Witness the Cutting Edge Microsoft technology Live at TEXPO Pavilion at the 13th ITCN Asia Exhibition and Conferences

Microsoft Pakistan is pleased to showcase their cutting edge technology at the TEXPO Pavilion during the 13th ITCN Asia International Exhibition & Conferences in Pakistan. The event is the biggest IT gathering which brings together leading technology companies and a range of tech-savvy visitors. The event will take place from 8-10 October, 2013 at the Karachi Expo Center.

TEXPO is operating as one of the key Microsoft Gold Partner organizations in the country. They have an assortment of expertise in technology infrastructure, application development and consulting services.

TEXPO is also organizing two conferences on e-Government and Datacenter where speakers from Microsoft will exhibit their latest products and solutions and provide an understanding of how these segments can enhance their productivity and efficiency with the help of Microsoft’s technology.

Speaking at the occasion, Amir Rao, country manager, Microsoft Pakistan said, “Partners like TEXPO, are key assets to Microsoft and have tremendous strategic importance to the company. At Microsoft, we are passionate to provide great products to our partners to work upon. With the help of our strong partner network we have put a significant impact on the local IT eco system of the country. This network allows us to derive strong momentum with Microsoft solutions. We will continueto work more closely with TEXPO and will always support their initiatives”.

“TEXPO is the platinum sponsor of this grand ICT event and keen to avail this opportunity by promoting awareness and knowledge about technology trends that will prove to be indispensable to the market and economy”, said Sarfaraz Alam, CEO, TEXPO. He further added, “At our pavilion, Microsoft experts will showcase the latest technology that the world is currently exposed to. For TEXPO, it is an honor that companies like Microsoft are supporting their partners at an international event. This shows the trust of Microsoft upon us as one of their valued partner in Pakistan”.

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Nokia Unveils Lumia 625 in Pakistan

Nokia has announced the availability of Nokia Lumia 625, an accessibly priced 4G smartphone in Pakistan. Telenor customers can avail the exclusive djuice offer of 2 months free internet by purchasing Nokia Lumia 625 from anywhere in Pakistan. The Nokia Lumia 625 delivers high-speed entertainment to a wide audience through a large 4.7-inch super-sensitive LCD screen which adds to the entertainment experience.

The Nokia Lumia 625 sports the award winning Nokia Lumia design and comes with the option of five brightly coloured changeable shells, which adds vibrancy to the Live Tile personalization brought by Windows Phone 8. Nowadays, many mobile users choose to view videos online. The new video content apps on Nokia Lumia 625 add a contemporary appeal to online video viewing. It also has Internet Explorer 10 which makes it ideal for viewing videos and playing games.

The Nokia Lumia 625 also provides many innovations found in the recently announced flagship Nokia Lumia 1020. These include a range of integrated camera applications like Nokia Smart Camera, offering handy features like removing unwanted objects from pictures, and Nokia Cinema graph, which turns photos into living memories with added movement.

"With our largest smartphone screen to date, the Nokia Lumia 625 is a perfect example of how Nokia is delivering leading smartphone innovation and experiences at every price point," said Arif Shafique, country general manager of Nokia Pakistan & Afghanistan.

Powered by the latest version of Windows Phone 8 and including the Nokia Lumia Amber update, the Nokia Lumia 625 delivers a richer and easier to use smartphone experience at a competitive price. Live Tiles update direct to the home screen, and People Hub makes it easy to stay connected with friends and family. Windows Phone 8 also includes Xbox Live, Microsoft Office, and 7GB of online SkyDrive storage to simply make life easier.

With access to more than 165,000 apps including Vimeo, Temple Run and WhatsApp, Nokia Lumia 625 offers an incredible social experience along with SD memory card support which allows up to 64GB of additional content storage.

Nokia has also teamed with ColoudTM Headphones to create The BoomTM headphones that combine audio prowess with excellent value, and integrated microphone and buttons for voice calls and music control.

