Lahore:- We are all aware of the famous Jazz “No Samjhota” tagline. We have seen it in the ads, on the billboards, and even heard it on the radio. The entire year of 2009, Mobilink Jazz proclaimed and reinforced on its dictum of “Coverage, quality aur rates per No Samjhota” and its worked pretty well for the most favorite pre-paid cellular brand of our country.

There is no doubting the fact that Jazz has always been there for its customers with its unmatched customer quality, network strength and extensive coverage with most competitive offers. With its “No Samjhota” tagline, Jazz became just like a dear companion of 30 million customers across Pakistan.

One can safely assume that Jazz, being a brand which has almost become part of the lives of its customers and which keeps families & individuals across Pakistan connected all the time, has tried to convey the same message of staying connected with loved ones by saying; “Jazz apno ko apno se joray”.

This new vision - “Jazz Apna Hai” is a touching promise to its customers that Jazz will continue to strengthen the bond with its customers and will strive to bring them closer to their loved ones. The new Jazz ad with the “Apna Hai” tagline has done a remarkable job in creating an emotional bond with its customers.

Warid Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd. countries most popular and favorite cellular service offers range of innovative value added services. After phenomenal success of Anonymous Chat and Zem Gup Lagao Service (777) now Warid brings ‘IM over SMS’. It’s a great service that allows Warid customers to stay in touch with the world using all popular Instant Messengers. Warid adds ‘Strings Category’ on Music Club (444) IVR. This addition is especially made for Warid’s brand ambassadors ‘Strings’.

Knowing that matters the most for the customers Warid introduced another exciting yet informative service ‘BMI’ its an innovative new service for weight and health conscious customers, Warid’s BMI application informs the customer of his BMI (Body Mass Index) based on his height and weight. This SMS based service informs the customer if he is overweight, underweight or healthy and provides specialized health tips for improving BMI customized according to result.

On Valentines Day Warid also launched Love Quizzes based on exciting questions related to customer love life. The service consists of a number of love based quizzes eg. are you in love, does he/she like me, how deep is your love etc. The service asks the customer 5 questions and according to his response to these questions, it gives him a reading on his love life based on the quiz he chose to take.

Warid is always a step ahead in bringing the most advanced value added services to its customers.

KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Muhammad Yaseen, has said that the mobile banking regulatory framework would be introduced soon to facilitate the untraditional banking in the country.

Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of the third international mobile conference, "MCB Mobile Commerce 2010", which was organised jointly by PTA and TOTAL Communications here on Thursday in collaboration with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at a local hotel, he said PTA and SBP are jointly working to introduce a single framework for mobile banking sector in next quarter.

He pointed out that the global mobile money industry has shown a phenomenal growth in size and scope with several modes of credit transactions, which can be made through bank branches, call centres, ATMs etc. Expressing astonishment over the lowest cost of money transaction through mobile banking, he said that a single transaction through such a mode costs only $0.08.

He added that it provides convenience to the customers at a cheap transaction cost. According to World Bank, Pakistan was amongst the top 20 countries, which had received remittances of $6.1 billion in 2007, he said. Yaseen said that there is consensus that the mobile banking regulation should be introduced gradually.

He added that PTA also wants to protect consumers and retain their trust in the regulators system. Later talking to reporters, Chairman PTA said that the 668 initiative was successful as the authority received some 7,48,290 complaints.

The number of irregular SIMs was 1.4 million and 847,389 SIMs were regularised through the 668 inquiry service. PTA blocked 4,26,473 SIMs, while 1.02 million SIMs are yet to be regularised. He said that PTA plans to undertake another four phases of the 668 inquiry service to completely weed out the irregular SIMs from the cellular companies list. He added that PTA has cancelled no SIMs during the process.

About the revenue growth in the telecom sector, Yaseen said that it has been 15 percent, while investment remained $1.6 million in 2008-09. He said that this sector attracted about $815 million of foreign direct investment, which is 22percent of the total FDI that the country received.

He said that during the second phase of 668 inquiry service, PTA would change the status of SIMs issued for NIC in the past with CNIC to streamline the whole data. He said that with spread of a new cable, the broadband tariff would further decline, while use of wireless broadband has increased.

Deputy Governor SBP, Yaseen Anwar, while speaking on the occasion as guest of honour, urged the commercial banks to focus on improving access to finance and promote financial inclusion without compromising on the safety of the overall banking system.

