MORE Magazine

COVER STORY M.A. Farooq J & Fahd Chishty

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There is a dire need to counter the harmful effects of the consequences of our actions.

To maintain the equilibrium of nature and to balance the equation, Green Engineering comes into play

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l Our world is becoming more and more difficult place to live in: thanks to our desire of increased luxury and advanced technology. The engineering, involved in innovation and material production, is also the principal contributor to the atmospheric pollution. All industries including power generation, electronic and electrical, chemical, automobile, IT and telecom etc. are responsible for environmental pollution.

The advancement of technology, for a better tomorrow, has affected the climate and ultimately the human health a great deal. But 08

now realizing the need of the time, this very technology is going to induct a new branch of engineering, called Green Engineering.

This engineering is aimed at curbing the worse aftermaths of engineering innovations on the environment. The whole world is now talking about things like environment, global warming, nature and climate.

Perhaps that’s why the year of 2008 has been termed as the 8th warmest year, notably all the eight years happening to have taken place after 1997.

We all know about the pollution caused by

vehicles, factories etc. But are we aware of the pollution caused by the electronic waste, which is haunting the world like a monster.

Electronic waste includes your computers, mobile phones, iPods, digital video disc players, digital cameras and the like.

According to Earth911.com, the total annual global volume of e-waste is estimated to reach about 40 million metric tons. It said, “Unfortunately, improper disposal of e-waste creates a significant burden on landfills because toxic substances can leach into the soil and groundwater. In the US alone, it is

COVER STORY

estimated that we generated 1.5 billion pounds of all kinds of e-waste in 2006. This includes an estimated 44 million computers and televisions.”

The situation may not look as bad in the Philippines but the authorities are seeing it as an opportunity, not an excuse to do nothing.

They are of the opinion that they have the huge advantage of being able to start taking steps now to prevent the e-waste problem here from developing into a major disaster Earth 911 warns that certain items from e-

products are particularly harmful.

“For instance, CRT-based computer and television monitors contain on average four to eight pounds of lead, a highly toxic heavy metal.” (CRT stands for cathode-ray tube, which helps create images.)

Similarly in Sri Lank, much smaller and lesser-developed country than Pakistan, Central Environment Authority (CEA) Chairman Udaya Gammanpila directed CEA officials to submit proposals to construct an e-waste recycling facility to deal with unregulated e-waste disposals.

CEA sources said, the Authority was in the process of preparing proposals for constructing an e-waste facility together with necessary legislations to ensure safe and environment friendly e-waste disposal and recycling practices.

According to a report from Greenpeace International, e-waste in Asia remains largely unregulated and its impact on recycling workers, surrounding communities, water courses and soils are poorly studied.

In Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Municipality is hailed for a project that refurbishes and upgrades unwanted computers for donation to charity.

But what’s about our authorities? They are totally hush at such a vital issue and don’t seem to have time out of their petty politics to pay heed towards matters of such grave concerns.

Globally, everyone, whether it is a vehicle producing company or computer related organization, threatened by the hugely dire circumstances in the days to come, seems to be rushing for Green Engineering. Apple and Dell are reported to be fighting to ‘outgreen’ each other. Similarly, Microsoft has introduced power management improvements to its new Windows 7 operating system.

Plans have also been made to make people realize that they should keep their data on a hard drive under their desk or on their lap, instead of using faster broadband speeds to store data on a secure server, sometimes thousands of miles away.

On the other hand, it has been observed that a tranquil PC machine needs just 20W and therefore can use its recycles aluminum casing to dissipate heat rather than using a fan.

Surveys also demonstrated that we use far more powerful machines at our homes than we really need. So now there is a need of making the public realize that the era of bigger, better, faster machines is now over.

Google, alleged of producing 0.2g CO2 on

each Google search/inquiry, announced that it had applied for the patent on ‘floating data centers,’ which would be tethered off coasts near the large cities. The intention is to use wave power to generate the electricity to run the data centers, and to use sea water to help keep them cool.

Meanwhile, Iceland – economic woes notwithstanding – intends to position itself as one of the world’s key data center hubs by utilizing its cold climate and abundant geothermal energy.

These are very welcoming notes as June 2008 was marked as the passing of the symbolic ‘one billion computers in use’ landmark. With computer use growing at 13 percent annually, it predicts the two billion mark to be reached by 2014.

Thus, in a nutshell, there is a dire need to counter the harmful effects of the consequences of our actions. To maintain the equilibrium of nature and to balance the equation, Green Engineering comes into play. Policy makers and think tanks of technology now prefer to “Go Green”.

GREEN ENGINEERING “Going Green” means to promote Green Engineering, which is “the design, commercialization, and use of processes and products, which are feasible and economical while minimizing l Generation of pollution at the source, & l Risk to human health and the environment Green Engineering embraces the concept that decisions to protect human health and environment can have greater impact and cost effectiveness when applied early to the design and development phase of a process or product.”

The principals of Green Engineering as developed by more than 65 engineers and scientists at the Green Engineering: Defining the Principles Conference, held in Sandestin, Florida in May of 2003 are as follows: l Engineer processes and products holistically, use systems analysis, and integrate environmental impact assessment tools. l Conserve and improve natural ecosystems while protecting human health and well-being. l Use life-cycle thinking in all engineering activities. l Ensure that all material and energy inputs and outputs are as inherently safe and benign as possible. l Minimize depletion of natural resources. l Strive to prevent waste.

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COVER STORY solutions, while being cognizant of local geography, aspirations, and cultures. l Create engineering solutions beyond current or dominant technologies; improve, innovate, and invent (technologies) to achieve sustainability. l Actively engage communities and stakeholders in development of engineering solutions.

METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS OF GREEN ENGINEERING The most effective and cost-reducing methods are also the most famous of all l Recycle l Reuse l Refurbish Whereas RECYCLING involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, REUSE is using an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function and newlife reuse where it is used for a new function while REFURBISHMENT (RESTORATION) is the process of major maintenance or minor repair of an item, either aesthetically or mechanically. Refurbishment may refer to: Refurbishment (electronics) Antiques restoration Automotive restoration Generally, all these three processes aim at: l Reducing the consumption of fresh raw materials l Reducing energy usage l Reducing air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal lowering greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.

Where these processes REDUCE the incoming to some extent, there are many international organizations and treaties, which not only help reduce the inflow of pollutants but also ensure that certain countries and organizations act upon them accordingly.

But, what about our country? Have we realized the sensitivity of the issue? Have we got up from the sweet slumber, which is pushing close to devastation? The answer, pathetically, is no. We are still going for the kill of ourselves, of our future generations, and that too with our hands. Cars can be witnessed queued in front of all schools in posh areas of every big city. Every of the cars lined up there does not bring or pick more than two 10

kids. The practice is done twice a day. Each one of us loves to go to office alone in a car.

All these extra-luxurious habits give rise to global warming.

Then, we are facing the problem of power shortage with all our industry shut at the moment. We don’t seem to realize the hard-hitting impacts of the radiation from the towers installed by these cellular companies. Why are we putting a deaf ear to all these issues?

We rush ahead to compete India and even the United States at times and claim to be developed country, but are we the one?

Honestly speaking, we seem to be learning nothing from any of these developed countries but to make money. Even we don’t know on what projects, are they working on to create energy by saving environment. Do we know that the Chinese have placed bicycle type exercising machines in most of recreational places like parks etc where one can go and do exercise by using these equipments? Batteries are installed with these machines and with one’s exercise, they are charged and can be utilized to enlighten the lights.

Are we thinking about steps like the Iranians, who sometimes back, announced to charge the drivers with hefty amounts for plying the empty vehicles, forcing them to take some of their colleagues to office along with them? l

Things You Didn't Know About-Recycling Drink up: It takes three months for a recycled aluminum to make its way back onto the shelf in reincarnated form. l

l During World War I, enough metal was salvaged from corset stays to build two warships. l Nike gathers old athletic shoes and turns

them into raw material for "sports surfaces" like tennis courts and running tracks. l Meanwhile, in China, more than 1 mil-

lion unsold copies of British singer-song writer Robbie Williams’ latest CD will be used to resurface roads. l Each year, Americans junk more than $80 million in copper, gold, silver, palladium and platinum in the form of retired cell phones. l E-waste is for the birds: An Australian nut

orchard converts the shells of vintage Macintosh computers into houses for pest-eating birds. l In the Middle Ages, urine was also used

to make saltpeter, an essential component of gunpowder. l The Doggone Project in Mannheim, Ger-

many, can recycle deceased pets into fertilizer. l Ecopods, a British company, sells stylish coffins made from hardened recycled paper, available in a range of colors including indigo and silver leaf. l Last year, Chinese hair salons caused a stir by unlawfully recycling used condoms, possibly donated by local nightclubs, into hair ties. l In 1821, Turkish soldiers surrounded

In 2002, researchers from Rutgers University built a 42-foot-long bridge over a river using plastic beams made from polystyrene cups and polyethylene milk jugs. l

Greek forces holed up in the Parthenon and started stripping lead from temple columns to make bullets. The horrified Greeks promptly sent the enemy a fresh supply of

THINGS TO DO The authorities in Pakistan, understanding the sensitivity of the issue, must put up a prompt response to it. The cellular companies should be asked to place their equipment on one tower, rather than erecting a separate tower. It has been implemented in India and multiple companies are placing their equipment on single tower in a particular area. The companies, besides saving the environment, will also be able to avoid expenses on things like rent, manpower, generators and installation. Similarly, educational institutions should be accredited only if they can arrange the transport for their students.

Putting a restriction on plying vehicles without any passenger can be another options.

CNG buses is yet another. In parks and other recreational places, Chinese bicycle-like equipment should be installed to get batteries charged and then use them in the hour of need. Solar and wind energy should be utilized and the government, taking the responsibility, should come forward and lead the way in this regard.

ENERGY Muhammad Zubair

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The world today is moving forward in technology with a great pace. Everyone wants his/her life full of comfort. Every minute we talk about new advancements.

Transports always remain the key part of technology which is a preferred choice of every person. It is also important for the development of any country. As we go ahead achieving the targets and ruling the globe, we are also on the way to natural disasters.

The worse effects of the environment on the human health are evident. There has been a remarkable increase in the number of the asthma patients during the last 10 years. The diseases like cancer, hepatitis and jaundice are more common now-a-days. The human interference significantly affects the public’s health. This was the most obvious when infectious disease was the primary public health threat during the industrial revolution; unsanitary conditions and overcrowded urban areas facilitated the spread of infection.

What is Biodiesel Technology?

It is a complete new alternative to diesel fuel for automotive or heating use, and is produced from agricultural raw materials, i.e.

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vegetable oils, or animal fats. With low emissions of carbides and sulphides, biodiesel has same performance as conventional diesel fuel. The raw material required for its production are crude vegetable oils (soybean, rape, sunflower) used fried oils, acid oils, edible and inedible tallow and grease.

It can be used in same engine with no modification required.

Advantages From the point of view of ecology, the biodiesel has many advantages in comparison with the diesel fuel as it causes lower emissions when burned in diesel engines.

Carbon monoxide (CO) emitted during the combustion of biodiesel in diesel engines is lower in quantity (less than 50 percent of the same engine fuelled with normal diesel oil).

Toxicity of carbon monoxide is well known, especially in crowded towns.

There is no emission of sulphur dioxide (SO2) because the biodiesel is a sulphur-free compound.

"Carbon particulate" (smoke) emission is by 65 percent lower as compared to normal diesel oil (reduced effects on health, smog

and buildings).

Biodiesel does not contain any aromatic products (benzene derivatives compounds) that have been demonstrated to be very hazardous for human health.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during biodiesel combustion has a zero balance towards the environment because it is re-absorbed by future crops growth or by the growth of the animal fats.

Biodiesel can be considered a "renewable" fuel for its living matter origin (90 percent). It is not harmful to human health, vegetation, monuments and buildings. It is hence better than normal diesel oil, especially for public transportation and crowded towns traffic.

The energy balance of biodiesel (the difference between the energy produced during the combustion of one kg of biodiesel against the amount of energy spent for its production) is positive for at least up to 30 percent. Also, the production of biodiesel does not deplete the natural environment from an energetic point of view.

Biodiesel, to get a perfect combustion, does not require any modification to existing diesel engines. They can be fuelled both with nor-

ENERGY mal diesel and biodiesel, and even with mixed fuels.

From the production of biodiesel raw glycerol as by-product is obtained. Every 1000 tons of biodiesel produce 100 tons of raw glycerol. If the biodiesel plant is integrated with a glycerol distillation unit, the revenues from the sale of USP grade glycerol cover most part of the direct transformation cost of the oil into biodiesel. The market for pure glycerol is huge; more than 1500 different end uses have been identified so far. Glycerol can be exported world-wide.

Countries, which have oil import as a major product and have a higher rate of unemployment, may find a nation-wide biodiesel program an important tool to get social and economic benefits with only a minor investment. Local vegetable oil crops or animal fats production can be increased without fear of destabilizing the existing market capabilities as biodiesel use does not affect other markets. Hard currency expenditures for fossil oil can be diverted to other needs at the same time and existing local resources can be developed in a renewable way.

Recent Advancement The world's first biofuel-powered commercial aircraft took off from London's Heathrow Airport on February 24, 2008 and touched down in Amsterdam on a demonstration flight hailed as a first step towards "cleaner" flying. The "BioJet" fuel for this flight was produced by Seattle-based Imperium Renewables, Inc. Recently, researchers at Baylor University, Texas, have figured out a way to make car parts from coconuts, opening the door to the replacement of environmentally damaging plastic with an abundant, renewable resource. They have also created biodiesel from coconut oil, and are confident that the new fuel could be an economically viable substitute for gasoline, as well as a vital source of income for more than ten million coconut farmers worldwide struggling on tiny annual incomes, typically as little as $500.

So far, the researchers have constructed prototype versions of floorboards, trunk-liners and car-door interiors from coconut husks, which are normally burned or thrown away as a waste product.

According to project leader, Prof Walter Bradley, “We are trying to turn trash into cash to help poor coconut farmers. The fiber has very good strength, stiffness and ductility, and potentially can be used for all kinds of things.”

Initiatives in Pakistan In Pakistan, the need for alternate fuel production has also been felt and now the government and some private organizations have started to pay heed to it. Recently, the government of Punjab has inked an accord with a Chinese firm Beijing Environment and Sanitation Engineering Group (BESG) Company to generate power from garbage. According to reports, only Lahore is heaping up more than 5000 tonnes of garbage and the power generated from it can be utilized in industries.

Earlier in November 2008, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, while responding to a complaint made by Vice President of Haier Group Lu Jian regarding the power shortage, had offered the Haier Group to establish a power generating plant using garbage and waste as fuel, to produce cheap energy for meeting the company’s own demand and for selling the surplus to the power supplying companies.

