MORE Magazine by more magazine

july 2009 | volume 2 | issue 1

Contents teleCom pakistan’s First teleCom 14 uet: eduCation Center

Disclaimer: Where opinion is expressed it is that of the authors and does not necessarily coincide with the editorial views of the publisher or MORE. All information in this magazine is verified to the best of author’s and publisher’s ability. However, MORE does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from reliance on it.

To step up its contribution towards the telecom industry, UET joined hands with Huawei technologies

teChnology look at hp oFFiCejet pro 8500 16 First Wireless Hp claims that Pro 8500 series gives users high quality laser quality prints at half the cost of a laser printer

approaCh to helping a “green” 20 organization Organizations can reduce annual paper costs by at least 30% by selecting duplex printing as the default

Computing may steal 24 Cloud your data

Cloud computing represent the future but users still need to be careful about who is looking after their data

Cover story

The used computers which we get are useless and are called e-waste. Developed countries do not want to keep them and make sure they get out of their country. Why in the world we buy this ewaste and make it a part of our life

seCurity; 26 inFormation most important oF all

revieWs

28 be a star With samsung s5233

If you are really a touch lover and like the music while traveling, go for it without hesitation and it will not let you down- More Expert

32 nokia n97: a Computer in hand

N97 is streets ahead of the iPhone: screen resolution is better, the 5 megapixel camera superior and the video much better. It has an FM radio

“

We are undergoing massive redeployment of Flexi Radios in one of our customer accounts

”

samung eCoFit monitor So, how can something so beautiful and hi-tech be so eco-friendly? Well the Samsung EcoFit saves on energy consumption of up to 33%

tourism Fort may lose identity 35 lahore aFter renovation These monuments are great assets to this country and can not be created again.

latest in teChnology

37 projeCt natal, a neW Way oF gaming 38 apple launChes iphone 3g s 39 mind-reading Wheel Chair by toyota 40 kindle dX: a real replaCement oF paper 41 a single Charger For every handset 44-50 month in FoCus 52-53 mobile phone 54-56 gadgets paCkage rates 58

Mr. Saad M. Waraich, Country Director, Nokia Siemens

“

Pakistan may elect to jump directly into LTE rather than 3G

”

Mr. Olivier Lauras, CEO Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan Ltd.

“

5 years from now, Samsung should be the first name that comes to customer’s mind

”

22 Mr. Khurram Farooq, Manager Marketing-AV Department, Samsung Pakistan

MORE Magazine published by Mudassar Jehangir Mufti at 2nd Floor, Ali Mansion, 41-A, Lower Mall, Lahore Tel: 042 7321920, 2106737 Email: info@apnatime.com Editor-in-Chief Mudassar Jehangir Mufti | Group Editor Sumaira Mudassar | Editor M. Ali | Content Coordinator Zubair Rehman | Advertising Manager Abdul Qayyum (Lahore) | Ahmed Malik (Lahore) | Designer Assad Chughtai | Marketing Executive Syed Faisal Ahmed | Zain Zahid | International Correspondent Ireland: Alina Amir | Canda: Halima Qureshi, US: Ovais Qureshi | Contributor Shahid Khan, Bruce Schneier, Madiha Manzoor, Sharon Vaknin | Legal Advisor Abdul Fayaz Registration No. PCPB 286 Price: Rs. 150

Cover story

Mudassar Mufti

US government pays US $5 per PC to the

ment has been using them in various depart-

extent. “Used computers are a source of e-

companies for their proper dumping in fur-

ments for years. Thousands of people are

pollution which is ruining our environment

naces which are located in Mexico. But in-

earning their bread and butter from the sales

and the health of common computer user

stead of discarding their old PCs there, these

and purchase of used computers.

and no one is taking any notice.”

companies sell their old machines to Pakistan

Recently a panel discussion was held high-

According to a rough estimate, there are some

through middle agents and earn profits, both

500000 computers in

“

from US government and Pakistani buyers.

Pakistan including new and old, and the recent

Advisor to PM on IT, called it a revolutionary

Older processors consumes 65 watts of electricity contrary to the new one which takes just 5 watts

decision to bring cheap computers in Pak-

Asher Zaidi, Intel

mates, some 1250000

Our country is considered as the dumping ground for the used PCs since years. This import of used computer is legal in all the way and this was allowed back in 2001 when Dr. Atta Ur Rehman, Ex-Federal Minister and

istan as it was impossible for the masses to

”

figures of broadband users are just near 300000 in a country of 170 million. According to esticomputers are im-

buy expensive new computers already avail-

lighting the hazardous eﬀects of used PCs.

ported every year in Pakistan and out of

able in the market. Since then used but

The workshop was organized by Intel Pak-

which 600000 are refurbished. Few years

budget computers are coming in on a mas-

istan which was attended by diﬀerent stake

back, Hafeez Center in Lahore was considered

sive level. It has really helped the country in a

holders including computer manufacturers,

as Asia’s biggest computer market but now it

positive manner and increased the penetra-

assemblers, government representatives,

is the major dumping ground in Pakistan.

tion manifold. One can easily have a Pentium

media etc.

As far as the initial penetration and trends

IV or III with in the range of Rs. 3000 to 8000

One of the panelists, Ibrahim Qureshi from

were concerned, import of used PC was a fan-

depending upon the requirements and spec-

Raﬄes Computers, gave strong arguments

tastic idea by Dr. Atta Ur Rehman, but now

ifications. Most of the middle level organiza-

against the decision of Dr. Atta. According to

the situation is diﬀerent, there are challenges,

tions, educational institutions and individuals

him, used computers have damaged the in-

there are examples in the neighboring coun-

are relying on these PCs. Even the govern-

dustry and the consumer’s mind to a greater

tries and the path is clearly visible.

8 | More | July 2009

Cover story

In the picture, panelists discussing the importance of New and Used computers. The event was organized by Intel Pakistan and Xenith Public Relations in Lahore

In India and Bangladesh, their governments

Muhammad Musa from Micro Inn said, “The

where the useless computers are going in

make sure that no expired and used com-

reason why used computers were allowed to

Pakistan. Our country does not have recycling

puter is imported in side the country. HCL

land in has been compromised. More than

facility of any kind for the electronics goods.

and VIPER are major IT brands in India. They

80% of the computers are being used for

As per 1997 Environment ACT section 13 and

both started after 1999 and have become bil-

watching movies and playing games and this

14, hazardous waste can not be imported in

lion dollar companies. HCL is rated as top em-

is entirely diﬀerent usage than the planned

Pakistan in any condition and this used com-

ployer in the Asia.

one by our then government”.

puter is hazardous waste.

“

Secretary I T, Punjab,

When asked, if government is buying new

Maj (R) Mian Muham-

computers for its departments, what hap-

mad Zulqarnain Aamir

pened to previous used computers and did

Used computers can not be stopped by Punjab government but in my opinion they should not be entered inside Pakistan Maj. Zulqarnain Aamir, Secretary I T

jab. Recently, we have

into sales cycle ultimately. Computers, which

taken very dynamic

are useless in every aspect, are recycled with

Memory is being manufactured in India on

step, and ordered 60,000 new computers for

in the residential areas of the cities without

”

said, “Punjab Govern-

government dump them properly? Mr.

ment is very responsi-

Zulqarnain could not provide a satisfactory

ble and spending Rs. 5

answer to this.

Billion on computer lit-

According to reports, these computers are

eracy Program in Pun-

re-sold to local traders who again bring them

huge scale. Brands like Samsung India and

4000 schools in Punjab and many projects

proper guidance and procedures.

Kingston India are active for the last 3 years

like that are underway”.

In Lahore, areas of Misri Shah and Fakhra

and now US Company Transcend is also plan-

He claimed that purchase of used computers

Abad and other suburb of the city are known

ning to open its facility to manufacture the

have been stopped on the government level

for this activity. The poor workers, unaware of

RAM locally. In order to support the local in-

but further added “used computers can not

the after eﬀects, who turn a useless PC into

dustry, their government has imposed various

be stopped by Punjab government as it is a

pieces, lose their nails and fingers due the

duties on the import of finished equipment.

federal policy but in my opinion they should

constant reactions with the metals. These

Situation in Pakistan is completely reverse.

not be entered inside Pakistan”.

separate pieces are then sold to various vendors who make use of them as a raw material

Companies which started IT services in 2000 are still struggling. Many of them have disap-

environmental hazards

for various local manufacturing processes and

peared due to lack of government support.

Every computer has three major elements, Ar-

hazardous eﬀect carries on.

Despite of government’s tall claims about IT

senic, Potassium and Lead and these ele-

A container of 20x20ft imported by a trader

and investment friendly policies, investor has

ments are bound to be absorbed wherever

contains approximately 400 to 500 comput-

lost confidence.

they are disposed oﬀ. The question arises

ers out of which 20% are bound to be deJuly 2009 | More | 9

Cover story

has been a tremendous decrease in the local economic activity like losing of jobs, less investment in IT thus less revenue for the govt. in terms of taxes and duties. When ever a trade starts having response from the local industry it automatically catches the interest of foreign investor. Over all the size of local IT industry has been reduced because there is no opportunity. If this is the smartest solution to expand the IT industry through used computers then why we are the only one on earth doing this?”

Conclusion Every one involved in the debate raised voice on so many issues of importance. It is true fected and useless.

Punjab we provided those computers on

that we need the computer penetration at a

Another panelist, Habib Akram from Sama Tv.

monthly installment of Rs. 550. Government

highest level no matter it is used or the new

disagreed with the panel and said, “Everyone

had assured its support to the local assem-

one. It would be more favorable to increase

is advocating the new PC and going against

blers and in this regard they promised to buy

the number of new computers because it will

the used PC. If you talk about the health haz-

some 25,000 computers, but they did not buy

ultimately give a chance to local assemblers

ards, I am sure, all of us have these elements

more than 1000 PCs. This shows the level of

and manufacturers to get their selves estab-

inside our bodies and it has nothing to do

commitment from them”, added Ibrahim.

lished which will eventually attract foreign in-

with old PC in particular”.

It has happened in China, where government

vestment and create job opportunities.

“Used PC is still being used in the media

Technology

“

houses on massive scales. There is an economic viability. How can an average salaried person in Pakistan can by new PC which will ultimately cost him more than Rs. 18,000 today. If we do not keep this aspect into mind, it will be cumbersome for the general buyer to purchase a new PC. Here is a debate going on, that due to involvement of used PC,

transfer

can not be ruled out.

We lost 600 jobs and lots of foreign investment that couldn’t come just because there was no market for new components

successful during all

Ibrahim Qureshi, Raﬄes

limit and no stake

we have lost many things; I don’t know what

”

Refurbished or used computers remained these years because our buyer can not afford beyond certain holder can force them

we have lost” Habib further added.

promoted their local assembler and manu-

to buy expensive solutions. Prices must be re-

Answering this, Ibrahim said, “We lost 600 jobs

facturer, Lenovo, against the foreign giants

mained low for a mass acceptance. To sup-

and lots of foreign investment that couldn’t

and with in few years, Lenovo became China’s

port the local industry government must

come just because there was no market for

largest computer manufacture and ultimately

ease duties and taxes on new parts and put a

new components. Since the imposition of

bought IBM.

limit for the old component importers.

16% duty on IT equipment there has been a

Another view was the electricity consump-

Regarding the health hazards, it is not a rocket

tremendous decline in the imports and thus

tion, Asher Zaidi, Country Head, Intel Pakistan

science to understand that both kind of ma-

the IT revenues. The import of PCs in 2007

said, “Older processors consumes 65 watts of

chines either new or old are dangerous for

was 1.7 billion including 249 million from local

electricity contrary to the new one which

the life on planet if they are not recycled and

and in 2008 till April; it came down to 1.4 bil-

takes just 5 watts. If we look into the macro

dumped properly. Government must invite

lion with 222 million from the local IT equip-

level and also keep in mind the energy crisis

diﬀerent stakeholders to sit together and

ments assembling”.

globally and in Pakistan particularly we will just

come up with a solution towards Green En-

“In 2003 we introduced a new PC for Rs. 11,900

conclude that how much costly a used PC is,

vironment and then make sure the imple-

without monitor and in support with bank of

apart from the initial up front cost. Then there

mentation of the processes and laws.

10 | More | July 2009

Mudassar Mufti

teleCom

Mr. Saad M. Waraich, is responsible for the business operations of Nokia Siemens Pakistan and Afghanistan, for both, Mobile and Fixed networks. Services dominates his professional career, just recently he has been given the task of Sales. MORE found this opportunity to discuss how Nokia Siemens intends to reshape the communication in Pakistan. Mr. Saad M. Waraich, Country Director, Nokia Siemens, Pakistan & Afghanistan, Customer and Market Operations

What status Nokia Siemens enjoys in Pakistan’s cellular market? We have been present in Pakistan as a major player in Communication sector for a very long time through Siemens for 50 plus years

How Pakistan’s and Afghanistan’s cellular market diﬀer?

and Nokia only recently.

The characteristics of both the markets are

are involved with most of the significant serv-

We have a very rich history of working on the fixed side as well as on the mobile side. We

same but the timelines and where does the

ice providers in Pakistan. On the fixed side we

Afghanistan market lie is entirely diﬀerent as

are working with PTCL and in the mobile do-

compared to Pakistan. Afghanistan in terms

main we are involved with Telenor, Ufone and

“

In a discussion in Lahore where people concluded 3G is not relevant to Pakistan. If you ask me or anyone in our company, we don’t subscribe to that view, just something that has not happened so far in Pakistan does not mean that it should never happen

”

of growth trajectory is standing where Pak-

Mobilink. We are also involved on the fixed

istan was about three years ago.

side with some government entities from de-

It is growing very rapidly and we are seeing a

fense sector and public sector as well. I can

happened in the past three to four years has

very sharp growth slope. When I started to get

say we have a very diverse customer base in

been phenomenal and hopefully we will get

involved with that market a little over two years

Pakistan.

over it in the next year or two. But currently there is a short fall of about 5000MWs. We have

ago the number of customers was about 3 million, now they have increased to 10million. Yet we have not certified figures for the market but we have seen a threefold increase in the customer base in Afghanistan in the last 2 years.