He said that as a regulator, the State Bank would always facilitate the banking sector by providing various options to smoothly conduct its operation of financial intermediation. He said the SBP is also considering the non bank-led and Telco-led model of branchless banking. This would help in regulation, which extends beyond the direct supervisory role of the central bank. He said: "We may need to establish, as in some countries, a National Payments Council that will include other stakeholders to regulate this rapidly expanding business sector."

SBP Deputy Governor said that the central bank has issued guidelines for branchless banking as part of a broader strategy to create an enabling regulatory environment with the objectives of promoting financial inclusion. Anwar said that branchless banking is a significantly cheaper alternative to conventional branch-based banking, as it allows banks to offer financial services outside traditional bank premises.

One inherent power of branchless banking is that it can be used to substantially increase the financial services outreach to the un-banked communities and in a broader perspective provides ways and means for promotion of financial inclusion in the country," he added.

He pointed out that the transactional volume and value of e-payments during a single quarter of October- December 2009 reached 46.4 million and Rs 4.1 trillion, respectively. Anwar said that branchless banking is no exception and its associated risks should be carefully identified and addressed.

"Our guidelines address the agent related risks, wireless and technology risks, wireless network risks, user awareness risks, data & network security risks etc. We are confident our guidelines cover the ways and means to manage these risks," he added.

He said the SBP believes in encouraging innovative products and services in the financial sector. Giving the welcome address, President MCB Bank, Atif Aslam Bajwa urged that the longstanding social needs should be addressed for paving way for branchless banking system and its growth.

He said that there should be an enabling regulatory framework. He observed that banks in Pakistan and in the developing world have failed to fulfil the social needs of the society, saying that only 15 percent people are connected to the banks in the country and one billion globally. He hoped that the mobile banking sector would grow.

LAHORE : The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) signed-up its first customer agreement for Tele Presence service with M/S Getronics. The PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (BZ-N) Tariq Salman and Country Manager Getronics Faisal Rao signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Speaking on the occasion, Tariq Salman said that this service is first of its kind in Pakistan and PTCL has raised the bar in cutting edge business solutions to its corporate customers by launching this service. PTCL Tele Presence is an innovative technology that combines rich audio with high-definition video to deliver a true "in person" virtual meeting experience, while connecting customers, partners and co-workers in real time, he said.

The main drivers in introducing this technology is to reduce costs, improve corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials through reduced environmental impact and improve responses to business challenges and opportunities

Lahore- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics and Mobile phones, has redefined the home-entertainment experience by launching the world’s first Full HD 3D LED TV and a full lineup of 3D home entertainment products. Samsung also announced the expansion of its strategic alliance with DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) to feature exclusive 3D offerings of the company’s enjoyable film series.
To make 3D TV more accessible for consumers globally, Samsung unveiled a promotional program where buyers of 2010 Samsung 3D TV and 3D Blu-ray Player or Home Theater System, will receive two pairs of Samsung 3D active glasses and 3D Blue-ray versions of famous releases like; “Monsters vs. Aliens” and ”Shrek”.
To celebrate the launch of such revolutionary products, a special performance by the famous band “Black-Eyed Peas” was held at Times Square, New York, where James Cameron, the 3D-filming specialist and Director of the famous 3D movie “Avatar” also joined in the celebrations to shoot the concert in 3D. This filming was streamed live via Dipdive.com, to enable the global audience to see the great Launch.
The Country Manager, Samsung Pakistan, Mr. Steve Han said, “Samsung is the global leader in Televisions since four years. This new, immersive 3D TV experience will gain rapid popularity through our in-store display plan, which will enable US consumers to experience 3D in over 5,000 stores, by the end of 2010. 3D TV is the future of TV. Its ad campaign captioned “Dedicated to Wonder” is created by Oscar-winning director-Mauro Fiore”.
Samsung deployed B-Boys dancers throughout New York City, that added to the festivities. A mega 3D screen display composed of 36 TVs was also installed out doors. The famous TV channel ABC featured the Samsung 3D LED TVs and the stylish 3D glasses, during the famous Jimmy Kimmel Show and on Good Morning America, which is the 2nd most watched morning show in the USA. This particular episode was watched by over 4 million people.
To complement the popularity of 3D in theaters globally, Samsung’s Full HD 3D LED TVs were globally launched in a press-conference in New York City. These include the LED C7000, C8000 and C9000 Series, LCD 750 Series, and the Plasma 7000/8000 Series. These TVs create lifelike depth and color clarity at home, when combined with the BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray player or HT-C6930W 3D home theater system, using stylish 3D glasses.
Real240Hz™ refresh-rate technology and Samsung’s special 3D processor are other prominent features. When not in the 3D mode, you’re back to watching the best performing HDTVs. With Internet@TV connectivity and the first HDTV “Samsung Apps” store, users can download fabulous applications on these products. These eco-conscious HDTV products from Samsung exceed stringent EnergyStar 4.0 guidelines.