The CM said that either through a Chinese company or itself, the Group could collect the garbage and waste from whole Sheikhupura and adjoining areas with the help of machine sweepers to use it as fuel for this project.

The Punjab government, back in 2001, had also approved the New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE) Policy – 2001. According to which, the concerned Municipal Corporations/Bodies/Committees will provide garbage at the project site free of cost for Urban, and Municipal (Solid/Liquid) and Industrial waste based power projects and energy recovery projects.

Alternately, the power producer will be allowed to collect the garbage at its own and the Corporation/Local bodies will pay charges to the power producer on mutually agreed terms and conditions. But the project, practically, remained in the doldrums.

Similarly, in Karachi, the city government contracted to sell garbage to Lucky Cement’s Super Highway factory for production of electricity, which will use the garbage as fuel in its power-generating unit, using German technology. The unit currently uses coal for fuel.

According to the accord, the E&IP department had agreed to sell 3,000 tonnes of garbage to the cement firm every day. The city government, meanwhile, also earlier awarded the Chinese company M/s Shanghai Shengong Environmental Protection Company Ltd a contract to collect roughly 8,000 tonnes of garbage from the city every day, and take it to landfill sites.

If this garbage is also used to generate power, we will not only be able to meet the large-looming power outages but also to protect our environment.

Likewise, the city fathers of Islamabad were also reported to be looking into a number of options to produce electricity locally to keep the capital free of power cuts.

So in short, the need for Green Engineering has been realized and private and public sectors are seems to be coming into terms with the issue. But the question remains the same. And that is whether these projects will see the light of practicality or will remain captive in the files and records. l

Bio-Diesel production cycle

Prototype Tank

Natural Gas Methane Molecule Future Tank

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TELECOM MORE PANEL

l The giant, PTCL, has always remained undefeated in Pakistan. In the post privatization era, the company has gone through many changes, MORE found an opportunity to discuss few of them with Mr. Sikandar Naqi, SEVP Corporate Development, PTCL.

Since Privatization of PTCL, how do you rate the company performance wise?

Since its privatization in 2005, PTCL has evolved itself as the only unified service provider in Pakistan and has been able to serve all the customer segments including 16

household consumers, enterprises and carriers with a comprehensive portfolio of products. The biggest challenge for PTCL is to transform itself from government run monopoly organization into a customer-focused organization operating in a very highly competitive market. Since its privatization, PTCL has made significant investments to enhance and upgrade the existing network to ensure accessibility and affordability of telephony and data services to masses.

Although company revenues have declined due to intensive price wars in the highly competitive post deregulation market; yet

PTCL has succeeded in extending its geographical presence in the rural areas. During the past three years, more than 200 cities were connected to the nationwide voice and dialup data network while broadband services have been extended to more than 120 cities across the country.

On the international front, SMW-4 was commissioned to enhance the reliability and availability of International connectivity in addition to SMW-3 by increasing network capacity. Introduction of the latest telecom services like DSL, IPTV and EVDO services are some of the hallmarks achieved in post privatization era of PTCL.

TELECOM

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Wired mediums can support all the new age services where wireless is helpless.

Can you think of IPTV, HDTV and Interactive gaming running over wireless? The answer, of course, is no!

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How efficiently can a wired medium be used in comparison to the wireless and in what areas?

What potential do you foresee in the data industry and what can be achieved through it in Pakistan?

The efficiency of a medium is determined in terms of speed, cost and reliability. Wired media has always been ahead of wireless media in all these dimensions.

The fixed line systems provide a 99.999% uptime and ensure high quality voice and data services with little security implications.

In terms of data, the DSL over copper is the cheapest broadband option for "access and transport" method. FTTx and GPON are other emerging wired solutions, which provide the consumers speeds far better than the prevailing wireless counterparts. For backhaul and long distance transmission, wired is again the best option due to capacity and reliability.

Wired mediums can support all the new age services where wireless is helpless. Can you think of IPTV, HDTV and Interactive gaming running over wireless? The answer, of course, is no!

Wireless communication is a fair application for emergency and temporary communication networks which aim at addressing basic telephony or narrowband data. For all planned communication and broadband data, wired networks have no match.

In the near future I foresee a paradigm shift from voice to data and broadband is likely to drive the growth in the sector.

The operators are offering wide range of technologies to provide data services. DSL is a leading technology with approximately 65 percent of the market share. The subscriber growth in DSL is 150 percent from July 2007 to July 2008. Despite this astonishing growth, Pakistan still lags behind many countries in terms of overall broadband subscribers. At the moment, local loop installed capacity of Pakistan is roughly 5.5M. To cater the future growth there is a huge investment potential in fiber and wireless broadband access technologies.

Broadband has major importance in accelerating the economic growth in all sectors, social development and facilitating innovation. Data industry will help raise literacy rate not only at primary level but shall help in producing research scholars which is the need of time. International trade, online stock & commodity trades and virtual universities are some aspects, which will surely get benefit from upgrading of data industry.

What PTCL can offer in the doWhat is the response of IPTV main of health and education in Pakistan, what more PTCL making use of its infrastrucwill offer in this domain? ture; for example, if we take the case of telemedicine and PTCL commercially launched the “Smart TV” services in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad e-education?

from 14th of August 2008 and plans to expand it to other cities as well during the course of the year. PTCL has received an overwhelming response with over 5,000 orders placed in just first two weeks of its launch. Following are the major areas of focus in this realm, l Increased number of channels: Increase in number of TV channels along with more choice of VOD’s to be ahead of competition and become the most favorite service amongst all. l Provisioning of CLI l Interactive Gamming l Video phone l Content Bouquet: A variety in content will be available to serve deferent consumer segments. l Commercial launch of Quad Play

PTCL has recently launched its own e-learning facility under the brand “easylearning”. A dedicated website has been launched for this purpose. The easylearning is a respected elearning program that delivers more than 1500 affordable, certification-level IT, desktop and professional development courses through the Web, allowing the consumers to learn anytime, anywhere for a fraction of the cost of class-based training.

What kind of services PTCL can provide to corporate entities with reference to data industry?

PTCL solutions for corporate users are aimed at reducing their capital and operating 17

TELECOM EvDO services. EvDO is a fast wireless broadband access (3G) without needing a Wi-Fi hotspot. With EvDO, every spot is the hotspot. One can have fast Internet access anywhere. For example, get high-speed Internet access in a car or train and anywhere one can open his laptop. We are also taking initiative to launch GPON/FTTH ultra broadband services whereby fiber will reach the customers premises with data rates up to 30 Mbps.

What measures PTCL has taken to improve the customer care after sales services?

expense by rapidly linking the enterprise offices. Our portfolio of data services for corporate clients includes; IP-Connect (MPLS VPN) DSL VPN Business DSL Digital Cross Connect Leased Circuits (IPLC & DPLC) Video Conferencing Lease Plus (with redundant access means) l Audio Conferencing l Broadband on the Go (EvDO) l l l l l l l

PTCL recently has started Managed Services and Business Continuity offerings for our valued customers.

PTCL’s managed services are delivered and managed over by its network for customers on a subscription basis. PTCL owns the equipment and the software, reducing the capital investment for our valued customers.

PTCL also performs defined network management tasks that the customers decide to outsource to reduce their operating costs, obtain capabilities that they could not otherwise afford, or want to free internal IT resources to focus on the core business.

Managed services unburden internal IT groups, making it simpler and more cost-effective for the company to adopt networkbased applications. In addition to the apparent benefit of cost reduction, our managed solutions provide our customers with a higher level of support and availability.

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Apart from free dialup and broadband services, how PTCL plans to increase the broadband usage in Pakistan?

Presently, Pakistan has a broadband penetration as low as 0.2 percent, whereas youth is about 50 percent of the population of Pakistan. It depicts that Pakistan has great potential for broadband services. To cater the appetite of different broadband segments, PTCL is trying to diversify its data services. In this context, PTCL is aggressively taking part in collaboration with the government to establish EBCs & CBCs (Education Business Centers & Community Business Centers) in the most remote areas of Pakistan. The very purpose for such projects is to ensure the data service provision to every segment of population at the most affordable and convenient way. It will also help the students getting education in government schools & colleges to get access to high-speed data services. Moreover, CBCs shall help the general public to have data access. This effort shall help to provide data facility to every corner of Pakistan.

Free dial up data service for the whole nation is just one incentive to facilitate and bring in awareness in masses and to create the appetite for upcoming broadband services. Besides this, PTCL is acquiring the latest technologies to deliver mobility to data access. For the sake of mobility, PTCL is planning for Wi-Fi; hotspot services and technology parks. Moreover this, for greater mobility, PTCL is in process to roll out its

PTCL has three main customer service channels: walk-in, online web access and support via phone/helpline.

For the walk-in customers, initially all Value Added Services (VAS) were provided through upgraded Customer Care & Sales Centers.

PTCL is in continuous process of upgrading CC&S Centers for business customers by providing equipment, skilled staff and enhanced infrastructure. As part of strategy, PTCL has invested huge sum of money to improve the environment & efficiency of its service centers and has established “One Stop Shops,” designed to ensure the provisioning of all customer services under one roof across the major cities of the country.

For online web access, customers are assigned unique IDs for accessing web-based applications and various service options.

Online technical support is endowed with both hypertexts based and voice-based.

Customers will be provided with web-based installation and trouble-shooting experience, as they would have if dealing with a technician off-line. Automation has been increased as much as possible.

PTCL has introduced handling billing queries for landline & broadband services through the help line number 1236. Customers no longer need to personally visit customer service centers for any queries for their PTCL services. Now customers can get their queries like duplicate bills, correcting arrears, restoring lines and other billing issues resolved through this helpline. This facility is in line with PTCL’s drive to improve and enhance its customer care services. PTCL recently has launched e-restoration project in Karachi ensuring line restoration within thirty minutes of bill payment.

PTCL management had declared the year 2007-08 as the “Year of the Customer

TELECOM Care” and has undertaken a complete overhaul of the business processes to make them more customer-focused. The B&CC system is being launched to automate the customer management system and the call centers are equipped with latest customer management systems to ensure efficient customer management. Several customer service initiatives are in the pipeline and once fully established, these will ensure a completely new experience for our valued customer.

What kind of challenges PTCL faces being the largest operator?

After the deregulation of telecom sector in Pakistan, PTCL, as an incumbent fixed line operator, came under tight regulatory scrutiny to provide level playing field to the new entrants. PTCL was declared SMP in fixed line sector and also obligated by the authority to provide interconnection and collocation services on regulated tariff and sharing of its copper local loop with other DSL

operators on regulated tariff.

Under the prevailing competitive environments, it is highly challenging to achieve the set goals for which PTCL has developed comprehensive business transformation plans. The company is striving hard to boost the profitability by optimization of network infrastructure investments, introduction of new innovative telecom services and better controls over the operating expenditure. PTCL is under continuous transformation from a legacy public sector organization into a responsive and competitive enterprise in the deregulated era.

How Etisalat see future in Pakistan?

With a population of over 165 million, Pakistan is one of the most promising markets in Etisalat’s investment portfolio. PTCL, being incumbent in fixed telephony possesses, is the largest telecommunication infrastructure with major share in landline subscriber base.

It is well equipped with the latest state-of-the-

art technology and is aggressively involve in expanding and revamping its network. Along with PTCL, Ufone is the 2nd largest GSM operator in Pakistan. Ufone is also endowed with the latest technology.

In international telecommunication market, the incumbents are showing bit sluggish growth and PTCL is no exception to this trend. However, Etisalat is committed to transform the company into a modern, customer-focused international communication and information provider, as part of management undertakings since 2006. Under Etisalat’s supervision, PTCL made several investments in infrastructure development and added network capacity to enhance services and expand its reach across the country. The introduction of Vfone; the new CDMA-based WLL platform, landmark addition of Triple Play to the PTCL service portfolio, launch of ‘Broadband Pakistan’ are some accomplishments to show the pledge of Etisalat in transforming PTCL. These significant investments suggest the confidence of Etisalat in Pakistan telecom market.

Chairman PTCL Board visits PTCL NOC Chairman PTCL Board Hifz-Ur-Rehman visited the state-of-the-art PTCL Network Operations Center located here in sector H-9 Islamabad.

SEVP Corporate Development Sikandar Naqi, SEVP Finance Muhammad Nehmatullah, EVP Development Nasar Ullah, EVP Finance Jamal Akhtar and other PTCL officials were also present on the occasion.

While briefing Mr. Hifz-Ur-Rehman, Network Operations Center officials informed that with this centralized network management system with fault resolution capability, PTCL will be fully capable of proactive identification and resolution of faults through Real-time network monitoring & status visibility.

Hifz-Ur-Rehman was further briefed that the purpose of this newly established Network Operations Center was to control, monitor and manage the entire PTCL network, and to enhance and optimize Network Management through a transparent and centralized platform.

While expressing his views on this occasion, Chairman PTCL Board Hifz-UrRehman said that this Network Operation

Chairman PTCL Board Mr. Hifz-Ur-Rehman , SEVP Corporate Development Sikandar Naqi, SEVP Finance Muhammad Nehmatullah, EVP Development Nasar Ullah, EVP Finance Mr. Jamal Akhtar and other PTCL officials in a group photo at the PTCL Network Operations Center.

Center, once fully operational, will not only be used to diversify the services and customer base to increase revenues but will

also increase accountability and transparency through escalation policies and maintenance of secure activity logs.

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TELECOM Richard Grigonis

l Originally called WirelessMAN, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is potentially a viable wireless alternative to cable and DSL. In the last 12 months, several WiMAX trials and actual commercial networks have been initiated worldwide for last mile broadband connectivity for both the consumer and enterprise segments. Until now, however, the United States has lagged behind the rest of the world in terms of WiMAX build-out and adoption. At the moment, Pakistan enjoys the world’s largest WiMAX network. Wateen Telecom rolled out WiMAX in 17 cities throughout Pakistan on a platform built with Motorola equipment.

Indeed, Motorola is one of the companies at the forefront of WiMAX development. Motorola’s Fred Wright, Senior Vice President for Cellular Networks & WiMAX, says, “We now have many commercial contracts for WiMAX in a number of markets around the world. A few months ago, we were in a kind of transition stage. We’re now moving from the trial phase with a number of customers to commercial contracts, and we have a number of systems under construction or we will be getting them under construction fairly quickly.

Today, we also have, in general, commercial service with a number of customers around the world. Customers are building out networks such as Embratel in Brazil, Axtel in Mexico, and Wateen Telecom in Pakistan is expanding and reinforcing the capacity of their network. We’re building with a telco in Saudi Arabia too, as well as Mena Telecom in Bahrain. We have project after project. The technology is real, it works. We have commercial grade software out there in the field that is supporting customers. And we periodically win new contracts with new customers.

