Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Editor s
Note Every cloud has a
silver lining!
The sun of 2009 has finally dawn upon us following a
series of economic heart attacks. Businessmen are always
ready for benefits at the cost of losses. A financial crunch Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Editor-in-Chief
is nothing new in this world of flux, however, it is quite
Fatima Batool Editor
severe. The changing circumstances have exploited the
foreign direct investments (FDIs) in emerging markets Usman Yaqoob
Marketing Manager (Lhr)
like Pakistan. However, the New Year has brought with M. Farooq Malik
it hopes of better financial and investment friendly Marketing Executive (Lhr)
Rashid Hussain Mughal
circumstances. Marketing Executive (Khi)
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has taken
several initiatives in improving the infrastructure of our
spoiled telecom sector, however, there is still much to Zafar Khan Afridi
Senior Graphic Designer
amend. PTA has issued many deadlines and notices to CreativeZone
cellular and Internet service providers (ISPs) for
improvements and violations; we are waiting to see what Khawar Shahzad
measures will be taken by the authority against those Manager Islamabad Office
Asmat Ullah
who won’t meet the deadlines and notices. Content Coordinator
Cellular density has reached to saturation level and Azhar Javed
there is nothing much for the mobile service providers Production Manager
Taimur Shafiq
in cities; they are either moving to rural areas or looking Web Developer
forward to 3G, which is expected to hit in 2009 as per Muhammad Saeed
Chief Photographer
PTA statement. Dial up Internet will be made pre-paid- Mobile: 0321 - 8404389
many changes are lurking for the users this year.
Lahore Office
With the increase in taxes, many operators have raised Ph: 042-5750732- Fax: + 92-042-5750804
grey telephony, especially in international calls to Islamabad Office
Phone: + 92-51-2890054
abridge the financial loss and interestingly PTA is ready Fax: + 92-51-2891339
to monitor and to register such traffic. Notices have been Karachi Office
Phone: + 92-21-4602620
sent to the culprits, especially Mobilink, to stop the
illegal business or strict action (and heavy fine) will be Registration No
PCPB/105
taken against the companies and the higher authorities;
but when? We can only wait to see what PTA can do (Vol. 5 Issue:5)
Price Rs: 300
against these giants.
The punishment of e-crimes is expected to extend to URL: www.flare.com.pk
Email: flare.mag@gmail.com
seven years. It is good for national integrity, but the
punishment is only fruitful if the criminals are caught
red handed. Keen eyes are required to monitor the
Zubair Ahmed Kasuri, publisher of FLARE
movements of external anti-Pakistan forces and internal
leading telecom magazine, printed it from
secret agents.
Akkaz Printers, Shama Plaza, Lahore and
The situation of crimes is changing in Pakistan: Security
published from 46 J, Gulberg III, Lahore.
forces are tightening their premises, keen eyes are kept
on suspects, bombs are diffused, suicide bombers are
identified, e-crimes are stopped on the spot. Betterment
is required and will be made soon; all that is required is
determination and loyalty to the nation.
8
Letters that the higher officials will soon oblige the
new traffic police to enforce challans on the
that sounds a little ambiguous, but I think that
this news will mislead many Pakistanis. Peo-
ple will blindly spent on such websites spe-
to the
violators–Muhammad Shakeel, Satellite
Town, Rawalpindi. cially www.freelotto.com to become
millionare in a blink. Such news must be
blocked by the publishers or the authorities
Editor
Ad-war!!! concerned to keep the reader’s end safe.-Ali
Bangash Islamabad.
Initially I appreciated Zong’s ad
campaign, but now I wonder how they go on
taunting others-is there no morality left in CSS Web site waiting for
the opponents? Aren’t there any rules for the updates
war? Why so much fuss?