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Zong as the 'Fastest Growing Cellular Network' at the RCCI Awards 2013

China Mobile Pakistan popularly known as Zong has been honored with the ‘Fastest Growing Cellular Network’ Award for the year 2013 by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) at the prestigious 26th Achievement Awards Ceremony held recently. The chief guest on the occasion was the honorable President of Pakistan, Mr. Mamnoon Hussain.

Zong, part of the China Mobile - largest Telecom operator in the world, started its operations only a few years back in 2008, has taken a giant leap in the competitive market of telecom services by introducing customer centric services for different segments of mobile phone users. Having earned the image of #1 in customer services, Zong continues to expand its network at exponential rate and is now offering the 2nd widest coverage in the country. The ‘Fastest Growing Cellular Network’ Award is yet another milestone for Zong in addition to the ‘Most Progressive Telecom Company’ Award that it received last year by RCCI.
 
Annual Achievement Awards Ceremony is a yearly feature of RCCI, designed to acknowledge the performance and achievements of members of the business community. The selection of Zong yet again is solely based on its exemplary business performance in the field of telecom.

Expressing his delight on the occasion, Mr. Fan Yun Jun, CEO of ZONG said, “It is a great honor for Zong Pakistan to receive another impressive award for the 2nd time in a row from a credible business body such as RCCI. It seems only yesterday when Zong first started its operations in Pakistan. Through the sheer dedication of the Zong team and our focus on our core values has led us to achieve monumental successes in a short period of time. At Zong, we believe in continuous progress and innovation, we are continuously pursuing business excellence and this award is a reason for us to be even more committed to taking the telecom services in Pakistan to the next level.”

With the preference of 53% customers in 2012 in the entire industry, Zong remains the telecom operator of choice in Pakistan. With the passage of time, Zong has not only managed to attract a fair share of the market but has also invested billions of dollars in Pakistan. By growing its operations, CMPak is also creating employment opportunities for the talented people of Pakistan. The company has generated more than 3000 direct and over 40,000 indirect jobs in the country.

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Glow by Warid Introduces ‘Back to Fun’ Offer

Glow by Warid Pakistan’s premier youth brand, understands the needs of its users and is going that extra mile by offering subscribers 10,000 free minutes, SMS, and MBs mobile internet. Glow customers who have not used their SIM for at least 30 days can avail the benefits of this offer by reactivating their SIMs.

This offer will allow Glow Subscribers to not only meet their needs and help them reconnect with friends, but to still have enough in their wallets to grab a treat or two.
 

Mechanics:

Upfront Benefits:

• 1000 free On-net Minutes
• 1000 free SMS Across All Networks
• 1000 MBs Free Mobile Internet

Daily Benefits:

• 100 free On-net minutes
• 1000 free SMS Across All Networks
• 1000 MBs Free Mobile Internet

(Upon usage of Rs. 9.99 per day)

How to activate:

• To activate, SMS “Y” to 3733 or call 3733

Glow by Warid has always introduced youth centric offers and this “Back to Fun’ offer is introduced keeping in mind that affordability is a key factor when it comes to choosing a connectivity partner.

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V3 Video Conferencing Solution - A Software Based Product by Wateen

Pakistan’s First Cloud-Based High-Definition Video Conferencing Solution

V3 is Pakistan’s fastest and most cost-effective, cloud based HD video conferencing solution for enterprises that require secure and comprehensive communication and collaboration among meeting rooms, desktops and smart devices (ios/android smartphones and tablets) through an intuitive cloud-based platform.

Backed by the technical expertise and reliability of Wateen Solutions, V3 offers high definition (up to 1080p) video conferencing for desktops and multipurpose conference rooms without the need for a large capital outlay or dedicated tele-presence studio. With V3, all you need is an HD-capable webcam and a computer (HD capability is a preferred requirement, whereas an SD setup can also work). You can even connect with your smartphone or tablet. It’s that simple and easy!