“Right now, we are also in the process of getting a number of our Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) units going through the certification process,” says Wright, adding, 20

“We have both indoor and outdoor customer premises equipment that we sell around the world. We’re just about commercially ready with a PC dongle, a USB connector that plugs into a PC and provides full mobile WiMAX functionality. We’ve gone through all of the shakedown tests and so forth. That product is now in a state where it should be commercially ready very soon.

“So, Motorola has a good portfolio, not only of base station products operating in the 2.3, 2.5, 3.5 GHz frequency bands, but we also

“

Motorola says, “We’re just about commercially ready with a PC dongle, a USB connector that plugs into a PC and provides full mobile WiMAX functionality. We’ve gone through all of the shakedown tests and so forth”

”

have a fairly significant variety of customer premise equipment, both indoor and outdoor varieties that come with different features. Some of them are data-only, some of them also have a voice port in them, so you can just plug an RJ-11 connector from a desktop phone into the CPE unit and you can do VoIP calling on the customer’s network. Of course, you’ve got to connect to a VoIP switch, which is part of what we’re interfacing into with various customers. Our Motorola wi4 WiMAX CPEi 750 Desktop

CPE won TMC’s 2008 WiMAX Distinction Award.”

Motorola’s rival, Nortel, is also aggressively pursuing early market opportunities for WiMAX. For example, they recently announced that Comstar United Telesystems, Russia’s leading integrated telecom service provider, has selected Nortel’s WiMAX solution to provide wireless broadband in Moscow, which has the highest penetration of mobile phone subscribers of any major Russian city (at over 150 percent) and the highest Internet penetration. (Rethink Research Associates Ltd estimates that the number of WiMAX subscribers in Russia will grow to 1.7 million in 2010 and 4.3 million 2012.)

The Nortel WiMAX solution sold to Comstar includes the WiMAX BTS 5020 (mobile WiMAX base station), compliant with WiMAX Forum and Rossvyaz standards. Comstar will initially deploy over 160 mobile WiMAX (802.16e) base stations (BTS 5020). The network will also include Nortel’s the Access Services Network Gateway (News - Alert) (ASG) 5100, devices such as USB adapters, indoor and outdoor gateways, Business Support System (BSS) and Operational Support System (OSS) platforms as well as Nortel Global Services for WiMAX such as network design and training.

This is Nortel’s first mobile WiMAX win in Russia and should be a major boost for Nortel’s 4G strategy, which includes a strategic WiMAX agreement with Alvarion, which is helping Nortel to bring WiMAX to market faster to customers.

Carriers and service providers have been searching for the next ’killer app’ for years.

Voice, however, remains the time-honored moneymaker. WiMAX providers have found that voice doubles the average revenue per user, gives the service provider a bundled and branded service, broadens their market reach and decreases their cost to acquire new customers. l

TELECOM MORE PANEL

l

Zong is the first foreign investment of China Mobile, which is committed to see it anchored at the harbor of success. Mr. Zafar Usmani shares how he sees the growth in future.

How do you see Pakistan’s telecom sector growth given the strong competition?

Pakistan has experienced steep growth over the last 14 years. The subscriber number has surpassed the 90 million mark and teledensity is over 54 percent. In 2005, the industry gained real momentum when it

“

The thought for the moment is that 3G is not the answer to the technological advancement in Pakistan.

It would be prudent for providers to stick to current networks, increase their coverage base, improve their service quality and mend the loopholes in the infrastructure first before jumping onto the 3G bandwagon

22

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crossed 10 million subscriber mark (12.7 million at the end of 2005). The growth has been upward at 80 percent per annum since then, totaling to over 90 million subscribers to date. In terms of geographical coverage, more than 300 out of 376 tehsils of Pakistan have mobile network coverage.

I believe that this growth phase will continue until the curve flattens out around 70 percent teledensity in the next 3 years. This does not mean that the race is going to cool down; we have already started to witness the growth in number of minutes people are talking to each other and this is just the beginning.

The challenges for telecom industry are about to change very soon. As we get close to 70 percent teledensity, the priorities and focus is going to shift on retaining customers. This would mean a sincere effort by all operators to raise the quality of customer services and network. Understanding the customer from mobile usage and psychographic viewpoint is going to be crucial, as it will help the managers to offer targeted value added services.

Industry will have to look out for alternate revenue streams such as broadband and auxiliary use of mobile handsets using GSM services. Youth is going to fuel the operators’ appetite for more subscribers as about 2 million youngsters are first time mobile users every year and about 55 percent of Pakistan’s population is less than 25 years of age. From organizational capability angle, a lot of professionalism and discipline is required to face the challenges of near future. The decisions that did not require much deliberation in the recent past would require in depth analysis and sound strategic thinking in the recent future. Good human resource and forward thinking is going to be pivotal for tomorrow’s success in telecom industry.

Mobile technology is not new for China Mobile Communication Corporation (CMCC) as it enjoys a strong position in China. What was the initial attitude of customers in Pakistan towards ZONG and how long do you think it will take for the company to gain the same position in Pakistan?

China Mobile is the largest company in the world with around 400 million subscribers. As you have mentioned, it is the market leader in terms of the subscribers’ number base and quality of service. The CMCC’s investment in Pakistan is indicative of the fact that it wants to expand its reach and become a major multinational telecommunications company in the world.

Given that scenario, achieving sustainable success in the Pakistani market is of utmost importance for the CMCC. It is all about the aggressive and ‘going global’ attitude that we have committed ourselves.

We have experienced an extremely warm welcome from the Pakistani people, and having more than 5 million customers in less than 8 months is a testament to this fact.

It is just a matter of time before we gain critical mass, as our growth is more than 100 percent so far. We expect that our market share will be double again this year to more than 10 percent.

Once we have achieved that critical mass, it will take only a couple of years to become the largest telecommunication company of Pakistan with innovative value added products, superior network coverage and the best quality of service.

TELECOM What kind of challenges does ZONG face as a new entrant in Pakistan?

“

We have to understand that decline of ARPU is not a natural phenomenon. It is declining because of wrong pricing and business strategies pursued by the telecom operators in Pakistan. Our industry has unfortunately resorted to the easier way to achieve growth: by having rock bottom prices

�

People were expecting that it would be difficult for us to do business in Pakistan successfully but our experience has proved otherwise. Of course, there are several challenges in setting up a new business and taking over a company that is not one of the best in the market, but these problems exist with every takeover and with every new business setup. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has played an exceptional role in providing an extremely investor friendly environment to set up new businesses in Pakistan. Also, people in Pakistan are in general very welcoming and go out of way to help those who need help and support. I will also attribute the smooth entry

ness strategies pursued by the telecom operators in Pakistan. Our industry has unfortunately resorted to the easier way to achieve growth: by having rock bottom prices. Eventually, this hurts the consumer, as some of the players will be forced out of the market due to low margins and compounding losses, thus resulting in less competition and a decline in quality of service and an increase in prices. What we need to realize is that customers will pay for good quality of service. It is imperative that we understand the lifestyle and needs of Pakistani customers, segment the customers on basis of psycho-graphic and mobile usage behavior and then offer services that relate to the lifestyle and usage needs of various segments of customers. This is the only way we can develop brand loyalty and product desirability, which will empower the customers

to the good relations between Pakistan and China. The relationship between our governments and our people has paved ways for business entities of both the countries to do good business across borders. Overall, it was a pleasant experience entering the Pakistani market and it was easier to overcome the usual business challenges.

to do more and enable the operators to charge a premium. This is what is at the core of our strategy at ZONG, and you will see some ground-breaking value added offers in the near future from ZONG, which will strike a chord with the Pakistani people and result in a win-win situation for the customers as well as the company.

As the Average Revenue Per What opportunities do you User (ARPU) is declining, anticipate for ZONG with 3G what key areas will ZONG licensing in Pakistan? focus on in terms of revenue? After the installation of GSM and CDMA We have to understand that decline of ARPU is not a natural phenomenon. It is declining because of wrong pricing and busi24

networks, companies will be able to offer customers the wonders of 3G in mobiles in Pakistan shortly. The Third-Generation wire-

TELECOM less or 3G refers to near future developments in personal and business wireless technology, especially relating to mobile communications.

The 3G may be a mobile phone user’s dream coming true. Just imagine the entire world is at your fingertips; any information with a mere touch of a button; streaming audio, video and Internet and all this without the limitation of any boundaries!

No one can deny that 3G is the next step for wireless communications; however, in Pakistan’s current situation, this dream may not become a reality for some time and this is not because the technology is not available. Mobile phone service companies face several challenges at present with their current networks including heavy taxation, import duties, high FDI costs, ARPU being amongst the lowest in the world and low teledensity in rural and remote areas of the country.

It is a well-known fact that an average Pakistani consumer’s first priority is always the cost of the goods, its long-term benefits and value additions, if any. In order to satisfy these requirements, cell phone service providers come up with different tariff packages to suit every pocket and thus increase their customer base. Today one can get a normal GSM phone with the connection for not more than Rs 5,000.

Even with the GSM network, many of the features are still not available to users and most people do not take advantage of those that are being offered to reduce additional costs in their bills. In this scenario, the introduction of 3G will only enhance currently available features and thus industry gurus are not expecting any movement in the growth rate in the next few years.

The 3G is going to be expensive, both to the customer as well as to the provider. The installation and network administration in itself will require heavy investments, and then new technology means that existing handsets will not be compatible to it, therefore, new more expensive handsets will be needed, and lastly, the packages for 3G will make a big hole in the customer’s pocket as well.

The thought for the moment is that 3G is not the answer to the technological advancement here. It would be prudent for providers to stick to current networks, increase their coverage base, improve their service quality and mend the loopholes in the infrastructure first before jumping onto

the 3G bandwagon. Even if the licenses are obtained as per government schedules, the implementation can be put on hold until the customer has truly explored all avenues of GSM and is ready for the next revolution.

This move otherwise will only remain as another alternative to GSM availed by a limited number of subscribers and with limited features only. In other words, 3G may just be GSM at broadband speed.

million and plans to expand its project by further investing $600 million. For acquisition of Paktel, China Mobile had paid $400 million and also made a further investment of $400 million for improvement of its network.

China Mobile Pakistan is providing services to more than 5 million customers in Pakistan. For international and long distance calls, the company is also getting services from other companies for which we are paying heavy amounts.

There are several challenges in setting up a new business and taking over a company that is not one of the best in the market, but these problems exist with every takeover and with every new business setup. PTA has played an exceptional role in providing an extremely investor friendly environment to set up new businesses in Pakistan

What does ZONG plan to do in the areas of Tele-medicine, education etc and other value added services?

“

”

Recently the PTA refused to give LDI license to ZONG despite of directions given by the government and concerned department. What will be your line of action in this regard?

China Mobile Pakistan has contacted the government about having diplomatic level interactions. The Chinese ambassador met with Minister for Privatization Naveed Qamar and raised this issue.

We have appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to intervene in view of the longterm friendship and close ties between Pakistan and China, and instruct the PTA to issue LDI license to China Mobile Pakistan.

This year, China Mobile has invested $200

ZONG is set out for offering customers innovative and exciting services that add value to the customer experience. With the recent hype in the VAS requirements and the increasing acceptability levels in the general population, it is this area that would receive the most attention in the coming year and ZONG plans to be there when it comes to offering customers the best possible service levels and products. New arenas like tele-medicine and education would keep on opening as the market gets more and more mature and ZONG would be there to address all customer needs actively, as and when required.

Where did you derive the word ZONG from and what is the meaning of it?

The Z in ZONG stands for our zealous pursuit of perfection by adopting best practices, while the letter O represents our large network base to spread our voice to every corner of the nation. The N stands for us anticipating customer needs and satisfying them through value added services, while the G of ZONG is for our global aspirations with a focus on local operations.

Thus, the core essence of ZONG is to allow people to communicate at will without worrying about tariffs, network coverage, capacity issues or congestion. This dynamic brand of ours is supported by groundbreaking communications, trend setting customer service and an unmatched product offering which has redefined the rules of the game and established ZONG as a serious contender for the number one spot in the country.

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TELECOM Ahmad Bilal Javed

l

Fixed wireless connectivity! Frustrated - the speed is inappropriate! No connectivity on the move! Gone are the days, when you had to deal with all these limitations.

Now an Edge/GPRS based USB stick modem is available by couple of telecom players in Pakistan.

With the wireless connectivity on the move, now you have freedom to do a lot more and to increase your potential many folds.

It is easy to use device, simple plug and play in any of the USB ports of your PC. This particular device you can connect to your laptop or desktop and you will always be connected to the internet through the EDGE-based GPRS network. You can enjoy and surf the web at home or enhance your productivity anywhere wherever service is available. EDGE network gives you the edge of having speed four times than that of GPRS network. Wireless connectivity with WiFi gave only limited mobility but with this, you can move all over Pakistan and enjoy the connectivity wherever the network coverage is available.

Companies which provide international roaming, this facility can also be availed internationally though it will not be as economical as within the country.

USB stick is a wireless internet connectivity modem (with a data SIM inside) which can be connected to your laptop/desktop PC via USB port and enables you to enjoy highspeed mobile internet access anytime anywhere! It works on the EDGE/GPRS network to give you wireless internet connectivity. Internet USB stick is different from a GPRS/EDGE enabled phone. USB stick is a USB shaped internet card which can be inserted in your Laptop/Desktop PC's USB port and hence your laptop/desktop becomes truly mobile and you can access the 26

internet wherever you are; whereas with your EDGE/GPRS enabled phone, you have to connect it to your laptop/Desktop PC through a cable or infrared/Bluetooth port and the usability, mobility and ease of use is restricted for both the laptop/desktop PC and your phone. This device makes both PC and phone independent of each other and the much-increased speed is a major distinction.

UFONE EDGE USB With Ufone, for just Rs 6,999/- (all taxes inclusive), you get Ufone EDGE USB, a free DATA SIM and can enjoy 6 months of free unlimited internet for your PC/Laptop. The USB also supports send/receive SMS, Phone Book Contacts Saver and PIN/PUK Management functions. Company also offers six months limited replaceable warranty and multiple OS (operating system) support like Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Vista etc. There are Pre-paid and Postpaid packages available which depends upon customer’s requirement and usage.

Telenor USB EDGE stick Telenor USB EDGE stick includes (USB EDGE card) and Telenor Persona Postpaid Telenor Data SIM (on Data Package 4). Telenor USB EDGE stick is available at Rs 12,700/- (all taxes inclusive) but the charges of data connection are additional.

It is up to four times faster in speed than GPRS and always-on internet connectivity on desktop/laptops. Paying only for what you use, SMS & voice being optional.

Checking and responding to real-time data such as stock quotes, exchange rates, emails with attachments, chat sessions and blogs are on the move. You can apply a PIN code for the secure access application

and your contact data. It has a support for two-way long SMS messages. It works through Pakistan’s largest network and also works in 32 countries providing largest GPRS Roaming coverage. Oneyear limited warranty at nationwide Telenor Walk in centers.