Almost all cellular service providers give
A majority of youngsters are busy in
comparable rates, there is a difference but
preparing for CSS examination which is ex-
very minor (in paisas) and still they manage
So much to see… to fuss. On the contrary all of them are pected in March. It is good to see that thou-
indulged in presenting misleading ads. sands of forums are submitted till the closing
I still remember the time when branded There 50 paisa or aath aaney package is of 30 date.
computers were phenomena to see. Rare In- second and they pretend otherwise. I am myself a graduate and looking for-
ternet cafes were bound to hide due to their Even Ufone with its all the same Teen ward to appear in the Competitive Examina-
suspicious activities. Boys were going in Bata Teen group has finally come up with a tion this year. Initially, I tried to explore the
where girls wondering what’s inside? Par- no doubt good campaign, but once again it
Internet to get direct access to the official Web
ents condemned the use of Internet on the ended in a taunting punch line by Faisal
bases of lurking gossip. An odd situation for site but unexpectedly the site,
Qureshi :Ik naya connection chahiye, Ufone
parents and society to watch what their chil- ka! www.css.com.pk is not yet updated. It is Jan-
dren and mates were indulged in on their I am sick of all repeated ideas and uary 9, 2009 when I am sending this email
personal computer (PC) and much more. strategy. When you have nothing new or and still the Web pages are showing the head-
Now, if not everything, much has been better to present then you start to spoil ings of 2008, e.g., submission date 15 January,
changed. There is online shopping, email other’s image. Why doesn’t PTA take some 2008, expected date of CSS 2008 papers, etc.
subscriptions, e-paper, official contacts on steps to implement fair policies in CSS is the most auspicious examination in
Internet, foreign settle families and friends advertisement so both, telephone companies
Pakistan and it is deplorable to see the negli-
and a new window to the world at large not and viewers, can benefit from the campaign–
Zeeshan Ali, Taj Pora Scheme, Lahore. gence practised by the authorities in issuing
only for the youngsters, but also for their orders to update the official Web site for the
parents.
convenience of the applicants.
I cannot stop myself from smiling at my
I encourage your efforts in revealing the
grand father when he daily comes into my
room and ask me to either open Khaleej or PTCL shut off half rates truth of many telecom and Internet service
Hindutan Times. Sometimes, he ask me to providers; I hope that the authorities will
Pakistan Telecommunication Company soon overcome the bridge that is widening
open the official website of our family
Limited has once again deceived its innocent day by day by upgrading the official Internet
graveyard, so he may comfortably sit and
watch the last dwelling of his loved ones. customers. The half rate package of Sunday is link, as students are not provided with any al-
My mother is interested in jotting down dismissed without any prior public notice on ternative–Waqas Ahmad Shahbaz, Johar
new recipes and to re-watch her favourite December 31, 2008. those who don’t know the Town, Lahore.
television shows online. My grand mother cancellation are still busy in making calls as
is still against the technology and calls it per the old package which was most probably
Satan’s tool to misguide. introduced in October (I’m not sure about the
My father has his own laptop as he is a
business man. I cannot stay away from the
date). The authority states that the package Crank calls!
was offered for limited time and the duration
computer as many friends of mine are pres- has finally ended on December 31. Dear Editor,
ent at different communities and we are I think the beginning and the cancellation I am a post-graduate student. Being a social
used to send scraps to each other. Besides,
date of any package is decided before its in- sciences student, I have my contacts in
there is so much to do and to learn online. I
troduction to public. Why not service many NGOs and other societies. Due to my
don’t know about the world but life is con-
tinually changing in our third world. We are provider companies made the closing dates negligence, my number was misplaced few
still far behind them, but we will very soon public, while publishing the advertisement? months back and after so many days I am
abridge the gap-Adnan Mohsin, Lahore. In a huge ad is there no place for a small, one
still receiving crank calls and SMS. I am a
line, notification? Why there is always a foot
social person and I can’t change my mobile
or side not? PTCL is paving way for other op-
number. I register my complaints against
erators, especially mobile phone service
the perturbers but of no avail. Franchisers
providers to publish ambiguous advertise-
Can’t drive without ment in order to deceive the customers. were not ready to block or warn the num-
ber at just one compliant.
device! PTCL is the biggest telecom operator and
it must be just and clear in its foot marks- I don’t know what service centres and fran-
Besides all that our government has done in
upgrading the traffic police infrastructure, Wasim Ahmad, Johar Town, Lahore. chisers are doing to help out poor users.
there are so many things that are missing. They can’t warn those who tease others.