What your company is doing in terms of greener and smarter GSM networks?

been consistently working towards reducing energy consumption of the overall telecom network. If you look at the telecom network 80 percent of the energy consumption comes

Its population is 30 million but the teledensity

When we talk about Pakistan in Particular, we

from the radio part including the towers and

in Afghanistan is around 31 percent. One of

have been going under a serious energy crisis

the BTS. If you work towards reducing energy

the other characteristics that Afghanistan

and before this energy crisis started, electricity

consumption in the radio part of network, you

shares with Pakistan is the declining ARPU.

was highly expensive in Pakistan. What has

end up achieving quite a lot of savings. July 2009 | More | 11

teleCom

services (VAS). The uptake of things other than SMS are pretty much close to zero. In terms of data usage we are very low, it is picking up but it is not comparable to developed markets. What is required to change the current trend is for operators to come up with offerings which are relevant to the people and market. To increase VAS usage, operators have to come up with oﬀerings that have a relevance to the bulk of the users, young generation etc. The transition is happening not at the pace we have wanted it to but it is happening.

Typical consumption of BTS deployed around Pakistan by various operators consumes about 1600- 2000 watts whereas, on the other hand, our product called the Flexi BTS consumes about 800 watts, it is a significant cost saving. We are undergoing massive redeployment of Flexi Radios in one of our customer accounts and the projected cost saving and the projected reduction in the carbon footprint would be somewhere around reducing 50,000 cars from a particular cities over the next five years or nullifying the carbon footprints of about 12000 households. So there is phenomenal cost savings to be achieved by the radio products, that we are deploying and we are evolving onto the newer versions and newer lighter foot prints both in terms of physical size and energy consumption.

“

We are undergoing massive redeployment of Flexi Radios in one of our customer accounts and the projected cost saving and the projected reduction in the carbon footprint would be somewhere around reducing 50,000 cars from a particular cities over the next five years or nullifying the carbon footprints of about 12000 households

”

What is actually required to transform the current 2.7 networks to 3G? In terms of cost it depends on the operator’s business plan, it is not an easy question to answer. It probably start with an overlay mode where the operators will roll out 3G in the big cities, have a chance to get quicker ROI (return on Investment), they will invest first. What is stopping it from happening is the licensing. The Government has to decide what mode of licensing it is going to adopt, so that is the only thing stopping it. Over the last 2 years there has been varying degrees of interest of various operators. Yes there are skeptics, as in the discussion in the Lahore where people concluded 3G is not relevant to Pakistan. If you ask me or anyone in our

rest is just voice. In the last couple of years you

company, we don’t subscribe to that view;

have seen an increased focus from the oper-

just something that has not happened so far

ators on increasing revenue stream from

in Pakistan does not mean that it should

value added services. Even now the predom-

never happen.

We have achieved quite a lot in terms of subscribers and network expansion, why are we far behind in value added services, if we compare ourselves to the regional countries?

usage. The demand for voice is still there, sec-

Pakistan is still a voice dominated market and

ondly there is a certain amount of maturity

in terms of value added services I believe, for

which is required in terms of the end users,

If 3G is allowed and executed in 2009-10, what percentage of user do you see in first two or three years will prefer to go to 3G networks?

a typical operator in Pakistan you only have

which will increase an uptake for value added

I would say quite a few users in the urban and

inant value added services which sells is SMS and you have seen the emphasis on various packages and products that operators are coming up with recently to increase SMS

less than 10 percent of the revenue stream

services. In terms of oﬀering, one of our cus-

suburban areas closer to the big cities, sub-

coming from the value added services, the

tomers has around 200 plus value added

stantial number of students, middle class and

12 | More | July 2009

teleCom

lower middle class tier of people; you will be

three story buildings, you will hardly see any

surprised to see the uptake.

microwave dish there because fiber is there

I will ask you another question, why we have

to connect all the BTS.

Can you make use of these signal poles?

been investing consistently in dialup business

So if someone to implement a network in the

Yes, we can make use of them, now a BTS can

all over the country because there is a need

metropolitan area today, they don’t need to

be stored under a park bench and you need

and PTCL is the only operator in this and now

have these ugly towers, they can connect

power which is another complication in Pak-

others are involved.

through fiber.

istan, you don’t have a reliable power available here.

Is there any technology available in the world which can reduce the size of BTS and towers? The BTs are very small, the Flexi’s that we are providing is very small, that can even be handled with hand, that is why it consumes very less power and has small carbon footprint. The reason for having these communication towers is completely diﬀerent, there is a history behind it, normally in developed countries you have a mobile switching centre and from the switch you are connected to the

“

If we start doing it now it requires extensive reinvestment because the networks in the urban areas have been built up already. I don’t think operators will allow any more sites to be put in Islamabad and it is also true for most of the big cities as well

”

BSE’s and BSE’ are connected to the BTS. The BTS actually communicate with your terminal or phone. Now these BTS have to be connected to each other and eventually to the BSE. When GSM network started to roll out in Pakistan there was one way of connecting one BTS to another and eventually connect-

That’s why you require extensive battery

But these towers are still being installed, is there any way out, are you working on it?

backups and generators which increase the footprints of your site. If you have reliable commercial power available than you can install a BTS underneath a park bench and RF antennas on a light pole.

Your competitors are working to educate the people, do you feel the responsibility? Yes, we feel the responsibility, we are doing quite lot in this area, we have been working with Telenor and Govt. of the Punjab. There was this initiative on TEVTA training, we actually set up the labs, developed the course work, our people trained the trainer. The idea is to train young kids, who have not gone through college, giving them training on repairing mobile phones and other basic skills

ing it back to the switch was through mi-

We have actively suggested it to one of our

which enable them to be productive and

crowave radios. And microwaves only work

customer and we will most likely start work-

open up a corner shop in the market and do

in only Line of Sight. So to establish Line of

ing on it. The problem here is that if we start

some work.

Sight, you have to take the tower to a height

doing it now it requires extensive reinvest-

On the professional side we have started en-

where it reaches the point where you get

ment because the networks in the urban

gaging and we have come up with a formal

Line of Sight with no obstruction between

areas have been built up already but eventu-

university program. Currently in NUST we

tower one and tower two. That is the reason

ally newer expansions will start happening

have developed courses relevant to the vari-

you have so high towers. Normally in the

through this. Why? Because civic authorities

ous segments of end to end telecom busi-

western world you only see towers on high-

in most of the big cities in Pakistan have

ness, hardware software, services and

ways and in rural areas and in the urban areas

stopped giving licenses for the new sites sim-

technologies.

you connect site A with site B through fiber.

ply because of the ugliness.

no fiber and no concept of fiber network in metropolitan area. So if you look at the tower microwave antennas are on the highest level whereas RF antennas that connect to your phone are not on the same height. If you go

We are now sponsoring a couple of students in a year, in terms of financing their education

In Pakistan when they all started oﬀ there was

So your perception is that operators are not going to invest anymore on this green technology?

completely, enabling them and working with

They can’t, I don’t think operators will allow

network in a big hall. We have started with

them on their term projects. We have an extensive test bed facility in Islamabad which is in fact a complete and self contained telecom

to any of the developed countries, you will

any more sites to be put in Islamabad and it

one , once it gets oﬀ the ground, probably we

see RF antennas on the side of the two or

is also true for most of the big cities as well.

will engage with other universities July 2009 | More | 13

teleCom

Madiha Manzoor

In this era of advanced digital communi-

in phase II in 2008, Huawei provided us the

cations and World Wide Web, strong tele-

latest high-tech GSM/GPRS equipment that

communication is necessary for us. But for

made the centre worth 8.3 million USD in full

Pakistan’s telecom industry, there is still a long

amount.

way to go. Pakistan needs to increase telecom

HUTIC provides Huawei engineers a platform

research and development work within the

for their trainings and practice on the equip-

country. The goal of the policy makers should

ment which they cannot perform on the real-

be to increase the rate of transfer of technol-

time equipment in the field. The centre also

ogy from abroad. They should broaden the

strengthens the industry-academia relation

pool of local skilled workforce and accelerate

by oﬀering diﬀerent training courses to the

the local production of telecom equipment

students of engineering universities all over

and handset parts etc.

Pakistan. In this way HUTIC proves to be a

A training session of telecom at UET

14 | More | July 2009

Keeping this fact in mind and realizing the re-

unique and one of its own kinds of learning

sponsibility as an engineering institute, Uni-

opportunity for the students as well as pro-

versity of Engineering & Technology, Lahore

fessionals at a national level.

has been playing its major role in the acade-

The training team employed at HUTIC con-

mia and industry of Pakistan. Every year hun-

sists of engineers graduated from the best in-

dreds of students graduate from the Electrical,

stitutes in Pakistan, including NUST, UET and

Computers and Telecom Engineering depart-

BZU etc. They are trained on the latest BTS,

ments.

BSC, HLR, MSoftX (MSC) and UMG. These oﬃ-

To step up its contribution towards the tele-

cials are technically sound in their work and

com industry, UET joined hands with Huawei

they are also currently operating and main-

technologies, China. So to accelerate the

taining the system on routine basis apart from

technology transfer, Huawei UET Joint tele-

the training courses conducted at HUTIC.

com & IT Centre (HUTIC) was established in

a basic mobile phone call scenario

the university premises. In the first phase in

Many operators in Pakistan, e.g. Mobilink, Ufone,

2003, Huawei provided UET its latest GSM

telenor, Zong, Warid, PTCL etc. are using the

equipment that was worth 3million USD. And

same GSM/GPRS network deployed at HUTIC.

teleCom

The purpose of a phone network is to estab-

Several BTSs are controlled by a base station

of the network, or is using a black listed mobile,

lish a connection between the caller and the

controller (BSC), which controls the radio fre-

any services of that particular network cannot

called person. To achieve this functionality the

quency on which a particular mobile com-

be availed. HLR also keeps a record of sub-

network must be able to identify and authen-

municates with the antenna. BSC also

scriber’s SIM number, location and the regis-

ticate the calling person. It must have the ca-

performs the control and management of

tered services. When the user has not

pability to determine the location of the

several sites.

registered for some services and tries to avail

called person and to route the call between

When a subscriber is moving during call, the

that, the HLR will not allow any such operation.

caller and the called one. The network should

coverage area of that site may be crossed, in

To locate the called person, the BTS of the cor-

also ensure that the connection remains es-

which the call was received. Now this call

responding cell broadcasts a call message to

tablished during the whole conversation.

must be kept connected even in this new site.

all the subscribers in the cell, and only the

When the call ends, the network deducts the

For this purpose a “handover” between the

“called” mobile set responds to this message.

charges of the call/services availed.

two sites is performed by the BSC. If the two

In this way when the subscriber is authenti-

To call a particular subscriber, the mobile sta-

sites are not under the control of one single

cated to be a valid user of the network, the

tion (MS), person who is making a call, ac-

BSC, then an inter-BSC handover is performed

equipment is validated, service to be availed

cesses the nearest site/Base Transceiver

by the mobile switching centre (MSC).

has been registered, there is suﬃcient

Station (BTS), which has antenna to commu-

Apart from this handover and switching of call,

amount of credit for the services and the

nicate with the MS. This site has a capacity to

MSC is used for billing purpose as well. If during

called person is successfully located, the call

serve a certain number of users. When a sub-

the call, the credit of a caller gets finished, the

is setup between the caller mobile and the

scriber dials a number and a “Network Busy”

call is terminated. Also, during the call setup

called number.

message pops up, it means that the site is

MSC forwards the call information to HLR.

There could be many possible scenarios for a

being used to its full capacity and it cannot

HLR performs authentication in the Authen-

GSM network call. For example a mobile-to-

serve anymore calls, until one of the going on

tication Centre (AuC) for authentication of the

mobile call, mobile-to-PSTN call, mobile orig-

calls releases the site resources. If the signal

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

inating call, mobile terminating call and many

coming from BTS antenna or going from your

The validity of the mobile set equipment (ME)

more.

mobile is not strong enough, it will interrupt

is also assured by the Equipment Identity Reg-

the communication and your call may drop.

ister (EIR). So, if the user is not a valid subscriber

We will keep discussing these cases in coming editions. The writer is a trainer at HUTIC n July 2009 | More | 15

teChnology

Zubair Rehman

Hp claims that that its HP Pro 8500 series

can gives users high quality laser quality prints n

Built-in memory card reader

tion arises, can HP Pro 8500 really give users

Energy Star qualified

the laser quality print for half price of laser

The Oﬃcejet Pro 8500 Wireless is one big

printer? Will it be able to claim its place as an

printer and it is without the optional 250-

all-in-one inkjet in your home or oﬃce? Let’s

sheet drawer addition that’s standard on the

keypad, copy options and a cancel button.

take a first look at HP Pro 8500 Wireless and

Oﬃcejet Pro 8000 Premier.

The 250-sheet paper drawer expands out to

find answers to all these questions.

The Pro 8500 Wireless measures about 19.5 x

fit legal sized paper and has two adjustable

18 x 13 inches without the output tray ex-

paper clasps on either side for printing on

at half the cost of a laser printer. So the ques-

speCiFiCations n

tended or the scanner lid up. In that case,

media as small as 3 x 5 inches. Acceptable

Multifunction device: print, scan, copy

measurements are more like 19.5 x 24.5 x 20

media types include: three varieties of paper,

and fax

inches.

photo paper, envelopes, index cards and

Print speeds: up to 35 ppm in black,

The Oﬃcejet Pro 8500 series are all done in a

transparencies.

