P@SHA ICT Awards 2008 on 31/10!
October 30, 2008
From its nascent beginnings in the late 1980s, the Pakistan IT and ITES industry has now reached a point where its value proposition has been validated. The largest member companies are grossing between 15 – 30 million dollars in annual revenue and receiving 100 million dollar valuations.
Most technology companies are growing in excess of 30% a year annually. For innovation to thrive a healthy and supportive environment which encourages new ideas, research and experimentation is extremely important.
Some of the very best ideas almost always come from younger companies whose passion and excitement drives them. Innovation doesn’t always have to be a new idea; it’s sometimes just a new way of doing something that is easier and more productive for users and customers.
Cutting direct investment in innovation during an economic slowdown is a mistake and could have long term effects on the economic progress of a country..
The purpose of the P@SHA ICT Awards is to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and production of ICT products that are both exportable and can cater to domestic industry demands.
The best ways to encourage excellence and innovation is to recognize what is already being done by individuals and companies in the ICT sector in Pakistan.
P@SHA asks for nominations in 20 different categories including Best of Financial Applications, Best of Communication Applications, Best in Digital & Media Entertainment, Best in Startup Category, Best in E-Learning and E-Health amongst others.
This year two new categories have been added: E-Community & E-Inclusion and E-Logistics.
The winners of the P@SHA ICT Awards 2008 go on to participate at the Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2007 Pakistan picked up the Best in Financial Applications and Best in Communications Awards at APICTA in Singapore competing against countries like Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.
Around 48 entries were received from across the country for this year’s P@SHA ICT Awards, according to Jehan Ara, President of the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA). The judges had a very difficult time deciding on the winning entries. The winners will be presented with Awards at P@SHA’s flagship gala event at the Karachi Marriott Hotel on October 31, 2008.
For more information, please contact: secretariat@pasha.org.pk
IP Sniffing is Bad for Business
October 19, 2008
Companies working out of Pakistan have to compete with global operations in order to help foster the “robust technology infrastructure” image we project of Pakistan, their reliance on VOIP-generated services is immense. We live in 2008. Granted that VOIP has been used and abused since as early as the days of Net2Phone and the YapJack, but that was a different day and time.
According to a recent discussion with Barrister Zahid Jamil, an open system allows for facilitation by a legal entity as long as it doesn’t hinder economic progress. Hindering economic activity. Blocking IPs for companies that engage in support over VOIP software such as Skype where the companies are dependent on a handful of telephone lines, perhaps borders on hindering their economic progress.
Some companies who run VOIP software have had their IPs blocked for temporary durations, whereby continued VOIP activity will have the organization’s internet facility eventually terminated. These are call center operations or companies that offer tech support. Voice over IP is what the defacto standard of any competitive will become much like email or the web. When the world heads towards a trend of Convergence, Integration and Open standards, we’re still struggling with a certain amount of specific confusion.
What kind of an impact this will have on local companies is something that they will have to document and make a business case. A collaborative, well documented effort to explain to the PTA and other stakeholders how this ‘action’ will hit Pakistan’ ability to compete in the global economy is what the need of the hour is.
Whether we need another policy recommendation to add to what the regulator can and cannot do is something that might still take a long time to develop. The common sense question to ask is more along the lines of this: should the regulator ‘regulate’ or ‘litigate’?
Pasha ICT Awards 2008 Calls for Nominations!
September 29, 2008
It’s that exciting time of the year when the Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA) calls out to the local industry to submit their nominations for products and services. It happens in the 3rd quarter of the year and this year the PASHA ICT Awards will be taking place on the 31st of October at the Marriott Hotel in Karachi. In addition to the existing 16 categories for Product Innovation, 4 new categories have been added for Best Call Center/BPO, Best in Service Innovation, Best Work Environment and Best in Corporate Social Responsibility. [Read more]
P@SHA’s Career Expo Goes to Pindi!
July 29, 2008
After a very successful event in Karachi, the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA), is partnering with BrightSpyre.com to take the P@SHA Career Expo to Rawalpindi on August 2, 2008. [Read more]
P@SHA’s Career Expo: Inspiring Innovation!
July 20, 2008
P@SHA has been organizing its annual Career Expo for last the three years to provide students with the latest information towards better and more sustainable careers. BearingPoint Management & Technology Consultants was the lead sponsor of the entire programme, while PixSense, Microsoft and Intel were the bronze sponsors of this expo. [Read more]
More PASHA Career Expo Images!
July 20, 2008
And some more images - in case you’re wondering, yes - it IS okay to download these! [Read more]
Photographs from PASHA’s Career Expo 2008
July 20, 2008
Congratulations to the organizers, participants and the industry! Keep checking back for more updates, videos and keep the clicks comin’! If you were at the expo or would like to share an idea or experience from there, please feel free to leave your comments here. You are welcome to download these images and use them though we’d appreciate if you could either link back or just give us credit for it. [Read more]
P@SHA Career Expo at the Marriott in Karachi on July 20
July 7, 2008
Pasha announced another Career Expo, to be held at the Marriott hotel in Karachi on the 20th of July. The past career and job fairs have proven to be extremely popular and have helped a focused intake of skilled HR into the IT and ITeS companies. If you’re looking for some advice, some guidance and the scope of the number of available jobs in the sector, this would most definitely be a good opportunity. Visit the PASHA entry on the career expo, for more details!
Open Forum on Privacy to be held on 11th July 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at the FAST Lahore
July 3, 2008
This open forum is being organized under the auspices of London School of Economics(LSE), UK and Privacy International (PI), UK. Three globally renowned, leading subject specialists will be the resource persons for this event. These distinguished researchers includes Simon Davies, Director of Privacy International and Visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE, Dr Gus Hosein, a Senior Fellow with PI and a Visiting Senior Fellow with the LSE and David Banisar, Deputy Director of Privacy International and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Leeds School of Law.
This is a pioneering activity in the country with the objective to understand the nature, issues and policy dynamics around Privacy in Pakistan. It will also serve as an opportunity to raise awareness about privacy issues for Government Departments, the IT Industry, the Banking and Telecom Sector, Academia, Civil Society Organizations and the general public.
Since the issue to be discussed relates to everyone in the society, please consider attending this two hour session on 11th July 2008 in Lahore. The deadline for registration to attend the event is 9th July 2008. Please visit the BytesForAll page dedicated to the event, for more details.
IT Companies asked to vacate Evacuee Trust Complex in Islamabad
June 2, 2008
Most of the IT companies in the Evacuee Trust Complex, a Software Technology Park in Islamabad, received a notification from the Evacuee Trust Property Board dated May 23, 2008 (delivered to them on May 27 or 28) asking them to vacate the premises by May 31st 2008.
These notices have been served to IT companies whose lease agreements have recently been renewed and to those whose agreements are expiring in the coming months. [Read more]