There is everything except employment – They can’t provide me with the personal in-
there is law closed in books. People are Internet millionaire from formation of the other number. Where
freely talking on their cell phones while
driving in the third (extreme right) lane.
Pakistan should I go? I can do nothing because of
You can also witness people busy in lack of contribution between the service
sending SMS or talking on their phones, I still can’t believe that Raja Khan, Pak-
providers and the service users. The first
and also watching films or songs on their istan’s first Internet millionaire, has really
priority of all companies is to grab cos-
car’s LCDs. Where are the wardens? Why won on www.freelotto.com. We never heard
tumers and to show least responsible atti-
they are so insensitive towards issuing anything like this before. It is a real news.
challans to those who disgrace law? tude-Amara Majeed, Islamabad.
Internet is a part of my office work and I
We know that wardens issue challans to often confront websites claiming that you
those who break the signal or to those who
have got this or that prize money. The only Send us your letters at
drive rashly, but is it not enough? I also
way to get your prize is the subscription flare.mag@gmail.com or at our
suffered a near miss at several times as the
other driver is engage with the cell phone which can be got at the expense of few dol- postal address.
without bothering where his or her car is lars. Flare reserves the right to edit
leading. This is an awful situation. I hope I’m really happy for Raja Khan, a name letters for clarity & space. 9
InsighT Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
When two cables were cut off the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, about a 100 million
internet users were affected, mainly in India and Egypt.
cover all the Middle different countries. One of the cables is 40,000
East and India and kilometres (25,000 miles) long and links 33 different
other countries." countries while the second is 20,000 kilometres long
Most business to business traffic between Eu- "We have no more and serves 14 states.
rope and Asia was being rerouted through the information. A ship
has been sent out to
"If there was just one cable down we could have
used the other two," said France Telecom
United States but regular communications be- locate the place where spokesman Louis-Michel Aymard. "But all three are
the cables were cut." down so this puts us in a very difficult situation."
tween Europe and several Asian countries has The agency The cables might have got caught up in trawlers'
been disrupted. Sixty-five per cent of traffic to reported that services
were being rerouted
nets or there may have been an underwater
landslide, said Aymard. One appeared to be fully
India was down, while services to Singapore, to backup cables and severed, while the other two seemed to be only
Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Taiwan and Pak- satellite
compensate for the
to partially cut. Each cable has a "leader" country, he
said. Egypt is In-charge of the main cable and in this
istan were also severely affected failures. The services capacity commissioned France Telecom Marine, a
were restored within a subsidiary of the communications giant, to handle
depend on our snail mails and wait for days to week but it caused a lot of distortion. France the repairs.
communicate to our friends and relatives. Telecom said the breach happened "between Italy A 64-crew maintenance boat arrived on site, off
Recently, the two Internet fibre optic cables, and Tunisia on sections linking Sicily to Egypt." the coast of Sicily, following a two-day journey from
SMW-III and SWM-IV, connected Pakistan with rest "Traffic from Europe towards Algeria and southern France, said a spokesman for the telecoms
of the world, got damaged in Alexandria, Egypt. Tunisia was not affected but from Europe towards operator. An underwater robot was sent down to
Due to damage of cables, Pakistan's Internet the Middle East and Asia is more or less locate the cables, which may have been dragged
connectivity with North America, European and interrupted," the French national telecoms operator several kilometres off site in the incident, and lift
other countries has severely affected. Slow said. The company said it had alerted the Raymond them to the surface where they were repaired fibre
browsing, poor throughput and high latency Croze, one of its two maintenance ships present in by fibre.
