Browser, Java Yes, MIDP 2.0 2.0/xHTML, Radio FM radio, Java Yes, Mobile
Built-in flashlight, Organiser, Tracker, MP3 player, Organizer, T9
Battery Battery
Stand-by Up to 420h, Talk time Up to 12h Stand-by Up to 400 h, Talk time Up to 4 h

Rs
Rs 3,300
2,900
Nokia 5030 XpressRadio
Motorola W230 Dimension
108x45x15 mm, Weight 82 g
Display Memory
Dimension 110 x 45 x 14.7 mm, Weight 80g 8 MB Buitlt-in, 1000 Phonebook entries + 250
Battery Talk time Up to 9 h Stand-by Up to 450 h SMS
Memory 1MB internal memory + Extendable Display
(MicroSD Memory Card, up to 2 GB supported) Size 128x160 pixels, 1.8 inches Display
Connectivity USB, GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps) Colour TFT, 65K colors
Display Size 128 x 128 pixels, 1.6 inches Features
Display Colour CSTN, 65K colours Colors Red, Graphite Entertainment Stereo
Operating Frequency / Band GSM 900 / 1800 FM Radio with built-in antenna, Games
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML Other Features Dedicated radio keys, 5-way
Colours lustrous silver, dark titanium gray navigation key, Flashlight, Speakerphone,
Entertainment Stereo FM radio with RDS Voice memo
(Records FM radio for the phone’s alarm), MP3 Battery
player (iMelody,MIDI,MP3,AMR formats), Games 63
Talk time Up to 10h, Stand-by Up to 524h,

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 Tech Tool Latest LapTop Free download | flare.com.pk

VGN-Z56GG/B HP Pavilion dv3-2216TX

Rs Rs
222,000 93,990

Specifications The digital world in your hands. The HP Pavilion dv3 Notebook PC with

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit, HP TouchSmart software lets you access your favourite multimedia content and

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P9700 (2.80 GHz), activities at the touch of a fingertip wherever you go.

6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, HDD 320 GB,

Super Drive, NVIDIA® GeForce® 9300M GS notebook graphics processing unit Specifications
(GPU),
Operating System Windows 7 Home

13.1" wide (WXGA: 1600 x 900), Memory Card Reader
Premium Edition Processor Type Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Speed 2.53 GHz
Processor L2 Cache 3 MB Processor Model P8700

RAM Capacity 2 GB RAM Type DDR 2 RAM Slots 2

Hard Disk Capacity 320 GB HDD RPM 7200 HDD Interface SATA Chipset
Intel 965PM Screen Size 13.3 inch Screen Type LED

Graphics Nvidia GeForce G105M.

Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T Dell Inspiron 1564 (i5-520M)

Rs Rs
76,990 85,990

The Acer Aspire 4810T, a special edition of the award winning Timeline series,
is a 35cm (14 inch) ultra-thin and ultra-light notebook that combines top per-
formance with more than eight hours battery life for total freedom.
Specifications

Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Processor Type Intel

Pentium Dual Core Processor Speed 1.30 GHz Processor L2 Cache 2 MB

Processor Model SU4100 RAM Capacity 4 GB RAM Type DDR3 RAM Slots

2 Hard Disk Capacity 320 GB HDD RPM 5400 HDD Interface SATA Chipset
Intel GS45.
Fun just got a whole new look. The Inspiron 1564 laptop is more refined from its
streamlined thin and light design down to its powerful features.
Specifications

Operating System Dos Processor Type Intel Core i5 Processor Speed (2.40GHz

Turbo Up To 2.93GHz) Processor L2 Cache 3 MB Processor Model i5-520M
RAM Capacity 4 GB RAM Type DDR3 RAM Slots 2

Hard Disk Capacity 500 GB HDD RPM 5400 HDD Interface SATA Chipset
Info n/a.

VGN-NW27GF Apple MacBook 2.26GHz

Rs Rs
100,000 107,990

Specifications

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit,

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.20 GHz),

4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, HDD 320 GB, Super Drive,

ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570 Graphic Card, 15.5" wide (WXGA 1366 x
768), Memory Card Reader(Pro Duo, SD),

Wifi, Bluetooth, Front Camera,

Battery Life: 2.5 Hours, Weight: 2.7kg
With its faster Intel processor, faster memory, and larger hard drive, New MacBook is a
full-powered, full-featured, do-it-all notebook. 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with
3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed

1066MHz front side bus

250GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive

8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD R DL/DVD RW/

NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared
with main memory

Built-in iSight camera

64
Free download | flare.com.pk Latest Computers Tech Tool

Apple iMac 21.5-inch HP Compaq dx7500 (FN839AV)

Rs Rs
1,25,500 53,990

The HP Compaq dx7500 series is designed for out-of

the box productivity without compromising per-
formance. Get right to work with your choice of the
latest proven technology and pre-installed operating
Apple introduced the first iMac more than a decade ago. And the design phi- system
losophy remains the same: an all-in-one computer that as powerful as it is beauti- Specifications
ful.
Free Dos

Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q8400 (2.66 GHz)
Specifications
Cache external 4MB L2 cache

Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard
Processor front side bus 1333 MHz Front Side Bus

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache
Standard memory 1 GB

4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
Maximum memory 8GB DDR2-Synch DRAM

500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Internal drives 250GB

Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive
Hard disk drive speed 7200 rpm

NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM
SATA DVD+/-RW 16X SuperMulti
shared with main memory
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD

Dell Vostro 220MT Compaq Presario CQ3011L

Rs Rs
48,990 31,490

Benefit from a simple and reliable PC without the fuss and

frills for your everyday needs. deal for families looking for
a user-friendly yet affordable PC that maximises value. A
versatile performer that is designed to meet the demands
Dell Vostro desktop solutions are designed of yours or your family lifestyle.
exclusively with features to simplify the tech- Operating System
nology challenges of small business. Vostro
Free Dos
delivers reliable performance backed by excep-
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (2.50 GHz)
tional Dell support all at a great value.
800MHz front side bus

Intel G31 Express
Specifications
Memory Installed 1 GB

Free DOS
Maximum allowed 4 GB (2 x 2 GB)

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E8400 (3.0 GHz)
Speed supported PC2-6400 MB/sec

L2 Cache 6MB / 1333MHz FSB
Type 240 pin, DDR2 SDRAM

2GB PC2-6400 (DDR2-800)
250 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec)

250GB SATA Hard Drive.
DVD+/-R/RW 16X 12X +/-DL LS 12X RAM SuperMulti SATA drive

DVD RW SATA 16X SuperMulti
Integrated on motherboard (see motherboard and chipset)

Intel G45 Express x 4500 HD Graphics

Compaq Presario CQ3014L Acer Veriton M265

Rs Rs
38,490 30,900

A quad-core processor and scalable chipset give the

Veriton M265 great flexibility, while a large-capacity
Benefit from a simple and reliable PC without the fuss
hard drive and abundant memory increase perform-
and frills for your everyday needs. deal for families looking
ance speed for efficient multitasking. A built-in speak-
for a user-friendly yet affordable PC that maximises value.
er enhances multimedia presentations and completes
Operating System
the Veriton M265 appeal as an essential business

Free Dos
machine.

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 (2.8 GHz)
Specifications

1066 MHz front side bus

Free DOS

Intel G31 Express

Intel Pentium Dual Core E5300 (2.6GHz)

Memory Installed 2 GB

800Mhz FSB / 2MB L2 Cache

Maximum allowed 4 GB (2 x 2 GB)

Intel G31 Express Chipset

Type 240 pin, DDR2 SDRAM

320GB SATA 7200RPM

320 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec)

2GB Memory

7200 rpm

2 x DDR2 667/800 Socket (Dual channel support)

DVD+/-R/RW 16X 12X +/-DL LS 12X RAM SuperMulti SATA drive

Maximum 4GB 65

Integrated on motherboard (see motherboard and chipset)
 Tech Tool Accessories
Gateway's FX6831 Core i7 Gaming PCs
Gateway FX6831 gaming PCs besides the
similar Corei7 processers have Radeon
HD5850 graphics, 8GB DDR3 RAM, a
1.5TB SATA hard drive, a DVD drive, and
Windows 7 Home Premium, 7.1 channel
audio support at a nominal USD 1300 price
tag for the FX6831-01. The high-end model
FX6831-03 however, is priced at USD 1700
and in addition to a 16GB DDR3 and a Blu-
ray player. True gaming machines in their
own capacity, the
Gateway FX6831
desktops are worth
each gamers delight.
HT-Connect an iPhone app
Gone are the days when you would
wait for days or hours before
finalising an appointment with your
professional massage therapist at
your favourite spa. Human Touch a
wellness company has developed an
iPhone called HT-Connect that
brings the same personalised,
professional massage to your
doorstep. The new application,
slated for release in May will interact
with the company's newest massage
chair, the AcuTouch 9500.
According to the company, “by seamlessly interfacing with HT-Connect,
the new AcuTouch 9500 massage chair will be the first robotic massage
chair to offer individuals a fully customised massage and wellness
experience by providing instant access to a wealth of massage
programmes, expertise, and user-friendly applications - all at their
fingertips via Bluetooth wireless connection on an iPhone or iPod Touch.
AirMouse now wear your mouse
Equipped with
optical tracking
laser, that last for a
week on single
charge, the mouse
has been clinically
tested to work by
aligning itself with
the user's hand and wrist ligaments to keep the hand in a neutral position,
thus minimizing the excessive force required to function by the ordinary
styled mice. Because, the AirMouse makes hand movement more easy
and swift, it also enhances upon the user's mousing speed and accuracy.
66
Free download | flare.com.pk
Olympus unveils superzoom camera
Good news for professional
photography fanatics and
amateur shooters likewise.
Olympus the world leader in
photographic cameras has
unveiled the world's smallest
digital compact camera that
boasts of a thumping 30X
optical zoom lens. The reason
this super-zoom compact
camera is unique in its own
league is because of its small
size and a zooming capability that is equivalent to 28mm-840mm focal
length in 35mm. Olympus SP-800UZ digital camera aptly justifies its
name with the mind boggling zooming power along with other power
packed features.
RP-7 robot - a Wi-Fi-virtual doctor
The latest entrant on the intelligent robots' list is the
RP-7 robot, which has been functioning as an around-
the-clock physician at the Ryder Trauma Centre at
the University of Miami/Jackson Medical Centre in
Florida. Standing 5 feet tall, this Wi-Fi-enabled robot
by InTouch Health roams around the wards in the
trauma centre, letting the patients and on-site staff
communicates with the off-duty doctors wirelessly
via a monitor mounted on top of the robot's body.
Panasonic Lumix ZS7 digicam
Though this latest Lumix ZS7
digital camera isn't anything
like the Panasonic 3D full HD
camcorder, but in the
superzoom category, it sure is a
winner in itself. For the
credentials to justify the same,
the 12.1MP Panasonic Lumix
ZS7 has a 25mm ultra-wide-
angle Leica lens with 12x optical
zoom for both still and video
modes. Featuring AVCHD Lite software and integrated GPS, the
intelligent camera can record HD videos and geotag the clicked images.
With a 3-inch rear LCD screen, and an amazing 0.006 seconds shutter
activation speed, the camera can shoot 340 images per charge.
Free download | flare.com.pk
Robot kicks football at over 200 km/h
Ahead of the FIFA world
cup, Castrol Japan has done
a Robotic Ronaldo. The
monstrous robot would not
be seen taking the field, but
that does not mean its ability
to kick a football at speeds of
200 kilo meters per hour or
more should be marked
anything but amazing.
While I figure out the use of
the free kicking robot, you
hit the jump to see the robot
in action.
Inflatable balloon to limit deaths
CardioCommand, a Tampa
Florida based medical device
company, has developed a
balloon-based catheter-like
system called the TourniCath
that can be inserted into the
wound and can be inflated in
about 90 seconds to stop the
bleeding.
Shaped like a wand, the
device is to be inserted into the wound wherein the medic can inflate the
nylon coated soft polyurethane balloon to the shape and size of the wound
to compress it completely. Made especially for shoulder and groin area
where conventional tourniquets cannot be applied, the TourniCath could
certainly have grave benefits to soldier, who after being injured by bullets
and shrapnel succumb to their injuries owing to profuse bleeding.
Handmade steel gauntlet
For all who like living the
retro-style or want to make a
bold 'handy' statement every
time on road, or want to party
wild, like the people did in an
era when gauntlets were
pretty common, ThinkGeek
has a very exciting gauntlet for
you. A real every-day fashion
accessory this is a steel glove (if
you may like) all handmade
and polished to a chrome
finish, it is so glossy and
attractive, that even mum
would not deny you. So, now it
your turn to garner some
respect and fear from everyone around you, and I know you wouldn't
mind being USD60 poorer for that.
Tech Tool
BMW H2 in icy avatar
Dubbed as 'Your Mobile
Expectations' and created by
a Danish artist Olafur
Eliasson, the car art is part of
BMW's Art Car Series. This
BMW sponsored car art is
meant to show the
connection between cars
and global climate change.
A great exhibit to remind of
the relationship between the
car we drive and the environment, this Eliasson's version of the BMW was
on display in specially designed walk-in freezer room at the Pinakothek
der Moderne in Munich, and here that it lured just everyone who walked
in to see it.
PS3 controller delayed
We've heard from
Microsoft that their
hands-free motion
detecting game
controller, the Project
Natal, will not be amid
us any time before
Christmas of 2010.
Therefore, if Sony's
motion controller for its PlayStation 3 was something that you guys were
waiting for the Wii alternative, then the wait may have just been pushed a
little longer.
Like Microsoft, Sony too has delayed the launch date of their wand-based
game controller for autumn this year, in contrary to the summer release
date the maker had previously mentioned. Sony's device will be a wand
with a coloured orb on one end, movement of which will be tapped by an
onscreen camera.
Black Pearl watch
The Black Pearl, a mechanical
genius of a kind designed by
Fabrice Gonet. This limited
edition H3 Complication Black
Pearl watch features a very
novel design, which lets you see
all the way through it for the
passing minutes, hours and
days. The watch has some
intriguing pirate-themed
additions that include a tiny
cannon hatch on the left side
besides the skull, bones and
some nautical navigation
inclusions to it. Priced at
USD400,000 with only eleven such watches ever made, you'll have to rob a
pirate of his treasures to own it.
67
 Tech Tool Game Review Free download | flare.com.pk

