Week In Review: Week ending on Saturday, the 23rd of August, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008 13:16Oracle has become the center of attention for leading organizations in Pakistan as it has emerged as one of the most innovative business solution providers in the past few years. The company has recognized itself in the market for effectively managing several important business issues that includes data security, enhanced business efficiencies, disaster recovery and the business recovery solutions.
Various sectors, including government, manufacturing, financial services, utilities, telecommunications and health care, are preferring to adopt Oracle to run their businesses and the number is continuously increasing.
The International Traffic Monitoring & Certification Committee (ITMCC), appointed by the LDI operators, is to sign a contract with M/S Computer Research Pvt. Limited (CRPL) for the turnkey implementation of the project of International Traffic Settlement System (ITSS). PTCL, Link Direct, Multinet, Redtone and Telecard are the members of the committee.
The project is expected to complete in six week, after which the system will ensure full accounting of international incoming traffic minutes. Additionally, the system will also be providing a mechanism for the settlement of real interconnect traffic.
TeleCard selected Augere as the principal service provider to devise and assemble the network that offers a value proposition for the growing internet user community in the country. The initial deployment of the equipment has already commenced and the company is expected to offer commercially ready services by the end of this year.
Augere is an international organization, focused on providing broadband services in various emerging markets such as Pakistan. Moreover, it is being anticipated by Telecard that the launch of WiMAX Network would enable the company to improve its position in the growing telecom market.
Microsoft and Aga Khan Foundation USA have signed a MoU to collaborate in the development of innovative technology solutions and human resource capacity through education, health, civil society, financial services, rural livelihoods and economic development programmes in Africa and Central Asia.
Both organizations are targeting an expansion of social and economic opportunities for unjustified communities, irrespective of race, religion and political persuasion. The programme is basically focusing on education, in its initial phase, by establishing a global information and communication technology strategy for the network of 18 Aga Khan Academies.
Microsoft will be providing technical assistance and advisory services to academies, exploring new ways for ICT, to ensure the quality education and teachers’ professional development. Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Programme and Microsoft’s Digital Literacy Curriculum are also expected to be a part of this programme but it has not been conformed.
State Bank of Pakistan has directed the banking community throughout Pakistan to provide credit cards, car loans and other consumer services to every personnel, disregarding their status, business, city and such other reasons. Banks have been asked to accept all kind of applications for the consumers, which will ensure that all kind of consumers are being facilitated with latest banking services.
PTCL launched PTCL Smart TV, which is the first interactive television service. The company has officially announced the launch at 8th ITCN exposition, held at expo center Karachi. Chairman Board of Directors of PTCL, Dr, Hafeez-ur-Rehman made the announcement while SEVP PTCL, Dr. Sadik Al Jadir and Executive Broadband and Multimedia, Syed Zema Mohi-ud-Din were present at the event.
Pak Qatar Family Takaful Limited has successfully established its branch networks in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Kotli, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Quetta, Haiderabad and Gujrat. The company plans to enlist Sialkot, Multan, Sukher, Mirpur and Azad Kashmir in its branch lists. The company is rapidly expanding its network across the country and very soon, it is going increase develop its network in every city and town of Pakistan.
Technology Up gradation and Skill Development Company (Tusdec) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) sponsored Business Support Fund (BSF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to organize their efforts and pool resources for increasing competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The agreement was signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tusdec, Suhael Ahmed and CEO, BSF, David Monkman at a simple but impressive ceremony, says a Tusdec representative.
Tusdes and BSF would join their efforts to help small businesses through NIDA (National Institute of Design and Analysis, upgrading their skills and understanding for the betterment of product design.
Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry honored Meezan Bank with the award of Best Islamic Bank Award, which significantly shows the developing trends of Islamic Banking in Pakistan. Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Shareef given away this award to Saleem Khan Regional Manger North, Meezan Bank Ltd at 21st RCCI achievement awards ceremony held at Convention Centre Islamabad.
The contact center of Mobilink in Karachi have been successfully covering the southern region including Balochistan and Lahore-based. This was stated by Reshma Abdullah, manager contact center Mobilink, who also added that all the contact centers are being operated by young men and women who are expertly responding to the customers.
Reshma also mentioned that more than 400,000 calls are received of which 70 percent are answered by the interactive voice responder (IVR).
On August 29, 2008, the 2nd International Microfinance Country Forum 2008 was organized in Lahore, which was attended by delegates representing Pakistani and foreign organizations, donor agencies, microfinance banks, financial institutions and other groups.
Dubai Islamic Bank is steadily expanding its branch network and it has successfully launched in branches in all major cities across the Pakistan. The recent addition to its network has been its 20th branch in Haideri. CEO of DIBPL, M.A. Mannan, Head of Consumer Banking, Syed Mujtaba Abbas and Head of Wealth Management, Naveed Malik inaugurated the new branch. Moreover, the company aims to further its network by launching four more branches before the end of this year.
Zong Telecom has been offering exciting packages for its customers, which has become a big plus to add effect to its extra sales. Now, the company has been offering smart packages, advertising in a cool new style, and rapidly expanding its network in every corner of Pakistan. Not all these things are going in vain, because the company has been making record sales in the last few weeks. The recent offer for Zong customers is to make international calls to several countries at 50 Paise per thirty second. Though, other companies are also offering almost the same range but this new offer has certainly been rated HOT. Now, Telecom has affordable for every single person, at least in Pakistan. Isn’t it?
The merchant community hasn’t liked the idea of e-filing as much as it was expected. The community has suggested that the majority of Merchants is not literate, nor they have any computers, which makes e-filing useless for them. The community has appealed to change this advanced and integrated system, or it would be impossible for them to submit their sales tax returns.
It leaves everyone with two options; to educate the illiterate, either promote basic computer knowledge for everyone, or develop a system that can be easily used by everyone, even the illiterates.
Japan has been found interested in Pakistani Business Market and it is eager to invest on Pakistan on a very huge scale, which makes it more evident when Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, Seiji Kojima terms the current US $2 billion trade volume between Islamabad and Tokyo a minor one as compared to their plans.
He expects that recommendations of the Joint Study Group (JSG) would help the two countries increase bilateral trade.
On August 25, 2008, the 2nd International Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance was organized in Lahore. Present at the conference were renowned experts from Malaysia, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, UAE, Mauritius, UK, Qatar and several other countries.
Besides international experts, more than 1,500 individuals including local Islamic Bankers, Financial experts, experts related to Takaful, Islamic fund, Sukuk, Mudaraba also attended the conference, which is being considered as the largest and most comprehensive event in the world on Islamic Banking and Finance.
Lahore Chamber, with the collaboration of collectorate of Federal Board of Revenue, has established a help desk at Lahore Chamber, which is solving different kind of problems, being faced by taxpayers, which has solved several issues that were too complicated to be solved by the average taxpayer.
Licensed LDI operators have signed a contract with M/S Computer Research Pvt. Limited (CRPL) for the turnkey implementation of the project of International Telephony Traffic Reconciliation System (ITTRS). The project will be completed in six weeks time.