V3 simplifies real-time collaboration for everyone. Look eye to eye across a virtual desk with remote participants. Seeing them in life-size HD video and hearing what they say in crystal-clear HD audio. Feeling just like you’re in the same room, not miles apart.

Flexibility and Cost-Effectiveness

V3 video conference calls are the epitome of anywhere and anytime access. There is no need for any hardware investment, yet V3 can be easily integrated with “Room Systems” of all known video conferencing brands. All you need to schedule and connect with user in a private cloud at a very affordable monthly subscription.

Dedicated Servers in Pakistan

Wateen is the first cloud-based video conferencing service provider in Pakistan that has its own dedicated video conferencing servers. Since the data doesn’t have to travel all the way to and from a server located on the other side of the globe, V3 is able to offer fast, high quality and reliable video conferencing with low latency and quick response times.

Functionality & Reliability

Since there is no need to install any hardware, there is no need for any in-house technical staff to manage a dedicated tele-presence studio. Wateen dedicated servers offer superior performance for variable conditions in the network. Whereas other video conference service providers are unable to sustain the connection in case of a 2% packet drop, V3 can continue to work seamlessly even when there is a 20% packet drop.

Dedicated Technical Support

Wateen has the largest technical support team available in Pakistan. Wateen’s highly skilled technical experts use advanced processes and tools to provide you with the consistency and world-class support you have come to expect from Wateen Solutions. Our technical experts are always available at our 24X7 dedicated corporate helpline (111-WATEEN). Wateen has 6+ years of experience in deploying, testing and commissioning of video conferencing solutions systems to multinational and local organizations of Pakistan.

WHY CONNECT WITH V3?

It’s Cost Effective

• A cost-effective and scalable multi-point video conferencing solution
• No upfront cost for multiparty video conference bridge or a dedicated video server
• No additional resource required to manage the video conferencing facility
• No operational or maintenance cost
• Get additional savings on bundling with Wateen bandwidth

It’s Adaptable

• Rich Content Sharing: share presentations, documents and synchronized video in high definition
• 100 video user can connect simultaneously
• Connect from any device (tele-presence, room system, laptop, desktop, tablets and smartphones)
• Lowest latency and resilience under shared internet connection with 20% packet loss recovery
• Easy integration with “Room Systems” of all known video conferencing brands
• Full integration with H.323/SIP Systems and smartphones (iOS/android) clients

It’s User Friendly

• Independent administrative portal for booking and scheduling video conference for your organization
• Dedicated 24×7 corporate helpline with access to skilled technical experts to meet your support requirement

Product Specifications


Minimum Requirements for Desktop Teleconferencing

1. Supported OS …. a. Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 …. b. Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” and later (Intel CPUs only) …. c. Recommended Configuration (Encodes SD and Decodes up to HD) …. d. Core 2 Duo 2Ghz …. e. 2Gb RAM …. f. 40Mb free space on HDD
2. Recommended Configuration (Encodes HD and Decodes up to HD) …. a. Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz or better with DDR3 memory …. b. Core 2 Quad with DDR2 or DDR3 memory …. c. i7 based system
3. Recommended Bandwidth …. a. High Definition: 1 Mbps …. b. Standard Definition: 512 Kbps

Minimum Requirements for H.323/SIP based Room System
 
1.  Recommended Bandwidth …. a. Standard Definition: 512 kbps …. b. High Definition 720p : 1 Mbps …. c. High Definition 1080p : 2 Mbps
2. Recommended Display …. a. High definition LCD/LED/Projector
3. Speaker …. a. Customer can use LCD/LED’s speaker or any 3rd party speaker
4. Microphone …. a. Most of the H.323/SIP Room Systems have built-in microphone. If system doesn’t have microphone than customer can use 3rd party microphone that can support Room Systems.

Call 111-Wateen (111-928336) or send an email to productsebu@wateen.com for a Free Demo License.