34 ppm in color

mixture of matt black, glossy black and white

The built-in memory card reader can be

First page out: as fast as 15 seconds

gray. There are adjustable paper clasps for a

found to the right of the paper drawer. The

Print resolution: up to 4800 x 1200 dpi

variety of media and the ADF is great for

five slot card reader supports the following

(optimized color)

copying large documents. If you have a jam,

media: CompactFlash Type I and II, Memory

3.4 inch touch LCD

the ADF does have an access panel. Below

Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SD, SDHC, Multime-

250-sheet paper drawer (upgradeable to the lid, you’ll find the legal-size scanner glass.

dia Card, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Duo,

500 sheets)

The scanner on the Oﬃcejet Pro 8500 Wire-

and Memory Stick Pro Duo.

50-sheet ADF

less has a resolution up to 4800 optical dpi.

On the back of the Oﬃcejet Pro 8500 Wireless,

Monthly duty cycle: up to 15,000 pages

The control panel on the Oﬃcejet Pro 8500

you’ll find all the connection ports: Ethernet,

Automatic duplexing

Wireless has a 3.4 inch LCD touchscreen.

USB, two fax extensions and the power

384 MHZ processor with 128 MB

To the left of the display is the scan and fax op-

adapter. The duplexing accessory is also lo-

memory

tions including the Scan to E-mail, Fax to E-

cated on the back of the machine and is in-

Scan to, Fax to E-mail

mail. To the right of the LCD, there is a numeric

cluded in the dimensions listed.

16 | More | July 2009

teleCom

MORE Islamabad Panel

Olivier Lauras, CEO Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan Ltd.

What status Alcatel-Lucent enjoys in Pakistani cellular market in terms of share and achievement? The past two years have been in many respects record-breaking years for Alcatel-Lucent in Pakistan as we achieved new heights of growth in the country, mostly in the mobile and services sectors. There has been a significant transfer of knowledge and competence to Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan to build a very strong local integration and turnkey delivery and network operation capability to deliver our solution in shortest period of time to our customers.

deployment of best in class networks and

ents and building them as future managers

their subsequent expansions, innovative so-

of Alcatel-Lucent in the region. Presently

lutions such as broadband and value-added

about 45 of our Pakistani engineers are

services. Alcatel-Lucent has also pursued

working abroad to support various Alcatel-

Managed services and operation services.

Lucent projects, mainly in Africa and Middle

“

East.

As time goes though, Pakistan may elect to jump directly into LTE rather than 3G and operators having Wimax operations would certainly see a benefit there

”

Alcatel lucent enjoys strong strategic part-

Several initiatives came also to life to ensure

nerships with two of the leading cellular

that our current performance is sustainable

companies, Mobilink and CMPak, with a total

in the long run and achieve operational ex-

We have set ambitious goals for 2009. The biggest challenge for Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan is to transform itself further to compete with smaller and more agile new entrants. We are addressing the cultural changes necessary to this eﬀect and focus on customer satisfaction.

What is your company doing in terms of greener and smarter GSM networks?

GSM market share of over 20% in the coun-

cellence to be closer to our customers. One

Alcatel-Lucent has launched a comprehen-

try. 50% of Mobilink’s GSM network base is

such initiative is the creation of the service

sive program to enable the high-volume de-

from Alcatel-Lucent, while in the North re-

team with trained and certified professionals

ployment of wireless base stations powered

gion of the CMPak network Alcatel-Lucent

to respond quickly to all of our customer’s

by alternative energy sources to address

enjoys the position of the key stake-holder.

needs in Pakistan and in the region. To sus-

mobile operators’ increasing demand for en-

Currently the company is engaged in several

tain growth, Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan is also

ergy-autonomous and green wireless net-

projects with these customers that include

substantially investing in training young tal-

working equipment. This “Alternative Energy

18 | More | July 2009

teleCom

Program” will help ensure that service

in customers.

providers can quickly and cost-eﬃciently

The little amount of value added services

deploy wireless networks even in areas not

that are available experience low usage

served by electrical power, in all ranges of cli-

numbers due to lack of awareness. The ab-

mates and geographies and under all de-

sence of local content is a major hurdle; the

Which important elements are currently missing for the 3G deployment in Pakistan? As a first step, in order to create a business

ployment conditions. As part of the program

services are mostly provided in English

case for 3G, the audience for 3G needs to be

the company is establishing a unique lab

which is not the first language for most of

increased by increasing the number of broad-

and pilot site to foster an ecosystem of inter-

the consumers in Pakistan which has a major

band users in the country.

nal experts, partner companies and institu-

chunk of rural population.

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has

tions to bring together the alternative

Having said that we are now partnering with

not yet issued the license for 3G spectrum

energies and telecom worlds.

operators around the world in order to bring

utilization, but most operators believe that

The program capitalizes on Alcatel-Lucent’s

together all of the expertise needed to ad-

the increase in customer base resulting

recent energy eﬃciency innovations for

dress the carrier, enterprise, and software de-

from their migration to 3G will not be suﬃ-

wireless networks, and it’s on field experi-

veloper community’s needs for a maximized

cient to cover the costs associated with the

ence with alternative energy through the in-

customer experience.

migration. The general public will have to

stallation of more than 300 solar-powered

We do it in diﬀerent ways, including Cus-

become aware about (and ready to pay for)

radio sites, to provide a robust set of turnkey

tomer service software oﬀered under our

the advantages of having higher data rates

base stations solutions powered with vari-

Genesys brand; Digital media and advertis-

on their cell phones before this service can

ous alternative energy sources such as solar,

ing which address the growing end user de-

really kick oﬀ.

wind, fuel cells, etc.

mand for media-rich applications and content available on any device, anywhere,

How can you play a role to reduce the cost of GSM operations?

at anytime; Payment and next generation in-

What is the most suitable period in Pakistan to deploy the 3G?

telligent networking among other things As I have said, there are still some missing el-

Alcatel-Lucent Alternative Energy Program aims to integrate alternative energy sources and telecommunications equipment to improve the overall energy eﬃciency of the

What is required to transform the current 2.7G network into a 3G network?

ements that have still not happened in Pakistan before 3G would make an economical sense. With the present ARPU level in the country, we do not see those elements hap-

telecom sites and lower costs for operators.

Re-use of the existing assets and seamless

pening rapidly and we believe that the indus-

Our recent innovations in energy eﬃciency

migration for Alcatel-Lucent customers cur-

try will go through a concentration phase

for base stations include products and com-

rently using GSM are key elements of Alca-

before the launch of 3G mass deployment.

ponents such as the Twin TRX transceiver

tel-Lucent 3G evolution strategy.

As time goes though, Pakistan may elect to

module, multi-carrier power amplifiers, di-

Additionally, some transformations are also

jump directly into LTE rather than 3G and op-

rect air cooling and dynamic power save

needed in the Core network. Although most

erators having Wimax operations would cer-

techniques (software-based) that are key el-

operators have migrated from their legacy

tainly see a benefit there.

ements of our “Alternative Energy Program”,

GSM Core network to Next Generation Net-

and that help in reducing the cost of GSM

works (at least 3GPP release R4) which will

operations.

allow them to experience the benefits of 3G,

Why are we far behind in the region in terms of value added services and their usage?

tous services for which 3G networks were

however, in order to fully enjoy the ubiquidesigned, operators in Pakistan need to

Why Alcatel-lucent did not carry the mobile handset products aggressively as in case of Sony Ericsson?

evolve from Next Generation Networks to IP

This was a strategic decision for Alcatel-Lu-

Multimedia Sub-systems.

cent back in the early 2000 to sell its mobile

In order to draw customers within this seg-

Alcatel-Lucent provides such end-to-end so-

phones activity to TCL. The phones are now

ment operators need high end content and

lutions for migration to 3G which allow

being sold under a license agreement; the

applications which are both currently ab-

transformation of the network in all aspects,

manufacturer is committed to our brand and

sent, and thus result in an inability to draw

be it access or core.

we are supportive of its activities. July 2009 | More | 19

teChnology

Shahid Khan

With increased attention being placed on the

Highlights” labels that are found on the packag-

environmental impact that organizations have,

ing of HP products, or refer to the list of imaging

more C-level executives are waking up to the

and printing products that are ENERGY STAR®

importance and impact of their organization’s

qualified that is maintained on HP’s website.

environmental footprint. Being environmentally

Organizations should look out for features de-

responsible does not need to come at a cost to

signed to reduce energy usage while choosing

the organization. In fact, incorporating environ-

their imaging and printing devices. For example,

mentally responsible practices can help the or-

HP LaserJet printers feature the proprietary In-

ganization save costs.

stant-on Technology that allows for 50 percent

HP has developed a four -step approach to how

energy savings over competing laser printing

organizations can save money while doing their

devices. Instant-on Technology uses cutting-

part to conserve the environment. Start today by

edge fuser technology to produce the first page

implementing these responsible printing tips:

faster when a printer is coming out of Powersave mode so the print job is done sooner.

20 | More | July 2009

reduce energy consumption

In addition, organizations can choose multi-

One of the first steps to reducing energy con-

function devices, such as HP All-in-Ones, that

sumption is in choosing the right products.

perform the functions of multiple machines,

Check with the IT provider for a list of energy ef-

thereby reducing the overall energy consump-

ficient products that are ENERGY STAR® quali-

tion by consolidating the number of devices re-

fied. For example, customers can refer to

quired in the oﬃce environment.

energy-eﬃciency attributes listed on “HP Eco

Organizations can also leverage print manage-

teChnology

ment tools to enhance management eﬃ-

plex-capable devices and setting duplex

ciency and provide environmental benefits at

printing defaults at the network level using

the network level, such as setting printer

HP Web Jetadmin and HP Universal Print

sleep and wake modes to reduce their entire

Driver.

printing fleet’s energy use. Print management

In addition, organizations can leverage appli-

manage your imaging and printing environment professionally Large organizations whose imaging and

tools such as HP Web Jetadmin (WJA) enable

cations like HP’s Smart Web Printing that al-

printing environment consist of a mix of old

customers to install, configure, troubleshoot

lows users to select, collect, store, combine,

and new equipment, over- and under-uti-

and manage all of their networked imaging

and print information from multiple Web

lized, often face challenges in the manage-

and printing devices.

understand the carbon footprint of your imaging and printing function To gain a better understanding of developing an actionable roadmap to reduce their imaging and printing carbon footprint, organizations can leverage tools like the HP Carbon Footprint Calculator. Available online at the HP website, the

Carbon

Footprint

Calculator

(http://www.hp.com/large/ipg/ecologicalprinting-solutions/carbon-footprint-calc.html) allows customers to gain visibility to the carbon footprint and compare their existing printer fleet to that of a new, optimized fleet to understand how they can reduce their impact on the environment and reap energy savings.

pages. Allowing users to print only what they

ment and procurement of their printing

want, this helps the organization save on

infrastructure. By opting for managed print

both ink and paper.

services (MPS) from providers like HP, these

“

organizations can reduce the total cost of

Organizations can reduce annual paper costs by at least 30% by selecting duplex printing as the default setting across the output fleet2. They can achieve this by deploying duplex-capable devices and setting duplex printing defaults at the network level using HP Web Jetadmin and HP Universal Print Driver

ownership associated with an unmanaged print environment by assessing the existing printing environment, as well as reduce environmental impact and achieve cost savings. Pre- and post-analysis of some HP MPS customers’ imaging and printing operations reveals energy savings of between 30 percent and 80 percent3 and reductions in paper consumption in the millions of pages. Having the printing infrastructure planned and managed by a vendor like HP means that organizations spend less time fixing printing

”

problems, ordering toner, ink and paper or implementing new document management and workflow solutions.

For a more in-depth assessment of the orga-

Additionally, companies can implement user-

Through adopting eﬃcient and responsible

nization’s imaging and printing carbon foot-

authenticated printing solutions (i.e. PIN, Pri-

printing practices, businesses can save con-

print, the HP Eco Printing Assessment allows

vate, and Pull Printing). Not only do these

sumables and energy whilst reducing

customers to assess their energy consump-

solutions improve security and compliance,

downtime and improving productivity. Bet-

tion, paper usage and carbon footprint and

they can also reduce wasted paper and en-

ter printing practices also mean that the en-

determine ways to use less energy, recycle

ergy. According to Gartner, “With as many as

vironmental impact of printing can also be

more and reduce the impact of imaging and

one in 10 documents sent to the printer and

reduced. Implementing managed print

printing. The assessment also helps quantify

uncollected or sent again before collection to

services can reduce the number of devices

the financial and environmental benefits of

correct user errors, enterprises could reduce

in use, and optimize the device-to-

“going green”.

ad hoc print costs by up to 10 percent by im-

employee ratio, translating into reduced en-

plementing a PIN authentication system2.

ergy usage.

reduce paper use Implementing default duplex printing is a simple and eﬀective way for organizations to

Shahid Khan works for HP Pakistan as Direc-

reduce paper usage while achieving cost sav-

tor Marketing. He has over 12 years of expe-

ings. According to Gartner, organizations can

rience in IT and Telecom. Making use of his

potentially reduce annual paper costs by at

vast exposure he is determined to reshape

least 30% by selecting duplex printing as the

technology in Pakistan representing world’s

default setting across the output fleet2. Or-

largest IT Company

ganizations can achieve this by deploying duJuly 2009 | More | 21

teChnology

MORE Lahore Panel

Mr. Khurram Farooq, Manager Marketing-AV Department, Samsung Pakistan talks about new LED TV and company’s future plans. What is an LED TV and how it differs from LCD?

erties of LED, it consumes up to 60% less

LED TV is a new category which has the fol-

energy than a similar LCD. Also Samsung

lowing improved benefits over LCD.

does not use any spray paint or volatile or-

Improved picture quality: Better blacks and

ganic compounds, so Samsung products

higher contrast ratio (1,000,000:1) which re-

make for a greener environment

Eco-Friendliness: Due to the unique prop-

sults in unparalleled picture quality, which is closer to life due to superior contrast, richer colors, deeper blacks and sharper images Improved and Slimmer design: Due to

LCDs are not very old as the CRTs, why Samsung had to think about LEDs so early?