68
Free download | flare.com.pk Tech Tool

69
 Synopsis National Free download | flare.com.pk

PTCL offers free connections PIA, PC Dubai agree on

to Boulton Market affectees Dubai Shopping Festival
Lahore: Managing Director PIA Caption Aijaz Haroon said that
Karachi: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) has
after spending sometime in PIA in "fire fighting" situation, the airline
chipped in the efforts to rehabilitate the affectees of the Boulton Market by has started picking up and for the first time in the last week of
offering free of cost V-Phone wireless connections to the traders identical December, the PIA aircrafts were on 100 per cent flying.
to old landline connections. This would help restore the communication "It were the employees dedicated efforts that working in PIA is
system of the collapsed markets and revive links between the traders and improving and has shown the potential to grow", he said while
their clients, a press speaking at a ceremony which witnessed the signing of an agreement
release said. between PIA and Pearl Continental Creek Hotel, Dubai, for
The Karachi Chamber cooperation for Dubai Shopping Festival.
The agreement was signed by Imran Ahmed Khan, Director
of Commerce and Industry
Marketing on behalf of PIA and Masood Hashim on behalf of PC
(KCCI) lauded PTCL Dubai. The PIA-PC Dubai agreement provides three different packages
management for providing - Family, Standard and Premier - for PIA travellers to Dubai. Caption
free-of-cost V-phone Haroon Aijaz added that PIAA is working on many more packages
wireless connections of while this was the one signed today.
identical numbers to He said the new packages would attract the people of UAE for a
affected shopkeepers of visit to Pakistan which offers lot of potential like scenic beauties in the
Boulton Market and other North, fascinating mountains with some of the world's highest peaks
adjoining markets on and many more features.
Chamber’s request.
Appreciating the PTCL assistance, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and
Industry President Abdul Majid Haji Muhammad and other KCCI
members, recalled that earlier the telecom company had announced
provision of V-Phone wireless connections at a special discounted price of
Rs1,000 instead of Rs3,500. However, now the PTCL has agreed to provide
the phones free of cost.

Warid puts reward

on porting people
Warid brings referral rewards for porting your friends and family numbers to
Warid network. All you have to do is visit the Members Area of Warid’s official
web site or call 03213213211.
Rewards
By referring your friends and family
for porting-in to Warid: For every
referral that is successfully ported-in, the
referee will get any of the following
rewards.

Free minutes worth Rs 100 (seven days expiry)

500 MBs of data download (seven days expiry)

10,000 On-net SMS (seven days expiry)
Once the referred number is successfully ported on to Warid’s network, a SMS
will be sent to the referee confirming their eligibility of using their chosen reward.
Clearly, expiry time for rewards is very little particularly in case of text messages.
Things to Remember

A customer has to choose only one of the free units (minutes, SMSs or data)
against each referral.

All postpaid users who refer a number will get a credit note of Rs 100 each
time.

Upon successful port-in, you will receive the conformation on your rewards
through SMS.

The amount of free units is a direct multiple of number of successful referrals
for port-in subscribers.

Free minutes can be used to call any network.

GPRS rate and pulse is Rs 0.2/MB, but the charging will be on per 64KB usage.

If you get another port in before the expiry of your previous reward, free
minutes will be added up and expiry will be extended.

The above does not apply on SMS/DATA rewards.

You can also refer a number for port in through portal or through our call
centre but you will need to call at 0321-321-321-1 or visit Members Area on the
Warid web site to claim your reward against the lead referred.

Once a reward is availed you cannot change it on the same referral reward.
70
Standard taxes are applicable.

He said that PIA is going to offer lot more with its partner PC in
Dubai having Pakistani ICON. The signing of agreement was
witnessed by MD PIA Capt Aijaz Haroon, Deputy MD Saleeem Siyani
and other PIA and PC high ups.
Later talking to media Mr Haroon has said that this year PIA is
going to have an operational profit after four years. He said the
management is moving into the right direction and as per unaudited
results PIA will be earning an operational profit after four years.
He said that PIA does have accumulated losses and old debts which
it is trying to clear out. He said these losses were borne because of
rupee devaluation and other factors. He said that visible changes will
start appearing in PIA with the launch of this package and more
packages in coming days.
To a question, he said plans are there to add more aircrafts to PIA
fleet but priority will be given to replace the existing 737s initially and
upgrade the A-310s to increase their life span for their further
utilisation. He said we have told the government that we want nothing
but the burden of accumulated losses on us be taken away from us. It
was not because of us but put on us which we are trying to tackle and
honouring all commitments.
He said the airline has improved with all the vendors as well as the
banks but of course issues are there. He said PIA will need pre-delivery
payments while acquiring new aircrafts which only the government
can help us out.
Replying a question the MD PIA said that Haj operation this year
remained very successful as much as there had been no complaint this
year. He said the problems are faced only on the Saudi Arabian side
while operations become delays due to prolong immigration
formalities in which we are helpless. He pointed out that this problem
is with all the airlines. He said no one can be blamed for this as there
is always a great rush of returning Hujjaj which cause traffic
congestion.

Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

Ufone to Ufone cheapest Zong upgrades DialTunes

SMS
Ufone is offering this new SMS package that allows 500 Ufone to
Ufone SMS a day for Rs 2.39 including tax where validation period is
24 hours.
To subscribe the daily on-net SMS package send <sub> to 611. The
customer can unsubscribe by sending <unsub> to 8611. Un-
subscription will be charged at Rs 2 plus tax.
Things to Remember

This package is only valid for Ufone to Ufone SMS

SMS to all other network will be charged according to customer’s
tariffs.

This service is
Zong takes DialTunes service to next level by introducing a GPRS enabled
mobile based DialTunes application through which customers will be able to use
all the functionality of Zong DialTunes service.
This application is a very handy medium through which subscribers can use
all the features available on Zong DialTunes service. The main advantage of this
application is that the customer will have a library of the most popular 4000 plus
songs just a few clicks away. Neither does the customers need to dial in to the
DialTunes IVR nor does he or she has to wait for SMS bulk promotions to select
content and go through a cumbersome process to access all the service features.
Features of the service are:

Gift DialTunes to your friends

Set DialTunes for special friends

View and update your DialTunes library

Delete DialTunes from your library

available to all
Access to latest content of more than 4000 songs, jokes, dialogues, hamds, naats

prepaid Ufone etc

Content will be refreshed every
customers on all
packages. month
Points to Remember

Users can

The customer will send <sub> to
subscribe to multiple
SMS SC 250
SMS Packages.
In reply the customer will receive

The package is valid for a period of 24 hours from the time of a WAP Push for the URL:
subscription, but if the number of messages offered is consumed zongrbt.econceptions.mobi/rbt
before 24 hours then the service will be expired before the validity
By clicking on this link the
period ends. subscriber will able to download the DialTunes application

The customer can check remaining free SMS by sending a blank
Subscription Charges Rs 10 plus tax will be applied per month
SMS to 606. Standard GPRS charges will apply on downloading and using the application.


SMS to short code 606 and 600 will charged at Rs. 0.50 + tax or a
SMS from customer’s SMS package.

The customer can activate multiple SMS packages at the same time Areeb champ of Red Bull Free
Style Football
by sending a separate subscription SMS for each package. Both
subscription charges will be deducted, remaining free SMS will be
shown separately. Creativity, Control and Attitude – djuice and Redbull Streetstyle Pakistan

Upon auto-renewal of Daily SMS Package after 24 hours, remaining 2010 brings you the best of the best in Pakistan. Nail biting qualifiers in Lahore,
SMS from the previous day will not transfer over to the next day. Islamabad and Karachi.

Customers can subscribed to Daily On-Net SMS package multiple Djuice Sponsored Red Bull Freestyle Football finals held in Karachi. In an
times, however, as policy only one package per day is allowed. If any amazing show, filled with fun and glamour, freestylers amused the audience
with tremendous play of football. Areeb outclassed 16 top footballers of the
customer is found subscribing more than one package, her/his
country, while Taimoor remained runner-up. Areeb will be flying to South
MSISDN may be blocked.
Africa to take on winners of 54 other countries.

Warid not selling its stakes LG LD100 modem

Karachi: Recently there have been misplaced
news items in certain sections of the press that
Warid Telecom Pakistan may be up for sale
because of the shrinking interest of the sponsors
relating to the market conditions in Pakistan.
Warid telecom Pakistan categorically and
unequivocally denies such reports and
impressions.
Warid Telecom Pakistan is not being sold off;
rather is on course with its expansion plans with
the continuing focused view to extend quality
services to its loyal customers to whom it is
deeply grateful. Warid Telecom Pakistan also
extends sincere thanks to its business partners for
their support and professional contribution.
Warid, the third largest and the most caring
cellular operator with an aggregate of 18.71
million satisfied customers sets industry
standards of customer care excellence. In a recent
report issued on customer complaints by Pakistan
Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Warid
Telecom is the telecom operator with the lowest
customer complaints in 2008-09.
It clearly reflects the level of customer trust
and effective after sales
services Warid provides
to its valuable customers.
Mr. Bashir A. Tahir
Warid Telecom has one of the largest distribution
channels and customer services network in the
country, allowing it to offer wide accessibility and
exceptional customer services across Pakistan. At
Warid, the philosophy of service excellence is
practiced in a manner where customers are given
no chance to complain and in case of any issue
customers are given immediate resolution
through highly personalised and caring service.

gets TELEC
certification
Karachi: LG Electronics has recently
announced that its LD100 data modem has
become the first long-term evolution device
(LTE) to receive Telecom Engineering Centre
(TELEC) certification, clearing the way for
the modem to be used in Japan. Designated
by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications (MIC), TELEC certificates
are issued to products that have passed a
series of tests for consistency with Japanese
Radio Law technical regulations.
The TELEC certification follows the
approval last year from the United States'
Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), another crucial step in LG's vigorous
push to become an industry leader in the
LTE market.
71
 Synopsis National
ZONG reveals 'Family Pack'
service
Karachi: ZONG, the first international brand of
China Mobile has introduced the Family Pack, a
revolutionary service that meets the needs of the
whole family or any group of three. ZONG has
again taken the lead in offering high utility,
affordable packages to their subscribers.
With the Family Pack one person of the group of
three is charged the nominal sum of Rs799 per
month after subscription and all the following among those three people are free.
There are no restrictions on how long the calls have to be and what time they are
made, so family members can speak to each other without worrying about
additional costs.

Intel unveils advanced
technology family processors
Karachi: Intel Pakistan Corporation introduced its all-new 2010 Intel(r)
CoreTM family processors, in Pakistan. This was announced by Country
Manager Intel Pakistan Corporation Ashar H. Zaidi at a press conference,
held at a local hotel. The new 2010 Intel Core processors are manufactured on
the company's 32nm process, which includes Intel's second-generation high-
k metal gate transistors.
This technique, along with other advances, helps increase a computer's
speed while decreasing the energy consumption. "For the first time, there is
a new family of Intel processors with the industry's most advanced
technology available, immediately for the mass market at a variety of
attractive, mainstream price points," said Zaidi. These smart processors adapt
to an individual's needs, automatically
providing a boost of performance for everyday
applications.
This introduction coincides with the arrival
of Intel's groundbreaking new 32 nano meter
(nm) manufacturing process, which for the first
time in the company's history will be used to immediately produce and
deliver processors and features at mainstream price points, and integrate
high-definition graphics inside the processor.
Based on Intel's award-winning "Nehalem" micro-architecture, this new
desktop, mobile and embedded processors deliver smart performance for
music, gaming, videos, movies, photos, social networking and other
demanding mainstream applications.
Intel is unveiling more than 25 processors, wireless adapters and chipsets,
including new Intel(r) CoreTM i7, i5 and i3 processors, Intel(r) 5 Series
Chipsets, and Intel(r) Centrino(r) Wi-Fl and WiMAX adapters that include
new Intel(r) My WiFi features. More than 400 laptop and desktop PC designs
are expected from the computer makers, based on these products, with
another 200 designs expected for the embedded devices.