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Nokia Introduces Nokia Lumia 925 in Pakistan

Nokia has introduced the Nokia Lumia 925, a new interpretation of its award-winning flagship, the Nokia Lumia 920 in Pakistan. The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces a metal design and showcases the latest PureView camera innovation, new features and third party applications coming to the Nokia Lumia range.
 
The Nokia Lumia 925 includes the most advanced lens technology and next generation imaging software to capture clearer, sharper pictures and video, including the best low light images. The Nokia Lumia 925 also introduces the new Nokia Smart Camera mode, coming as an update to all Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Nokia Smart Camera offers an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image.
 
Nokia also announced Hipstamatic's new app, Oggl, will arrive on Nokia Lumia smartphones, allowing people to take and share high quality pictures with like-minded creatives and photography enthusiasts from around the world. In addition to sharing photos on Oggl, users can simultaneously share photos on social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Tumblr and Flickr.
 
“We keep innovating,” said Arif Shafique, country general manager of Nokia Pakistan & Afghanistan. “We’re advancing experiences on the Nokia Lumia portfolio whether that means great new benefits for an existing Lumia owner, or bringing new showcase devices like the Nokia Lumia 925.”
 
He further added: “We continue to change the way people think about smartphone cameras. The work Nokia has done with the Lumia 925 further enhances the imaging capabilities of the Lumia smartphones.”
 
The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces metal for the first time to the Nokia Lumia range, bringing appeal and unique benefits like increased robustness. The polycarbonate back comes in white, grey or black. A wireless charging cover can be clipped onto the back of the phone to take advantage of Nokia’s extensive wireless charging accessories and ecosystem. Covers, sold separately, come in white, black, yellow, and red.

Leading Nokia services, such as the HERE suite of integrated location and navigation services can be utilized by Pakistani consumers when traveling abroad. The Nokia Lumia925 is now available at all authorized Nokia dealer outlets across Pakistan at an approximate price of PKR 53, 900.

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Glow by Warid partners with Pakwheels.com for Karachi Auto Show 2013

Glow by Warid, Pakistan’s premier youth brand, partnered with Pakwheels.com in orchestrating the 2013 Karachi Auto Show, which was held at Port Grand in Karachi on Sunday 15th September 2013.

The event featured more than 250 cars and was attended by thousands of automobile enthusiasts from the city. The Auto Show, which featured vintage, classic, sports, exotic, luxury, SUV, bikes, trikes and project and modified vehicles, aimed to promote the Pakistani car industry. The show gave young fans an opportunity to see amazing vehicles including the 2012 Formula 1 Ferrari model car.

Representatives from Glow by Warid were present at the event and handed out various prizes including a Smartphone. Warid has a long-standing relationship with Pakwheels, having partnered with the digital brand on previous car shows held in Lahore and Islamabad.

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Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan inaugurates the 500th branch of Bank Alfalah

Sheikh Muhammad Al Nahayan, Chairman Dhabi Holdings and son of Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, inaugurated the 500th branch of Bank Alfalah in Karachi recently.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Muhammad Al Nahayan said, “I would like to congratulate the CEO, management and employees of Bank Alfalah on achieving this important milestone. Under Atif’s leadership, the Bank has made outstanding progress and continues to move on a sharp trajectory of growth. I wish to reiterate the Group’s commitment towards the development and prosperity of Pakistan and its great people.”

Bank Alfalah is Pakistan’s sixth largest Bank and now boasts a branch network of 500 branches across 172 cities in Pakistan.

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Synchronize Media Bags the Nokia ‘Best Strategy’ 2013 Award

Synchronize Media representing Carat, the world’s No. 1 media network in Pakistan was honored with the Nokia ‘Best Strategy’ 2013 award at the Account Directors’ Meeting organized by Carat in Shanghai, China. The two day conference was attended by countries from the Asia Pacific Region, Global client Management Team from Nokia and Carat Global Team on the Nokia Account.