Samsung’s technological research, this is

Innovation is taking place at a rapid pace.

the slimmest “all-in-one” TV yet. Further, we

Samsung is committed to bringing the lat-

have designed a new wall-mount which re-

est technology to the public as soon as pos-

sembles a picture frame, thus adding to the

sible, which is the reason that LED has come

overall slimness and premium image of this

to the front so quickly. Samsung believes

product

that this is the next generation of TV, and

22 | More | July 2009

“

We can provide the customer with a complete solution which fulfils all his needs. 5 years from now, when anyone thinks of buying an electronics appliance, Samsung should be the first name that comes to his mind. That is where Samsung wants to be

”

teChnology

customers deserve the latest in technology.

success. We have always been a pioneer in

It’s all about providing the customer maxi-

LCD design, starting from our wine-glass

mum value for their hard-earned money.

shaped TVs’, to our Glossy Piano Black

What diﬃculties do you face to fight the parallel sales network?

bezels, to our Crystal Design, and now on

Due to high duty structure of Pakistan, we

to our extremely thin LED TVs’. A Samsung

are unable to compete with the price of-

LCD looks as good when it is oﬀ as it does

fered by these smuggled / illegal products.

when it is turned on. Picture quality was

However we try to diﬀerentiate by oﬀering

never kept as an after-thought. Both pic-

warranty / after-sales and proper customer

There are two basic specifications of LCD.

ture quality and design go hand-in-hand as

support for our product.

Screen resolution: This refers to the native

far as Samsung LCD is concerned.

A good LCD TV is a big investment from

There are so many brands in the market, what elements should be kept in mind while buying LCD?

resolution of the LCD, and is also referred to as 1-megapixel (HD) and 2-megapixel (FullHD) Contrast Ratio: Generally, higher is better. There is also a big diﬀerence between Contrast Ratio and Dynamic Contrast Ratio, so customers should be sure of which number they are comparing. These days most manufacturers are promoting DCR. Other features to keep in mind now are; Design: This is more a matter of personal preference, but generally the days of grey, boxy TVs’ are gone. The customer is more

“

Due to high duty structure of Pakistan, we are unable to compete with the price offered by these smuggled / illegal products. However we try to differentiate by offering warranty / after-sales and proper customer support for our product

”

sophisticated, and wants a TV which looks as good oﬀ as it does on. Thickness: The appeal of LED is the fact that it is just as thin as a picture frame, and looks part of the interior design. Environmental impact: This includes the environmental impact during production (like

the customer’s point-of-view, and buying

How much LCD technology Samsung has transferred to the assembling facility in Pakistan so far?

use of spray paints or harmful production

In Pakistan we currently have an assem-

processes) as well as operating power (sets

bling facility. LCD arrives from our factories

consuming more energy are more harmful

in Thailand and Korea in SKD (Semi

for the environment). In our LED TV, Sam-

Knocked Down) format, and is assembled

sung uses eco-friendly processes and the

by our competent staﬀ at the state-of-the-

something without warranty is a risky endeavor which should be avoided. Further, many of these LCDs’ are from diﬀerent regions, and replacement parts are not available in this part of the world.

We are seeing Samsung opening its display centers quite frequently in 2009. What is your vision behind this? Our vision is very simple, 50 Samsung shops in Pakistan by the end of 2009. In this regard we have already opened almost 19 shops all over Pakistan. Lahore alone has 9 shops. In the next few months we are focusing on creating a big network of shops in Karachi. Our goal is to make the Samsung shop your one-stop electronics shop.

Where Samsung find itself in next 5 years in the Pakistani market?

energy consumption is also very low.

art factory located on Multan Road in La-

Currently Samsung is one of the leading in-

Picture quality: In the end, it all comes to

hore.

ternational brands in the Pakistan market.

perception. If it looks good to the customer,

If you compare it to other brands, then

Sony is taken as your strong rival in the LCD market, how do you see Samsung leads the global LCD the joint venture between Sammarket in terms of numbers. sung and Sony? What major factors were inThis is far from a recent venture. S-LCD was volved? established back in April 2004, and has just

Samsung is the one with the most varied

then they should go for it!

products. We can provide the customer with a complete solution which fulfils all his needs. 5 years from now, when anyone thinks of buying an electronics appliance, Samsung should be the first name that comes to

Samsung was the first LCD manufacturer to

started operating its second 8th Genera-

their mind. That is where Samsung wants

focus on design as a key attribute of LCD

tion production line in June 2009.

to be. July 2009 | More | 23

teChnology

Bruce Schneier

Cloud computing may represent the future of computing but users still need to be careful about who is looking after their data This year's overhyped IT concept is cloud

your CPU manufacturer, your hardware, op-

don't want the company you're using to be

computing. Also called software as a service

erating system and software vendors – and

sold to your direct competitor. You don't want

(Saas), cloud computing is when you run soft-

your ISP. Any one of these can undermine

the company to cut corners, without warn-

ware over the internet and access it via a

your security: crash your systems, corrupt

ing, because times are tight. Or raise its prices

browser. The salesforce.com customer man-

data, allow an attacker to get access to sys-

and then refuse to let you have your data

agement software is an example of this. So is

tems. We've spent decades dealing with

back. These things can happen with software

Google Docs. If you believe the hype, cloud

worms and rootkits that target software vul-

vendors, but the results aren't as drastic.

computing is the future.

nerabilities. We've worried about infected

There are two diﬀerent types of cloud com-

But, hype aside, cloud computing is nothing

chips. But in the end, we have no choice but

puting customers. The first only pays a nom-

new. It's the modern version of the timeshar-

to blindly trust the security of the IT providers

inal fee for these services – and uses them for

ing model from the 1960s, which was even-

we use.

free in exchange for ads: eg Gmail and Face-

tually killed by the rise of the personal

Saas moves the trust boundary out one step

book. These customers have no leverage with

computer. It's what Hotmail and Gmail have

further – you now have to also trust your soft-

their outsourcers. You can lose everything.

been doing all these years, and it's social net-

ware service vendors – but it doesn't funda-

Companies like Google and Amazon won't

working sites, remote backup companies,

mentally change anything. It's just another

spend a lot of time caring. The second type

and remote email filtering companies such as

vendor we need to trust.

of customer pays considerably for these serv-

MessageLabs. Any IT outsourcing – network

There is one critical diﬀerence. When a com-

ices: to salesforce.com, MessageLabs, man-

infrastructure, security monitoring, and re-

puter is within your network, you can protect

aged network companies, and so on. These

mote hosting – is a form of cloud computing.

it with other security systems such as firewalls

customers have more leverage, providing

The old timesharing model arose because

and IDSs. You can build a resilient system that

they write their service contracts correctly.

computers were expensive and hard to main-

works even if those vendors you have to trust

Still, nothing is guaranteed.

tain. Modern computers and networks are

may not be as trustworthy as you like. With

Trust is a concept as old as humanity, and the

drastically cheaper, but they're still hard to

any outsourcing model, whether it be cloud

solutions are the same as they have always

maintain.

computing or something else, you can't. You

been. Be careful who you trust, be careful

But, what about security? Isn't it more dan-

have to trust your outsourcer completely. You

what you trust them with, and be careful how

gerous to have your email on Hotmail's

not only have to trust the outsourcer's secu-

much you trust them. Outsourcing is the fu-

servers, your spreadsheets on Google's, your

rity, but its reliability, its availability, and its

ture of computing. Eventually we'll get this

personal conversations on Facebook's, and

business continuity.

right, but you don't want to be a casualty

your company's sales prospects on sales-

You don't want your critical data to be on

along the way.

force.com's? Well, yes and no.

some cloud computer that abruptly disap-

Bruce Schneier is chief security technology oﬃcer at BT

IT security is about trust. You have to trust

pears because its owner goes bankrupt. You

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

24 | More | July 2009

teChnology

Ms. Attiya

formation security includes data

assets. Internet transactions are on the rise

in digital form along with physical secu-

and all this data flowing on internet is vul-

rity, operations security, policies and proce-

nerable. A recent survey shows that almost

Today organizations survive on informa-

dures, compliance to laws and regulations,

97% of the organizations in UK have broad-

tion. It is the most important tool of deci-

intellectual property rights and much

band connection to the internet, 93% have

sion making and therefore setting a way

more. In recent years, another term

corporate website, 54% allow staﬀ to ac-

forward for the organization. Therefore in-

emerged called “Information Assurance”

cess systems remotely and 42% use wire-

formation must be true, correct, precise

which is even a broader term than informa-

less network. The survey also shows that in

and available in time. Here comes what we

tion security. Along with CIA, it includes au-

2008 45% of small companies, 73% of

call information security. Information secu-

thentication and non-repudiation whereby

medium companies and 96% of large com-

rity means protecting your information from unauthorized disclosure, access and destruction so that it is true, correct, available on time to make the right decisions. Information security is based on three basic principles i.e. confidentiality, integrity and availability. n

Confidentiality means protecting in-

formation from unauthorized disclosure. n

Integrity means protecting informa-

tion from unauthorized modification. n

Availability means protecting informa-

panies have undergone security incidents

“

Security is not about setting up antivirus, firewall or IPS/IDS into your network. It’s a more comprehensive term which may need behavior change at corporate level

”

authentication means ensuring that the

costing to them £10k-£2 million. All of these show that companies are increasingly vulnerable to internet threats and need to devise mechanisms which ensure that they are secure. But security is not about setting up antivirus, firewall or IPS/IDS into your network. It’s a more comprehensive term which may need behavior change at corporate level. The initiative for security should start at executive management and they should take

tion from destruction and disruption.

subject (accessing information) is genuine

the responsibility of information security.

The above three aspects are called CIA of

(is who he claims to be) and non-repudia-

They should define the security goals,

information security.

tion means a party cannot deny having

make information security policies and pro-

Information security is diﬀerent from IT Se-

sent/received the information.

cedures and periodically review the state of

curity. IT Security is related to protection of

The prevalence of internet has opened an

information security in the organization.

hardware, software, network of organiza-

arena of new threats for organizations as

Technology aspects of security should be

tion and information present in digital

well as individuals. Not only this but preva-

handled by the technical people.

form. Information security is a much

lence of remote and mobile users is an-

There are various standards and best prac-

broader term encapsulating IT security. In-

other threat to company’s information

tices for information security. The most

26 | More | July 2009

teChnology

known, respected and widely adopted stan-

an organization must be aligned to its mis-

controls are implemented and the ISMS is

dard is ISO/IEC 27001:2005. ISO 27001 is In-

sion, vision and objectives. The information

set to operation. Internal audits are carried

formation Security Management System

security policy must express management

out to evaluate the status of ISMS. All the

(ISMS) which emerged from British Stan-

commitment to implementation, mainte-

problems, errors and non-conformities are

dard’s BS7799. This standard outlines infor-

nance and improvement of ISMS. Next step

reported. Based on the reports corrective

mation security requirements. This standard

is defining the scope in which ISMS is

and preventive actions are planned and

is based on Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) ap-

going to operate. Scope can be entire or-

carried out. Management review is also an

proach. ISO/IEC 27001:2005 specifies the re-

ganization or some departments or a sub-

important part of ISMs which ensures that

quirements for establishing, implementing,

set of departments. But a scope should

ISMS is aligned to organization’s mission

operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintain-

always be scalable. Next step is risk assess-

and vision and management is committed

ing and improving a documented Informa-

ment. Risk assessment involves identifying

to the ISMS.

tion Security Management System within

all assets within scope, assigning value to

With new laws and legislations such as SOX,

the context of the organization's overall

them, analyzing the threats to them, ana-

GLBA in USA and Prevention of Electronic

business risks. Organizations can implement

lyzing vulnerabilities and therefore calculat-

Crime Ordinance (PECO),State Bank of Pak-

this standard and can actually certify against

ing the risk to all the assets. Next the

istan’s “Guidelines on Information Technol-

this standard.

acceptable level of risk is defined. The risks

ogy Security” under SBP’s Circular No. 15

ISO 27001 is a risk based approach to man-

above the acceptable level of risk are se-

dated 29 September 2004 in place, we can

aging security threats within an organiza-

lected for treatment. Control objectives and

predict that ISO27001 will be as popular in

tion. It is a top down approach where the

set of controls to be implemented are se-

Pakistan as it is becoming in other coun-

commitment to security must be coming

lected from the Annex-A of the standard. A

tries. The risk based approach ISO27001

from top management and top manage-

statement of applicability is prepared

oﬀer is a key for its success and in current

ment must be involved in the entire

where all applicable controls are marked.

scenario of economic crunch where IT and

process of implementation. The imple-

Organizations must justify the controls not

security budgets are being cut down, it of-

mentation starts with defining the security

applicable to it to fulfill the documentation

fers a base for justification of security in-

policy of an organization. Security policy of

requirements of the standard. The selected

vestments.