ZONG Internet USB Card Zong USB card is equally compatible and as I won’t write much about its features it would not mean that it is poorer in coverage or does not provide always-on connectivity rather it gives you all the features that you can get in any of Ufone’s or Telenor’s USB Stick.

Here I’ll provide you with the details that differentiate it from its competitors. ZONG Internet USB Card’s EDGE Modem costs Rs 9,999/- only and provides unlimited GPRS package for Rs 400/-month + tax. It also provides support for two-way long SMS messages; domestic messages cost Rs 0.5/SMS +tax and international ones cost Rs 5/SMS +tax. Each month the users will have to recharge the SIM account to continue using uninterrupted services @ Rs 400+tax.

Though we just talked about GPRS/EDGE based USB modem, there are mobile devices available like Worldcall’s Dongle USB Modem but it is CDMA based with limited coverage as compared to GSM based USB modem. Pakistan is about to experience a data revolution and soon, we will see the high speed mobile wireless internet in the form of mobile WiMax quite commonly, but it will take some time as technology is evolving itself and very few WiMax enabled devices are available in the market. l The above rates were taken during the month of January 2009. They may change as per company’s policies.

TELECOM Ahmad Bilal Javed

l Every one of you will be familiar with the much-hyped blockbuster ’The Dark Knight’. It truly was a superhit backed by a great start ’The Batman Begins’. It broke all records except for ’Titanic’. ‘Titanic’ is the all time US box office hit which has done a record business of about 600 million dollars in the United States, whereas ‘The Dark Knight’ is also staying neck to neck with a business of 530 million dollars.

In the movie, Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent are forced to deal with the chaos unleashed by an anarchist mastermind known only as the Joker, as it drives each of them to their limits. ‘The Dark Knight’ has many nominations to its credit including that of Golden Globe and other several wins. The performance of Joker (Heath Ledger) was superb and one can easily say that he was outstanding in all departments but sadly enough, he died on January 22, 2008 even before the release of the movie. “Why so serious?” is his most famous dialogue and the tag line of the movie. The way he delivers it, is simply brilliant. Also including in the cast are Batman/Bruce (Christian Bale), Gorden (Gary Oldman), Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Fox (Morgan Freeman), Alfred (Michael Caine) and guess what, also introducing our stylish, touch screen mobile phone (Nokia 5800 XpressMusic).

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, also code named ’Tube’ was portrayed in the movie as a very high tech mobile. In the movie when Fox arrives in Hong Kong to meet with Lau, he checks his mobile phone at the front desk at Lau’s building, as there are no cell phones allowed on the premises. Fox meets

with Lau, and informs him of Wayne Enterprises’ plans to cancel negotiations with his company. However, he secretly keeps one cell phone in his pocket, which has been adapted to produce a sonar map of the surrounding area. Upon leaving the building, he does not pick up the phone he dropped off, and delivers the map of the building to Bruce Wayne. That night, the phone that Fox left at the front desk emits a high frequency that shuts down all the power in the building. Batman crashes in through a window in Lau's office, and after disabling some guards, grabs Lau and escapes by sending a balloon attached to a cable to a plane he has chartered flying over Lau's building. This was an abstract from the movie where Nokia 5800 XM was seen in. However, Nokia neither gives the feature of producing sonar maps nor emit high frequencies to shut power supplies; it was Fox (Morgan Freeman) who developed it for Batman.

Apart from its imaginative features, it is a very stylish mobile and music is its main trait. Its touch screen characteristic and only three hardware button guides it in the league of iPhones. iPhones are costly, mainly for class-conscious people but now Nokia is presenting this competitive product, which gives better features than iPhone and some additional attributes with much lower price.

PROMINENT FEATURES INCLUDE Music Player: One touch takes you to music. You can browse by artist, album, and genre or can flick through your playlists with up to 35 hours of great sounds on this advanced multi-format player.

Superior Sounds: Stereo surround sound on world-leading built-in speakers. Enjoy crystal clear hi-fi with an 8-band graphic equalizer and easy volume control.

8GB and More: With 8GB microSD card inside, your collection can grow and grow.

Swap cards up to 16GB in size for an extended playlist of tunes.

Nokia Music Store: Browse, stream, and download millions of songs over the air at the Nokia music store. Discover new music with ultra-fast 3.5G and WLAN mobile technology.

Connections: Plug and play on headphones or your home stereo with 3.5mm connection, or pair your stereo system or headset over Bluetooth to listen wirelessly. l 27

IT MORE PANEL

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Feb 2009

IT l HP, the number one printer company in APJ organized a seminar for businesses and channel partners on January 29, 2009. The company showcased its comprehensive imaging and printing portfolio across consumer and commercial printing segments catered to families, and small and midsized businesses.

In his speech, Shahid Khan, Director Marketing, IPG, HP Pakistan said, “Let me thank you for taking the time out on this busy day. I take your presence as a very positive sign which means that you approve HP brand being its loyal customer and we would like to reciprocate by giving more knowledge to you”.

While introducing the guests, he said, “From the Singapore, we have with us today Margaret Ong, Vice President, HP Imaging and Printing Group, South East Asia and Irving Oh, General Manager, Asia Emerging Countries. While all the multinational companies are taking security precautions and people are not actually coming over to Pakistan but we must appreciate the senior management of HP that they found this event important enough to be here with us”.

In an exclusive interview with MORE, Mr. Shahid Khan talked about HP’s vision.

duced innovative supplies’ offerings such as HP Black and Tri-Color XL Inkjet Print Cartridges targeted at high volume users that offer up to 47 percent in cost savings to such customers. We also expanded our HP Dual Pack LaserJet Cartridge offerings to include four new products that offer 37 percent more cost savings over standard cartridges.

“

Overall, in the Ink and Laser Jet Market, HP posses 41 per cent of market share. Our nearest competitor Canon holds 15 per cent of the market. We have been the leader for a very long time and we are continuing to do that

”

Looking at the global reces- What area will you be focussion, how market will re- ing on and what is your vision spond in 2009, particularly in about it? case of HP? On the consumer front, HP’s vision is to enThe market is very tough; I would be the first one to tell that the situation is not very rosy.

But I would see it as an opportunity. In such a situation, a good and reliable brand becomes very important for the customers.

When there is a limited budget, customer wants to spend money on a brand which provides best value for the money and this is where HP comes in. Not only do we have wide range of products we have the appropriate solutions for Banking, Pharmaceutical, Aviation Industries etc. With the global economic recession, the market outlook will continue to be a challenging one. However, we believe that such tough and demanding business environments also allow us to improve our competitive position.

As consumers and businesses will become increasingly cost-conscious, HP’s comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions offers will ensure to meet valued personal and business objectives. For example, in line with our commitment to provide customers with greater choice and value, HP intro-

able the clients to enjoy more of their lives through meaningful innovations that make technology simple to use and invoke users to experience that are personal and unique.

HP is simplifying the printing experience with leading technology, enabling consumers to connect personally and professionally in the way that they want to.

In addition to it, we see tremendous opportunities in the small and mid-sized business space. According to a recent research conducted by an analyst firm, AMI Partners, total IT spending for SMBs in Pakistan exceeds US$ 0.7 billion.

HP has a robust and wide range of imaging and printing products to help SMBs work smarter and grow faster. For example, HP makes it easy and affordable for SMBs to get a leg up on the competition with cost-effective in-house marketing. Each HP Color LaserJet Printer/MFP comes with a free HP In-house Marketing (IHM) Starter kit that consists of a comprehensive package of free tools, templates, resources and mate-

rials for SMBs to quickly and easily create and print corporate and marketing collaterals such as business cards, letterheads, product brochures and advertising flyers.

How HP is different from other competitors (what is its uniqueness)?

As the No 1 consumer technology company in Asia Pacific, HP is focused on delivering the simplest and most rewarding consumer experience at home, online, and in retail. It means enabling consumers to enjoy more of their lives through meaningful innovations and ease of use to deliver a seamless printing experience.

HP remains committed to its current strategy, which is a continued investment in product and design innovation, establishing deep retail partnerships, setting competitive pricing and delivering a superior customer experience. Currently, HP already enjoys an extensive geographical reach, providing easy accessibility to leading HP technology for consumers and SMBs in Pakistan and the region.

What is HP’s market share?

We are the leaders in the Imaging and Printing Category by considerable gap as compared to other brands. HP is the leading provider of the both Ink Jet and Laser units with a 44.3 per cent of market share.

The market share is much higher in Pakistan which is approximately over 70%. If we look at mono laser and multi function peripherals in enterprises, HP holds over 51 per cent of Asia Pacific market and again 70 per cent in Pakistan.

Overall, in the Ink and Laser Jet Market, HP posses 41 per cent of market share. Our nearest competitor Canon holds 15 per cent of the market. We have been the leader for a very long time and we are continuing to do that. Apart from this, we carry the widest array of products; we have easily over 60 models only available for Pakistani market. I don’t think any other brand would offer you such a huge range.

Later, talking to the HP lovers on the occasion, Margaret Ong, VP HP shared her thoughts as, “It’s great to be in Lahore in this beautiful weather. Because of you we are continuing to sustain as global leader. We would like you to know us not only as a printer company but also with reference to PCs, Desktops, Servers, Graphic Solution and Continued on page 48 29

IT Sumaira Mudassar

l The first intuitive idea before buying a computer is that the machine must entertain you with beautiful design from the box to every pixel, speed, reliability, security, support, user-friendliness and stability. This approach has been realized by Apple computers and so they are shipping the best range of personal computers and notebooks in the world.

The trend of using Apple computers has grown rapidly since the introduction of Intel based CPUs. Now, Apple computers are generic and capable of running almost all operating systems. Despite this growing trend, the Apple computers have not gained much popularity in Pakistan and the People here are not aware of the power and beauty of these computers.

Most people worry that by buying a Mac (Macintosh – Brand name for Apple computers), they would restrict themselves to use only Mac operating systems and their computers will no more elude flexibility. They’re arrant wrong, the new chain of Apple computers is shipped with Intel Core series processors and the most interesting aspect is that Windows, Linux and other operating systems can be operated on it.

On January 10, 2006, the MacBook Pro and iMac became the first Apple computers to utilize Intel's Core Duo CPU. By August 7, 2006, Apple had converted the entire Mac product line into Intel chips, over 1 year sooner than announced.

We talked to Mr Ibrahim Qureshi, Director Raffles Computers and Distributors of Apple in Pakistan in this regard. He said, “We are going to the educational institutions and giving awareness about the power and practical aspect of Apple Computers. We see a major problem in Pakistan that is, when a student leaves a university after completing graduation, a major challenge besides others, he/she faces is the unfriendly operating system and hardware at the employer premises. Employer today doesn’t have time to train a guy who has been learning on windows platform, which is getting obsolete in a professional environment like Telecom operators, Television Channels etc. So there comes a break in 32

career which is at the very start. When skill doesn’t match with the requirement, then it creates a gap between demand and supply. This is why we are pushing trainers and academia, and investing there. We are all open to give free services and training to those who understand its importance and we are getting successful.”

Mr Ibrahim further said, “As far as customer support and after sales services are concerned, we are up to the mark. We openly claim that buy apple computer from any authorized store in the world, if something goes wrong in Pakistan, we will be at your door step around the clock with all the apple support. We have the ability to solve any sort of warranty issue within 72 hours time.”

Now coming back to the looks, Macs are just awesome devices and one loves to have them as decoration pieces in his showcase. But they are far more than mere showpieces; Macs come along with pre-installed drivers, world’s best operating system and extreme customization abilities.

Notebooks from Apple are also referred to as world’s thinnest notebooks. There has been a huge debate about whether Macs are for designers or not? I must say that Mac is for everyone who loves an interactive, fast and stable machine. The software suite, shipped with the MAC OS X, is brilliant and one can feel the difference.

World’s first 64-bit personal computer was also developed by Apple. The amazing stability of its operating system ensures a steady performance with the no more program crashes and hangs. In terms of security, MAC computers have no match. Even the United States military organizations are converting to Apple computers in order to save valuable information and records.

Viruses and malware are words of Windows, in the dictionary of Mac computers; there is no concept of viruses and malware.

This is a great facility because Windows platform has a bad history of viruses and malicious programs that affect the whole system by reducing its efficiency and corrupting important data.

The Apple’s hardware development is vertically integration oriented, which means

Mr Ibrahim Qureshi, Director, Raffles Computers

they develop almost every part of the system at their own, and thus eliminates the needs of third part vendors. The whole system is therefore highly optimized and compatible. The Plug-n-Play nature of MAC systems is also terribly astounding. Connecting new devices is as simple as connecting a USB drive to a personal computer. Today’s Mac computers use an ATI Radeon, nVidia GeForce or Intel GMA graphics cards. Macs, that have optical media devices, have a DVD-Player, Combo Drive and a CD Burner or the SuperDrive, a dual-function DVD and CD burner. The offered data transfer ports are USB ports and FireWire ports. Current Intel based Mac computers also offer a BIOS compatibility module that helps run Windows at almost native speed. With a Mac computer, we can also install software known as Boot Camp, which helps installing Windows XP (SP2 and higher) and Windows Vista with Mac based Windows drivers. It also helps in dual boot between MAC OS X and Windows.

Apple computers are also highly suitable for businesses. An Apple-based network needs almost no maintenance. At last, I would suggest everybody who is figuring out to purchase a personal computer to get his Mac as soon as possible to enjoy the real taste of computing. The customer support given by Apple is one of the best in computer manufacturers. Even, service centers and help lines are available nationwide.

Cutting it short, buying a Mac gives you sweet apples and membership in Apple’s family.l Apple products are available in Lahore at iRaffles. T: 5757402

IT Nadeem Akhter

l

Virtualization is the name of the technology that allows one computer to essentially do the job of multiple computers or servers by sharing the hardware resources of a single computer across multiple environments. This technology is transforming the IT infrastructure norms and is changing the way organizations are planning and using their existing technology, as well as affecting decisions on new hardware purchases. Virtual servers and virtual desktops allow for hosting multiple operating systems and multiple applications locally or remotely. This essentially breaks users free from geographical limitations which are an important factor in today’s global economy.

Advantages When organizations build virtual infrastructures, they can expect energy savings and lower capital expenses due to more efficient use of hardware resources, high availability of resources, better desktop management, increased security and improved disaster recovery processes while achieving more with the already-owned computer hardware.

The virtualization software is used to transform or “virtualize” the hardware resources of an x86-based computer—including the CPU, RAM, hard disk and network controller—to create a fully functional virtual machine that can run its own operating system and applications just like a “real” computer. Multiple virtual machines share hardware resources without interfering with each other so that one could safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer. Virtualization provides a time-saving and costsaving solution anywhere where users must run multiple operating systems. There is an inherent ability to run legacy applications in

a virtual machine instead of delaying the deployment of a new operating system due to application incompatibility. Testing migration plans is much more risk-free using virtual machines instead of actual physical computers. Another huge advantage of this technology is that one crashing application or operating system doesn’t affect others.