Telenor brings 'Social Services IVR'
Islamabad: Telenor Pakistan has become the first mobile operator to launch
an interactive voice response (IVR) portal service "Telenor Social Services 1911".
Social services portfolio includes Tele Lawyer, Tele doctor, Tele Genie and
Educational Guidance. All four services will now be accessible through a single
number 1911.
Tele Doctor Service will make it possible for Telenor subscribers to simply
dial the number and speak to a doctor online about an ailment they themselves
or a dear one might be experiencing. Similarly, legal advice can be sought by
calling at 1911 and opting for the Tele Lawyer service, Tele Genie Service
provides the caller with interesting statistics, discoveries and facts from the
world over, while Educational Guidance provides information on educational
72 institutions, admissions criteria and other relevant information for students.

Free download | flare.com.pk
NSN, LG achieve record
LTE data speeds
Islamabad: Nokia Siemens Networks and LG Electronics have
achieved an LTE downlink data transfer rate of 100 Mbps, the
maximum speed for a Class 3 LTE terminal. In LTE, user equipment
is categorised into classes based on its potential uplink and
downlink data rates. Class 3 terminals are expected to be the first
widely used commercial LTE terminals when they are launched
later in 2010. This data call, operating a Class 3 terminal at its
100Mbps limit, therefore demonstrates significant progress towards
commercial LTE.
The call was made using Nokia Siemens Networks’ LTE radio
equipment including the Flexi Multiradio Base Station, its Evolved
Packet Core network elements and standards-compliant software
along with a pre-commercial LTE USB modem from LG Electronics
(LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile
communications.
The speed record comes after the announcement from November
2009, when the two companies were the first to complete end-to-end
LTE interoperability tests in the 2100 MHz frequency band.
“LTE is the super-fast mobile broadband technology that we are
able to deliver today. It helps operators address the challenge of
growing data traffic as well as
delivering a superior end-user
experience,” said Marc
Rouanne, head of Network
Systems, Nokia Siemens
Networks. “We’re driving the
introduction of LTE through our
collaboration with leading
device vendors, such as LG, and
by providing a smooth and cost-
efficient transition path to LTE
via a software upgrade only.”
The data call was made as
part of extended
interoperability tests conducted by Nokia Siemens Networks and
LG in the 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz frequency bands at Nokia
Siemens Networks’ LTE R&D centres in Oulu, Finland, and Ulm,
Germany.
“This successful data call at 100 Mbps shows the progress we
have made towards commercial LTE deployments as well as our
readiness to offer the high throughput performance expected with
LTE,” said Go-hee Choi, vice president of LG Electronics Mobile
Communication Technology Research Lab. “It builds on the
interoperability tests we conducted last year with Nokia Siemens
Networks, where we demonstrated a pre-requisite for commercial
deployments of LTE.”
Nokia Siemens Networks and LG continue to work on testing
LTE in other frequency bands and to improve performance. In
addition to initiatives at its R&D centres, Nokia Siemens Networks
has deployed a number of LG’s terminals in its live over-the-air field
test network in the Espoo area of Finland, using real-life mobility
scenarios. In addition, LG’s terminals will be used in live trials with
Nokia Siemens Networks’ customers.
Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of
telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and
sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile,
fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional
services including consultancy and systems integration,
deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the
largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional
services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its
headquarters are in Espoo, Finland.

Free download | flare.com.pk International Synopsis

Benazir Employees S.O.S. certificates distributed

President Asif Ali Zardari awarded share Share holding valuing more than Rs two billion employee of 20 or more years of service shall be
holding units certificates to PIA employees owned by the Federal Government were being entitled to 20 units. In case of contractual
inaugurating the Benazir Employees Stock distributed amongst the employees free of cost. employees five years service shall entitled them
Option Scheme at a simple and impressive Over 160, 00 thousand employees on the to one unit and each successive year shall
ceremony participated by the workers held in payrolls of PIA on August 14, 2009 would entitled one additional unit.
the Lawns of Punjab Governor’s House Lahore.
Speaking at the ceremony Minister for
Defence and Chairman PIA Mr Ahmed Mukhtar
welcomed the Scheme and said that
implementation of this scheme in the state
owned enterprises was the vision of Shaheed
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto
which is being fulfilled by our distinguished
President of Pakistan Mr Asif Ali Zardari,
another milestone the peoples Government
achieved for the benefit of the working class
masses.
He said the peoples government has always
motivated the employees of PIA to make it a
world class airlines and was confident that benefit. During the service, the unit holder shall be
empowerment of employees would strengthen PIA Employees Empowerment Trust has entitled to 50 per cent dividend if announced by
sense of motivation, ownership and would been created as Trustee of the shares. Federal the PIA. The rest of the 50 per cent shall be
result in more efficiency, productivity leading to Government has transferred 12 per cent of the transferred to the Privatisation Commission.
profitability of the Airline. share holding to the Trust. For each completed Upon retirement the employee shall be entitled
It may be mentioned that under this scheme year of the service the employees would be to the market value of the unit which shall be
units equivalent to 12 per cent of government entitled to a unit certificate. However, an ascertained by the Privatisation Commission.

PCA and Microsoft to Dell paving its way in the

promote IPRs
Islamabad: Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) and Microsoft have
reaffirmed the resolve to make joint efforts to promote Intellectual Property
Rights (IPRs) in the industry to ensure healthy and steady growth in the IT
sector. According to a press release of the PCA, the efforts would focus on
consumer awareness regarding the IPRs and facilitation of the industry to
provide affordable software to the end-users in Pakistan.
Both the organisations expressed this resolve during a special
consultative meeting between PCA delegation and Microsoft officials held
at the PCA office. Besides others, PCA delegation comprises Munawar Iqbal
Central President, Abdullah Malik President PCA Islamabad Chapter,
Arshad Janjua General Secretary Central, Abrar-ul-Haq Joint Secretary
Islamabad and Executive Members of Islamabad A. R. Tahir, Zafar Shahzad,
Asad Haider and Muhammad Younis while Salman Siddiqi Manager Anti
Piracy, Faysal J. Kayani, Shoaib Khalil Manager Marketing and Wamiq Ali
represented Microsoft in the meeting.
Munawar Iqbal, on the occasion,
suggested that the proposed
awareness campaigns for
promotion of IPRs ought to be
stipulated with facilitation and
incentive for the industry so that
the equilibrium related to cost-
effectiveness and affordability
could be maintained.
Referring to recently signed
MoU between two organisations, he suggested that practical measures
should be taken to involve all the stakeholders, especially, the vendors'
community to achieve the stated objectives effectively and for the overall
well being of the industry.
Both the sides agreed that the proposed awareness campaign for the
promotion of IPRs would include countrywide seminars, informative
literature and special training as effective tools of communication.
Moreover, consistent support to reseller community would be ensured to
enable them to manage their businesses in an ethical, legal and profitable
manner, PCA added.

consumer market
Karachi: Intel Pakistan and Dell together held a two-day event at Park
Towers to celebrate their series of Consumer notebooks, which included
the Dell Inspiron and the Dell Studio series with specific focus on the
Dell Inspiron Mini targeted towards a vast range of target markets from
tweeters, students, stylish men/women on the move to high end
customers in a wide array of exciting colours, which included Pretty
Pink, Obsidian Black, Cherry Red, Passion Purple and many others.
The new products and services were showcased at a fun filled event at
the Park Towers Mall in Karachi, with famous VJs Anoushey and Dino
to endorse the exciting Dell products. A grand lucky draw was also held
to attract customers to view the thrilling array of products being
displayed, while giving them a chance to win a notebook or LCD
Screen.
Experts were also close at hand to explain the benefits of owning Dell’s
innovative products while giving insight about various notebooks and
advising potential customers about which notebook would be right for
them.
Nubla Iftikhar, Marketing Manager at Dell Pakistan for Consumer and
SMB said, “Dell is dramatically paving its footprint in the Consumer
Market. I am thrilled to provide Dell fanatics with this exciting new
opportunity for self-expression through Dell products. Our tagline
‘Yours is Here’™ is about the colourful personalities that make up this
world and how they can express themselves through Dell. Dell
Consumer products are ideal for the consumer with a passion for
design, style and a heavy appetite for internet access anywhere,
anytime.” 73
Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

Mobilink congratulates U-19 cricketers

Lahore: Mobilink, Pakistan’s market leader in
cellular services and part of Orascom Telecom
Holding proudly congratulates Pakistan Under-
19 cricket team on their superb performance in
the quarter final and semi-final matches against
India and West Indies, respectively. These
Pakistani youngsters have shown consistent
excellent performances in the ICC World Cup
Under-19 Tournament, being played in New
Zealand.
Bilal Munir Sheikh, Vice President Marketing
Mobilink, stated; “These victories are very dear
to us as five members of this 15 member squad
were discovered through Mobilink Hunt for
Heroes (MHFH). We extend our best wishes to
the entire Pakistan U-19 for a glorious victory in
the final match.”
The Pakistan Under-19 team stood victorious
over India by two wickets, in the 4th Quarter
Final of U-19 World Cup, knocking the Indian
team out of the tournament. The youngsters
selected through MHFH played a vital role in
taking the team to the semi-final stage. Pakistan
has also recorded comprehensive victories
against West Indies, Papua New Guinea and
Bangladesh in the group stage of this
international tournament.
Among these Mobilink Heroes, Babar Azam
is the leading run scorer for Pakistan U-19 team
so far, with 270 runs in five matches, attaining
the highest individual score of 129. Usman Qadir
is the highest wicket taker for Pakistan U-19
team, claiming nine wickets, including his best
performance of four wickets against 35 runs. The
MHFH programme is fully backed by the
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for selecting the
best players from all over the country, to ensure
a bright future of cricket in Pakistan. Mobilink is
also the official cellular partner of Pakistan
cricket.
Mobilink, a subsidiary of the Orascom
Telecom Group, is Pakistan’s leading cellular
and Blackberry service provider. Mobilink
maintains market leadership through cutting-
edge, integrated technology and the country’s
largest voice and data network with over 7,800
cell sites covering more than 10,000 locations.
Housing Pakistan’s largest distribution and
contact centre networks and an unparalleled
6,500 kilo meters fibre optic backbone, Mobilink
has invested, to date, over USD 2.5 billion and
provides uninterrupted countrywide
connectivity, unmatched customer services and
international roaming in over 130 countries.
As a responsible corporate citizen, in
addition to ensuring employee well-being,
Mobilink aims to support education and health
initiatives, protect the environment and promote
sustainable business practices. It also offers a
range of products and services dedicated to
enhance access to information. The company is
also the official Telecom service provider for the
Pakistan Cricket Board.

PTCL re-launches voice mail service Back Ground Music by Ufone

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) has re
launched voice mail service with remote login feature to keep its valued
customers informed about their incoming calls.
The purpose is to create awareness among PTCL valued customers for
using this free Voce Mail Service for depositing voice messages or not to
miss any call. The re-launch with a new feature of remote login will enable
customers to receive their messages from any landline, Vfone and all mobile
services within the country or internationally, just by dialling 1277 followed
by a four digit pin code of their mailbox.
The use of this service is free of cost will
keep the PTCL customers informed about
their incoming calls on their land line, and
internationally as well by dialling country
code of Pakistan followed by 1277, with the
added feature of out dial notification that
system will call itself twice a day in case the
customer does not retrieve his messages.
SEVP Commercial Naveed Saeed while
commenting on the re launch of the voice
mail service said, “It reinforces PTCL
commitment to provide our customers
value added services and projects PTCL
image as a customer focused organisation”.
He further added that, “Our customers can also personalised their mailbox
settings like adding their greetings, out dial notifications, busy hours and
absence greetings etc.”
According to the details given by EVP Consumer Service Aasif Inam,
“The procedure has been made very simple keeping in mind customer’s
convenience and customers can easily subscribe to the voice mail service
by simply dialling 1236 from their landline which also gives them the
chance to set their greetings, busy hours, absence greetings settings etc. For
deactivation, one has to follow the simple procedure of dialling #06# from
the landline”.