TISS believes in, “The secret to enforcement is prevention and the key to protection is education”. Trillium Information Security Systems (TISS) contributed to highlight the issues concerning information security, by organizing first ever Kaspersky Reseller’s Training Conference at Pearl Continental Rawalpindi, recently. The broad objectives of the conference were awareness of Information Security, Kaspersky Antivirus Product Overview, Marketing Strategies, Sales Procedure and Technical Support Training for Kaspersky resellers. A group photo of Trillium Information security Systems team with attendees at 1st ever Kaspersky Resellers Training Conference at PC hotel Rawalpindi

Award ceremony took place at the end of the conference. Mr. Mahir Mohsin Sheikh (CEO) and Ms. Attiya Akram (Manager Solutions)

Kaspersky lab has become a market leader

Kaspersky in Pakistan in 2006. Due to contin-

awarded the certificates to the attendees. A

in the development of Antivirus protection

uous ongoing eﬀorts by TISS, Kaspersky holds

special award of “Best Resellers for 2008-2009”

due to its high detection rate and fastest re-

15% of share of antivirus market in Pakistan

was presented to Premier Systems (Pvt) Ltd

sponse time to new threats. Trillium Informa-

just in three years.

and “Most Promising Reseller” went to Ovex

tion Security Systems (TISS) introduced

Being an information security organization,

Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. n July 2009 | More | 27

revieWs

In-House Exclusive

If you are really a touch lover and like the music while traveling, go for it without hesitation and it will not let you down- More Expert FULL touch screen cell phones seem to

Samsung website displays this phone with a

be all the rage these days, thanks in part to

stylus but our phone did not have the one,

“

Heart of the UI is the Widget – a convenient mini application to customize your display. A bar on the left can be opened by touching an arrow at the bottom left. The bar can have shortcuts to various applications stored in your phone. Most practical of them we found are Clock, Calendar

”

the popularity of the Apple iPhone. But this

perhaps it was done to keep the price low.

category of phones occupies the higher end

The launching price of the phone was Rs.

area in price scale until now.

17,500 but as I am writing these line it has al-

Samsung recently stated that it expects to

ready come down to Rs. 15,000 which makes

sell some 10 million Samsung Star units dur-

sense for the absence of stylus.

ing the ongoing year. According to reports, already the company is selling more than 1 million units a month globally. Samsung has decided to bring this luxury into the reach of low income group as well. Perhaps that is why company has upgraded the model from S5230 to S5233 Star. In Pakistan, launched in the first week of June 2009, S5233 has got a quick attention of touch screen lovers. It is just the right kind of feature mix phone targeted at the midrange market with surgical precision. We tried to explore this stylish machine to know what company is oﬀering in this price range. Let’s go a little deep and see how Samsung has equipped this budget touch phone to compete the rivals.

28 | More | July 2009

key Features dimension 104.0 x 53.0 x 11.9mm (HXWXD) Weight 92g internal Memory 100MB (external memory upto 8GB) Camera 3.2 Megapixel battery 1000 mAH talk time up to 12 hrs

revieWs

touchWiz user interface The most loving part of the Samsung Interface is its Touch UI in which Samsung has tried to put all the features of its predecessor. You have “Keypad”, “Phonebook” and “Menu” option at the bottom which you can play with. Phonebook gives a new and easy way of displaying your contacts in an arched shaped

outer design

picture collage which is scrollable to go

Biggest thing on the face of Star is its 3-inch

through your contacts.

attractive TouchWiz display which remains grey when not in use. Only 3 hardware keys are at the bottom of display for “back naviga-

gesture lock

tion” (central) and receiving keys on left and

Samsung introduced a new touchscreen fea-

right.

ture called Gesture Lock in its new phones. It

The face of the phone has a glossy plastic ring

is a multipurpose option to unlock the phone

around it which has an iodized finish. The

and start any application simultaneously, for

sunlight legibility of the screen with the

example, open a menu or an application,

brightness set to max was just about readable

even dial a stored contact and it can be done

even with direct sunlight hitting the screen.

easily by just drawing any alphabet of your

On the left of the phone we found volume

choice on the locked screen provided you

control and multipurpose USB port (USB,

have allocated that alphabet to perform this

Headset, and Charger). On the other side,

function. For instance, drawing M will unlock

there is a camera button and lock/hold key.

the phone and take you directly to the mes-

3.2 MP camera is located on the top left of the

sages; similarly F can unlock it and start the

back side. Back of the phone is a complete

FM on your phone. Each alphabet letters from

plastic with a better grip. External memory

A to Z can be used as a gesture to perform

card holder is also placed under the back

Another interesting option introduced is the

cover just adjacent to the SIM holder.

scrollable home screen. You can have 3 diﬀer-

various actions.

ent home screens with diﬀerent images of

simple sms application

your choice and toggle them by just rubbing

New Samsung provides a large display for

your figure horizontally.

writing your messages. On 3inch screen you

Heart of the UI is the Widget – a convenient

have 3 diﬀerent ways to write your text.

mini application to customize your display. A

Traditional way is the virtual touch key pad Stylus based screen without keys using

bar on the left can be opened by touching an

arrow at the bottom left. The bar can have

the handwriting format. Though, this input

shortcuts to various applications stored in

type varies as per user’s hand skill but we

your phone. Most practical of them we found

found the Samsung Star accepting almost all

are Clock, Calendar. But many of you would

the handwritten letters.

like to have Facebook, Youtube and FM on it

to have an easy access. To avoid rushing your

mode, just turn your phone sideway and with

front screen you can place as many widgets

the help of built-in accelerometer it will

When you are in virtual touch keypad

on your 3 home screens by just dragging

quickly show the QWERTY keypad. Every al-

them out and same you do to put them back

phabet that you punch has a pop-up that

in. I use Music Player and Facebook quite fre-

comes beside the alphabet punched with the

quently so I put them on the main screen.

punched alphabet stated in the popup. July 2009 | More | 29

revieWs

browsing

olution of 2048 x 1536 pixels.

Browsing in Star is quite eﬃcient in this price

Though it isn’t autofocus but the actual pic-

range. You can view the webpage in both hor-

tures taken with the camera are a nice sur-

izontal and vertical way, which ever is friendly

prise - they have nice details and colors. The

to you. You can shift to the full screen mode as

noise reduction however is a bit aggressive at times. The overall impression of the captured photos is enough satisfying and you can see it from the samples in the first column. The video recording capability of the camera is good as it records at 15fps QVGA. The quality of recorded videos is decent only if shot with good lighting or during the day.

well by just clicking the option at the bottom. We tried, Youtube, Facebook and couple of other sites, the processor executed them eﬃciently. RSS works well if you want to stay updated from your favorite sites. With Edge or GPRS on, you can be a mobile blogger as well. It could be diﬃcult to browse sites and click

Fake Call

on the links for those having large finger as

It is an interesting feature which is present in

Samsung is not giving stylus with the phone.

all the Samsung phones now. You can avoid any inconvenient situation just by activating

music player

and the phone will automatically call you

Nokia Xpress series is popular in the music

when you press the downward button of vol-

category, but I believe Samsung Star and

ume for couple of seconds. You can also

coming models will not be far behind. The

record a voice just to give an impression that

player is quite modest with couple of useful

someone is talking to you in real.

option like “Equalizer”, “Loop” etc. It allows fil-

pictures taken from star’s 3.2 mp camera

30 | More | July 2009

tering tracks by author, album, and genre. The

Conclusion

music player can be minimized to play in the

Samsung is fully convinced to make a mark in

background.

the touch phones category. This is a feature rich

It also has a dedicated widget, allowing quick

machine; we are unable to discuss all of them

access to the full version of the application by

here due to shortage of space for examples

only a single tap. You can also start, stop and

Games, FM, Mobile Tracker, Video Player, Image

alternate tracks straight from the home

Zooming etc. Fully charged phone can last for

screen if you prefer.

2 days with a normal usage of non-call features. Since the price is low, you can not compare it

Camera

to other high end touch phones of other

The Samsung S5233 features a nice 3.2

brands. But if you are really a touch lover and

megapixel camera with fixed focus and is ca-

like the music while traveling, go for it without

pable of taking photos with a maximum res-

hesitation and it will not let you down.

revieWs

Alina Qureshi

N97 is streets ahead of the iPhone: screen resolution is better, the 5 megapixel camera superior and the video much better. It has an FM radio, FM transmission and more memory. It has a big selection of music and, now, its own Ovi store for apps (games and services) which works excellent. Before the phone was available in Lahore, the entire

mood. Also present at the ceremony was Henri Mattila,

market was waiting for the handset like anything. Com-

Head of Category Marketing, Nseries Middle East and Africa

pany made a smart move on June 28 in Lahore by selling

Speaking at the occasion, Imran Khalid Mahmood, GM Nokia

around 150 units in a ceremony arranged at a local hotel

Pakistan said, “Delivering on Nokia’s vision and thought lead-

and it was first time in Pakistan. Why Nokia did it is not an

ership based on mobile convergence, Nokia Nseries has

issue, but they have proven the acceptance of their prod-

aimed to present the best in class mobile computers to its

uct on the very first day. Perhaps this may have been the

internet savvy consumers. Today, we take great pride in in-

reason of the event.

troducing the newest addition to Nokia Nseries – Nokia N97.

Just few weeks back this the device was announced at a

We have combined the most-advanced smartphone capa-

glamorous press event where two European models

bilities in this device to enhance the internet entertainment

brought the phone at the venue and the Finnish First Sec-

for our consumers and at the same time ease-of use with

retary, Deputy Head of Mission H.E Miia Rainne handed over

one-touch access to their favourite online content.”

the phone to the GM Nokia Pakistan Imran Khalid Mah-

The Nokia N97 is Nokia's first device to feature a personal-

32 | More | July 2009

revieWs

izable home screen, which can be cus-

Store. With multiple high-

tomized with a range of widgets which bring

speed connectivity op-

live information directly to the device. These

tions and 32GB of storage

widgets include key social networking desti-

(up to 48GB using a mi-

nations like Facebook and Hi5, news services

croSD card) it is possible

like the Associated Press, Bloomberg and

to directly download and

Reuters, as well as shopping and weather in-

store tens of thousands of

formation. The Nokia N97 is the first device to

songs on the handset.

ship with the Ovi Store, which oďŹ&#x20AC;ers easy ac-

And you can listen to your

cess to applications, games, videos, podcasts,

favourite music on the

productivity tools, web and location-based

Nokia Bluetooth Stereo

services, and much more. Ovi Store has paid

Headset BH-905, which

and free content from a range of global and

Nokia

also

launched

local content

today. This headset brings

providers and developers, including Para-

crystal clear sound, elimi-

mount Pictures, Facebook and Qik, as well as

nates background noise,

a selection of Twitter applications.

and is the ideal accessory for listening to music and

enjoy your upgrades

making calls on the Nokia

The beauty of this Nokia device is that taking

N97, as well as being

it out of the box is just the beginning. As with

compatible with a diverse

any computer, people can constantly im-

range of other mobile and music devices.

prove and refresh their Nokia N97 with new

High-quality images and video clips at 30

features, functions and fixes so they can do

frames per second (fps) can be captured

even more with the device. An exciting

using the 5 megapixel camera with inte-

roadmap of new features and functions is

grated Carl Zeiss optics. Images can also be

planned to roll out in the second half of 2009.

geo-tagged to specific locations and shared instantly with friends or uploaded online via

entertainment ensured

Ovi Share, Twitter or Flickr.

The Nokia N97 also has direct access to the

The touch phone trend maker iPhone also

huge catalogue of music in the Nokia Music

launched its iPhone 3GS in the June as well. Some feared that iPhone will reduce the popularity of N97 but N97 is

Imran Khalid Mehmood, GM Nokia Pakistan showing N97 at the time of launch

important Features n

Slide-n-tilt 3.5" 16M-color resistive touch screen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution

Symbian OS 9.4 with S60 5th edition UI

Slide-out three-row full QWERTY keyboard

ARM 11 434MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM

streets ahead of the iPhone: screen n

resolution is better, the 5 megapixel camera superior and the video much

Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA support Wi-Fi and GPS with A-GPS (plus 3 months of free voice-guided navigation via Ovi Maps)

better. It has an FM radio, FM trans-

Digital compass

mission and more memory. It has a

Class-leading 32GB onboard storage

big selection of music and, now, its

microSD card slot with microSDHC support

own Ovi store for apps (games and

Built-in accelerometer

services) which works fine.

3.5 mm audio jack

TV out

Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter

microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v2.0

In order to further strengthen N97, Nokia has upgraded its firmware so that Nokia lovers could get most out of the machine. The upgrade is Pre-production sketches of N97

5 megapixel autofocus camera with dualLED flash and lens cover (VGA@30fps video recording)

available in several countries worldwide.

Web browser has full Flash and Java sup port Nice audio reproduction quality July 2009 | More | 33

revieWs

Rabiya Siddiqui

display Screen size Brightness(Typical) Contrast Ratio(Typical) Resolution Response Time(Typical) Viewing Angle (Horizontal/Vertical) Color Supported signal input Video Signal Sync. Signal Connector power Power consumption Type special Features

dimension Product Dimension (With Stand, WxHxD) Weight Product Weight

21.5W 250 cd/㎡ DC 50,000:1(1000:1)(Typ) 1920x1080 2ms(GTG) 170˚/160˚ (CR>10) 16.7M

It’s a perfect combination, style with conscience. Samsung,

the world’s number 1 producer of LCD monitors, has recently announced the launch of one of the most ultra sleek, sophisticated and eco friendly computer monitors available in the market today. The Samsung Ecofit is the epitome of marrying a the need for the highest quality product with a heart for the environment. It features a high-gloss ultra slim frame at only 30 mm thick (a reduction of up to 50% versus conventional LCD mon-

Analog RGB/DVI Separate H/V, Composite, SOG DVI-I

itors) and a crystal neck base resembling that of the finest hand blown glass. In addition, the Samsung EcoFit provides the ultimate in image quality and integrity with its 2ms response time for flicker free viewing and a 50,000:1 Dynamic Contrast ratio

28W (Typ) External MagicBright3, Oﬀ timer, Image Size Color Eﬀect,Customized key, MagicWizard & MagicTune with AssetManagement, Windows Vista Premium, Safe Mode(DownScaling in UXGA)

compared with the traditional LCD Monitor that only oﬀers 10,000: 1 DC. So, how can something so beautiful and hi-tech be so ecofriendly? Well the Samsung EcoFit saves on energy consumption of up to 33% when compared to conventional LCD Monitors. It also uses the ToC (Touch of Color) technology which means the paint sprays containing VOCs (Volatile Organic com-

536.3*403*189.5

pounds that have proven to be detrimental to human health) are not used in giving the Samsung EcoFit its glossy finish. The Samsung EcoFit LCD Monitor is the perfect complement

3.6

to your home or oﬃce and your own little way of saying “I Care”. Available at authorized Samsung LCD monitor dealers.