problems were being experienced by Internet users. the Mediterranean zone. The damage was restored after an unexpected
Internet service between Europe and the Middle In January last year, five cables in the Middle interruption in Internet traffic. Such situation has
East was badly disrupted after undersea cables East and Europe were cut, causing Internet failures not happened for the first time. But there must be
failed in the Mediterranean Sea, which manages the in the region. Cut cables bring down phone lines some remedy or an ever-ready substitute so the
10 cables. Three cables linking Italy and Egypt failed between Europe, Asia, and Middle East global village may go on in such circumstances.
Exclusive Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
fter the demise of Father of the Nation which carried their own people along
P
minimum as soon as possible to fulfil its
started its journey more than 60 years ago segregate government and defence
obligations and to sustain itself in the deregulated
with massive resources but poor telecommunication networks to ensure
environment in which PTC was to be privatised.
management. This lack of management communication security after the privatisation of the
It is pertinent to mention that the high officials,
caused exceptional delay in the settlement of a PTCL. But the audit showed the NTC and its gateway
for example Chairman NTC, care least about the
newly born country. Many things, including the contractors did not implement the agreed security
directive of the government even if they are issued
geography, changed with the passage of measures.
time. The country also showed healthy Moreover, the corporation did not clarify media
signs of improvement, but somehow or secrecy arrangements prior to the 2002 commissioning
the other the overall scenario remained all of international connectivity by M/s CATCOM which
the same. On one hand the upper class was found involved in a case of illegal termination of
was marching to the horizons of progress; international traffic in September 2001.
on the other the lower middle class was Audit authorities told the PAC the NTC
suppressed as much as possible. The management invested Rs 3.37 billion of working
social divide gave rise to the intensity of capital and surplus of receipts in 15 private commercial
middle-class troubles. or foreign banks as six-month short-term deposits
Efforts made by the employees of during 2004-05 and 2005-06, in violation of rules. "What
Pakistan Telecommunication Company kind of financial management is this and what kind of
Limited (PTCL) are not an old story. After governance is going on in the Ministry of Information
a long span of financial crisis and contrary Technology?" Nisar asked when he was told the
mental torture they finally secured their relative ministry received a supplementary grant,
by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. After
positions, but there is still a majority of wagers although it later surrendered a huge sum of
government’s assurance to permanent the daily
that is fighting for its rights. Rs. 1.184 billion. The committee directed IT
wages workers, the Chairman NTC terminated
To directives of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Secretary Hifzur Rehman to ensure optimum
the poor employees.
Gilani, the management of National Telecom use of development funds and told him
The NTC Labour Union lamented Chairman
Corporation (NTC) has terminated daily wagers supplementary grants should only be asked for
NTC and said steps are against workers.
14 who have been working in the company for the if the ministry has the capacity to utilise them.
Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
phone snatching
comes under the
On average 13,152 handsets per
purview of the police month were blocked during the
and concerned laws. year and on the contrary ratio for
But for complaints like
fraudulent balance unblocking the handsets is low
transfer, obnoxious but significant. Since IMEI
calls and messages the blocking was introduced 16,220
consumers may lodge
a complaint with unblocking request were
concerned mobile received from the consumers
company and can also
and on an average about 921
approach the PTA’s
consumer protection handsets per month were
cell at its toll-free unblocked on request
number.
The telecom sector cell phones and law and enforcing agencies were
over the past few unable to trace the user due to improper or false
years has shown a documentation of the subscribers’ details.
phenomenal growth. Criminal activities and cheating people
Although mobile through various tricks and false messages have
services have augmented with the growth of mobile sector.
Furthermore, unsolicited messages and
obnoxious calls have
added to grievances of
the subscribers. The PTA
stated that to deal with
this threat PTA
introduced an
IMEI system in
October 2006.