By having a separate application in each virtual machine, any vulnerability is segregated and it does not affect other applications which provide Improved Application Security. One of the most coveted properties of virtualization is reduced maintenance, since virtual servers can easily be relocated and migrated, maintenance of hardware and software can be done with minimal downtime.

Virtualized desktops can be either clienthosted, or centralized on servers in the data center, referred to as a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Client-hosted desktop virtualization creates a separate OS environment on the desktop, allowing noncompatible legacy or older business applications to operate within their native environment on top of a more current desktop operating system, or enabling two IT environments (for example, personal and corporate) to run concurrently on the same physical device.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is an architectural model where client operating systems run in server-based virtual machines (VMs) in the data center and interact with users' client devices such as PCs or thin clients. Similar to terminal services remote desktop, VDI provides IT with the ability to centralize a user's desktop, instead of a server session. However, a full client environment is virtualized within a server-based system. Unlike older terminal/server config-

urations with VDI, the user can get a rich and individualized desktop experience with full admin control over desktop and applications.

Drawbacks Virtual machines do also have some drawbacks. The growth in virtual servers has created challenges for IT departments regarding high availability and data protection. It is not enough to protect physical servers but also virtual servers as they contain data and information which can be very critical for business. Virtual servers offer the flexibility, but at the same time, if a single physical server containing multiple virtual servers fails, then the impact of data loss is enormous.

The minimum requirements that must be met so that this technology can successfully be used will vary depending on the number and type of guest operating systems and applications that are installed on the virtual machines.

To run multiple virtual machines simultaneously, the physical computer must have at least enough memory and processing power to cover the requirements of the host operating system and each guest operating system that will run simultaneously. Typically, this will come at a greater cost than existing lower end systems. Greater processing power is also needed to justify the overall cost savings of virtualization and to be effective enough to house multiple servers reliably. This in most cases would be greater brute processing power and memory than older systems can offer. All in all, this is an exciting new technology, which promises to change the way we compute. It will help bridge the wide gap between the staggering evolutions in hardware to the lagging software benchmarks. l

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IT MORE PANEL

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Link dot Net posses a rich global experience being an ISP. Conditions are different in Pakistan as the broadband market is yet to be established. Mr. Aamer Manzoor tells what he foresees.

What changes you foresee in 2009?

We are hopeful that our network will expand in the coming years.

There will be more new technologies with widespread learned users around the country. As far as I can foresee, there will be broadband technology boom in our country with more big players coming into the field to provide quality services. Presently, the 34

major stakeholders are PTCL, Wateen, Mobilink and Link Dot Net whereas very shortly there will be couple of new players in the field, which will surely start a healthy competition as we can see PTCL has already launched its DSL services with quite a huge campaign offering comfortable rates and quality services with an aim to touch new horizons by expanding its network.

Which technology a user should prefer; DSL, WiMax or EVDO? When it comes to the awareness for the offered technology and

IT services, DSL and cable user seems to be well aware of the services. DSL is no new technology on international scene. It’s been there in the rest of the world for more than two decades now. And even in Pakistan, it’s a well-known and tested technology, and people are using it for last couple of years, so, it’s not new for Pakistanis. But, WiMax and EVDO users are still not that learned or skilled to utilize these services up to its full potential.

You see it’s a healthy trend all over the world to build an environment that is technology friendly and where the people are educated enough to enjoy the services. Therefore, market stakeholders should provide enough product knowledge to their users for further expansion. In a nutshell, I can say that WiMax and EVDO are comparatively newer technologies in Pakistani market and it will take some time to make a trend.

How do you plan to respond to PTCL’s value added services and growing number of users?

For a private operator, competing any government entity is not always an easy nut to crack. We are trying our level best to capture the major portion of our local market. With quality services, we may not be able to cross or overshadow them but we will certainly be matching them.

We are not far behind when it comes to provide value added services to our users. We have just recently launched online games.

Good community services are also in our

tent, which we are lacking currently. That is why our users go for international content and most of the time, they use internet. In the developed countries, people frequently get information like weather forecast, local transport schedule etc using the web services which are locally available.

Contrary to this, Pakistan does not have local content available; there are very few options available to engage people online. There are positive indicators as well, just as mobile phone content has started to develop in Pakistan and companies are now focusing on, so will we be having our time very soon.

Which medium is better, Wireless or Wired?

It depends in which territory or region you are provided with the logistic support and infrastructure. In broader sense and as per statistics in international market, wired medium is much more efficient and reliable than wireless data. But if we take Pakistani market into account, unfortunately we don’t have any large cable network in the country.

There is hardly any major network available in Pakistan other than “Worldcall” which has quite a good setup. But there is a need to set up large cable networks throughout the country. In case of DSL, we have issues with the quality of copper wire, which reaches the customer’s premises. Good quality copper is a basic requirement for an efficient broadband service. In major cities, the network is good whereas there are complaints in remote cities and towns. The only copper network is that of the PTCL, which is deteriorating with every passing day and there is no other operator who could invest to lay huge infrastructure of landlines. That is why there is a lot of potential for wireless communication.

In the United States and other developed countries, wireless is not a success so far.

EVDO and other services are running successfully in these developed countries but they have not still shifted to wireless or WiMax completely. The only reason behind this trend is quality of their cable network across their countries. And in the end, it’s the quality which matters.

pipeline as we do have lots of good content and portals in Middle East. In these early days, we are in the phase one and in this phase, we are providing entertainment and infotainment services to our users. With the passage of time, we will surely be launching all other value added services in Pakistan like we are doing in the rest of the world.

How a Pakistani data user is different from any other belonging to the rest of the world?

Our data customer is not different than any other user in the rest of the world. The only difference is the availability of local con-

What percentage do you foresee in 2009 for various broadband technologies in Pakistan?

It is little difficult to project any exact percentage for different technologies. WiMax and EVDO are relatively new in Pakistan.

Especially, WiMax has yet to prove itself globally. When there is a new technology, people always welcome and the initial response is always good but later, sales depend upon the reliability and quality of services.

Approximately, there are 0.25 million broadband users in Pakistan and market indicator shows this figure will be doubled by the end of 2009.l 35

IT Muhammad Ali Zahid

A brief introduction and technical insight We human beings have an innate ability to recognize good and bad. We have inborn instincts of recognizing the God and understanding the emotions. It seems to me that some data has been embedded into our mind that helps us do more than what we already have. Mapping the work of God into science, we have come across a powerful thing, the embedded systems. They are so profound that almost all of the development is dependent on them.

It’s really worthy to have a sound know-how of embedded systems. This article is aimed at readers who have a good interaction with computers and information technology.

Constructing an embedded system is not the theme of the article but this article will be a stepping stone for those who want to further in this field.

By definition, an embedded system is a purpose built computer system designed to meet specific user based requirements. Contrary to a computer which is a more generic device and capable of performing many tasks, an embedded system is constrained to a specific functionality. In other words, it’s not a jack of all trades but is master of one task.

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Embedded systems are built on real-time computing constraints. Some of which are soft and others are hard. The purpose of real-time constraints is that the operation must be performed only in a specific timeframe. For instance, we have to launch a missile on a particular time. If the missile is not launched at the exact time, the operation may lose its worth. We call them as embedded systems because they are embedded as the hardware and software (firmware) part of a complete system.

Embedded systems are non-generic and cannot perform operations other than defined by their designers. I think your calculator has never been able to let you watch ‘The Matrix’. Because it is only to do what it is supposed to do. As embedded systems are designed to meet user specific requirements, engineers can optimize their cost and efficiency. A calculator can be found in every house but an expensive one can only be found in very few houses.

You must have thought that why there is hell of cost difference in products with same capabilities? The answer is the conspiracy of design and production team of that embedded system. In this age of technology, developing embedded systems at a mass scale is not a big deal. Actually, the manufacturing of

embedded systems in bulk can give us economy of scale. They’re much cheaper to manufacture and provide longer durability.

Your cell phone, television, traffic signal, USB flash drive, portable digital camera, automation machines, networking routers, washing machines, printers, fax machines, CD players and heavy complex machinery at dams are all among the huge range of embedded systems. The complexity varies from device to device but in essence, they all give an abstract definition of being task specific.

Embedded History The history of embedded systems starts by the early days of computers. The computers of that time used switches and punch cards to operate. But this method was very slow and devices were consuming enormous amount of electricity. However, these computers were built for specific purposes. So they were embedded systems. With the evolution of computer engineering and solid state physics, the introduction of semiconductors revolutionized every thing. The first standard embedded system is credited to MITinstrumentation laboratory's Charles Starck. It was named as Apollo Guidance

IT Computer and it is known to be an innovatory step in the history of embedded systems.

After its success, a stream of new technology interventions in embedded systems was observed. Autonetics D-17 guidance computer for the Minuteman missile (1961) is another part of the chain. The good thing about it was that it employed the concept of using main memory from hard disk and used transistor. The first microprocessor by Intel (Intel 4004) was also an embedded system used for Busicom (Electronic Calculator). In 1980’s, the price of microprocessors and microcontrollers fell dramatically thus leaving room for mass productions and development. Eventually, the electronic industry started the usage of embedded systems mostly as off-the-shelves components. Designers started buying ready-made chips for particular tasks and started fabricating them on their circuit boards. Now, most embedded systems are available as chips and can be used wherever the specific logic is implemented.

Understanding the embedded way As a rule of thumb, every embedded system contains at least one microprocessor or generally known as a processor to manipulate the logical operations. But there can be a number of tiny chips called micro controllers in an embedded system that assist the processor in its work and produce efficiency.

A micro controller is functionally independent, means it is capable of performing the desired tasks. However, microprocessors require extra peripheral devices and ROM's to perform their operations. That's why, more than 90 percent of microprocessors produced in the industry are not used as CPU’s else they are used as a core part of embedded systems. It is interesting to know that very few architectures have been designed for computer microprocessors. We generally have heard of ARM and x86 (Intel-compatible). Other few are also used.

But the case of embedded systems is opposite to that of computer microprocessors.

ARM (originally the Acorn RISC Machine) is a 32-bit RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor architecture is common for use in mobile devices and obviously has very low power consumption. Some embedded systems include an operating system, which is referred to as an embedded operating system or a firmware. The firmware is a small

operating system that is highly optimized, carefully designed and processors computation of well-defined tasks. Even some firmwares are no more than few assembly language lines of code. Assembly language is a low-level programming language that is understandable by human beings (English Language Instructions) and is directly understandable by a microprocessor (CPU).

Embedded systems are often required to provide real time response. This concept is very important because depending on the application of an embedded system, the timing inconsistency can’t be afforded. For instance, the medical equipments need to be real-time responsive. An embedded system interacts with outer world via communication devices known as peripherals. To name a few, these peripherals include USB (Universal Serial Bus), Ethernet Controllers, Analog-toDigital and vice-versa converters, Time processing chips, GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) peripherals and many more.

Debugging an Embedded System One of the most distinguishing features between a general-purpose computer system and an embedded system is durability and careful design. Embedded systems are designed to last long and to operate without errors and software bugs. This is partly due to the usage of embedded systems; in a jewelry shop, the weight machine must not malfunction and must not produce erroneous calculation of even a wee scale. Debugging is the key to an embedded system’s success.

An embedded system usually repairs itself by restoring the firmware or reset switch.

Challenges in Embedded System Design As embedded systems are highly optimized devices, there are number of constraints associated with their design. One big problem with their design is to enhance performance without additional devices and cost. But manufacturers make multiple versions of same chips, ones that are durable and others cheap. Both software and hardware designers must be competent and fully aware with latest technology. The time-to-market (product delivery time) must not be overwhelming. The technology must be compatible with other components that will use it.

The response time of device must be higher

so the user must smell interactivity. I must say that “Good, fast and cheap; select any two” is the best explanation for design scenarios.

Design Qualities Power Consumption Flexibility (Configuration and Flexibility) Performance (Speed and Accuracy) Size (Dimensions)

Last Words: We undoubtedly are living in a world infested with embedded systems and embedded ideologies. The charm of a fully embedded world is still a chimera but it can be said with a certain certainty that the future of all development is heavily associated with this technology. Still, facts say that a person from first world country may have dozens of embedded systems at his home and interacts with hundreds of embedded systems in his routine life. But sadly, in our country, there has been almost no focus on the research and development of such a wonderful technology.

Our academic institution must introduce professional degrees in embedded systems design and the government must invest a huge amount of R&D fund in this sector.

Do You Know?

The software’s written for embedded systems are known as firmware. The firmware is stored in Read Only Memories (ROMs) or Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROMs).

The embedded systems market is made up of both hardware (integrated circuits and boards) and software. In 2004, the revenues were almost US$ 40 billions while it is estimated that by 2009, it will reach US$ 79 billions with a 14.2 percent average annual growth rate (AAGR). However, the highest growth rate in terms of revenues comes from the embedded software (operating systems, design automation and development tools).

Hence, it is estimated that by 2009, the overall embedded software revenues will reach US$ 3,448 million.

It is pertinent to mention here that of the nine billion processors manufactured in 2005, less than 2 percent became the brains of new PCs, Macs, and UNIX workstations. The other 8.8 billion went into embedded systems.

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GADGET Zubair

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I have seen many futuristic laptops by great designers but this laptop by Eno Setiawan is more realistic as compared to others. Vaio Zoom is designed to be suited in future era. It is adopted as contemporary style. It is slim, lightweight and full of technology inside. A sensing technology system

has been applied as its keyboard and holographic display as its screen. It is especially designed for youngsters and executive people, who are actively mobile, adventurer, and care with their life style and technology.

When the notebook is in ‘off’ condition, the keyboard does not respond and it turns to

glossy flat black color. To activate the notebook, open the clear glass screen from the close position. Then push the power button on the side. It will activate the touch sensor keyboard and the holographic display.

This product is also equipped with wireless mouse (Bluetooth) and wireless charger to recharge the battery (inductive resonant).

There is no plug or slots in the notebook and all extended applications are using wireless connection.

It’s just a concept for now so there’s no info on important tidbits like tactile feedback, battery life, system stats, etc. are available, but the rest of the assured technologies like this are closer than you think. It may not come all at once but it’s coming. l Feb 2009

39

GAMES Asher Malik

l It hasn’t been long since era of 2-d games ended. Every game made in that era appeared to be static, that’s what you would get to hear from every present day gamer.

Computers were expensive in old times (old times is a relative term only going back to 10 years) and faulty, repairs were expensive and games were generally avoided on PCs as they were thought of creating most of the problems that emerged in the PCs’ running.

Intel then, walked in with its MMX processor technology to open up the era of bigger, better and faster games. Well, all these terms don’t apply now but these were chanted by advertisements in 1997 at the processors launch.