34 | More | July 2009

Sumaira Mudassar

Time Changes everything, no one can stand against it, anything that

tourism

renovated several times since it has become part of World Heritage.

comes in its path becomes dust but when we see Lahore Fort it seems

Recently, MORE team happened to visit Lahore Fort and found teams

that time has not changed it instead it has increased its grandeur.

of Artisans are working in diﬀerent sections of the Fort. It was very

Lahore Fort, a monument of history built by Mughal emperor Akbar

painful to see that they were actually not restoring the original murals

(1556-1605), for many centuries it has been used as a citadel for Lahore

but they were creating an art of their own. A Mural which was once

City. The fort manifests the rich traditions of the entire Mughal archi-

painted as green was now converted to red colors with diﬀerent de-

tecture. It has been known around the world for its beautiful sites like

sign. The sections where restoration work is completed, detail are gone

Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. It was

and most of the sections after completion are again looking for some

inscribed as the World heritage site in 1981 by UNESCO. It has been

major restoration. It is amazing to see that in old time how those people were able to create so magnificent structures when technology was not so eﬃcient but the brains were even smarter. Now much advancement has been made but still we cannot produce a single piece of art like them. Not only time and changing weathers have aﬀected the Fort, local visitors have also taken part to de-shape it. Visitors have used walls and other parts of the building to express their selves by writing names and messages to their loved ones. We must understand that these monuments are great assets to this country and can not be created again. We should save it for our next generations instead of destroying.

July 2009 | More | 35

Ovais Qureshi

latest in teChnology

“Project Natal,”pronounced“nuh-tall,”is a code name for a revolutionary

new way to play, no controller required. It uses a sensor to track your body movement and recognize your face, even listen to your voice. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips, or speak, you and your friends will be able to jump instantly into any “Project Natal” experience. With controller-free gaming you don’t just control the superhero, you are the superhero. Full-body tracking allows the “Project Natal” sensor to capture every move, from head to toe, to give players a full-body gaming experience.

how it works?

See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. Unlike 2-D cameras and con-

RGB camera

trollers, “Project Natal” tracks your full body movement in 3-D, while re-

It has a video camera that delivers the three basic color components.

sponding to commands, directions, even a diﬀerence of emotion in your

As part of the “Project Natal” sensor, the RGB camera helps enable facial

voice. When “Project Natal”is ready, it will work with every Xbox 360 con-

recognition and more.

sole so people who have never picked up a controller can finally join the

Depth sensor

fun.

An infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor

The “Project Natal” is the world’s first system to combine an RGB cam-

allows “Project Natal” to see the room in 3-D (as opposed to inferring

era, depth sensor, multiarray microphone and custom processor run-

the room from a 2-D image) under any lighting conditions.

ning proprietary software that brings “Project Natal” experie- nces to

Multiarray microphone

every Xbox 360 console. The “Project Natal” sensor tracks full-body

“Project Natal” has a microphone that will be able to locate voices by

movement and individual voices, creating controller-free fun and so-

sound and extract ambient noise. The multiarray microphone will en-

cial entertainment available only on Xbox 360.

able headset-free Xbox LIVE party chat and more.

By stepping in front of the Project Natal Sensor, anyone can easily give

Custom processor (running Microsoft proprietary software layer)

instructions just by talking. And not just keywords but fully understand-

A proprietary software layer makes the magic of “Project Natal” possi-

ing everything you say. The Project Natal Sensor also recognises your

ble. This layer diﬀerentiates “Project Natal” from any other technology

face so can log you into Xbox LIVE without having to say or do anything

on the market through its ability to enable human body recognition

apart from maybe smile because you’re happy.

and extract other visual noise.

July 2009 | More | 37

latest in teChnology

Apple launches iPhone 3G S n

Apple introduced the iPhone 3G S

during its World Wide Developer Confer-

commands. It will support dialing phone numbers, play music, and more.

ence keynote presentation. The new

As expected, the iPhone 3G S includes a

iPhone model maintains the same form

built-in digital compass that shows which

factor as the current iPhone 3G, but of-

direction you are headed and rotates

fers faster performance and a 3

when you change direction. It supports

megapixel digital camera.

true north and magnetic north orienta-

The iPhone 3G S camera can capture

tion, and automatically orients Google

video, supports auto-focus, oﬀers white

maps to the direction you are facing.

balance adjustment, and auto-macro

Visually impaired iPhone users can take ad-

support for close-up shots, too. Users can

vantage of the new VoiceOver feature that

tap on objects to tell the camera what to

speaks what appears on the combination

focus on, crop captured video.

iPod and smart phone's display, the new

According to company, the "S" in iPhone

Universal Zoom feature that magnifies the

3G S stands for "speed," and he claims

screen, and the new White on Black fea-

the new model loads applications and

ture that oﬀers high contrast. iPhone 3G S

Web pages between two and three

also oﬀers mono audio support to force

times faster than the current iPhone 3G.

stereo audio into mono for users with lim-

The iPhone finally gets voice control sup-

ited or no hearing in one ear.

port, too. The 3G S model will let users

Battery life for the new iPhone clocks in

hold down the phone's Home button for

at nine hours Web surfing, five hours for

a few seconds, then displays a wave form

talking on the 3G network, and 12 hours

to indicate it is ready to accept voice

talk time on 2G networks.

Logitech’s Comfort Keyboard n

3If productivity in your oﬃce is not what it ought to be, Logitech

Logitech

Comfort

appear to have the answer thanks to its new Comfort Wave 450 key-

Wave 450 proved as

board which Logitech bill as being specifically targeted at businesses

good in practice,

‘that want to get the most out of their IT expenditures and their work-

those who have not

force’.

used similar keyboard earlier will b need some time to become accustomed to such layout, but it will not last long. Comfort while typing is something you feel after few hours and in the case of this model, tiredness will come much later. Your wrists will not experience any pain at all. Logitech provided good ergonomics to Wave and oﬀered this concept at lower prices in its business category of peripheries. This move is welcomed, keyboard deserves all the praise, and we recommend it to all those who spend lots of time typing and those who require high quality keyboard.

38 | More | July 2009

Sharon Vaknin

latest in teChnology

Mind-reading wheel chair by Toyota Mind-reading wheel chair by Toyota has

practical use would be for re-

developed the wheelchair in collaboration

habilitation patients who

with researchers in Japan. The system ana-

have been paralyzed, suf-

lyzes brain wave data using signal-process-

fered a stroke, or have other

ing

delivers

conditions that hinder their

neuro-feedback to the driver.

muscle control. So far, the re-

Brain wave-detecting technology, or elec-

search has centered on brain

technology

and

troencephalography (EEG), isn't new. In lay-

waves related to imaginary

man's terms, a device, usually a cap wired

hand and foot control. How-

with sensors, detects a person's brain waves.

ever, Toyota hopes the sys-

That information is analyzed by a computer

tem could ultimately be

and applied to the device in question. Sci-

applied to brain waves gen-

entists have pursued the technology for

erated by emotions.

decades, but have had diďŹ&#x192;culty achieving

EEG technology has been ap-

short response times, explains the Associ-

plied in areas of research be-

ated Press.

yond

Toyota's mind-controlled wheelchair, how-

gaming. Honda, for example,

health

care

and

ever, has what appears to be the quickest

is working on a mind-con-

response time yet: 125 milliseconds or 125

trolled robot. And Lawrence

thousandths of a second. The user can al-

Farwell, chief scientist and

most instantly steer right, left, and forward.

founder of the Seattle-based Brain Finger-

ages, or questions related to the crime

To stop, the person in the chair must puďŹ&#x20AC;

printing Laboratories, has developed a tech-

they're being accused of. If the subject rec-

up a cheek, a motion that's then detected

nology he says is more accurate than the

ognizes a word or picture, the brain releases

by the headpiece.

traditional lie detector.

an involuntary response that supposedly

Because of this quick response time, plans

The technology is best used as evidence in

confirms that the subject was present dur-

are under way to turn the wheelchair into a

criminal cases. According to ABC News, sub-

commercial health care product. The most

jects are presented with facts, stories, im-

ing the scene of the crime. The writer works for CNET Lab

A model displays a newly unveiled SonyEricsson Satio mobile phone during a media event in Singapore

This new Sharp 5.0-inch landscape-mode panel incorporates a four-wire resistive touch panel. Fine pixel pitch makes this panel ideal for applications such as GPS and mapping, as well as instrumentation applications like oscilloscopes. Graphics and text can be displayed on a 1024 x 3 x 600 dots panel with 262,144 colors using an LVDS (Low Voltage DiďŹ&#x20AC;erential Signaling) interface that supplies +3.3V DC for TFT-LCD panel driving and backlight operation July 2009 | More | 39

latest in teChnology

Kindle DX: A real replacement of paper tions, textbooks look best on a large display. The New York Times, and The Washington Post will oﬀer the Kindle DX at a reduced price to readers who live in areas where home-delivery is not available and who sign up for a long-term subscription to the Kindle edition of the newspapers. Leading textbook publishers will begin oﬀering textbooks through the Kindle Store beginning this summer.

main Features n

It features a built-in PDF reader using

Adobe Reader Mobile technology for reading professional and personal documents. n

Kindle DX’s display content auto-rotates

so users can read in portrait or landscape mode, or flip the device to read with either n

Amazon.com, has introduced Amazon

hand. With 3.3 GB of available memory, Kindle

Kindle DX, the new purpose-built reading

device that oﬀers Kindle’s revolutionary wire-

DX can hold up to 3,500 books, compared

less delivery and massive selection of con-

with 1,500 with Kindle.

tent with a large 9.7-inch electronic paper

E-book is just over a third of an inch thin,

display, built-in PDF reader, auto-rotate ca-

which is thinner than most magazines.

pability, and storage for up to 3,500 books.

Kindle DX’s display has 2.5 times the surface

Whispersync technology to automatically

Just like Kindle, Kindle DX uses Amazon

area of Kindle’s 6-inch display. The larger

sync content across Kindle, Kindle DX, Kin-

electronic paper display with 16 shades of

dle for iPhone, and other devices in the fu-

gray has more area for graphic-rich content

ture. With Whispersync, customers can

such as professional and personal docu-

easily move from device to device and

ments, newspapers and magazines, and

never lose their place in their reading.

textbooks. Kindle reads like printed words

on paper because the screen works using

sonal documents in a variety of formats

Wirelessly send, receive, and read per-

real ink and doesn’t use a backlight, elimi-

such as Microsoft Word and PDF

nating the eyestrain and glare associated

with other electronic displays.

in 250,000 word New Oxford American Dic-

Look up words instantly using the built-

Kindle DX’s large display oﬀers an enhanced

tionary

reading experience with another category of

Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights

graphic-rich content—textbooks. With com-

Text-to-speech technology that con-

plex images, tables, charts, graphs, and equa-

verts words on a page to spoken word

40 | More | July 2009

SpacePilot Pro: A 3D Mouse A3Dconnexion, a subsidiary of Logitech and a leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization, has its most powerful 3D mouse ever – the SpacePilot Pro. The company’s flagship 3D mouse is designed to deliver advanced control of 3D models, easier access to the power of professional 3D applications, fewer interruptions in the design workflow, and superior comfort. The aptly named SpacePilot Pro looks quite literally like something that belongs on the deck of a sci-fi spacecraft. Glowing blue lights, swoopy profile, color display screen, they’re all there, with the intent of putting every control you would ever need for work at your literal fingertips. Like all 3DConnexion devices, the knob-like device on top offers six different ways to move: left and right, up and down, forward and back, tilting, spinning and rolling. If it all sounds a little sophisticated, the gist is basically this: move the controller the same way you want to move the virtual object on your monitor and it will move accordingly. That’s complemented by a color LCD screen that can be customized to show anything from new e-mail messages to task lists, hard keys for different view and control settings, and 10 customizable function keys that can be set to do whatever you want. The SpacePilot PRO automatically detects the active application and assigns appropriate function keys – whether default or customized. The color LCD the function key assignments and application mode so engineers can easily identify commands and design states. If you have trouble remembering, you can even set up the LCD to show them all for you as a reference card. n n

latest in teChnology

A model holds up the leatest MSI designed blu-ray full stream audio playback unit at the Computex 2009 trade fair in Taipei. Asia's biggest information technology trade show opened in Taiwan, with the spotlight on low-priced notebook computers and an advanced broadband Internet mobile technology European Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen holds up mobile phone chargers at a news conference

A Single charger for every handset European commission recently said that

sands of tons of e-waste every year which is

chargers will be sold separately. This will help

it has received confirmation from the

damaging the environment, health and the

consumer save money, environment and

biggest cell phone makers on voluntarily

earth. Every household has a collection of charg-

eventually will help manufacturer to reduce

basis for the making of common chargers

ers that has become superfluous over time.

the cost of cell phones.

that fits all the brands and models.