The event featured a discussion encompassing ‘focus on productivity’, and ‘driving sales conversions in local markets’ for Nokia. An award ceremony was organized by Nokia at the end of the conference where different countries were honored in recognition of their work in the categories of ‘Best Strategy’, ‘Local Market Productivity’, ‘Digital Performance’, and ‘Revival of Innovation’. On the occasion, Pakistan received the award for ‘Best Strategy’ 2013. The ideas presented by Synchronize Media will be implemented across the region. Australia bagged the ‘Revival of Innovation’ award with Pakistan securing the Runners-up position. The award for ‘Best Digital Performance’ went to Vietnam, whereas Russia achieved the ‘Local Market Productivity’ award.

Synchronize Media was privileged to represent Pakistan at the prestigious event. Yasir Farooqui, Account Lead Nokia and Muhammad Junaid, Head of Media received the award on behalf of Synchronize Media.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Farooqui said, “It was a wonderful feeling to receive an award for all the hard work that my team had put in to make an exceptional strategy for Nokia.  I was really happy to represent Pakistan and Synchronize Media at the conference.”

“It was a proud moment for us to participate and win the Best Strategy award against Tier 1 Market like Australia, Russia and China. We hope to continue with our persistent efforts to represent our client and Pakistan’s advertising industry on global platforms,” said Mr. Muhammad Junaid expressing his joy over the achievement.

This achievement is yet another hallmark for Synchronize Media and emphasizes on the in-depth understanding of the media dynamics as well as the talent of Synchronize Media team to execute challenging projects with results par excellence.

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Nokia Introduces Dual SIM Phone Nokia 108 With New Ultra-Affordable Camera

Nokia today unveiled two new ultra-affordable camera phones: the Nokia 108 and the Nokia 108 Dual SIM. Perfect for people purchasing their first-ever camera phone, the new handsets offer more than just calls and texts. The Nokia 108 also lets people take pictures and record video, helping them capture life's important moments with an attractively-priced device. With Nokia's Slam technology on board, content can be shared faster and more easily with friends and family via Bluetooth. Support for up to 32GB of external memory ensures there's plenty of space to store people's most cherished content.

The Nokia 108 delivers new mobile experiences without the huge price tag. In addition to a built-in VGA camera, the Nokia 108 also features an integrated MP3 player, FM radio, Snake the game, multiple alarms and flashlight for staying entertained and productive while on-the-go. With exceptional battery life of up to 31 days' standby when using the single SIM Nokia 108, people will also be able to enjoy the phone for longer.

The Nokia 108 extends the Nokia design story with its softly rounded corners and raised island keys, making it a pleasure to use. Available in Nokia's signature red, white, black, yellow and cyan, the colorful back covers are also removable. Made with Nokia's renowned quality and attention to detail, the Nokia 108 gives people an outstanding introduction to mobile technology at a great price, and makes staying in touch with friends and family more fun and enjoyable.

"We continue to connect millions of people, including those for whom mobile phone ownership was previously out of reach," said Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "There remains a huge segment of the global population that has yet to own a camera phone. For the next billion people and beyond, we aim to bring new mobile experiences to ever-lower price points, and the Nokia 108 and Nokia 108 Dual SIM are great examples of this commitment."

Great value as a first mobile or back-up phone

The Nokia 108 and Nokia 108 Dual SIM are great value, beautifully designed handsets for calls, texts and on-the-go entertainment including photos, Snake, music and video. With expandable storage of up to 32GB, people can store thousands of images, music tracks and hundreds of videos. With standby time of up to 31 days for the Nokia 108 and up to 25 days for the Nokia 108 Dual SIM, they also make for highly reliable back-up phones for occasional or emergency use. The Dual SIM variant enables people to select which SIM card to use when making a call or sending a text message, helping them manage costs and maintain network coverage on-the-go, without the need to use several phones.

The Nokia 108 and Nokia 108 Dual SIM have a recommended retail price of just 29 USD, excluding taxes and subsidies. Available colors include red, white and black at launch, with yellow and cyan to follow. The Nokia 108 and the Nokia 108 Dual SIM are expected to start shipping in Q4 this year.