The major makeover that the industry witnessed was the transition from the 16-bit to the 128-bit gaming environment.

This transition started the console race, to match the power and potential that the PC had when the 3-D cards were integrated into them. These 3-D cards were the foundation 40

stone for the gaming industry today.

The architecture of the 3-D cards was unique and a much looked forward addition into the PC’s environment as it allowed the developers the room to truly bring out their imagination onto the screens in true color and speed.

The same companies whihc were revolutionizing the PC’s game market by enhancing the graphics array were at the same time pairing up with leading console developers (namely NVIDIA with console giant SONY corp). This simultaneous growth of both consoles and the PC’s capabilities to play better games gave the consumers of the industry a wide spectrum to look at.

From the development of these games in the early 2000’s, the games were termed extreme by the consumers as they made the transition to the new era. The new era offered better graphics and gameplay. While the graphics were being improved by dedicated companies, the developers sought the opportunity of bringing better gameplay to the

people and they were pretty successful at that as well. Advances in fields of motion capture and artificial intelligence (AI)recorded breakthrough. There inclusion truly brought a cutting edge experience to the market. On motion capture: the field saw advancements as better sensors were made and techniques developed on embedding real world motion onto virtual characters. This technique was a hallmark as through this, the motion of the characters in the game became more reallike. This was exactly what the developers wanted to top the potential of Graphic Acceleration Devices (GAD Like e.g. 3-D cards and video rendering chips).

For all those who are unaware of motion capture techniques, it’s a marvel of science.

This technique projects a real world application when animation of characters required fluency. Whether the requirement is to make an animated movie (http://www.kinetic-impulse.com) or a game motion, capture is a very important fragment of game design with-

GAMES out which the game is just not complete. The basic form of this technique involves actors wearing motion sensors equipped suits.

The motion of these actors are mapped into the computer with the data collected from the sensors and consequently embedded onto a skeletal image which can be given any shape according to requirement. A very famous example at this point would be the character of Smeagol from the movie ‘Lord of the Rings’.

A game example would be Tekken, which incorporates such techniques to put fluency in the motion of characters.

Apparently, motion capture is not the only thing that makes an impact on how much business a game would do in modern times, the engine, on which the game runs and is developed, contributes a great deal as well.

The reality engine as it is commonly referred is what determines how things behave and how everything interacts. From kicking a football in a FIFA game to shooting from a RPG in an FPS game, all characters and projectiles are governed by the laws built within the engine. With recent advancements in equations, engines that form the base of games have seen improvements as well, but this according to some game developers has spoiled the modern day gamers, as they just keep asking for more.

AI constitutes a basic part of these engines as they control how do characters behave and interact with each other. The latest of these engines in one form came in PS3, the RSX, which is a reality synthesizer and a joint product of NVIDIA and SONY which makes the PS3 a monster that it is. Talking about a major new entry with many possibilities is the Nintendo Wii, which has an exceptional remote.

It’s a stroke of genius and gives the creepy feeling of the minority report era; it’s true and its here (for a glimpse of the possibilities, check out its video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3eiid-Uw). The Wii remote is still limited but we can easily comprehend that this small device has a lot of potential to it.

Taking the bandwagon back into graphics, they are made up of polygons, lots and lots of polygons. The smaller the count of these polygons the irregular and more fluctuating the image will appear on screen; but if you increase the number of polygons, the frame transition becomes much more fluent. The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation pack millions of these to make the picture cooler and attractive.

Apparently, we have taken bird’s eye views of past and present of the industry’s evolution.

Now let’s enter future and what the companies have in store for us in future and how would they revolutionize the industry still further.

Visionaries have long since envisioned a time in which man would be able to do things with his mind. This still is very far off but the next best thing that has been achieved is what may change the gaming experience of everyone forever.

Emotiv Systems (http://www.emotiv.com) & NeuroSky Inc (http://www.neurosky.com) are both pioneers of neuro interfaces. Both have ventured into the domain of human-machine-interaction platforms successfully. The work, in progress and completed to a primary level of application, could one day restrict humans to chairs or even beds. Neuro-Stimulation is what researchers have been working on since long but is only now making its impact into real time applications.

The neuro action scheme is deciphered by mapping the EEG patterns of the brain and then comparing the users thought process to it and thus consequently generating actions.

Lets leave this aside for a while and talk about another distinct class of environments emerging rapidly. These are that of the virtual worlds. Like Google’s Lively and Second life.

Although Google is shutting it’s Lively down but it was impressive while it lasted.

Second life though is still popular, but has limited functionality. In it, you can do whatever you want to, but the input medium is keyboards and mouse. What lead researchers are hoping is an integration of both the virtual world’s environment and the neural-based input medium. The result of such an integration, to put it in easy terms for you to comprehend, is the creation of something like The Matrix.

Apparently, this virtual world isn’t the only future of games, it may sound weird but games aren’t just played for fun. Economists and

These pioneers have developed headgears incorporating special sensors namely electrodes which are strategically positioned on the head. One form of this headgear by Emotiv systems has 14 sensors. The concept is that whatever you think is in the form of electricity traveling on neurons in the brain.

This electricity is very small in magnitude and is generally referred to as the brain waves.

These brain waves are sensed by the sensitive electrodes and transmitted to the hardware.

The hardware deciphers the brain activity and performs corresponding action in the virtual environment. Yes, it does give the phrase “think done” new meaning, doesn’t it? The info as provided by Emotiv systems is that the 14 sensors in their headgear can sense and therefore, simulate 30 unique actions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPIQlH 94P8Y, a demo caught by gamezombie.tv).

researchers made games to predict the future of stocks and chances that should be taken to keep things in balance (http://www.hpl.hp.com/news/2006/julsept/prediction.html).

Talking aside from brains, IO2 Technologies (http://www.io2technology.com) is working on its thin air displays, Heliodisplay, with developers waiting for its integration with the rest of the developing technologies.

With the development of the neuro-based platforms and its integration into everyday real time processes, the future seems to be just around the corner.

Aside from development in graphics through GAD or imaginative story lines with high end physics engines, the future holds devices like the Wii remote and neuro machine interaction platforms. The pace at which we currently move to achieve all this is mind-boggling. No 41

GADGET More Team

Some Key Features Fascinating Design Emblazoned from top to bottom, with the distinctive Emporio Armani (EA) brand, this mobile (Samsung M-7500) is the new definition of contemporary chic. Available in either black or white, the sleek body is designed to provide for a soft-to-thetouch, rubber-like feel and texture.

The handset even comes complete with EA-branded neck strap and Armani-designed CD-like fabric carrying case, for easy, stylish transport.

EA-Designed GUI & AUI Specially designed with unique EA logo and fonts, the deep black graphic user interface employs premium 256K AMOLED display technology to offer pure visual delight.

Go beyond conventional LCD- based GUI, for blacks that are blacker, whites

that are whiter and razor-sharp contrasts that are absolutely stunning. Also, exclusive Emporio Armani DJ-mixed ringtones give you the hottest beats, for a sizzling mobile sound like no other.

3 MP Camera & CIF camera for Video Telephony l Snap vivid crystal-clear shots of friends

and family with embedded 3 MP-camera with Auto Focus. l Video call with your friend with CIF camera, HSDPA 3.6Mpbs support always enables you to lively share the stunning moments

Video Player Compatible with MPEG 4, H263, H264 and WMV, video player lets you record all of life’s pleasures.

Dimension 114.9 x 47.4 x 11.95 mm / 90.2g Display 2.2� QVGA AMOLED (240x320) Battery Up to 7.3 hrs (DCS, 10LEVEL) Up to 4.1 hrs (WCDMA, 10dBm) Memory 120MB internal + MicroSD (1GB memory card inbox) Camera 3MP Auto focus Camera CIF for Video Telephony Music Find Music, Music library Music hot keys, Background Music Play MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA Video Recording H.263, H.264, MPEG4, WMV Other Features Mobile Printing (BPP, OPP, PictBridge), FM Radio with RDS, RSS Reader, 3.5 earjack supported, Voice mail/ Voice memo 43

GENERAL Asad Hameed Khan

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Throughout history, hair loss has been a prevalent issue for both men and women.

Hair loss is a natural process that occurs in every 2 out of 3 men and 1 out of 5 women.

In general, 60percent of men are genetically programmed to lose hair while women lose hair mainly due to hormonal changes. In the past, people tried to compensate for hair loss by masking the changes. They used elaborate wigs, caps or other hair gears that were glued to or woven into their hair to hide the obvious loss. These methods were only temporary and were often a great source of embarrassment to the person using them. Hair Loss (Alpecia) and Baldness come in 3 Forms: Pattern, Patchy and Diffuse

Pattern (Particular Shape) Most Common type: You lose hair in front and on the top but a horseshoe shaped area at the back and on the sides is unaffected.

Common causes: Male pattern Baldness (MPD or AHA Androgenetic Alopecia) or Common Baldness) or FPB (Female Pattern Baldness)

the hair as its own enemy and start attacking and destroying them. This is treatable only in early stage but recurrence may not be prevented. It may recur in other part of scalp or beard. Chronic disease is difficult to cure when many roots are destroyed and hair transplant is usually not done.

Scarring or Cicatricle Alopecia: After burns or other injuries to the scalp, there can be permanent damage to the hair roots and in that patch and hair does not grow. Usually due to scarring, the blood supply in that area is poor.

Traction Alopecia and Trichotelomania: Due to the tight hair style in women or in Sikhs-like braiding or the use of weave or pins of wig continually pulls on the hair and the roots may get damaged in the long run and can cause hair loss. In obsessive psychiatric disorder called Trichotelomania, the patient is in a habit of pulling the hair in one area and ends up in a patchy hair loss in that area.

Diffuse

Patchy (Localized, Focal)

You lose hair on entire scalp and not on just a particular area leading to generalized thinning or generalized baldness.

You lose hair only in patches on the scalp and rest of the area hair growth is normal.

Major causes of this type of hair loss are as follows: Alopecia Areata: This is a common autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system perceives

Telogen Effluvium: A period of physical or mental stress, delivery of a baby in females etc can lead to generalized loss of hair from scalp within few weeks due to shortening of growth cycle and entering of hair in Telogen phase. This is

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temporary because after 6 months of relief in stress period, the hair starts growing. Telogen effluvium can precipitate or even aggravate pattern baldness if one is genetically susceptible to develop MPB or FPB. Anagen Effluvium: Chemotherapy or certain toxins can stop further growth of the growing hair and the already grown hair brakes and sheds over a few days.

If you have Androgenetic Alopecia, like many other people, you were destined to lose hair from the time you were conceived.

You have a group of genes that act together to make your hair susceptible to natural hormones in the body.

You inherited these genes from either side of the family or from both sides and these genes may affect you more or less than other members of the family.

Androgens, the so-called male hormones, are produced by both men and women, in the testicles, ovaries, and adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands are small glands above the kidneys.

Testosterone is the most well-known androgen. At puberty, testosterone levels rise and, among other effects, cause the fine, short baby hair in the pubic areas and in the armpits to become coarser hair.

In the scalp, testosterone is converted by an enzyme called ’5-alpha reductase’ into a dif-

GENERAL ferent androgen called ’dihydrotestosterone (DHT)’ DHT, more than any other androgen, causes genetically sensitive hair to be lost than any other androgen. In genetically sensitive hair, DHT causes each generation of hair to become progressively smaller. This process is called miniaturization. DHT causes each generation of hair to become more narrow, short and lighter in color. Eventually, the root stops producing hair altogether.

“

Iron deficiency can make hair loss worse and is fairly common in vegetarians and women. Iron deficiency is not a diagnosis by itself and the cause must be found.

Correcting iron deficiency can slow down the progression of hair loss but is not likely to cause a major improvement in your hair

”

Some hairstyles, like braiding can cause hair loss Styles that pull or put tension on the hairs such as tight ponytails or cornrows - can cause hair loss.

Hair loss can be aggravated by other conditions Iron deficiency can make hair loss worse and is fairly common in vegetarians and women.

Iron deficiency is not a diagnosis by itself and the cause must be found. Correcting iron deficiency can slow down the progression of hair loss but is not likely to cause a major improvement in your hair.

Severe malnutrition and protein deficiency can also contribute to hair loss but hair loss would be the least of your worries.

Thyroid disease can aggravate hair loss. Hair loss can occur with either an under active thyroid or an overactive thyroid.

Elevated Hormones can speed up hair loss.

Men (or women) who take anabolic steroids for bodybuilding often notice accelerated hair loss.

Stress contributing hair loss Both psychological and physical stress, especially if they are intense and prolonged, can contribute to temporary hair loss. They do this by perhaps altering the hair cycle: shortening the growing stage or lengthening the resting stage. Stress may also have a negative impact on the immune system leading to a more severe type of hair loss called alopecia areata. When the stressful situation is over or the body adjusts to it, the hair usually grows back.

Being in a modern world, one can say goodbye to all these foresaid issues. Hair transplant is one of the outcomes and is being hyped day by day. About fifty years ago, in the late 1940s, the first hair transplant technique was discovered. The ’punch method’ moved large groups of hairs from the back of the head to the areas of the top and front, which required hair.

However, the punch method resulted in poor survival of the transplanted hair, painful damage to the nerves or arteries supplying blood to the scalp. There was also obvious scarring in the area from where hair was removed or replaced, and a very noticeable ’pluggy’ appearance.

Punch grafting should be completely obsolete. This cornrow approach caused as much harm as it did good and the final results were aesthetically questionable. Other methods to avoid are scalp reductions and flaps. Both of these methods involve cutting and removing sections of the scalp resulting in painful, disfiguring scars. There has also been nerve damage reported by patients subjected to these methods.

The modern techniques come up with several variations and the most popular and effective of which include: Hair flap surgery is the best choice for an individual with severe baldness. It involves a large flap of skin, on which hair is alive and growing, to be pulled from the back and sides over the top surface area of the bald spot. It is then surgically attached into place.

The hair re-roots and begins to grow from its new location, ultimately eliminating any hair-

less area. This method sometimes takes multiple procedures to achieve full coverage.

Scalp tissue expansion is not for the faint of heart. A balloon-type mechanism is carefully inserted under the scalp through an incision.

A salt-water concoction is added to slowly fill this balloon over time eventually causing a swelling and stretching of the scalp. The looseness actually causes new skin cells to grow. After about two months, this skin can be relocated to the area of baldness effectively moving the hair to cover the spot.

Scalp reduction surgery is also known as 'advanced flap surgery' since it is similar in principle except a section of the bald scalp is actually removed; rather than just pulling the skin over the hairless spot.

With the reduction, the surrounding areas are actually pulled up and connected in place of the absent scalp. Scalp reduction surgery can often be quite painful and be accompanied by an uncomfortable sensation of tugging and tightening. Like regular flap surgery, scalp reduction surgery can take multiple operations to finally achieve the look you desire.