Islamabad: Ufone recently launched Ufone Back Ground Music,
another first of its kind service in Pakistan.
Ufone has clearly set itself apart as the industry leader in value added
services. The launch of the new ‘Ufone Background Music’ has proven yet
again that Ufone has a bundle of the most exhilarating value added services
within the industry.
With this service the subscribers can create a unique ambiance for every
conversation they have. To subscribe, SMS ‘SUB’ to 770 or dial 770 from
Ufone. After subscribing
and selecting the back
ground music the
subscribers will simply
dial 77 before the
recipients number e.g.
7703335199942 and can
talk to their friends or
loved ones with the song playing in the background of the conversation. A
Back Ground Music call can be made to any number, any network in
Pakistan.
The last year has seen an array of firsts from Ufone starting from Ufone
Call Block Service, Ufone SMS Buddies, UBid, UConnect and many more.
This service has raised the bar for competitors to come up with newer
services to try to keep up with the pace at which Ufone is going.
Mr Syed Sherjeel Bin Hassan Manager Value Added Services said, “This
service will help create a completely new user experience and we look
forward to cater to the needs of each one of our valued customers.”
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 26 company-owned customer service centres along with
a distribution network of 150,000 outlets nationwide.
75
 Synopsis National
Ericsson inaugurates its new
Karachi Office
Ericsson announced the opening of its new representative office in
Karachi, reaffirming its long term commitment towards Pakistan. Ericsson
is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom
operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies,
and provides support for networks with over one billion subscribers and
has a leading position in managed services. The company’s portfolio
comprises of mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services,
software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises
and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures
provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
The opening of the new energy efficient office is another significant step
towards Ericsson’s commitment to Pakistan and shaping the businesses
and societies we live in. The new office will play a significant role for both,
customers and employees.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the new building premises
Modern Cooperative Housing Society, Block 7/8, Tipu Sultan Road where
Ericsson Pakistan President and Country Manager and company
employees were present. With the shifting of the Karachi office to the new
custom built premises, Ericsson Pakistan will be able to support the
country's efforts to grow and develop its telecommunications industry.
"This move will put us in a strong position to support our customers in
meeting the growing demand for communication services in this country,"
said Mohsen Tavakol, President and Country Manager, Ericsson Pakistan
(Pvt) Ltd.
“We established offices in Pakistan over forty years ago to supply the
essential infrastructure, services and solutions for communications in
Pakistan. I am delighted to reaffirm our commitment to Pakistan as the
telecommunications industry evolves.”
Ericsson has been actively present in Pakistan since 1962. The Technical
Office was established in 1989, while the local company was incorporated
and established as Ericsson Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd in 1994. Presently, the Head
Quarter of Ericsson Pakistan is in Islamabad, while the other two major
offices are located in Lahore and Karachi.
Ericsson has been instrumental in shaping communications in Pakistan
by introducing leading technologies since its inception. Ericsson was the
first company in Pakistan to introduce mobile telephony technology in
1990, and is today, the only telecommunications supplier with over 18
years of experience in supplying, installing, commissioning and
maintaining mobile networks across Pakistan.
With strong experience and relentless commitment, Ericsson is well
positioned to continue contributing towards telecommunications success
and evolution in Pakistan. Our Vision “Innovating to empower people,
business and society” takes us beyond frontiers to deliver the best in the
networked economy.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of “to be the prime driver in an all-
communicating world” through innovation, technology, and sustainable
business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 75,000 employees
generated revenue of SEK 209 billion (USD 32.2 billion) in 2008. Founded
in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on
OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

76
Free download | flare.com.pk
Employee Recognition
Ceremony at KHL
KHL believes that a strong work force determines the quality and
service of the organisation itself. In regard to that every year KHL
recognises and awards the hard work and yearly performance of its
employees.
KHL believes in his core strength the team of professionals. It was
matter of great achievement on part of employees to be recognised for
their efforts and on part of company to recognise individually their
performance for the year 2008-2009.
We measure our success by measuring yours….is the line on which
KHL moves. KHL has expanded its operations in UAE, China and
KSA. KHL success is based on the fact that they are continuously
making effort to recognise our customers’ needs and then add our
strength to manage the expectations.
KHL services divisions are:
1. Fibre Optics Network Planning, Design and Deployment;
2. Construction of MSC’s, BTS/Cell Sites;
3. Operations and Maintenance of OFC, GSM and WLL Networks;
and
4. Telecom Equipment Installation and Maintenance Services.
KHL products divisions are:
1. Fibre Optic Cable
2. RF Solutions
3. Power Generators ( IMPAC-KHL & KHL Power Brands)
4. WiMAX Equipment
5. SIM and Scratch Cards for Telecom, Banks and Hospitals
6. Mobile Banking Solutions
7. GIS Mapping
8. Construction Machinery
9. Solar Solutions
10. Tower Fabrication
11. Prefabricated Cabins / Shelters.

Samsung unveils GenoA
Karachi: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. a global leader in cutting-
edge technology has signed with Teletec Solutions Pakistan as its new
official partner and has also unveiled its latest GenoA touch screen
mobile phone for its customers.
Mr Zeeshan Qureshi, Head of Mobile Phones Division, Samsung
Pakistan & Afghanistan at this occasion expressing his views stated,
“The Samsung GenoA is a testament to the technological edge, and
this touch screen phone will extend the most fulfilling mobile
experience to customers. By having Teletec on board we have ensured
an even higher standard of sophistication and swiftness in our Sales
and Service network to facilitate our customers”.
Danish Haroon, CEO Teletec stated, “We are delighted to partner
with Samsung Electronics and are fully committed to make Samsung’s
products a resounding
success in Pakistan. With
Teletec’s extensive dealer
network in all major cities
of Pakistan, consumer will
receive top quality cellular
devices and gadgets easily
and conveniently.”
The phone launch was
attended by senior media
scribes who witnessed a wide array of unmatched GenoA features
including; GSM Quad-band, GPRS/ EDGE, and weighs only 92
grams. A standard Li-ion, 960mAh battery provides 3.8 hours of Talk-
Time and 400 hours standby time. Its memory comprises of 32MB
+microSD (up to 8GB). Moreover a Bluetooth v2.1 FS, USB v2.0 (High
speed) and a 3.5mm Ear-jack are also included. It has Google Search
/ mail, WAP 2.0 / Java MIDP 2.0, mobile Printing capabilities with a
Display of 2.8” QVGA 262K (TSP) and a Full Touch Screen. Samsung
continues to be one of the favourite mobile phone companies in
Pakistan.

Free download | flare.com.pk
PTA blocks web site
In a recent development, the Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked
access to a Make Pakistan Better
(http://makepakistanbetter.com). This came as a
notification issued by Yawer Yasin, the Director
General (Enforcement) to all of its Zonal Directors
to explicitly block this entire web site on an IP
level without actually specifying a reason as to
why this block has been enforced.
The webmaster wrote in response to this
blanket censorship to try and explain the reason
for the censorship, “This website’s main goal is to
bring news to common public which our biased
media has deliberately tried to blackout. We have
many authors on our website who openly
criticize the Pakistan Army, the PPP government
and others individuals their write-ups, so I think
our site is blocked because of these same hard
hitting articles.”
Continuing to say, “You simply cannot block
a web site on the basis of having a strong and
opposing opinion, because in a country where
anti-Islamic or anti-Pakistan site’s are not blocked
and even in an Islamic state where practically
millions of pornographic sites are wide open so
(strong) the whim of blocking a particular site
based upon strong criticism against a certain
group of individuals in power should not
justifiable or even accepted by society.”
Alcatel Lucent hosts its Partners
Alcatel Lucent Pakistan hosted an event for its
prestigious customers. With participation from
the top leaders of the telecom industry this event
marked an exceptional evening with a
performance by the sensational Rahat Fateh Ali
Khan.
“As the largest manufacturing base of Alcatel-
Lucent worldwide and a source of world class
research and development in everything from
broadband access and optics to IP networking
and mobile technology, Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan
is a force that will only grow as the industry
grows,” said Aadil Rauf Alcatel Lucent Pakistan.
Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan’s role within Alcatel-
Lucent as it continues to contribute to developing
managed services as well as emerging
technologies such as 3G, IMS, GPON, IPTV and
Canon’s new PowerShot
For point-and-shoot convenience, Canon’s
latest addition to its PowerShot a series digital
compact cameras (EC280, EC281, EC28, EC283)
are hard to beat. Being exceptionally handy and
affordably priced, yet packed with advanced
technologies and features that make great
pictures simple and easy.
Powering the series is the DIGIC III image
processor offering superior image quality, faster
operation, extended battery life and higher
resolution LCD screens. Most notably, the DIGIC
III also offers Face Detection AF/AE/AWB,
which ensures optimal focus and exposure in
portraits and groups shots.
Canon’s pedigree and strong heritage in
It seems that in a very blatant misuse
of the power the network
administrators of Pakistan
telecommunication authority has
placed a block on the entire domain
http://makepakistanbetter.com without actually
outlining or explaining a valid reason as to why
this particular website has to be prevented from
access to the users in Pakistan.
It can also be recalled that only recently the
PTA has censored a YouTube video in which the
Mobile TV.”
“Alcatel-
Lucent new
business model is
empowering teams and individuals to be closest
to our customers, create and deliver the business
solutions that the customers want. I am confident
that this model will make us a “faster” company
allowing Alcatel-Lucent in Pakistan to reach its
growth objective and take its rightful place in the
market” he added.
The event was attended by our main partners
Mobilink, CM Pak, PTCL, Nayatel, USF public
sector organizations, as well as PTA Chairman. It
is worthwhile mentioning that the event hosted
by Alcatel Lucent, translates how the company
has pragmatic plans in shaping the
communications industry of Pakistan and how
it’s going forward and marking its way in
becoming a notable leader in the worldwide
industry.

optical quality is evident in its superior
Linear Lens System making cameras
smaller without compromising image
quality. The straight collapsible mount lens
arrangement delivers crystal clear, sharp images
with minimal distortion.
The new PowerShot A series feature the Smart
Auto function, where the camera references an
internal database against subject and scene
information (distance, brightness and colour) to
intelligently select the most suitable scene mode
for the best image results. With the exception of
the PowerShot A490 which can detect 13 scenes,
the other three models in the new collection
detects up to 18 scenes.
New scene modes, Super Vivid and Poster
Effect are also available in PowerShot A495,
A3100 and A3000. In Super Vivid mode, colour
National Synopsis
president of Pakistan Mr Asif Ali Zardari is
caught scolding an audience member with a very
curt “Shut-up”. The Don't Block the Blog
campaign (http://dbtb.org) vehemently protests
this outrageous ban
on this web site and
feels that selective
censorship will not
quieten the criticism
and only make it a
bigger problem. It is
requested of the print
and electronic media
to exert pressure
upon the
Government of
Pakistan to lift this
ban for the sake of
freedom of speech.
The Don’t Block
the Blog movement
has been waging the
struggle against
Internet censorship in
Pakistan since 2005
when the PTA had
categorically blocked millions of blogs hosted on
the blogspot.com domain. Our main aim is to
have free and fair access to Internet content in
Pakistan, which is a right of every individual
irrespective of his or her race, religion, age or
gender.

Courtesy: drawab@gmail.com
Warid Offers SMS
to PTCL Vfone
Warid Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd. the leading telecom
company of the country has recently taken its
messaging service to the next level. Now Warid
customers both prepaid and postpaid can receive and
send SMS to any PTCL V-Fone number within
Pakistan. Every SMS sent to any PTCL V-Fone
number will be charged as per standard off-net SMS
charges of the opted package plan with no charges on
receiving the SMS.
There is no activation procedure for this facility.
Being recognized as the most reliable service provider
Warid Telecom is determined to deliver the
exceptional services to its valued customers.
Achieving a substantial market share, loyal customer
base and recognition as the steadiest Telecom
Operator, Warid Telecom continues to set excellence
benchmarks in Telecom Industry of Pakistan.

saturation in the image is raised to produce more
vibrant images. Poster Effect on the other hand
reduces the level of gradation in an image to lend
the feel of an illustration, like that seen in classic
posters.
All cameras in this latest range also feature the
Low Light mode where sensitivity is boosted to
ISO 3200 (max. image resolution at 2 megapixels)
to handle poor lighting conditions.
Flash photography is needed in a variety of
situations, not only to supplement insufficient
lighting but also to correct uneven lighting, such
as backlight or partial shadows. However, using
a flash can often present its own problems, such
as overexposing subjects that are too near the
camera, casting shadows on a subject’s face, or
underexposing subjects and scenery in the
background.
77
Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

Ericsson to aid Haiti PTCL’s largest data centre
The UN has requested that Ericsson
(NASDAQ:ERIC) deploy its Ericsson Response
organisation to aid relief work in disaster-
stricken Haiti. Ericsson has had 20 volunteers on
stand-by and will now send four, all telecom
experts, to set up a container-based mini
GSMsystem to enable mobile communication in
the area.
Personnel and equipment will arrive in Haiti
using UN transportation. Rima Qureshi, head of
Ericsson Response, says, “We know from past
experience how important it is for aid workers
to coordinate the rescue operation using mobile
communications. Aid workers can get their work
done faster if we can provide them with the tools
to get quickly in touch with the outside world,
each other and those most affected by the
emergency.”
In 2009, Ericsson Response supported relief
work in Kongo, Sudan, Indonesia and
Philippines. Ericsson Response was formed in
2000 and is the result of a conviction in Ericsson
that telecommunication expertise is needed
during times of disaster and has formed
partnerships with international organisations
such as the UN.