New phones configured for common charg-

Ten major companies who have pledged to

Chargers have become a problem in the Europe

ers would be available by 2010 and they will

participate in this alliance are Nokia, Sam-

as every new cell phone is accompanied with a

adopt the “Micro USB connector” technology.

sung, Motorola, Apple, Sony Ericsson, Texas

charger and it is ultimately producing thou-

As the new technology becomes popular,

Instrument, Qualcomm, NEC, RIM, and LG.

Logitech oﬀers alternative cooling n

To reduce the problem of overheating in laptops, the Swiss peripheral-device maker Log-

itech has recently introduced a new laptop cooling pad for users. The new Logitech Cooling Pad N100 weighs 650grams and 365 x 280 x 16-46 millimeters in dimension. At first glance, the new Logitech Cooling Pad N100 is quite similar to Microsoft’s recently released Notebook Cooling Base in terms of design and features. Logitech’s Cooling Pad N100 has a curved contour and is designed to raise the laptop to an optimal typing and viewing level. The cooling pad can be connected to the laptop via a USB cord without additional power supply and feature a built-in fan pointed up through the slotted top to cool down the overheated laptop.

Source: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/03/19/logitech-cooling-pad-n100-oﬀers-alternative-cooling-option/ z July 2009 | More | 41

month in FoCus ptCl hands-in hands with idps

CEO and President of PTCL, Walid Irshaid presenting a cheque of Rs. 20 million to Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani at Prime Minister House

President and CEO, PTCL, Walid Irshaid has resolved, not to leave the embittered IDPs alone in this critical hour of need. PTCL has launched SMS campaign in UAE in connection with financial assistance for IDPs, he told. This will yield fruitful results, he hoped. PTCL employees have contributed their one day salary that amounts Rs. 20 million for the support of internally displaced people of Swat and other aﬀected areas. President & CEO Mr. Walid Irshaid called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at PM’s House and presented him a cheque of Rs. 20 million on behalf of PTCL employees for Prime Minister’s Special Fund for the Relief of Victims of Terrorism. While thanking PTCL employees for their generous contribution and appreciating their willingness to help IDPs, Mr. Waild Irshaid said that PTCL employees have exhibited their profound sense of sharing and empathy on this occasion. “This highly speaks of the strong commitment of our employees with this national cause.” PTCL has also contributed Rs. 10 million from its corporate account for internally displaced people. “We strongly believe that it is our duty as a socially responsible organization to help our brothers and sisters of military operation-hit areas in this critical hour of need.”

ptCl rewards pakistani Cricketer with rs 3 million Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd announced to give a reward of Rs 3 million to the winner of 20-20 World cup Pakistan Cricket Team. A ceremony was arranged in the honor of the Pakistan Cricket team in the presence of Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz butt; President PTCL Mr. Walid Irshaid presented the cheque to the Captain Pakistan Cricket team Younis khan. President PTCL Walid Irshaid, while congratulating team on their outstanding performance said that this victory is an inpiration for the whole nation and PTCL would continue its un-interrupted support for the development of cricket in the country. Captain Younis khan and Shahid Afridi were presented Rs 0.5 million each, along with an amount of Rs 2 million for the whole team. Senior oﬃcials of PTCL Mr. Naveed Saeed, Mr. Mazhar Hussain, Mr. Muhammad Nehmatullah and Mr. Ali Qadir Gilani were also present on the occasion.

President PTCL Walid Irshaid presenting cheque of Rs. 3 million to Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt and Captain Pakistan Cricket Team Younis Khan

ptCl-habib rafiq international signs sales strategic agreement In order to provide sales and after sales support of PTCL corporate product portfolio to the SME market has signed a strategic agreement with Habib Rafiq International Pvt Ltd (HRI). According to details of the agreement, Habib Rafiq International (Pvt.) will provide PTCL’s next generation technologies and network, to their existing and new customers in the SME segment and will be responsible for 24 hour after sales support and customer care. PTCL Senior Executive Vice President, Commercial, Mr. Naveed Saeed addressing on the occasion said, that with this partnership the SME market will receive the best of both worlds – Best-of-breed communication products from PTCL and best-in-class support from HRI. He also added that HRI will help PTCL to maintain its leadership position in the telecom market of Pakistan by providing high quality products and customer services to SMEs. Mr. Shafiq ur Rahman, CEO Habib Rafiq International while commenting on the occasion said that HRI backed by PTCL will now be able to deliver technologies and services that are unmatched in the SME market. 44 | More | July 2009

month in FoCus ptCl recovering communication system in swat As a result of ongoing military operation in Malakand and its adjoining areas, the communication infrastructure has damaged completely because of missile attacks by miscreants. The life has been paralyzed in effected areas with millions of people displayed and trying to locate their loved ones. PTCL, observing the high need of the time immediately established a crisis management cell (CMC) round the clock at Mardan, through which a commendable out put was achieved in form of motivating and uniting PTCL displaced staff. As per further details, PTCL was also the first company to send the technical team on June 06, 09 to restore communication in Mingora after elaborate coordination with LEA’s. However, civil administration and LEA could not ensure the provision of commercial power supply and arrangement of POL, because of which communication system could not be sustained for a longer period. So far Mingora exchange has been restored and rectification of OFS cable system is underway in Kambar. PTCL despite facing all administrative difficulties, security issues and lack of logistical support is putting its best to ensure speedy recovery of all damaged systems.

usF gives rs. 2.9 billion Fund to ptCl Universal Service Fund signed three contracts with PTCL for providing Broadband Services in the Un-Served Urban areas of Southern Punjab and Lower Sindh and for providing Optic Fiber connectivity to all Tehsils in Southern Balochistan. CEO-PTCL, Walid Irshaid and Chief Executive Oﬃcer Universal Service Fund, Parvez Iftikhar signed these contracts. Universal Service Fund shall be paying Rs. 1.16 Billion for the project to provide broadband in un-served urban areas of Southern Punjab (MTR) and Rs. 550 Million for providing broadband in lower Sindh (STR-1). Similarly Rs. 1.2 Billion will be paid to PTCL for laying 1,166 Km Optic Fiber cables in Southern Baluchistan. Through the two broadband projects, 63,000 broadband connections in Southern Punjab and 23,500 in Lower Sindh are targeted to be achieved. The MTR project also includes establishment of Educational Broadband Centers (EBCs) in 206 high-schools, colleges and libraries plus 58 Community Broadband Centers (CBCs) for those who cannot aﬀord PCs. Similarly 82 EBCs and 43 CBCs will be established in STR-1.

The employees of Zong from all across the country have donated money for IDPs. Pictures shows Mr. Wu Jiang, Director PMO, Zong is giving cheque to the representative of the EDHI

Five illegal gateway exchanges seized

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in collaboration with Federal investigation Agency (FIA) officials has busted five illegal international gateway exchanges in residential areas of Islamabad and Karachi in last few weeks. This initiative is a part of the pursuance of its efforts against illegal telecom traffic. PTA detected illegal setups through the Technical Facility installed to monitor the illegal business of telecom throughout the country. Upon investigation and confirmation, successful raids were conducted by PTA Zonal Offices and FIA at Karachi / Islamabad and operational international exchanges were seized. Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen informed that these five illegal operations of grey traffic were causing 1.7 million US $ per month loss to the national exchequer. He further informed that PTA as a regulator is vigilant and shall take all measures to stop this unlawful activity. Chairman PTA also warned all those involved in illegal / grey telecom traffic to stop such unlawful activities, otherwise strict action will be initiated against them as per the law.

In order to mark the World Blook Donor Day, Zong, in collaboration with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society organized a blook donation drive for IDPs at its oﬃce premises. A large number of volunteers from Zong, comprising staﬀ and management employees enthusiastically participated to donate blood at the temporarily setup blood donation center. Picture shows one of the cheerful employees making the internationally recognized gesture, I AM FEELING GOOD, while donating blood. July 2009 | More | 45

month in FoCus

zong scholarship program uet ZONG – the first international brand of China Mobile – has launched ZONG Scholarship Program, by signing a MoU with University of Engineering and Technology, to fund the education of students annually for higher studies in Computer Sciences, Engineering and Sciences. The ZONG Scholarship Program will enable talented, deserving young people to acquire quality higher education from renowned educational institutions in the country. The Scholarship Program is aimed at assisting students seeking admissions in the disciplines of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Sciences & Engineering to the University for the academic year commencing in 2009. ZONG intends to provide scholarships in the abovementioned disciplines, to cover various educational expenses like registration fees, tuition, laboratory fees, internship fees, study materials, accommodation costs and others. Picture shows Mr. Zafar Usmani, COO, Zong receiving a Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Zafar Usmani, Chief Operating Oﬃcer, ZONG said momento from Lt. General (Rtd.) Akram Khan, Vice that we are deeply committed to promoting higher education in Pakistan as a Chancellor, University of Engineering & Technology after caring corporate citizen and look forward to working with organizations like UET the signing ceremony to make this Program a success. “ZONG will support UET’s talented and needy students meeting the agreed scholarship criteria set out by both the organizations. The company will also facilitate providing counselling to engineering students for study of telecommunications in Pakistan as well as abroad.” He further added.

telenor proven itself once again

Telenor has once again proved itself to be the most happening brand in Pakistan by arranging the event of T20 World Cup at Cinepax Rawalpindi. More than 4,500 people enjoyed all the Pakistani matches on the biggest screens of Pakistan. The ambiance, crowd and excitement were worth seeing. The crowd roared and danced as the T20 world cup came to end with Pakistani Team holding the world cup. That is not all, Telenor distributed gifts like cricket kits, t-shirts and goody bags to the cricket lovers on the spot. Ahsen Saeed from the NUST while talking to apnatime.com told "I am really happy with the performance of Pakistani team and this activity from Telenor has made this match full of excitement". Senior blogger, Amir Atta gave all the credits to Telenor for making possible such an entertainment in a much tensed environment which is currently going on in Pakistan. He was of the view that more such things should be done and other companies should come forward as well. Raheel Aslam from Telenor said, "We are committed to bring a positive change in the society through various colorful activities. Telenor knows what the youth of Pakistan want and we will keep putting our eﬀorts to serve this country on every front". Telenor has always been upfront in providing best quality services to its customers, whether it is about mobile networks or the entertainment. 46 | More | July 2009

telenor declared as the superbrand of the telecom industry Telenor Pakistan received the First Annual Superbrands Award 2008-09 by Superbrands Pakistan in a ceremony held in Karachi. The award was presented to a total of 30 brands from various industries in Pakistan. The award was given for Best Quality Services, Consumer Satisfaction and Market Dominance. Superbrands is an international organization functioning in 82 countries. It has local independent bodies that identify brands that perform above and beyond others within their respective markets. Telenor Pakistan’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Lars Christian Iuel, summing up the factors for this achievement said, ‘Today’s competitive environment calls for continuous innovation. At, Telenor Pakistan, our focus is on continuously enhancing our customers’ experience. Telenor Pakistan strives to maintain a positive and sustainable image with our customers. I would like to thank our customers for their firm belief in our ability to deliver 100% at every customer touch point. I am sure this award will catalyze our continuous efforts to deliver the best in the coming times.’ The CEO for Superbrands Pakistan Imran Ahmad recognizing the facts said, "As the most innovative cellular company in Pakistan, Telenor offers its customers products and services a notch above others. Telenor has won the award for the fact that it crystallizes customer focus in everything it does." The Superbrand status was awarded to 30 brands in Pakistan across all sectors. An independent jury of 12 members comprising of expert marketers was formed that concluded on the names of these Superbrands. The selection was done on a rating scale of 1-10 on factors like: market dominance, longevity, goodwill, customer loyalty and most importantly, the overall market acceptance. Telenor Pakistan’s Assistant Brand Manager, Ahsan Shamim received the award on behalf of Telenor Pakistan. In addition to Superbrands award, Telenor Pakistan has won Best Brand in the Telenor group 2008 award, Buzziest Brand of the Year award 2009 and Aurora award for best TV campaign.

month in FoCus

ali zafar’s new connection is jazz

Rashid Khan, President & CEO, Mobilink shaking hands with Arif Usmani, CCO & MD, Citi bank after the agreement

mobilink starts m-commerce in pakistan Mobilink recently signed an agreement with Citibank N.A Pakistan ("Citi"), to promote and facilitate the growth of mobile commerce in Pakistan. Under the agreement, Citi will utilize Mobilink’s extensive retail infrastructure to extend the reach of financial services to the previously un-reached masses starting initially at select pilot locations followed by nation-wide launch in line with State Bank of Pakistan’s guidelines. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Rashid Khan, President and CEO, Mobilink commented, “89 percent of the people in Pakistan continue to remain un-served by traditional banking channels due to various limitations. Our aim is to facilitate their access to financial services, which will in turn enhance their economic participation – a key driver in social development. Our partnership with Citi will enable us to create a robust, secure and convenient mobile commerce environment that will take the mobile banking experience to the next level.” "We continue to innovate and spearhead transformation of conventional banking," said Arif Usmani, CCO & Managing Director of Citi, Pakistan. "Our partnership with Mobilink will enable the public to make convenient and secure payments “literally” at the touch of a button. We are committed to the State Bank of Pakistan’s vision of reaching out to the un-banked population and believe that financial services oﬀered via mobile phones will have a positive impact on our economy”. Using Mobilink’s cutting edge technology, customers will be able to open branchless bank accounts with Citibank through a quick and convenient registration process via authorized retailers across the country. The service will allow customers to maintain their accounts through their mobile phones, make secure peer to peer transfers to any Mobilink number and withdraw or deposit cash from any of the supported Mobilink franchises and Customer Care Centers across the country simply via SMS. Mobilink and Citi envision taking this partnership further by using this platform to empower subscribers to avail and repay loans, purchase goods and services, pay bills, buy airtime and a host of other services using their cell phones. Such services will further Mobilink’s vision of “reshaping lives”of the people of Pakistan by providing unparalleled benefits that were previously available only to a limited section of the society. As a pioneer heralding the onset of “Mobile Currency” in Pakistan, Mobilink is the only mobile operator to have made headway in the m-commerce arena. Earlier this year, Mobilink launched its Mobile Money Order (MMO) Service in partnership with Pakistan Post. The first and only service of its kind in the country, MMO is already available in 37 cities (73 outlets) across Pakistan. Mobilink is also the first and only mobile operator to have launched a mobile payments solution in Pakistan under the brand name of Mobilink Genie enabling customers to access their bank accounts from their mobile phones and make mobile payments.