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Warid and HBL sign an Agreement for the provision of USSD Channel for HBL Express

Habib Bank Limited and Warid Telecom signed an agreement today for a strategic alliance whereby Warid Telecom will provide Habib Bank Limited with access to Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), enabling ‘HBL Express’ (Habib Bank Limited’s branchless banking project) to conduct financial transactions in the most reliable and secure manner.

Telecom companies are uniquely placed in the branchless banking eco-system since they have the required technology and resources to enhance the growth and uptake of this burgeoning industry. This partnership will allow HBL Express to expand its branchless banking footprint in Pakistan while providing peace of mind to its consumers since all financial transactions carried out will be completely safe and secure. The provision of USSD services is the first step in this alliance which will provide financial and commercial benefit to both organisations in the coming future.

The agreement was signed at Warid Telecom’s Head Office in Lahore between Mr. Tariq Gulzar, Chief Financial Officer, Warid Telecom and Mr. Faiq Sadiq, Head of Payment Services, HBL. The ceremony was also attended by senior executives from both organisations, including Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh, Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Suhail Jan, VP Sales & Distribution, Mr. Nauman Fakhar, VP Customer Services and Mr. Adnan Anjum, Director Marketing Strategy and Pricing from Warid Telecom. Mr. Azfar Jamal, Head of Branchless Banking and Mr. Ghanzfar Ali Khan, Head of Sales Branchless Banking from HBL.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Gulzar said, “We are proud to be a strategic partner in HBL’s efforts to enhance financial inclusion in Pakistan and consider this a very important step in providing banking services to the unbanked.”

Mr. Faiq Sadiq added, “HBL’s strategic alliance with Warid Telecom will accelerate the adoption of Branchless Banking Services in Pakistan and enable the Bank to offer mobile wallets to the unbanked.”

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Wateen Announces the Launch of V3

Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s leading converged communications service provider, is proud to announce the launch of V3 (Virtual Presence via Voice and Video), Pakistan’s first cloud-based high definition (up to 1080p) video conferencing solution for enterprises that require secure and comprehensive communication and collaboration between meeting rooms, desktops and smart devices (iOS/Android smartphones & tablets) through an intuitive, cloud-based platform.Wateen is the first cloud-based video conferencing services provider in Pakistan that has its own dedicated video conferencing servers, which allows it to offer fast, high quality, reliable video conferencing with low latency and quick response times. This results in superior performance for variable conditions in the network. Whereas other video conference solutions providers are unable to sustain the connection in case of a 2% packet drop, V3 can continue to work seamlessly even when there is a 20% packet drop.

V3 services don’t require any hardware investment, yet they can be easily integrated with “Room Clients” of all known video conferencing brands, which means that there is no need to install any hardware or employ any in-house technical staff to manage a dedicated tele-presence studio. All the components required to enable up to 100 users are built into this easy-to-deploy package delivered at a very affordable price. Wateen is also offering additional savings on bundling the service with Wateen bandwidth.

Commenting on the launch of V3, Wateen CEO, Mr. Naeem Zamindar said, “Wateen is committed to providing technology solutions that will transform the way businesses operate in Pakistan and V3 is another step in that direction. It doesn’t require any hardware investment or any technical expertise, which makes it a cost effective solution for organizations that are looking to adopt high-definition video conferencing through a cloud platform as a means of reducing travel costs and improving communication and collaboration in the workplace. Extending our portfolio to high-definition video conferencing is another step forward in realizing our dream of a ‘Digitized Pakistan’.

V3 is supported by largest technical support team in Pakistan. Wateen’s highly skilled technical experts use advanced processes and tools to provide you with consistent, world-class support and are always available at Wateen’s 24X7 dedicated corporate helpline (111-WATEEN).

Wateen is offering a limited number of free demo licenses that are available on first-come, first-served basis. Interested organizations can obtain a free demo license by calling 111-WATEEN, visiting www.wateen.com or sending an email to productsebu@wateen.com.

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