Hair Transplant is better in many respects Transplanted hair looks and feels natural unlike wig and concealer.

Transplanted hair remains undetectable among the other hair.

Transplanted hair grows and keeps growing permanently unlike the hair of wig and the regrown hair by Medication.

It does not require extra maintenance or care unlike wig, which requires lifetime care.

The transplanted hair can be cut, colored and styled as well.

Transplantation normally has one time expense unlike medication or wig which requires lifetime expense.

It is a one-day procedure performed by numbing your skin so you can talk with doctor, watch TV, listen to music, read, take a nap, have lunch and juice and even go to toilet!

No bandages at the end.

You can take shoulder bath from same day and can shampoo your hair from 3rd day.

You can even do light office work from second day.

If you are from outstation, you may travel back same day and minimum follow-up is required thereafter.

45

GENERAL

It is already an established fact that every single person in the world has a different set of fingerprints. The Chinese have devised a way to read personality and destiny traits by studying the waves and the circles that appear at the tips of human fingers. They used to examine left hands for guys and right hands for women.

Here are the two different patterns of circles and waves seen on every finger. To make a reading, look at your thumb print first, then your index finger, your middle finger, your ring finger and then your little finger in that order.

This is the sequence that offers clues to your destiny and fortunes.

For ease of reference we shall refer to circles as O and to waves as W. Fingers: OOOOO (all whorls) Means: This person is very confident, has a strong character and a hot temper. He/she is an independent person. The luck of this person changes dramatically in life from one period to the next. The undoing of this person will be his/her hot temper so it is vital that this person must learn to be patient and calm.

Shape: WWWWW (all waves) Means: This person is a straightforward honest person who goes with the flow. The fingers indicate someone very sensitive, who is especially suited to design and creative work.

People with these fingerprint patterns tend to be shy and uncomfortable in social situations, so are not suited to work in PR, politics or any kind of work requiring them to meet people.

Shape: OWWWO Means: If you can choose a prestigious working career, you will be very successful. However, you should avoid the tendency to get big-headed and you must never take your career for granted. You should also watch your back, as you tend to attract jealousy into your life and could get betrayed. Always look for long-term benefits.

Shape: OWWOW Means: You will need to work harder during the early days of your career. When you reach middle and older age, you will get recognition and wealth. So your life gets better the older you get.

Shape: OWOWW Means: It is vital that you resist the tendency to be narrow-minded in your attitudes and in the way you think and work. Try to be humble and learn as much as possible. This is how you will get influential help that brings you to the peak of your business and career life.

Shape: WOOOO Means: You are a very clear-minded person.

As long as you work hard, you are guaranteed to be successful. Even though you tend to be in a hurry, there will be those who help you along. You are also a person with a kind heart.

Shape: OOOOW Means: Because you are kind and have an in-built polite attitude, you will easily get help from older persons and friends. You will enjoy great success in your working life and your only weakness is you don't trust people too

easily. This can make you too conservative.

Shape: OOOWW Means: You have a tendency to be bad tempered, and rather quick to judge. This is a shallow attitude and could easily get you onto the wrong path.

If you can correct this tendency of yours, you will have great success. The potential is in you, so try to be calm in your approach.

Shape: OWWWW Means: You have good character but can only become really successful in older age.

Be prepared to have to work really hard during your younger and middle age periods, but you will become a successful person in older years.

Shape: WOWWW Means: You are very good in the social skills. No matter what industry you are in, you like to take risk and you will always face uncertainty. Be careful as the later years of your life could bring yet more challenges. Take less risk as you get older.

Shape: WWOWW Means: You are a person who has high vision and heavy responsibility. Be careful.

Your visions could get you into serious difficulty. Better to stay more grounded, then your life will have greater success.

Shape: WWWWO Means: You will inherit a business or property from your parents or from an older person. Even though you are a capable person and can be successful in your own business, your tendency towards impa47

IT

Margaret Ong, Vice President, HP Imaging and Printing Group, South East Asia giving presentation

Services where we have also taken the market leadership position as well. Every year we ship about 60 million printers worldwide, 30 million PCs, 2.5 million servers which also mean that every 4 seconds we put a HP printer in an office environment. No company can have that kind of volume and market leadership position sustained through out by the satisfaction level of customers like you. To accomplish this we have 20 years of legacy in the printing business.

HP is also the number one consumer technology company in Asia Pacific. We have large number franchises (HP retail footprints) in South Asia, China, India and Pakistan. Today we have 17,000 HP franchise stores and we will be adding another 5,000 footprints by 2010”.

Focusing on how HP makes life easier for an Enterprise she further told that, “Large enterprises adopt Managed Print Services where printing activity costs about 6 per cent of the company’s revenue. If you consider the cost of ink consumption on paper, it becomes only 10 per cent of that 6 per cent. The rest of 90 per cent cost is of managing the print environment. With HP managed print services we are actually asking our customers to outsource the print environment to us to manage on your behalf. There are contributions that we could make by reducing the burden of managing the document life cycle in an office environment.

Our business partners in Pakistan are already offering these services in Pakistan”.

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Feb 2009

“In the last few years HP made couple of acquisitions in the areas of commercial and industrial printing.

“

Every year we ship about 60 million printers worldwide, 30 million PCs, 2.5 million servers which also mean that every 4 seconds we put a HP printer in an office environment

”

We acquired “Indigo” 7 years ago. We have provided different applications to improve the commercial printing at a lower cost. We have the large format printing machines installed in the Pakistan as well. With that you can print on rigid media for outdoor signage, on furniture etc. HP will be making more investments in this area to make sure better quality at lesser cost, she emphasized”.

At the seminar, HP showcased a range of imaging and printing products targeted at helping businesses increase their effectiveness and productivity.

l HP showcased SMB-optimized colour

printing solutions such as the HP Color LaserJet CP1215 and CP1515n that are designed to help them create their own inhouse marketing materials and boost their marketing effectiveness cost-effectively. l HP LaserJet M1522 and M1319 are affordable monochrome multi-function devices that are designed to increase workgroup efficiency and deliver professional results. Both printers feature the HP Instant-on Technology and Instant-on Copy with LED-based technology that allows SMBs to print and copy in just seconds from Powersave mode. l HP Deskjet D4360 and F2280 are

durable, reliable and energy efficient devices that feature an ultra-compact design to help SMBs save space. The devices feature a convenient, one-touch print-cancel button to help SMBs save wastage by preventing the printing of unwanted pages. l The HP Officejet series are fast, cost-ef-

fective and optimized for productivity. The HP Officejet J4660 allows SMBs to print professional-quality color graphics and laser-quality black text for a lower cost per page than laser printers(2) when using HP Officejet inks. l

MONTH IN FOCUS Mobilink initiates ‘Handset Recycling Programme’

Launch of new SIM Activation System

Mobilink has initiated Pakistan’s first ‘Handset Recycling Programme’ to share the benefits of cellular communication with the deaf and disabled and minimise the environmental impact of cellular waste through recycling. Vice President Marketing, Mobilink Bilal Munir Sheikh stated, “The Mobilink Handset Recycling Programme, in collaboration with the Deaf and Disabled Welfare Association of Pakistan, is a first of its kind, nation-wide drive which reflects Mobilink’s commitment to give back to the community.

Ufone embarks on Child health care up gradation project in Pakistan Ufone, one of the leading telecom companies of Pakistan, has entered into a contract with Federal Government Services Hospital commonly known as Polyclinic here at Islamabad to mark the beginning of a major nationwide project aimed at improving child healthcare services.

In the pilot phase the children OPD area of Polyclinic, the children’s ward and the NICU waiting area will be covered. Once this is done, other hospitals, country wide, will be further selected for the project.

Ufone is not only a successful telecom operator in the industry but an organization that has always been working towards an orderly corporate responsibility plan including ways of benefiting the young of our country who will for sure be a part of tomorrow’s strong workforce. With this project, Ufone aims to revamp child health units at different hospitals around Pakistan giving young patients a much superior environment than before.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. Abdul Aziz, President & CEO Ufone said, “As one of the leading telecom companies of the country we have a duty towards our nation and with this project we are just trying to give back our people the appreciation and care we have received from them in all these years. Hopefully, we will be able to reach out all those who are residing in the far flung areas of Pakistan and are deprived of first class medical health facilities. Children make a very important part of our society, they are our tomorrow and we want our tomorrow to be very strong, healthy and happy.”

Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammad Yaseen visiting CM Pak call center in connection with new system for SIM Activation. Deputy CEO CM Pak Zafar Usmani is also seen

Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Dr. Mohammed Yaseen, said that all arrangements had been finalized for the inception of new system for issuance of non-activated SIMs and their activation after verification from February 01, 2009.

He said this during a visit to Call Center and Customer Services Center of CM Pak Mobile (Zong) here on 30 January 2009. On this occasion Chairman PTA witnessed the demonstration of new system of activation of mobile phone SIMs and enquired about the verification process.

He asked questions about the new system from the Call Center representatives. Deputy CEO China Mobile Mr. Zafar Usmani briefed him about the preparation for this system and showed his satisfaction on it.

It may be noted that earlier pre-activated SIMs were being sold in the market and could be used instantly after purchase. In contrast, in the new system, a non activated SIM would be sold to the consumer after checking his original CNIC and filling of Cellular Service Agreement (CSA) form. The consumer will then call 789 from same SIM and Call Center would ask few questions to verify the data provided by the consumer. After online verification from NADRA, if answers were correct SIM would be activated. In case of incorrect answers consumer will contact NADRA Swift Center or Customer Services Center of the concerned mobile operator.

Chairman PTA said that this is a new system and it has been adopted for the safety and convenience of consumers. He said that after this system is implemented, it is expected that usage of unnamed SIMs for anti-social activities would be reduced.

Mr. Abdul Aziz, President & CEO Ufone and Dr. S.M. Pasha, Executive Director Federal Government Services Hospital, exchanging the documents 49

MONTH IN FOCUS ZRG provides solution to MYBANK

ZONG Offers pre-activated GPRS

MyBank, one of the fastest growing banks of the country has launched a state-of-the-art contact center using technology provided by ZRG International. The project is aimed at providing quality services to the customers of Mybank enhancing the opportunities of customer services so that the Bank can launch and support a wide range of innovative services and facilities for the customers.

ZONG has taken customer care a notch higher by allowing subscribers the facility to use internet on their existing GPRS enabled mobile handsets without having to set new internet settings.

“ZONG’s mission is to provide such services that are catered to the need of every Pakistani. ZONG indubitably adheres to its commitment of providing channels through which every Pakistani can access services that can truly add value to their lives”, said Awais Malik, Head of Segments, VAS and International Business, ZONG. This latest value add from ZONG allows its subscribers to use mobile internet with any settings thus saving them the hassle of changing mobile internet settings. A majority of the mobile phones in the country has storage capacity of just few internet settings and when a network is switched, they are unable to do the manual settings. With ZONG’s pioneering technology, any default settings of internet would be used for communication through Zong SIM Card.

It is pertinent to mention here that ZONG’s unlimited GPRS package allows the users the flexibility to stay connected on internet for unlimited period of time while its Per MB package charges only for the amount of data transferred. Moreover, ZONG’s per hour package gives subscribers a flat rate of an hour to use GPRS and download as much as you want in an hour.

ZRG Contact Center solution is a highly scalable, multichannel solution that provides agents with a 360-degree customer view across a wide array of communication channels including voice, e-mail, web-chat, fax, and interactive voice response (IVR), enabling organizations to communicate more seamlessly and effectively with their customers.

Mybank has launched a series of facilitators like Online banking, High profit yielding Deposit Schemes, GPRS enabled banking, ATM, Agriculture finance scheme etc.

At the Inauguration ceremony Mr. Syed Nazir Hussain, SVP, Head of operations Division of MyBank stated, “The cutting edge Contact Center solution provided by ZRG will not only improve our performance, services and availability to our valuable and prospect customers but also help us look forward with confidence.”

Mr. Arif Butt, CTO, ZRG International commented, “It is delightful to have MyBank in the list of our successful deployments; this appreciative incentive will give MyBank the opportunity to serve its customers in a better way. We believe that our technology and experience will help MyBank to improve its strong market position and quality of customer services.”

Warid gets equity Investment of US $ 250M (Rs.20 Bn) Warid Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd., has confirmed the injection of $250million (equivalent Rs. 20 billion) equity by its joint shareholders Abu Dhabi Group and SingTel. Warid has aggressively penetrated the Pakistan mobile communication services market with huge capital expenditure, which has enabled it to capture market share of 18.8% (as of Dec 08’) and coverage in over 450 cities and 7200 towns across Pakistan.

The equity injection will further enhance the Company’s network coverage with the objective to provide quality services to its valued customers. This also reflects the confidence of shareholders in the Company’s management and its operational plans. This investment is one of the major milestones achieved towards the long term strategic goals of Warid Telecom in Pakistan.

Warid’s Chief Executive Officer, Imad Kreidieh said, “The continued support of Warid shareholders (Abu Dhabi Group and Sing Tel) and their recent equity injection is an endorsement of their commitment in Pakistan. With their persistent support and the continuous hard work of our team we are geared up to become number one GSM operator in Pakistan.”

Etihad Airways recently sponsored the Old Grammarians' Society's first annual Etihad - OGS Interhouse Softball Tournament to help raise money for the OGS Trust which provides financial aid to needy students across Pakistan. Picture shows representative from Frere House ready to take a swing at Street on during the Round Robin matches

50

Feb 2009

MONTH IN FOCUS PM AJK assures full support for PTCL in AJK Fiaz-ud-Din, Regional General Manager, AJK/FANA PTCL called on Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan at the Kashmir House, Islamabad.

Fiaz-ud-Din apprised the Prime Minister about the PTCL development plans in AJK and took him on board about the PTCL roll out plan. The Prime Minister was extremely happy to know that PTCL had plans to expand and provide its quality services to the people in every corner of Kashmir.

The Prime Minister also suggested that PTCL should concentrate more on less developed areas like Neelam Valley where no telecomm facilities were available.

The RGM later requested the Prime Minister to allot a piece of land in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur for the installation of PTCL work stations to start fixed line services to region. The Prime Minister was kind enough to accord his approval for the allotment of land to PTCL in AJK where required. As a gesture of goodwill on behalf of President PTCL, Fiaz-ud-Din presented a V-phone set to the Prime Minister.

Fiaz-ud-Din, Regional General Manager, AJK/FANA PTCL presenting V-Phone set to Prime Minsiter AJK, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan

Etisalat Net Profits Grow 19% to Dhs8.7b in 2008 Etisalat recently announced its preliminary results for 2008, reporting total annual Net Profits of Dhs8.665bn showing a growth of 19% over 2007's figures, when the Group recorded Dhs 7.297bn in Net Profits.