Karachi: Acknowledging its role as the only
National Carrier of Pakistan and recognising
the large investments that enterprises are
making to build and equip their own data
centres Pakistan Telecommunication Company
Ltd (PTCL) has launched the largest data
centre in Pakistan. This data centre is
engineered using the same rigid specifications,
consistent with international standards and
data centre certification bodies and is enabled
with technologies that proactively manages an
enterprise’ mission-critical applications for
predictable and continuous performance. The
PTCL Data Centre is protected from intrusion
and failure with multi-layered security, fail-
safe redundancy, diversity measures, and
rapid response recovery measures.
The new centre is directly connected to
PTCL’s global MPLS backbone to offer a rich
portfolio of hosting solutions with unparalleled
network performance and features. PTCL
offers capabilities designed to deliver greater
efficiencies for hosting customers through the
use of technologies such as storage on demand,
processing on demand, business continuity
and disaster recovery, all of which are
integrated with PTCL network
services.
Senior Executive Vice
President, Commercial, Naveed
Saeed while highlighting the importance of
data centre stated that the aim is to provide
business enterprises in Pakistan a reliable,
responsive and resilient infrastructure to suit
the their needs. The data centre is designed to
accommodate an enterprise IT equipment and
software in a secure, managed and climatically
controlled environment. The bottom-line is to
benefit our customers in terms of cost-
effectiveness, efficiency of processes and
scalability of needs.
PTCL is the only unified service provider in
Pakistan and is able to service all enterprise
segments with a comprehensive portfolio of
products including fibre optic and wireless
connectivity, MPLS, VPN, Managed and
Hosted technology solutions. And now with
PTCL’s data centre, a tailor made
accommodation for an enterprise’ application
processing environment together with
appropriate connectivity to the fully redundant
self healing optical fibre network backbone, a
much higher level of security and technology
support to an enterprises’ mission critical
operations is being offered.

Awaz Email by Ufone '2010 is a year of bright

Islamabad: Ufone
recently launched the first
of its kind "Awaz Email"
which allows users to send a voice message to any email address anywhere in the
world. The customers only have to dial 4412 from their Ufone and record the
message they wish to send. This interactive voice recorded service gives the customer
prospects for IT'
the option to listen to the message before it is sent and if required the message can Lahore: The year 2010 is a year of bright prospects for Information
be changed before sending. For customer Technology (IT) sector of Pakistan, as both the US and Chinese
convenience an SMS is sent to the sender after companies are planning to upgrade their systems by investing heavily
the message has been confirmed to reply with on purchase of hardware and software from across the globe,
the recipients email address, after which the benefiting the efficient Pakistani IT companies definitely.
sender will get a confirmation SMS that the The Chairman Task Force on Information and Communication
Awaz Email has been sent.
Technologies (ICT) Salim Ghauri who is also Chairman NetSol
Technologies Ltd, stated this while talking to a delegation of IT

Canon announces PIXMA

For home users, the iP2700 comes in an all-black design that is as stylish as
it is compact, and offers excellent performance for a wide range of applications,
from lab quality photo prints, to crisp and professional-looking documents.
The iP2700 is equipped with the technologies that have made Canon inkjet
printers synonymous with high-print quality and efficiency, such as FINE (Full-
photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) architecture, ChromaLife100+ and
the hybrid ink system.
FINE print head technology allows ink nozzles to be packed at high density,
delivering microscopic ink droplets for high-quality photo prints. The iP2700 is
capable of printing virtually grain-free photos at a maximum 4800 x 1200 dpi
resolution, with each ink drop as small as 2pl.
Photos printed on the iP2700 are also resistant to fading, thanks to the
ChromaLife100+ system of Canon dye-based inks and photo papers. With
ChromaLife100+, photos resist fading from light exposure up-to 30 years, and
when stored in an album, will resist fading for up-to 300 years.
With full adoption of the new ISO/IEC 24734 and ISO/IEC 24735 print
productivity standards and complementing quality with speed, the iP2700 can
produce monochrome documents at 7.0ipm and colour prints at 4.8ipm. It can
print borderless photos up to A4 size, and takes just 55 seconds to print a 4R
photo.
Beyond stylish design and high performance hardware, the iP2700 is also
equipped with excellent software designed to meet the needs of users. Ensuring
the best results in printing photos, Canon’s Auto Photo Fix II technology in the
bundled Easy-PhotoPrint EX application makes it easy to execute multi-zone
exposure correction and red-eye removal without the need for complex image
enhancement on the computer. For instance, users can easily print
underexposed photos as they were intended, introducing more light on the
subject without whiting out the background.

professionals, academicians and students here on Wednesday. He
said the US, which is considered to be the biggest buyer of IT products
and services, is back on track and there are positive signs that the blue
chip US companies are planning to invest heavily on replacement of
hardware and software in 2010.
Similarly, he added, China
has emerged as a most
demanding market for IT
services during the last three
years. According to him, a very
few Pakistani companies have
experienced the potential of
Chinese market. He urged
other Pakistani IT firms to
explore the potential in the Chinese and the US market to fetch
precious foreign exchange for the country during 2010.
He, however, lamented that the pace of automation in local public
and private companies has been terribly slow during 2009 and an
immediate reversal to the existing state of affairs is urgent need of the
hour during 2010. But he expressed the hope that the private sector in
Pakistan would heavily be poised to invest in automation of their
operations during 2010 that would give boost to the local IT scene as
a whole.
He was foreseeing phenomenal growth in demand for human
resource in IT sector of Pakistan during 2010, both on local and
international front. He said that the demand for young IT graduates
is likely to multiply manifold during 2010 that would put pressure
on IT education institutes during the year ahead. He said that the
number of Internet users is increasing fast after a slow start about two
decades ago.
79
Free download | flare.com.pk International Synopsis

India: 19m mobile phone The first green mobile base

users in one month station in Qatar
India, the world's fastest-expanding mobile market, added more than France and Qatar: Vodafone Qatar and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and
19 million cellular users last month to post the biggest monthly growth NYSE: ALU) announced the deployment of the first hybrid powered Base
ever, according to official data. Station in Qatar, using an integration of solar and wind energy. This initiative
India's number of mobile subscribers swelled by 19.10 million in is part of a wider green technology program led by Vodafone Group to deploy
December 2009 after climbing by 17.65 million the previous month green energy sources in all of its affiliates worldwide.
driven by some of the world's cheapest calling rates. “As the first hybrid solution
December's increase was a record for monthly wireless subscriber in Qatar to make use of both
growth, according to figures from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of wind and solar energy, this
India (TRAI) posted on its web site. India's mobile phone companies achievement increases the
added an average of nearly 15 million subscribers a month in 2009 to availability and quality of
bring the total number of mobile services to the end
cellular users to 525.15 million - customer, while reducing the
up 51.4 per cent from December impact on the environment.
2008. What is more, it is one of the
The sector's explosive most innovative and best-
growth has drawn a flood of performing solutions that we
global entrants in the past few have tested so far in
years, sparking a cut-throat Vodafone,” said Jenny Howe,
Marc Kassis, head of Alcatel-Lucent business in Qatar
billing war among the players CTO of Vodafone Qatar.
which has hit revenues and The solution is provided by Alcatel-Lucent’s Alternative Energy
profits. The new players that Programme. Announced in February 2009 to address the challenge that more
have beaten a path to the than 100,000 mobile base stations shall be equipped with alternative energy
country of nearly 1.2 billion solutions between 2010 and 2012, representing a yearly savings of about seven
people include Norway's million tons of CO2, the programme aims at providing the first truly industrial
Telenor, Japan's NTT DoCoMo, solution of wireless Base Stations powered with alternative energies, ready for
Britain's Vodafone and Russia's large deployments.
Sistema JSFC, hoping to boost “Alcatel-Lucent is absolutely convinced that business has a critical role to
revenues and make up for play in the transition to a low-carbon
saturated domestic markets. economy. And for us this means both
At least another four cellular company launches are expected in the reducing the CO2 emissions from our
first half of this year in India including Emirates Telecommunications own operations and providing
Corp, or Etisalat, India's Datacom Solutions and Loop Telecom. energy efficient solutions to our
With the new users added in December, 45 out of every 100 people customers. This trial marks an
in India now have a mobile phone. Total tele-density including fixed- important milestone for our
line users now stands at 48 per cent of the population. The Cellular industrial solution. It also further
Operators' Association of India forecasts the country's mobile phones strengthens our relationship with
will number one billion by 2013. Vodafone by giving us the
But industry leaders and analysts say the cellular market is getting opportunity to combat global climate
too crowded and forecast a savage period of consolidation in which the change together,” said Marc Kassis,
number of players will get whittled down to around half a dozen from Head of Alcatel-Lucent business in Qatar.
the 14 currently. As mobile subscriptions surged, the number of fixed- The technology, provided by Alcatel-Lucent, enables Vodafone to take
line telephone subscribers continued to fall, edging down to 37.06 advantage of the fluctuating yet complementary local weather conditions, all
million at the end of December from 37.16 million a month earlier, while reducing the ongoing costs and improving the quality of maintenance at
according to the TRAI figures.
remote or inaccessible sites.

Facebook may ‘lock in’ its internet dominance

College senior Alyssa Ravasio gave up
MySpace on the day she got a Facebook account
and never looked back. She has already lost
interest in Twitter. But how does Facebook know
it can keep her loyalty?
The brief history of the internet is littered with
the ghosts of web sites that people have
abandoned in their relentless pursuit of
something newer, faster, better and cooler.
Tech-savvy Ravasio, a 21-year-old UCLA
student designing her undergraduate degree
around the internet’s impact on society and
communication, is irked by changes privately
owned Facebook has made. But for now, she says,
Facebook is keeping her allegiance because of a
concept called “technological lock-in.” In other
words, the site has become an essential part of her
life. “I think Facebook is the most valuable
internet commodity in existence.
“It’s your real name, it’s your real friends, and
assuming they manage to navigate the privacy
quagmire, they’re poised to become your
universal login,” she said. “I would almost argue
that Facebook is the new mobile phone. It’s the
new thing you need to keep in touch, almost a
requirement of modern social life.”
Technological lock-in is the idea that the more
a society adopts a certain technology, the more
unlikely users are to switch. It’s the reason why
the QWERTY keyboard layout, devised for
typewriters in the 1870s, is still the standard
despite the development of several more logical
configurations. And Facebook, which has more
than 100 million users in the United States and
350 million worldwide, appears to have nearly
achieved technological lock-in, according to web
marketing research company Comscore.com.
In December, for example, Facebook recorded
nearly 112 million unique visitors in the United
States, compared to 57 million for MySpace and
20 million for Twitter, according to Comscore.
Users also spent much longer on Facebook,
averaging 246.9 minutes in December, compared
to 112.7 minutes on MySpace and 24.3 minutes on
Twitter.
“It’s something that feeds on itself,” Comscore
director Andrew Lipsman said. “The more people
who come into the network, the more connected
they become to each other and there actually
becomes a greater cost to leaving the network.”
Skeptics might say that the same argument
could have been made for MySpace just a few
years ago, when it reigned supreme among social
networking sites to the extent that few American
teens would be caught dead without an account.
But those who study web trends say that
MySpace, while wildly popular, never quite
reached the worldwide domination of Facebook,
which then-Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg
started in his dorm room in 2004.
81
 Mosaic National Free download | flare.com.pk

President Asif Ali Zardari signing Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2010 protection Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani talking to the students during his surprise
of woman at Chief Minister House, Karachi. visit to FG Girls School G-8/4, Islamabad.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting along with Federal Minister for
Speaker National Assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza presenting a souvenir to Ambassador
Finance Shaukat Tarin and Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
of Turkmenistan Sapar Berdiniyazov at Parliament House, Islamabad.
jointly addressing a press conference.

Interior Minister Senator A. Rehman Malik being briefed about the performance of the Karachi: Provincial Minister Sindh Shazia Marree, CEO ICL International Asad Sibtain &
State of the Art Scanners at Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad. Country Manager ICL International Mr Tauseef Khan at soft launch of ASUS at a local hotel.
82
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Event

Lahore: Graduation ceremony of Management Trainee Batch XIII-B Bank Alfalah Limited honoured by C.O.O. Bank Alfalah, Shakil Sadiq recently.

Lahore: Service with a Smile Training Programme held at Al-Razi HealthCare Pvt. Ltd recently. A group photo of participants with CEO, Al-Razi HealthCare,
Dr Osman Bashir.

Lahore: Group photograph of executive of Bank Alfalah at Auto Collection. Seen in the picture are Irfan Qureshi, Begum Syed Ghazanfar, Ibrar Akram, Irfan
Umar, Zeeshan Ahmad and Aslam Gillani. 83
 Flare Report Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Mohammad Javed Khan, National Sales Manager, Sony and

Mr Mukaida, Country Head, Sony, Pakistan
Mr Khalid Saeed, Marketing Head, Sony

Officials of Sony draw the name of lucky winner Mohammad Javed Khan, National Sales Manager Pakistan

Mr Mukaida, Country Head, Sony, Manzoor Khan, Director Pan-

Mr Mukaida, Country Head, Sony, Manzoor Khan, pacific Electronics, Mohammad J. Khan, National Sales Manager,
84 Director Panpacific Electronics Sony and Mr Khalid Saeed, Marketing Head, Sony with others
 National Mosaic

Players in action during trials-cum-camp setup in

A vendor sells SIM cards in Rawalpindi.
Frontier College for Women in Peshawar.