KARACHI: Pakistan will soon enjoy enhanced coverage for superior online freedom with wi-tribe, the country's fastest growing wireless broadband operator, as it moves into the second phase of network expansion.

Wi-tribe has awarded the services contract to Nokia Siemens Networks who will provide a unique solution comprising of site delivery services and project management.

"Our aim is simple - to make wireless broadband a way of life in Pakistan," said Sami Hinedi, CEO of the wi-tribe Group. "This means expanding our coverage to facilitate reliable wireless access anywhere and everywhere. Nokia Siemens Networks' rich local expertise coupled with strong capabilities in site acquisition and project management makes them an ideal partner for our ambitious build out plans."

"Wireless broadband has huge potential in Pakistan to significantly enhance the country's overall broadband penetration rates," said Saad M Waraich, Country Director, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Nokia Siemens Networks. Under the services contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide comprehensive site build out services including project management, site acquisition, civil works, and logistics for wi-tribe's Phase 2 sites.

Lahore:- Mobilink, the country’s market leader in cellular communications and part of the Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) registered an increase in subscriber base and revenues for Q4 2009 as compared to previous quarter of the same year.

Mobilink demonstrated positive trends in the fourth quarter of 2009 as the company’s revenues as per local currency showed an increase of 5.3% as compared to Q3, 2009. EBITDA for the same period rose by 16.2% and the EBITDA margin improved by 3.4%. ARPU for Q4 of 2009 as compared to the previous quarter was also up by 3.3%. The company’s net base increased approximately by 0.76 million subscribers in this period.

Mobilink’s subscriber base has reached 30.8 million as of December 2009. Earning PKR 86.8 billion for the full year 2009, Mobilink managed to stabilize revenues in local currency despite a tough year for the country in terms of the law and order situation, continued inflation and currency devaluation as well as slow GDP growth and electricity load shedding that remained major constraints. The company’s average revenue per user (ARPU) also remained stable during 2009 in rupee terms.

Commenting on the results, Rashid Khan, President and CEO, Mobilink, shared that the aggressive stance taken by the company in the wake of an overall stressful environment, backed by Mobilink’s distinct advantages of coverage and quality, has paid off. We have retained market share, increased subscriber base and stabilized revenues in rupee terms, he said.

With 31.5% market share as of December 2009 (as reported by PTA) Mobilink continues to be Pakistan’s favorite cellular family.

Lahore:- Dell Global Consumer, Asia-Pacific has presented the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award to Nubla Iftikhar, The Marketing Manager at Dell Pakistan. Nubla manages the Consumer and SMB domain for Dell Pakistan.

It is a commendable achievement as Nubla is the first Pakistani female to get this award. Under her able marketing leadership, Dell Consumer and SMB closed the last Financial Quarters attaining the strongest yearly growth in the region. Dell Notebooks are rapidly becoming a household name in Pakistan, with Nubla making a substantial contribution in creating proactive and remarkable marketing strategies. Dell’s competent resources and strategic excellence have provided highly evolved products and services to the local market, elevating the stature of this global IT Giant in the region.

KARACHI: Combining unprecedented security, performance and energy efficiency, Intel Corporation launched the Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series. “The Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series will be the backbone of mainstream computing environments,” Country Manager Intel Pakistan, Ashar Zaidi said. The new processors deliver two new security features that enable faster encryption and decryption performance for more secure transactions and virtualised environments, providing data centers with a stronger foundation for cloud security. Data centers will also benefit from the power efficiency of the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will soon enjoy enhanced coverage of superior online freedom with Wi-tribe, the country’s fastest growing wireless broadband operator, as it moves into the second phase of network expansion. Wi-tribe has awarded the services contract to Nokia Siemens Networks that will provide a unique solution comprising site delivery services and project management. “Our aim is simple - to make wireless broadband a way of life in Pakistan,” said Sami Hinedi, CEO of the Wi-Tribe Group.