During the fourth quarter of 2008 the Group recorded a Net Profit of Dhs 2.1bn, before year-end adjustments, reflecting an increase of 18% as compared to the same period in 2007.

Etisalat also reported Dhs 26.119bn in Net Revenues for 2008, 22% higher than 2007's results of Dhs 21.340bn. Etisalat's Net Revenues during the fourth quarter of 2008 stood at Dhs 7.1bn as against Dhs 6bn in 2007, reflecting an increase of 18%.

Mohammed Hassan Omran, Chairman of Etisalat, said: "The significant results achieved by Etisalat in 2008 reflect the company's ability to manage and sustain our growth as we pursue our ambition to become one of the top ten telecommunications companies in the world. Etisalat is now regarded as one of the strongest players in the telecom market, both regionally and internationally. This has been achieved by our commitment to implement the best international standards at all business levels."

"Acquiring new licenses in Iran and India provides us with significant growth opportunities, and will support the development of our company for many years to come," he added.

Samba Financial Group: A Strong Player Eisa M. Al-Eisa, Managing Director & CEO of Samba Financial Group recently announced Samba’s financial results for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Samba posted a net income of SR 4.5 billion (USD 1.2 billion) in 2008, 7.7% lower than 2007’s. Net special Commission Income rose 2.4% versus 2007 to SR 5.1 billion (USD 1.36 Billion).

Income from Asset Management grew by 8.4% over last year, while Other Fees & Commissions increased by 38.7% over 2007. Total Operating Income was at SR 7.02 billion (USD 1.87 billion) compared to SR 7.19 billion (USD 1.91 bil-

lion) last year. Earnings per share for the full year was approximately SR 5 (USD 1.33) compared to SR 5.4 (USD 1.44) last year. ROA and ROE in 2008 were 2.7% and 23.4% respectively, while Revenue-to-Expense ratio was 3.3. Samba also managed to limit the growth of expenses to only 7.6% over 2007.

Al-Eisa confirmed that Samba’s overall financial performance continues to be strong with solid growth in its consumer, corporate, treasury and investment banking businesses. Total assets rose by 16% to SR 179 billion (USD 47.73 billion), compared to SR 154 billion (USD 41.06 billion) last year.

Investments rose to SR 54 billion (USD 14.40 billion), a modest 1% increase,

while total loans and advances stood at SR 98 billion (USD 26.13 billion), up 22% versus last year. Total deposits were up 16% versus last year at SR 134 billion (USD 35.73 billion). Samba’s loan-todeposit ratio was 73%, well below the regulatory requirement of 85%. Al Eisa also mentioned that Capital Intelligence has upgraded Samba’s Long-Term Foreign Currency Credit Rating to AA- from A+, a reflection of Samba’s excellent credit performance.

Fitch also upgraded Samba’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to A+ from A with a Stable Outlook, one of the highest ratings among Saudi banks. Samba maintained sound ratings from other rating agencies including Moody’s and S&P.

51

MONTH IN FOCUS Kingston Digital debuts SSDNow E and M series solid-state drives Kingston Technology Company, Inc announced on January 19, 2009 that it is shipping the first two products in its SSDNow line of solid-state drives (SSD) with the SSDNow E Series and SSDNow M Series. Kingston is targeting its SSDs to Fortune 1000 companies and select vertical markets. The SSDNow E Series is specifically designed for the enterprise server environment while the SSDNow M Series is built for the road warrior who demands ultimate performance from a notebook PC. The Kingston SSDNow E and M Series use Intel’s solid-state drives, which are supposed to be the bestperforming drives on the market.

“We are thrilled to enter the solid-state drive market with our SSDNow E and M Series SSDs. This combination will position us to succeed in this arena,” said Nathan Su, Flash Memory Product Manager, APAC Region, Kingston.

The SSDNow E and M series drives create greater return on investment through increased performance due to impressive input and output operations per second (IOPS). The SSDNow E Series’ higher IOPS means enterprises need significantly fewer SSDs compared to standard hard disk drives (HDD), which also leads to energy savings in a server environment. The SSDNow M Series high IOPS allows for faster boot times and quicker application load times, which help mobile power users become even more productive.

Kingston’s SSDNow uses a standard SATA hard disk drive interface but unlike an HDD, they are very rugged and can withstand shock and extreme environments as there are no moving parts. Kingston’s SSDNow E and M Series drives are equipped with S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) to monitor the integrity and reliability of the drives. The drives are backed by a three-year warranty and free tech support.

Intel to distribute US $4 million awards among students

Yousuf Hemani recieving Award from Minister Raza Haroon for his project Fractal everywhere

Intel Pakistan Corporation marked the end of its nation-wide science competitions with the inauguration of the National Science Olympiad held recently where young scientists presented innovative research-based projects in the categories of biology, chemistry, computer sciences, mathematics and physics. Seen in the photo is Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Federal Minister for Education, Government of Pakistan, at the inaugural ceremony along with Sharleen Ghauri, Education Manager, Intel Pakistan Corporation. Projects displayed at the National Science Olympiad will be assessed by a panel of renowned judges for a final selection of winners on 24 January 2009. The winners will be participating in the upcoming Intel ISEF 2009 to be held in Reno, Nevada, USA. Intel® ISEF is the world's largest pre-college science competition enabling more than 1,500 young scientists from across the world to gather on a single platform to exchange ideas and knowledge, showcase cutting-edge science and compete for over US$ 4 million in awards and scholarships.

Samsung Electronics Shown Strong Sales in 2008 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008. The company posted strong sales in Mobile hand set.

The Telecommunication Network Business revenue in the fourth quarter reached KRW 7.73 trillion and operating profit stood at KRW 0.16 trillion.

(Consolidated quarterly basis: Revenue of KRW 10.32 trillion and operating profit of KRW 0.17 trillion.) The global handset market contracted 5% in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter. However, on a year-on-year basis, the market expanded 14% in 2008.The telecom business is expected to perform strongly in 2009 despite the slower market conditions projected for the first quarter.

Samsung in 2009 will expand its portfolio of high-end touch phones and smart phones, and expects to expand its partnership platforms with network carriers worldwide. The company will continue offering exciting low-end line up models in emerging markets, while enhancing profitability by improving operational efficiency and streamlining marketing

52

Feb 2009

MONTH IN FOCUS Sitecom’s ‘Posture-Perfect’ Notebook Stands

Earth-Friendly Bulk Connector Packaging

Comfort and ergonomics are very important for notebook users. The correct posture can prevent physical injury, such as RSI and shoulder, wrist and neck injuries. Al Otaiba Communications, exclusive distributor for Sitecom in the Middle East, has introduced the new ergonomically designed Sitecom plastic TE-001 Notebook Stand and the aluminum TE002 Notebook Stand to its Travel range. These notebook stands allow the user to place the notebook at the correct height, thanks to an adjustable stand that can be set to 15°, 25° or 35° angle, enabling him/ her to work comfortably for a long period of time using a separate keyboard and mouse.

Leviton Middle East, a subsidiary of Leviton Manufacturing Company announced on JANUARY 8, 2009 the release of its new GreenPack bulk connector packaging. The new packaging was designed as a contractor and earth-friendly solution to speed up large network infrastructure installations and reduce jobsite waste.

GreenPack holds 24 connectors in individual, clear pockets.

Connectors can be popped out one at a time, with remaining inventory well organized and easily counted. In addition, GreenPack offers an environmentally sound alternative to individually packaged connectors. The cardboard and plastic packaging is 100 percent recyclable, while the connectors are lead-free and RoHS-compliant.

Sitecom launches world’s smallest wireless router Al Otaiba Communications, exclusive distributor for Sitecom in the Middle East, has launched the Pure E-motion | X-Series adding another dimension to networking. During the development of this innovative line, Sitecom embraced upon a very ambitious mission: to reach maximum wireless performance with internal antennas in terms of speed and coverage, to provide security "out of the box" and simple user-friendly solutions; all combined within an exclusive and compact casing which could fit into the palm of a hand. The result: a complete line-up containing the smallest "N" routers (11.8 x 12.5 x 3 cm (H x W x D)) in the world with Internal High Performance Antenna technology without making any concessions in its technical features.

53

MOBILE PHONE

Dimensions: 103 x 55 x 18 mm, 92 cc Weight: 125 g Display: TFT, 16M colors Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches Card slot: microSD (TransFlash) 16 GB internal memory 128MB RAM, 256MB GPRS: Class 32, 107 / 64.2 kbps Class 32, 296 kbps; EDGE: DTM Class 11, 177 kbps 3G: HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps Camera: 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, Talk time: Up to 3 h 40 min

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size : Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: Camera:

Rs. 54,000

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: 3G: Camera: Talk time:

90 x 45 x 14 mm, 52 cc 110 g TFT, 16M colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches microSD (TransFlash) 18 MB internal memory Class 32, 88 kbps Class 32, 296 kbits Yes, 384 kbps 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video(VGA Up to 4 h

Rs. 23,000

97.5 x 55 x 16.3 mm 117 g TFT, 16M colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches microSD (TransFlash) Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots) 32 - 48 kbps Class 10, 236.8 kbps 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels autofocus, flash, video

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: Camera: Talk time:

Rs. 42,000

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: 3G: Camera: Talk time:

112 x 56.9 x 12.5 mm 122 g TFT touchscreen, 256K colors 240 x 400 pixels, 3.2 inches microSD (TransFlash) 128 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM 8 GB/16 GB internal memory Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Class 12 HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels Up to 5 h 50 min

Rs. 51,000

108 x 49 x 10.5 mm 107 g TFT, 256K colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches Memory Stick Micro (M2) 160 MB internal memory Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots) Yes 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, Up to 9 h

Rs. 34,500

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: Camera: Talk time:

99 x 50 x 12.5 mm 86 g TFT, 256K colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches Memory Stick Micro (M2) 40 MB internal memory Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots) Yes 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels Up to 9 h

Rs. 22,000

Note: Above prices serve as a refrence only, they may be different in actual.

54

Feb 2009

MOBILE PHONE

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: 3G: Camera: Talk time:

109 x 59 x 17 mm 168 g TFT touchscreen, 65K colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches, 42 x 57 mm microSD (TransFlash), 128 MB ROM Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Class 10, 236.8 kbps No 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video (QCIF) Up to 5 h

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: 3G: Camera: Talk time:

Rs. 36,500

Dimensions: Weight: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: 3G: Camera: Talk time:

112 x 59 x 19 mm 190 g TFT touchscreen, 65K colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches microSD (TransFlash), 128 MB ROM Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Class 10, 236.8 kbps HSDPA 3.6 Mbps 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels) Up to 6 h

Rs. 50,500

96.9 x 51.4 x 14.9 mm 110 g TFT, 256K colorss 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches microSD (TransFlash) 2 MB user available memory Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots) 32 - 48 kbps Class 12 No 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, Schneider-Kreuznach optics Up to 6 h

Rs. 20,500

Dimensions: Display: Size: Card slot: GPRS: EDGE: 3G: Camera:

105 x 46 x 13.5 mm TFT, 256K colors 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches microSD (TransFlash) 90 MB internal memory Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Class 10, 236.8 kbps No 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video, flash

Rs. 9,000

Dimensions: 113 x 49 x 11.5 mm, 59 cc 96 g Weight: Display: TFT, 256K colorss 176 x 220 pixels, 1.9 inches Size: Card slot: microSD (TransFlash) 20 MB internal user memory Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), GPRS: 32 - 48 kbps EDGE: Class 10, 236.8 kbps 3G: No 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, Camera: video(CIF) Talk time: Up to 4 h

Rs. 9,000

Dimensions: 1115 x 53 x 10.6 mm, 60 cc Weight: 100 g Display: TFT, 256K colorss Size: 320 x 240 pixels, 2.0 inches Card slot: microSD (TransFlash) 20 MB internal user memory GPRS: Class 12 32 - 48 kbps EDGE: Class 12, 3G: No Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(CIF) Talk time: Up to 5 h

Rs. 22,500

Note: Above prices serve as a refrence only, they may be different in actual.

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MONTH IN FOCUS An employee of Japan's toy giant Tomy displays the world's smallest humanoid robot "i-Sobot", which is 165mm in height, weighing 350g and equipped with 17 micro actuators and a gyro-sensor as it dances.

LG Electronics shows its new watch-shaped mobile video phone "3G watch phone" model. The model has a touch-screen dialing system with a camera and a speaker built in to enable users to make video calls with high-speed downlink packet access.

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DIRECTORY

Note: Above prices serve as a refrence only, they may be different in actual.

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CAMERA Sony Black Cyber-shot® T500/B 10.1 megapixel 3.5" wide touch screen 5X Optical Zoom Face Detection

Sanyo VPC-E860 8 MP Resolution 3 x optical zoom 5 x digital zoom 2.5in LCD screen

Cannon A470 Power Shot 7.1 MP resolution 2.5 inch LCD 3.4X optical Zoom 4.0X Digital Zoom

Cannon A580IS 8MP resolution 4.00x Digital Zoom 2.5 inch LCD SDHC / SD type Memory

Cannon FS10 2.7 INCH WIDE SCREEN 1/6 INCH CCD 37X OPTICAL ZOOM 2000X Digital Zoom

Cannon FS11 Cannon FS11 2.7 INCH WIDE SCREEN 1/6 INCH CCD 37X OPTICAL ZOOM

Cannon IXUS 85IS 10.0 Megapixel image sensor 3x optical zoom lens Face Detection Technology DIGIC III with Noise Reduction Technology

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Price Rs. 30,800

Price Rs. 9,500

Price Rs. 8,200

Price Rs. 10,500

Price Rs. 45,000

Price Rs. 56,000

Price Rs. 16,000

Cannon IXUS 90IS 10 MP Resolution 3x optical zoom lens Large 3 inch LCD screen A 32MB SD card

MD 225 2.7” widescreen LCD Real Widescreen 16:9 Image stabilization Optical Zoom: 37x Digital Zoom: UP TO 2000x

Powershot_E1 10.0 Megapixel 2.5-inch TFT color LCD 17 shooting modes Face Detection Technology

Cannon S5-IS 12x optical zoom lens with Ultrasonic Motor (USM) and UD lens Optical Image Stabilizer 8.0 Megapixel CCD 2.5” high-resolution vari-angle LCD

Canon G9 12.4 megapixels 106.4 x 71.9 x 42.5 mm 1024 x 768 @ 15 fps Secure Digital, Secure Digital HC, MultiMediaCard

Nikon L16 7.1 MP resolution 2.8-inch LCD Monitor Optical 3X Zoom Easy Mode

Olympus MJU 840 8 MegaPixels resolution 2.7 inches LCD Screen Optical zoom: 5x Screen size: 2.7in

Price Rs. 17,500

Price Rs. 26,000

Price Rs. 17,000

Price Rs. 26,500

Price Rs. 28,000

Price Rs. 8,500

Price Rs. 15,000