Lahore: Agreement is being signed between Punjab Govt. and Microsoft to promote information Director Marketing PIA Imran Ahmed Khan and Director Marketing PC Hotel Dubai
technology, Shahbaz Sharif (Chief Minister Punjab), Senior Adviser Saradr Zulifqar Ali Khousa,
Provincial Minister Farooq Yousaf Ghorki, Middle East & President of Microsoft Ali Farmavi is also Masood Hashmi signing an agreement for cooperation offering holiday packages
present. during Dubai Shopping Festival 2010 in Karachi.

Two traditional dancers playing with their cell phones

A tricycle rickshaw on the way loaded with computer A vendor checks his mobile phone as he sits on his
while waiting for the customers sitting at roadside in
parts in Lahore. vegetable cart in Rawalpindi.
Islamabad. 85
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Event

87
 Mosaic National Free download | flare.com.pk

A guest capturing the moments through her cell phones

during a function at Arid Agriculture University in
Rawalpindi.

SeeSam Solutions Private Limited has signed an agree-

ment with global company BancTec Inc. of the USA to
market, sell and support their digital document solution
in Pakistan. The official signing took place recently at
the BancTec UK office in London with Mr. Jim Farkin,
VP International Business Development BanTec and Mr.
Nasimullah Siddiqui CEO SeeSam Solution.
A lady capturing the moment with camera as large
A player plays her shot during Toyota Golf
number of people arrives at the bank of Indus River to
Tournament 2010 at Islamabad Golf Club.
mark the Indus River Day in Hyderabad.

Multan: Players posing for photograph with trophy dur-

Runner-up team of Jaffer Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. In a friendly match Hyderabad: Students watching the different games
ing All Pakistan Inter Board Basketball Championship
of cricket match with Ufone at Islamabad. during Sports Gala Festival at Public School.
at Education Board Ground.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani appointed Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa
Federal Minister for Communications Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan inspecting the studio
as his Advisor on Information Technology. Latif Khosa has been given the status of a federal
after inauguration of 1st Highways and Motorways FM Radio Station in Islamabad.
88 minister, says a Cabinet Division notification issued.
Free download | flare.com.pk International Mosaic

Brazilian student of computer networking, watches US serial Lost' on his computer, Mahru-Z (R), a robot developed by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology picks
stylised and assembled by himself, at the world's biggest online electronic entertain- up a sandwich in Seoul. Scientists have developed a walking robot maid which can
ment event called 'Campus Party', in Sao Paulo, Brazil. clean a home, dump clothes in a washing machine and even heat food in a microwave.

A model diaplays a Sony digital camera "Cybershot

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs demonstrates the new iPad as
DSC-TX7", equipped with a 10.2 mega-pixel Exmor A woman surfs the internet on a laptop using the wi-fi
he speaks during an Apple Special Event at Yerba Buena
CMOS sensor and a 4.43 - 17.7mm/F3.5 - 4.6 zoom lens in connection of a cafe in Shanghai.
Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California.
Tokyo.

Nokia President and Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo speaks to present the 2009 A woman walks past notebooks in a show room at an IT products market in Taipei. One year
safter Asia's computer component makers despaired over a lack of orders, they are struggling
annual results at the Nokia headquarters in Espoo.
to adjust to an unexpected boom in demand, rushing to expand capacity before inventories 89
 Internet
3 Mbps
Unlimited Downloads

Cable TV
70+ Channels
Superb Quality

Telephone
No Line Rent
Competitive Rates
 International Mosaic

A Sony employee displays the new mobile high-definition An enterprising Haitian sets up shop with a cell phone KDDI employee displays the new design conscious
camcorder "Bloggie MHS-PM5K", equipped with a 5 mega- charging station run by a small generator in Port au mobile phone "Lotta", meaning a lot of fun, produced by
pixel CMOS image sensor and a swivel lens which enabling Prince, Haiti, since the electricial power is not working Japanese electronics giant Kyocera in Tokyo.
it to shoot full high-definition MP4 video clips in Tokyo. in Port-au-Prince.

A boy uses his phone to photograph the giant silicon and fibreglass scuplture 'In Bed', Amanda Parson (L) and Deanna Williston don homemade panda bear knit hats while
2005, by Australian artist Ron Mueck at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Mel- saying goodbye to giant panda bear Tai Shan at the Smithsonian National Zoological
bourne, Australia. Park in Washington.

Models show off the new smartphone "Xperia" by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communica-
tions during a joint press conference with Japan's mobile communication giant NTT US celebrity Paris Hilton prepares to take pictures with her mobile phone during the filming
docomo in Tokyo. of a commercial in Manhattan in New York.
91
 Synopsis
Telenor sees lower margins
in 2010, shares slip
Oslo: Norway's Telenor
ASA said margins would fall
in 2010 even as mobile
telephony spending picks up
from crisis levels, eclipsing
better-than-expected fourth
quarter results and sending
its shares lower. Telenor,
which has 174 million mobile
clients, was hit by lower
disposable spending during
the global downturn and had
to cut costs to maintain
profitability last year.
Shares in the firm initially
rose but reversed gains to
trade down 2.6 per cent at 76
Xerox results beats estimates
New York: Xerox Corp
posted quarterly results that
beat expectations, as cost
cutting helped to improve
margins, and delivered an
optimistic outlook, sending
92
International
crowns at 1001 GMT, while
the DJ Stoxx Telecom index
was up 0.9 per cent. Telenor
set its 2010 EBITDA margin
goal at 27-28 per cent from
34.5 per cent in 2009 and
targeted "low single digit"
organic revenue growth
its shares up 2.6 per cent. The
office document management
company, whose rivals
include Hewlett-Packard and
Canon, said revenue will be
under pressure while the
economy creeps toward a
recovery. Still, the company,
best known for its office
printers, cited "improving
trends" for overall revenue.
Xerox also said its take-
over of Affiliated Computer
compared with a one per
cent fall in 2009.
"The market is choosing
to focus on (the) margin
guidance," said Tore
Toenseth, an analyst at Argo
Securities, calling the share
price drop an overreaction.
Analysts say Telenor must
keep a tight lid on capital
expenditure as the global
economy recovers from a
crisis that hobbled Central
and Eastern European
mobile markets both in terms
of lower volumes and the
effects of weaker currencies.
Telenor set its 2010 capital
expenditure plan at 14-16 per
cent of net revenues from a
2009 guidance of 13 per cent.
Services Inc was on track, two
days after European Union
regulator approved the deal.
The cash-and-stock deal,
originally valued at about
USD 5.5 billion, is Xerox's
biggest and is the first by its
new chief executive, Ursula
Burns. Xerox's fourth-quarter
net income rose to USD 180
million, or 20 cents a share,
from USD one million, or nil
per share a year earlier.
Free download | flare.com.pk
Musharraf one of biggest
stars of Facebook
Former Pakistani
president Pervez Musharraf,
whose popularity is quite
unmatched on social
networking website
Facebook, has been declared
“Connector of the Day” by
CNN.
“Former Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf
is becoming one of the
biggest stars in Facebook. His with 258 based in New Delhi.
personal Facebook page has Musharraf has been taking
more than 127,000 fans and pains to answer almost all
he regularly answers questions put to him by his
questions and posts status fans and followers.
updates,” reads a note put up It was on Facebook that he
on www.cnn.com. first admitted he had made a
Musharraf, who signed up on
Facebook sometime in
mistake by promulgating the
National Reconciliation
October last year, has become Ordinance, a graft amnesty
very popular across the that benefited President Asif
board. The former military Ali Zardari. The NRO was
ruler, who quit in August recently struck down by
2008 to avoid impeachment, Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
is currently living abroad. During the past week,
According to Musharraf’s Musharraf has been hounded
own snapshot of his fans about the case of Aafia
according to age, location and Siddiqui, a Pakistani national
gender, he has about 100,000 who was recently convicted
Pakistanis following him on by a US court for attempting
Facebook. As of February 1, to kill American military
he also had 629 Indian fans, personnel.

Free download | flare.com.pk
Latest radio module by Alcatel-Lucent
Paris: Alcatel-Lucent
(Euronext Paris and NYSE:
ALU) announced the
introduction of a new radio
module, based on software
defined radio (SDR)
technology, that gives mobile
service providers the
flexibility to support any mix
of 2G GSM, 3G W-
CDMA/HSPA+ and long
term evolution (LTE) services
simultaneously.
In addition to supporting
new deployments today, this
capability can be introduced
in more than 700,000 Alcatel-
Lucent base stations already
deployed by service
China shuts down
hacker training company
Beijing: Police in central
China have shut down a
hacker training company that
taught thousands of people
how to launch cyber attacks
and provided them with spy
software, media reports said.
The reports come amid
growing accusations of
organised computer hacking
originating from China that
has chilled ties with the United
States, and follow Google's
threat last month to quit
Chinese market over cyber
attacks.
Police in Hubei province
shut down Black Hawk Safety
Net and arrested three people,
the state-run Xinhua news
agency said, calling the
operation China's "biggest
hacker training web site". The
SAP chief executive
officer eased out
Frankfurt: SAP AG
shouldered aside its CEO of
just seven months,
surprising a market he
failed to win over during his
tenure and leaving investors
wondering where the
world's top business
software firm heads next.
SAP announced Leo
Apotheker's abrupt
departure, replacing him
with immediate effect with a
new management team
expected to inject a clearer
sense of direction at the
helm.
"This step comes as an
absolute surprise," DZ Bank
analyst Oliver Finger told
providers worldwide,
offering a seamless, cost-
effective way for operators to
introduce the latest
generation of technologies –
at their own pace – while
continuing to support their
existing customers.
The new converged radio
module, called the MC-TRX,
is a key building block of
Alcatel-Lucent’s Converged
RAN (radio access network)
portfolio, which is geared
toward increasing the
capacity and the coverage of
all networks while
minimising the overall total
cost of ownership (TCO) for
company openly offered
downloads of hacker tools and
trojan software to 12,000 VIP
members and 170,000 others
who had registered for free
membership.
The Legal Daily newspaper
said on its web site that the
company was shut down in
November and that police had
frozen more than 1.7 million
clients in a research note.
"(It) should increase short-
term uncertainty about
SAP's future strategy" and
hit the firm's shares. The
stock was down 1.8 per cent
at 1144 GMT, while the DAX
index rose 0.4 percent and
the DJ Stoxx tech index was
down 1.1 per cent.
SAP said it was returning
to its traditions of split
leadership with Bill
McDermott, head of the
field organisation, and Jim
Hagemann Snabe, product
development chief, both
already members of the SAP
executive board, taking the
helm.

operators. This product is
available for operators
worldwide and has already
been selected by tier one
mobile service providers.
“With multiple spectrum
options and technology
options before them,
operators need to make
CapEx containment a priority
as they plan their network
launches,” said Peter Jarich,
Service Director with Current
Analysis. “To that end,
network infrastructure that
supports spectrum and
technology evolutions along
with the carrier capacity to
execute on these evolutions is
yuan (250,000 dollars) in assets
and confiscated nine web
servers, five computers and a
car. Black Hawk Safety Net
was founded in 2005 and
headquartered in Xuchang city
in Henan province which
neighbours Hubei.
The China Daily quoted
anonymous Black Hawk
Safety Net members saying
users learned how to hack into
the financial accounts of others
and steal funds, through
courses that cost between 100
and 2,000 yuan. The reports
said authorities began
investigating the company last
year after finding evidence
that three of its customers
were involved in a 2007 cyber
attack that disrupted web
services in the Hubei city of
Macheng. The reports gave no
further information on any
cyber attacks linked to the
company.