Ali Zafar getting his new SIM of Jazz at one of the Mobilink’s centers

Ali Zafar, hottest music icon, got his Jazz SIM today. Superstar created a stir amongst the customers present as he reactivated his connection. Since he joined Mobilink in the last week of June 2009 as its brand ambassador, thousands of messages have been exchanged on phones and internet regarding his previous and new relation with country’s two popular brands, TalkShawk and Jazz. It had become quite a talk of town that why Ali left Telenor or rather why Mobilink took him as their new brand ambassador. Aﬀan Haider Manager Corporate Communication and Responsibility, Telenor Pakistan said, “Ali Zafar has been Telenor Talkshawk’s Brand Ambassador for the past 3 years; it has been a mutually beneficial partnership. Our contract with Ali Zafar expired last month. We wish him well in his future endeavors”. When we approached Mobilink the oﬃcial spokesman said, “Mobilink signed the agreement with Ali Zafar just recently. Legally it is unquestionable, above all it is every body’s right to think about career”. It is expected that the charismatic star will have his vote bank shifted as well and it will benefit the company and the industry as well.

July 2009 | More | 47

month in FoCus

Wateen organized Countrywide road shows Wateen conducted a countrywide road show introducing customers to their product and service portfolio. During the events which took place in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, the company’s senior management presented demonstrations about Wateen's Data, Voice and IP-based solutions, which included Security Surveillance, Hosted Contact and Data Center along with their System Integration Solutions. Representatives from the Banking and Financial sectors, Service and Distribution, Media houses, IT companies, Call Centers, Manufacturing and Construction sectors attended and reciprocated their interest. Wateen interacted with audiences at each event and explained how these products could be integrated into their existing infrastructure for better business, accelerated growth and robust development. The events began with an overview of Wateen’s growth, development and achievements over the years, by Furqan Qureshi, Head Corporate Sales, Wateen. Furqan Qureshi, Head Corporate Sales, Wateen providing The top management gave presentations of Wateen’s range of products and knowledge to the audience about Wateen’s products value-added services which include voice and telephony over WiMAX, Fiber and Satellite connectivity, automated intelligent security and surveillance and managed services and applications. The audience had the opportunity to experience Wateen’s solutions and engage the speakers in an interactive QnA session. While addressing the audience in Islamabad, CEO of Wateen, Tariq Malik said, “Our solutions help to increase the productivity and eﬃciency levels that companies operate in so that they can increase their value proposition to their customers.” The roadshow event began in Karachi on the 25th of February, then traveled to Islamabad on the 28th of April, going to Lahore on May 12th and back to Islamabad on the 20th of May, thus concluding a massive awareness campaign.

lg-ks660 with touch screen & dual sim makes life easier LG recently launched LG-KS660, the company’s first full touch screen handset equipped with dual SIM card slots. Designed for the demanding life of today’s business person, LG-KS660’s slim design and operator-friendly tools help users to manage their time better and work more efficiently. Dual SIM capability allows users to operate two SIM cards and use multiple functions simultaneously. With both cards in place and call-waiting functions, it’s possible to have as many as four active calls at one time. The simple touch of the screen allows the easy transition between callers on hold and the person they are speaking to, without switching cards or powering off. Using the phone’s stylus, messages can be handwritten while conducting calls and sent immediately as an image. LG-KS660’s dual SIM system also makes the switch between business and personal life effortless. By simply selecting the appropriate SIM on the touch-screen, the business line can be turned off while at home or enjoying leisure time with family and friends. The phone’s 5 megapixel camera captures great private memories, while keeping personal photos separate from important business documents. Likewise, for users who handle multiple businesses or use separate phone accounts for international travel, the dual SIM allows convenient access to both accounts in a single phone. In addition, enhanced business features are available through the LG-KS660’s Smart Desktop, giving consumers a virtual PC in the convenience of a slim mobile handset. The phone’s 3-inch touchscreen allows users to quickly access all the information they need to efficiently manage their business schedule. With just one click of the finger, a myriad of widgets, including calendar, to-do list, memo or search tab, can be customized for optimum productivity. Entering text or phone numbers is simple and intuitive with multiple, automatic information input. Numeric and QWERTY keypads, as well as stylus memo pads, transition automatically based on the input needed, whether making a call, writing a message or sending an email. 48 | More | July 2009

Asher Yaqub Khan, Vice President Marketing Ufone, handing over a return Air Ticket for Dubai to Ufone McDonald's Free Upsize Oﬀer Lucky Draw Winner

samsung brand shop in Faisalabad Mr. Steve Han, Country Manager Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd with Mr. Rizwan Butt, COO, Digital World Pakistan on the opening of Samsung Brand Shop in Faisalabad

month in FoCus

lg unveils world’s first bluetooth compatible lCd tv LG Electronics has made its groundbreaking New Scarlet LCD TV available across the whole of the GCC. The new design and pioneering technology has pushed the boundaries of flat panel TVs, including a look that adds a new dimension to the market and a unique Bluetooth feature for greater compatibility with cell phones, headsets, notebooks and PC’s. LG has achieved the ultimate flat panel in the New Scarlet, with its components measuring only 7mm thick. It has also relocated the tuner, speaker and analogue components to the bottom of the TV, trimming its frame even further. The New Scarlet TV beats its predecessor’s record of 44.7mm deep to just 39.7mm. Using a halftransparent, half-reflective material for the New Scarlet’s base of the bezel creates the illusion of another surface. Unlike the breathing LED of the previous Scarlet model, the circular icon at the centre of its lower bezel has a glowing LED light. It also has a touch sensor that plays a pleasant melody at every touch. As the TV powers on, the glowing light turns from a deep red to a shimmering white. One of the most highly advanced technical features of the New Scarlet is its Bluetooth compatibility, making it simple to even enjoy pictures taken from a cell phone and allow greater compatibility with headsets, notebooks and PC’s. Intelligence is an important ingredient for elegant design, and the New Scarlet’s powerful technology oﬀers an incredibly sharp 1080p full HD picture, which can be maximised to suit any type of media. In addition, energy bills can be reduced by up to 75 per cent placing the New Scarlet as highly energy eﬃcient.

Harris Seunghyun Kwak, (3-L) Marketing & Sales Manager MENA region Samsung Electronics is pictured with senior management of Samsung Electronics Pakistan and DWP group at an introductory seminar on Samsung Thin Client equipments

samsung brings thin Client to pakistan Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd carried out a seminar to impart knowledge about the state of the art technology of “Thin Client”. Lot of companies’ representative attended the seminar and some media scribes were also seen at the briefing session. Samsung 730XT rides the crest of the wave with its ultra secure enhanced security features and ultra efficient reduced total cost of ownership. With a dedicated thin client capability, it is not only an exceptional monitor, but also a remote graphical desktop, which makes the need for the peripheral equipments like CPU redundant. Hence this stylish monitor with built-in thin client module gives a clean and clear desktop. Harris Seunghyun Kwak, Manager Marketing and Sales Middle East and Africa region Samsung Electronics stated, “This technology will bring phenomenal improvements in the operations of various sectors like banking, education, hospitals, and airports etc. The Thin Client facilitates data sharing and controlling of information at one centralized point and allowing various users to access, change or retrieve the data as well as use an application, simultaneously from the main server. I am sure this product will be a helpful tool for different organizations in Pakistan.” “Mr. Baber Ali Kazmi, The Category Head of IT Division, Samsung Pakistan while expressing his views at the Thin Clients Seminar stated, “Samsung being committed towards the future of network computing brings fully optimised Samsung 730XT for our consumers who can benefit in various ways to increase their work efficiency.” Samsung 730XT is compatible with Windows server version and the built in Windows XP_OS, supports MS RDP, Citrix ICA. It uses less cables including plug in for the USB, keyboard and mouse, LAN & power cable. The LCD display vivid and crisp images on the Thin Client 730XT.

Group Picture shows, Mr. Jingak Chung, Senior Manager Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. with Mr. Rizwan Butt, COO Digital World Pakistan, Khurram Farooq, Head of Marketing (AV) Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. at the Brand shop opening in Karachi Bahdurabad. The Samsung display centers caters all products of Samsung available for consumers.

July 2009 | More | 49

month in FoCus kingston's hyperX memory cool fan Kingston Technology recently announced its new HyperX Fan, designed specifically to keep Kingston HyperX memory cool. The dual 60mm fans optimize airflow around the modules helping memory run at peak performance for longer periods of time. “At LAN parties and benchmarking events worldwide, HyperX enthusiasts told us they wanted something cool looking to keep the memory cool,” said Ann Bai, Memory Module Product Manager, APAC Region, Kingston. “We listened and thus developed this fan as the perfect complement for both the standard and taller HyperX T1 series modules. The hip blue lights give it a bling factor that could be the diﬀerence between first and second place in a system-build competition.” The HyperX Fan is made of anodized aluminum and in the same familiar blue color as the HyperX heatspreaders. When turned on, the fan blades are illuminated by eight small blue LEDs. Power use is minimal and noise is not an issue as the fan runs at a whisper-quiet 25 dBA*. The fan is available as a standalone or bundled with Kingston’s 6GB 2000- and 1800MHz triple-channel memory kits with the T1 heatspreaders for Intel Core i7 systems. The Kingston HyperX Fan is backed by a one-year warranty and free technical support.

microsoft & aga khan Foundation launch technology Centers in the northern areas of pakistan

Viper Technologies, Pakistan’s leading IT solutions provider, has signed an agreement with Cube XS Weatherly, Pakistan’s most powerful Tier IV Data Center, to provide secure and eﬃcient data management through integrating Viper Wiz Server. The partnership is expected to foster successful IT business growth in the future. Picture shows: Mr. Faisal Shaikh, Chief Operating Oﬃcer Viper Technology (L2) and Mr. Raja Jehangir Mehboob, (R2) SVP Corporate Sales and Marketing of Cube XS Weatherly at the contract signing ceremony held at the Viper House. Mr. Asim Shaikh,(R) Head of Technical and Infrastructure Viper Technology and Imran Khan (L) AVP Corporate Sales and Marketing Cube XS Weatherly are also present

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates recently hosted a half-day seminar for their travel trade partners in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. The interactive seminar was conducted by the Etihad team to create awareness of Etihad Airways’ products and services during their flights available throughout the Etihad network, their key destinations and their future plans. Picture shows: Mr. Amer N. Khan, Country Manager – Pakistan (R3), Mr. Ken Marshall, Sales Manager – Pakistan, Etihad Airways (L4) & Mr. M. Iqbal Butt, Chief Executive, Crown Travels, Mirpur (R4) along with some of the participants of the seminar.

50 | More | July 2009

Microsoft and the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan inked an agreement to establish the country’s first pilot Community Technology Learning Centers in the remote northern areas of Gilgit and Hunza. By expanding ICT access and training resources to these rural areas, these centers will oﬀer local residents new social and economic opportunities. Joined at today’s signing ceremony by Mr. Al-Nashir Jamal, CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan, Mr. Kamal Ahmed, Country General Manager of Microsoft Pakistan, remarked, “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan on a pilot project that will build a knowledge economy for Pakistan. We have always believed that by working with partners to create relevant training opportunities and innovative tools for people who are underserved by technology, we can help foster social and economic opportunities that change people's lives and transform communities”. Based on the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills Program, the centers in Gilgit and Hunza will help promote workforce development through training in basic computer literacy and the use of advanced business productivity applications. Microsoft supports these centers through various contributions, including software, curriculum, and technical expertise, with a focus on non-profit centers that make IT skills training a priority, enable community members to share the learning experience, and are open and accessible to the public. Microsoft continues to focus on making technology more aﬀordable, relevant and accessible for underserved communities.

retailer oF month

m. muzammil hussain director al- badar mobiles When you started this business? are you doing any other business other than the mobile phone trade? I started mobile business in Abrar centre in 2002. I also own Leather Fashion boots display in Gulberg, Lahore.

Chinese and branded handsets always boost about controlling the major part of market. What do you think in this regard? About 75% of our people are using branded handsets, rest of the 25% people are using Chinese handsets. The reason of 25% people using Chinese handsets is that they are cheap but have no resale value. Those who buy it never want to do buy it again.

many mobile handset markets are opening in new areas apart from hafeez Centre and hall road. are customers getting attracted to these new markets? Abrar Centre is also a popular market like Hafeez Centre and Hall Road. It is ranked as third best market in Lahore. People from other cities go to Hall Road and Hafeez Centre. But families and ladies go to other market for buying handsets, as these areas are not suitable for visiting with family.

What problems a Chinese handset buyer faces? The main problem in Chinese handsets is that they have no resale value. Also their accessories are not available easily.

how branded phone can be aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable to everyone? Branded companies should invest in Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile handsets industry and start their local manufacturing here just like they do in India.

July 2009 | More | 51

mobile phone