Simple passwords easier
to hack
Simple and easy-to-
remember passwords such as
“123456” or “iloveu” can
allow hackers easy access to
the secured zones of internet
users, experts warn.
According to a new
analysis, one out of five web
users still choose a simple,
easily guessed password like
“abc123”, “iloveyou” or even
“password” to protect their
data.
“I guess it is just a genetic
flaw in humans,” said
International Synopsis
a must.” needs by giving mobile
With the explosion of service providers the ability
mobile data traffic that is to “re-farm” their 900 or 1800
underway today, service MHz spectrum - currently
providers face a variety of used to provide 2G GSM
technical and operational services - by introducing
challenges more advanced W-
as they CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE
seek to services through simple
increase software activation. This
their process can be managed
wireless dynamically - if the majority
network of wireless subscribers on the
capacity network are using GSM, the
and module will be configured in
transform GSM mode. As more
their subscribers move toward W-
networks CDMA or LTE the module
toward can shift the relative mix of
end-to-end IP. This new technology to allocate more
converged radio module power and carriers to W-
elegantly addresses these CDMA or LTE.

transaction and Oracle said in
EU clears a statement it "expects
unconditional approval from
Oracle take- China and Russia and intends
to close the transaction
over of Sun
shortly." "Oracle's acquisition
of Sun has the potential to
revitalise important assets and
Brussels: The European create new and innovative
Union cleared Oracle Corp's products" in Europe, Kroes
said.
proposed USD 7.4 billion take-
over of Sun Microsystems Inc, Initially, the commission
saying it would not was worried that Oracle, the
significantly affect competition world's No 1 maker of
proprietary database software,
in the EU. EU antitrust chief
Neelie Kroes said one of the would not fully support Sun's
year's biggest technology deals MySQL division, which makes
of the last year could now go a competing database product,
ahead as planned because reducing customer choices
"competition and innovation and increasing cost. The EU
will be preserved on all the Commission said in a
markets concerned." statement that its investigation
Its approval had been "showed that although
uncertain since the MySQL and Oracle compete in
commission launched a formal certain parts of the database
antitrust investigation in market, they are not close
September over concerns the competitors in others, such as
the high-end segment." It also
combination could harm the
database software market. The found that competition could
US Department of Justice has be maintained through other
already approved the channels.
their e-mail accounts.
Imperva found that nearly
one percent of the 32 million
people it studied had used
“123456” as a password. The
second-most-popular
Amichai Shulman, chief password was “12345”.
technology officer at
Others in the top 20 included
Imperva, which makes “qwerty”, “abc123” and
software for blocking
“princess”, The New York
hackers. “We’ve been Times reported. More
following the same patterns disturbing, Shulman said,
since the 1990s.” was that about 20 per cent of
Shulman and his people on the RockYou list
company examined a list of picked from the same,
32 million passwords that an relatively small pool of 5,000
unknown hacker stole last passwords.
month from RockYou, which That suggests that hackers
develops software for users of could easily break into many
social networking sites like accounts just by trying the
Facebook and MySpace. The most common passwords.
list was posted on the web, Because of the prevalence of
and RockYou advised its fast computers and speedy
customers to change their networks, hackers can fire off
passwords, as the hackers thousands of password
gained information about guesses per minute. 93
 Free download | flare.com.pk
Bharti offered
$10.7 billion for
Zain
Bharti Airtel, India's largest
mobile phone operator has
reportedly offered 10.7 billion
dollars for Kuwait's Zain
telecom operations in 15
African nations, a leading
Kuwaiti newspaper said on
Saturday. Zain is the third-
largest telecom company in
the Gulf region by market
value.
In October, Akhil Gupta,
deputy group CEO of Bharti
said that Bharti would look at
buying a stake in Zain if there
was an opportunity. Zain,
however, halted talks with
Bharti in October to sell
African assets to address
concerns of potential buyers of
a 46 per cent stake in the
group.

National broadband roadshow
The National Broadband
Network Company kicked
off the first of its east-coast
consultation tours in Sydney,
as the company's chief Mike
Quigley fielded questions
about finer details of the
USD 43 billion government-
backed project.
More than 120
stakeholders and
representatives from the
telecoms industry attended
the first consultation in
Sydney, as NBN Co staff
outlined a high-level
overview of plans for the
network build and its
wholesale product sets.
The NBN team's
presentation reiterated plans
outlined in its December
consultation paper, which
said the company would
India's outsourcers hiring staff
Mumbai: India's top three
outsourcing companies are
ramping up hiring and
increasing pay as global
corporations, mainly from
the US, send more work
offshore to cut costs as they
emerge from the downturn.
Tata Consultancy Services,
Infosys, and Wipro
expanded their global
workforces by an average of
5.1 per cent last quarter,
together adding 16,701
employees.
Company documents
show - an early sign that the
Great Recession may
ultimately benefit India as
cost-conscious companies
ICANN approves internet addresses in Arabic
San Francisco: The global
agency overseeing internet
domain names said Egypt,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, and
the United Arab Emirates
can begin creating online
addresses in their native
languages.
The Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN)
effectively broke the Latin
alphabet’s three-decade hold
on Internet domain names.
“This marks a pivotal
moment in the history of
Internet domain names,”
said ICANN chief executive
and president Rod
only wholesale a layer 2
bitstream service. Layer 2
services provide transport
for data through a network,
but stop short of the delivery
of applications like voice and
video.
The NBN Co is hoping its
absence from the delivery,
sale and support of new
applications and services
will foster an environment of
innovation among the retail
service providers that will be
accessing the network.
"We are the plumbers of
this network and the thing
we can provide is not the
exciting applications but an
underlying infrastructure
that our retail service
provider customers can
trust," Mr Quigley said. But
industry participants were
outsource more work, just as
they did after the dot-com
bust. "Our expectations are
for flat to marginally
stronger IT budgets with a
greater share of offshore
spend," Wipro chairman
Azim Premji said in a
The web regulator said 1.6 billion
people use the Internet
Beckstrom.
“These international
names will now allow
people to type entire domain
names in their own
language.”
not convinced that such an
approach was in the best
interests of competition.
"I appreciate the clarity
and I understand why
you've got the focus on a
layer 2 wholesale-only role
for NBN, but I'm wondering
how sure you are that layer 3
wholesale services will
develop in the market to
support the broader and
more innovative service-
based competition we are
hoping for," Australian
conference call. "Our
customers remain focused on
cost reduction."
The employment revival
in India's outsourcing sector,
which counts on the US for
about 60 per cent of global
sales, comes as
unemployment in the US
stagnates around 10 per cent-
near a 26 year high. Inflation-
adjusted wages in the US last
year fell 1.6 per cent, the
biggest decline since 1990.
"When there is a
downturn the compulsion to
control costs increases," said
Dipen Shah, an analyst at
Mumbai's Kotak Securities.
"The demand for off shoring
International
The four approved
countries may request local
language Internet addresses
to be included in a domain
names root system that will
be accessible to users
worldwide by the middle of
this year, according to
ICANN. Sixteen applications
in eight languages had been
received.
In October, ICANN
approved a new
multilingual address system
which it said would open up
the internet to millions more
people worldwide. In the
future it will be possible to
write an entire web site
Telecommunications Users
Group managing director
Rosemary Sinclair said.
Mr Quigley responded by
saying early discussions with
industry players had shown
there was sufficient demand
in the marketplace for
wholesaling of layer 3
services. "I'm confident that
that is the case and only
yesterday I met with a
sizeable Australian telco that
wants to do precisely that,"
he said.
Ms Sinclair also queried
the NBN Co about
guarantees it could put in
place to ensure end users
would not be gouged by high
prices for access to the new
network - but short of
ensuring all access seekers
would be sold wholesale
access on equal terms, no
guarantees were made.

will increase. That will play
to the advantage of Indian IT
companies." He argues that
the cost savings from off
shoring has helped US
companies survive - and
that's good for the American
worker.
TCS, Infosys and Wipro,
which can do everything
from call centre management
and claims processing to
software development and
consulting, all reported
stronger than expected
results for the December
quarter. Revenues and
volumes grew, signalling
that the cost-cutting
imperative of this last, lean
year may be over for India's
USD 60 billion software
services industry.

Synopsis
address in any of the world’s
language scripts.
ICANN chairman Peter
Dengate Thrush has
described the new measure
as the biggest technical
change to the Internet for 40
years. ICANN says more
than half the world’s 1.6
billion Internet users use
languages with scripts that
are not Latin-based.
ICANN, a non-profit
body formed in 1998 by the
US government, was last
year given more autonomy
after Washington relaxed its
control over how the
Internet is run.

Egypt court
backs
Orascom in
Mobinil
battle
Cairo: An Egyptian court
said it supported Orascom
Telecom's appeal against the
regulator's decision to
approve France Telecom's
offer to buy outstanding
shares in Mobinil. The French
firm and Orascom have been
locked in a row for control of
Egyptian Company for
Mobile Services, known by its
brand name Mobinil.
Judge Hamdy Yassin
ruled in favour of Orascom's
appeal during a session in a
Cairo court. Speaking to
reporters after the hearing,
Orascom Executive
Chairman Naguib Sawiris
said: "We are in our country,
staying in it. We are not
leaving."
The decision comes one
day before the end of the
tender offer period for France
Telecom's subsidiary Orange
Participations to buy all
Mobinil's outstanding shares
at 245 Egyptian pounds (USD
44.63) each. The offer began
on December 15. Mobinil
shares were trading down 3.3
per cent at 230 pounds by
1102 GMT.
95
 Synopsis International
Cisco restructures with focus on China
New York: US network
equipment maker Cisco
Systems Inc is restructuring
its management in Asia to
create a new segment for
China, in a nod to the region's
increasing importance. Cisco
said China, Hong Kong and
Taiwan, formerly part of its
Asia Pacific operations,
would become a separate
"Greater China Theater",
effective February.
Analysts said Cisco's
move underscores the
importance of the region, but
will have little impact on
domestic players such as
Computer market ended
2009 with a bang
San Francisco: Nearly
20.7 million computers
were shipped in the United
States in the final three
months of 2009, setting a
new record and heralding
economic revival,
according to industry
tracker IDC. Abundant
deals on low-priced
IBM beats Wall Street view
New York: IBM raised its
profit target for 2010 and
reported a stronger-than-
expected nine per cent
increase in fourth quarter
earnings, as cost cuts and a
shift to more profitable
contracts helped it weather a
slump in corporate spending.
International Business
Machines Corp, which has
spent the past year cutting
costs and accelerating its
shift to more profitable
services and software, said
on Tuesday it now expects
profit of at least USD 11 a
share in 2010 compared with
its previous target of USD 10
to USD 11 per share.
96 "IBM is just a machine.
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
and ZTE whose products
share little overlap with the
US giant. "Cisco has been
selling in China for a number
of years. This move is to
really focus more on China,"
said Hong Kong-based J.P.
Morgan analyst Charles Guo.
Guo estimates the amount
netbooks and demand that
built up during the
economic crisis boosted
shipments of computers 24
percent in the final quarter
of 2009 as compared to the
same period a year earlier,
IDC reported.
The US computer
market "exploded" thanks
to bargain offerings such as
mini-notebooks being rife
just as budgets were
loosening on the crest of an
economic recovery,
according to Tracker
research manager David
Daoud.

Throughout the downturn,
they have provided
consistent results and this is134.14.
no different," said Andy
Miedler, an analyst with
Edward Jones. The shares,
however, fell slightly after- Total gross profit margin
hours. They had risen nearly rose to 48.3 per cent, up 0.4
60 per cent over the past points.

of revenue ZTE earns from
products which overlap with
Cisco's to be around 10 per
cent, and for Huawei, at 10 to
15 per cent. The two
companies specialise in
making telecommunications
equipment. Cisco said in a
statement the remaining
countries in the Asia Pacific
region will form an "Asia
Pacific Theatre" excluding
Japan, which will remain a
separate segment.
"Given the size and
growth of the Chinese
economy and our significant
commitments to our China
Nokia Siemens beats Huawei
Helsinki: Nokia's
network gear making arm
Nokia Siemens won part of
the key next generation
LTE network contract from
Nordic operator
TeliaSonera, surprisingly
beating Chinese rival
Huawei. Ericsson is the
other supplier for the
TeliaSonera's networks in
Norway and Sweden.
Huawei, known for its
aggressive pricing, was
seen as the primary
candidate to win part of
the deal after TeliaSonera
used it, together with
Ericsson, in its original
rollout in the capitals of
the two countries. Shares
in Ericsson were 1.2 per
cent higher at 69.50 crowns
in Stockholm by 1225
year, and had finished 1.79
per cent higher at USD
The company said its
fourth-quarter profit rose
nine percent to USD 4.8
billion, or USD 3.59 a share,
from USD 4.4 billion, or USD
3.27 a share, a year earlier.
Analysts on average had
expected a profit of USD 3.47
per share, according to
Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Quarterly revenue rose one
per cent to USD 27.2 billion,
it said. The average forecast
on Wall Street was for
revenue of USD 27.0 billion.
Free download | flare.com.pk
business, we believe
designating Greater China as
its own theatre marks an
important next step in our
strategy," Robert Lloyd,
executive vice president in
charge of world-wide
operations, said in the
statement. Cisco said revenue
from the Asia Pacific
contributes around 15 per
cent to its total sales. Last
month, Cisco CEO John
Chambers said the company
was ready to bolster its
presence in China, where it
faces tough competition from
local players.

GMT, while Nokia stock billions of euros on LTE
was 1.2 per cent higher at networks as data traffic in
9.12 euros in Helsinki.
The equipment vendors
are battling for the first
major orders for the next
generation LTE (Long
Term Evolution) networks
- something they can use as
a reference to win new
orders. Telecoms operators
are expected to spend
Bharti signals renewed
international push
New Delhi: Leading
Indian telecom Bharti Airtel
set up a new unit to drive its
foreign expansion, signalling
its growth ambitions are
intact despite twice failing to
reach a deal with South
Africa's MTN. A day after
agreeing to buy control of
Bangladesh's Warid Telecom,
Bharti said CEO Manoj Kohli
would head the new
international business group
that would focus on
expansion in emerging
markets beyond South Asia.
"Bangladesh was the first
step forward, and by making
Manoj the head of
international business, they
are giving a clear signal that
more acquisitions are on the
Ericsson Emerges
as Leading Suitor
for Airtel's
Reports and sources have
speculated that Ericsson, the
giant Swedish manufacturer of
telecom equipment, has
managed to emerge as the
leading suitor to win Bharti
Airtel's $2 Billion contract to
increase the capacity of the
telecom operator in 15 new
circles.
Airtel, which is India's
largest provider of
telecommunication services,
awarded a $700 Million
contract of network
outsourcing to Nokia Siemens
Networks on Thursday, and it
is expected to announce the
new deal soon.

their current networks has
exploded due to the surge
in take-up of mobile data
cards. Nokia Siemens has
seen its market share slide
lately, and it fell behind
Huawei in the third
quarter of last year,
according to research firm
Dell'Oro.

cards," said R.K. Gupta,
managing director at Taurus
Asset Management.
"The Indian market is kind
of heading towards
saturation and potential
growth is becoming limited,
and Bharti must have to look
at lesser developed markets
where penetration is low,"
said Gupta, whose fund
manages about USD 420
million and owns Bharti
shares. Deputy CEO Sanjay
Kapoor will become the CEO
for India and South Asia
when the changes take effect
on April 1.
Bharti has been looking
for acquisitions in emerging
markets where it can replicate
its low-price, high-volume
Free download | flare.com.pk Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Exclusive

97
 Exclusive Free download | flare.com.pk

egislation is not overnight. It takes the operators. It is

L subsequent time to judge circumstances

and to device relevant policies to make
possible laws and then to keep
everything in mind before making appropriate
law that can be enforced. In Pakistan,
interesting to notice that
the cellular operators
picked up same charges
on same service on
same date.
unfortunately the process of legislation is lazier The issue at hand is
than our competitor countries where instable whether the five cellular
government structure and insurgency are mobile telecom
responsible for the disastrous delay. However, it is operators have entered
hopeful that in Pakistan laws are still not only into an agreement in
enforced but their implementation is also respect of provision of
monitored. mobile
These days telecommunication
justice is in full services which have the
swing. There are object or effect of
suo moto notices preventing, restricting
for all that is or reducing competition
illegal whether it within the relevant
is about the market, thereby,
government violating section 4 of the
officials or about a Ordinance?
layman. Keeping Details revealed that
in mind the an informer provided
currently ample evidence to CCP
scenario, I have under the "Reward
Abdul Aziz Khan
focused on the Payment to the
President & CEO Ufone
recent activity by Informants Scheme"
the Competition Commission of Pakistan against which consisted of print
the implementation of 10 paisa charges on cellular outs and personal
operators. storage table (PST) files
The Competition Commission of Pakistan has of e-mails exchanged
unearthed a unique international case of alleged between chief executive
cartelisation by telecommunication service officers (CEOs) and
providers of cell phones, entering into an high level officials of all
agreement to revise selling price of SIMs along the five cellular mobile
with missed calls charges, violating Competition Notice of Compeitition Commission of Pakistan to Telenor telephone operators in
Ordinance. The scam has been unearthed on a tip Pakistan.
off of an informer under the informer reward (CMTOs) prima facie have entered into an The thorough analysis of emails clearly
scheme. agreement to revise the selling price of SIM cards indicates the existence of a CEOs Forum prima
and missed call charges. This amounts to a prime facie comprising CEOs and senior level employees
facie violation of section 4 (1) in terms of section 4 of the CMTOs. There remains no doubt that CEOs
The CEOs Forum appears (2) (a) of the Ordinance. The inquiry report of the and senior level employees of the five CMTOs
to have served as a CCP revealed that presently there were about 94.3 meet regularly to discuss various issues related to
platform to perpetrate grave million subscribers of mobile telecommunication this sector.
services and a small price movement by these
violations of the law and The Enquiry Committee accepts that existence
CMTOs had a of such a forum, by and of itself, may not be
has not restricted itself to direct impact on
innocuous meetings. the customers of

The agenda items listed in their services.

CMTOs,
the above emails reveal that although, prima
the CEOs and senior level facie appeared to
employees of the five be competing on
services like
CMTOs regularly discussed balance enquiry,
sensitive issues that, as per missed call
established norms of charges, selling

competition laws, are not to Jon Eddy Abdullah

be discussed by
competitors
Sources told that the commission had issued 24
show cause notices to all leading cellular
companies and individuals like chief executives of
mobile phone operators for prima facie violation
of Section 4(1) in terms of section 4(2) (a) and
Section 4(2) (d) of the Competition Ordinance. The
inquiry has been conducted on the basis of
evidence provided by an informer.
98 The cellular mobile telecom operators
price of SIM etc.
These services
CEO of Telenor Pakistan
have huge
demand, as indicated by the replies of CMTOs,
where it has been disclosed that the number of
SMSs for balance enquiry was nearly four times always anti-competitive per se. However, the
than the number of other SMSs by pre paid CEOs Forum appears to have served as a platform
customers. to perpetrate grave violations of the law and has
It appears that by fixing the prices of these not restricted itself to innocuous meetings. The
services telecom operators not only have agenda items listed in the above emails reveal that
adversely affected the interest of customers but the CEOs and senior level employees of the five
have prevented, reduced and restricted CMTOs regularly discussed sensitive issues that,
competition in the relevant market. Keeping this as per established norms of competition laws, are
in view, the CCP initiated the proceedings against not to be discussed by competitors.
Free download | flare.com.pk Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Exclusive

These issues, as per the available evidence,
include SIM Selling price Revision, USSD Based
Balance Enquiry Charging, Call Set Up Charges,
Implementation Based on Ring Back Tone, SMS
interconnect/MTR upward revision, APC for
mobile, missed call charges, site sharing update,
bandwidth sharing proposal, implementation of
668/cleaning of data and implementation of Anti
spam filters.
The emails referring to revision in SIM selling
price point to an understanding and/or
arrangement based on collaborative strategy on
pricing. The emails exchanged between the
competitors create the necessary atmosphere of
mutual certainty on economic aspects and show
the existence of an understanding and/or
arrangement to revise the prices of SIM and
missed call alert charges.
As per established norms of competition laws,
even inchoate understandings and partial
agreement also amount to an agreement to fix
prices. Hence, the CCP concluded that CMTOs
have prima facie engaged in and entered into an
agreement to revise the selling price of SIM cards
and missed call charges. This amounts to a prime
facie violation of section 4 (1) in terms of section 4
(2) (a) of the Ordinance.
It, however, appears very odd
that while all these CMTOs
have different system
capacities, different number
of subscribers, different
market shares and tariff
structures and USSD balance
enquiry service charge was
offered to the customers by
each of these CMTOs
simultaneously or around the
same time. Load on the
system is built up gradually
agreement (by way of an arrangement and/or companies, otherwise, behaving competitively
understanding) to fix a charge for balance enquiry decided not to compete on this service.
services. All the concerned CMTOs in their replies and
There was a meeting of the minds to fix this during their meetings with the officers of the
charge as evidenced by emails subsequent to Commission failed to provide any sound reason
15.06.2009 and this is a prima facie violation of for choosing a 10 paisa charge for providing
section 4 (1) in terms of section 4 (2) (a) of the balance enquiry services. The figures provided by
Ordinance. concerned CMTOs indicate that a huge number of
The CCP found that interestingly all the subscribers were using USSD balance enquiry
CMTOs gave rather similar reasons for imposition service. Introduction of a charge of 10 paisas per
of a charge for balance enquiries; due to excessive balance enquiry drastically reduced the number
use of this free service there was increased load of balance enquires.
on system which was impairing the quality of Furthermore, since the charge for providing
service, so in order to discourage customers, they balance enquiry services was fixed by agreement
introduced this charge. among the CMTOs, importantly it foreclosed the
It, however, appears very odd that while all options for users to switch over to another
these CMTOs have different system capacities, network or operator. In terms of the effect on the
different number of
subscribers, different
market shares and tariff
structures and USSD
balance enquiry service
charge was offered to
the customers by each
of these CMTOs
simultaneously
around the same time.
or

and is not a one day Load on the system is

phenomenon built up gradually and
is not a one day
Upon receiving the emails, the CCP decided to phenomenon. Logically
initiate a formal enquiry under Section 37 of the the decision to
Ordinance. The enquiry officers were authorised introduce charge on
to first verify the authenticity of the documents balance enquiry, if the
submitted by the informer. According to the CCP companies were
inquiry report, it appears that the agreement to fix operating
a charge for balance enquiry services was entered competitively, should
into in a meeting of the CEOs Forum held on June have been arrived at
15, 2009. independently.
Furthermore, subsequent to sharing of the While the price
Minutes of CEOs Forum meeting dated 15 June, setting pattern of
2009, other emails reproduced below provide CMTOs in respect of
clarifications regarding the exact charge that was call rates and SMS rates
fixed on June 15, 2009. These emails while may prima facie
providing clarifications to the charge fixed on indicate competition so
15.06.2009 provide prima facie evidence of much so that a price
CMTOs having entered into an agreement to fix move of one paisa
prices. appears significant and
It is important to appreciate that an CMTOs appear to
'agreement' was reached in terms of section 2 (1) compete on it. The
(b) of the Ordinance and this includes any imposition of identical
arrangement, understanding or practice whether charge of 10 paisa per
or not it is in writing or intended to be legally balance enquiry by
enforceable. The CEOs of the CMTOs in their these CMTOs remained
meeting dated 15.06.2009 entered into an unexplained, as Notice of Compeitition Commission of Pakistan to Ufone 99
 Exclusive
consumer, this act of the CMTOs extinguished
even the possibility that the service could be
offered to the subscribers by their own service
provider at a price lower than the others.
The CMTOs argued that this charge of ten
paisa has a very nominal impact on the revenues
of the company. However, they failed to report the
cost savings attached with this service and the
resultant benefit of using the free space available
on the system for other profit generating services.
In our view, the real benefit is not only the
revenue generated by income of 10 paisa per
balance inquiry, but it should also incorporate the
savings in cost and the resultant benefit stemming
from the utilisation of the system for other profit
generating services like SMS, MMS and IVR, the
inquiry report said.
CMTOs have mentioned that huge number of
hits for the balance enquiry services were
clogging the system so much so that on few
occasions the number of balance enquiries was
four times the number of SMSs. Hence, prima
facie it appears that the intention behind
unanimously agreeing to the imposition of this
charge was not to earn revenue from the service
of USSD based balance enquiry, but more
importantly was to make the free space available
for revenue generating services.
The CMTOs in their replies also mentioned the
role of PTA and stated that the charge for balance
enquiry was a basket service charge and they took
due clearance from PTA, however, it is pertinent
to note that PTA has no role in deciding the
100
amount of such charge especially for Non SMP
The CMTOs in their replies
also mentioned the role of
PTA and stated that the
charge for balance enquiry
was a basket service charge
and they took due clearance
from PTA, however, it is
pertinent to note that PTA has
no role in deciding the
amount of such charge
especially for Non SMP
operators, they only have to
inform PTA while changing
tariffs for basket services, as
per Pakistan Telecom Rules,
2000
operators, they only have to inform PTA while
changing tariffs for basket services, as per
Pakistan Telecom Rules, 2000.
On the basis of analysis it appears that the
CMTOs have prima facie reached on an
understanding on important economic aspects of
their businesses pertaining inter alia to: costs of
providing services, pricing for services, revenues
enhancement, resources sharing, limitations on
investment with respect to advertisements, APC
and MTR for CMTOs etc and appear to have
colluded and conspired on these aspects of
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business.
In almost, all the meetings of CEOs Forum, the
agenda of discussion has gone beyond the
mandate that could be granted to a
trade/industry association or an industry
representative forum to discuss common industry
specific issues.
The typical features of network markets
require the operators in the network industries to
cooperate in certain areas, as discussed above,
especially the area of interconnection and call
terminations. PTA has issued Interconnection
Guidelines and Access Promotion Rules to
regulate MTR and APC. Hence, the CMTOs
entered into an agreement to revise the selling
price of SIM cards and missed call charges which
prima facie amounts to violation of section 4 (1)
in terms of section 4 (2) (a) of the Ordinance.
The CCP inquiry report added that there was
subsequent evidence to show that the discussions
on the agenda items were also implemented by
the respective CMTOs like charge for USSD
balance enquiry @ 10 paisas per balance enquiry.
Furthermore, it has also been confirmed that
mobile pre paid SIM card of all the CMTOs is
available in the market at a minimum price of Rs
150.
Keeping in view that the understanding
regarding, inter alia, price fixing seems to have
emerged from the CEOs Forum and that CEOs
can be deemed to have knowledge of the
statements made before the officers of the
Commission in the preliminary probe, the CCPP
has issued notices to the CEOs of the
undertakings in their individual capacity for
prima facie violation of Section 38(1) (d) & (e) and
also for prima facie violations of section 4 (1) (a) in
terms of section 4(2) (a) and Section 4(2) (d) of the
Ordinance, the inquiry report added.
With the initiative, it is expected that the
scenario will change with the break down of
cellular monopoly. The way these companies are
trying to impose themselves on the innocent
subscribers is unlawful where making unanimous
policies eliminate competition.
It is not only the duty of CCP but also of PTA
to ensure the rights of millions of people who are
pulling the wheel of telecommunications in
Pakistan.