The PTA made
After selling the SIM, a call centre operator of the mobile company will make a this system available with the help of
call to the customer and will ask few questions to verify his particulars. If the an- CPLC and the industry. The system
swers are correct, the SIM will be activated. The system will be deployed all registers complaints for both blocking
and unblocking of the mobile handsets.
over the country by 31st January 2009 Authority takes action against the
complaint after the verification of the
akistan Telecommunication Authority complaint. Consumers can register their
T
termination or distribution of traffic. Only in this
the regulations of a given country and and thus pay less for domestic termination. This way, reduction in grey telephony is possible.
there is no single unified definition can occur if the termination rates are not cost There are certain measures which can be taken
available. based. The cost based termination would avoid to avoid such traffic.
In general, the grey telephony is defined as the this thing.
use of illegal gateway exchanges to bypass the
legal gateways and terminate or originate
b. Difference between International
settlement rates for mobile and retail mobile
Another possible form of
international traffic, through VoIP gateways, GSM tariff: grey traffic is termed as
gateways, WLL phones, mobile SIMs or other If the retail tariff is low as compared to
related equipment. This traffic may then be international settlement rate for mobile, the transit service. For example,
distributed onwards using WLL and mobile operator has an incentive to forward international
call as a national call using the devices capable of
if call tariffs for a particular
numbers. Alternatively, it is also defined as the
calls with missing CLI, fake CLI and fake operator supporting the local SIMs. destination B from origin A
The areas affected by the grey telephony are as
code.
The traffic carried by the licensed operators but follows: are expensive, traffic transit
terminated illegally, to avoid payments, also falls a. Revenue loss to the government is done by directing the
in the grey traffic category. As mentioned above, exchequer;
illegal or grey traffic at a given place may be legal b. Disturbs revenue streams of telecom traffic to a third place say C
in other parts of world, e.g. the VOIP is not
allowed in some of the countries, whereas others
operators who have invested millions of dollars as
license fees, deployment of infrastructure and whose VoIP termination is
follow the technology neutral licensing regime. other government charges; cheaper and then the calls
Mainly there are two factors that cause the c. Foreign investment in telecom sector is
grey traffic to happen: reduced as a result of lack of investor confidence are distributed to
a. Difference between International and
Domestic termination rates(TR):
in the market.
The most common techniques used to
destination B using cheap
20
If the international TR is higher than the terminate the grey traffic include: international mobile tariffs
domestic TR, there is an incentive for the operator a. Collection of international traffic from
Free download | flare.com.pk Exclusive
rey Market Telephony (GMT) is a menace telephony which offers a high financial incentive for experience shows that the trends of grey market have
Satyam's $1 billion
fraud shakes India
Satyam shares plummeted 77.69 per cent, or
139.15 rupees, to 39.95 rupees on the Mumbai
Stock Exchange, as investors dumped the
company. The broader benchmark 30-share
Sensex plunged 7.25 per cent to 9,586.88
he head of one of India's biggest outsourcing A spokesman for India's second largest
T
rupees in Mumbai, following an 80 per cent plunge.
firms, Satyam Computer, resigned amid a software exporter Infosys, which rivals Satyam for The auditing firm said in the statement that they
scandal over a billion dollar fraud that sent outsourcing deals, said it was "shocked and had worked "in accordance with applicable auditing
company stocks into freefall. dismayed." "The whole incident is deplorable... the standards and were supported by appropriate audit
The company overstated its cash and bank government and regulators must make necessary evidence."
balances to the tune of more than 50 billion rupees changes to regulations so that such incidents do not "Given our obligations for client confidentiality, it
(more than a billion dollars) in its September-end happen in future." is not possible for us to comment upon the alleged
balance sheet, "purely on account of inflated profit The Satyam chief apologised "to all Satyamites irregularities. Price Waterhouse will fully meet its
over a period of several years," Raju said in a and stakeholders, who have made Satyam a special obligations to cooperate with the regulators and
statement. organisation, for the current situation." others," the statement said.
Satyam shares plummeted 77.69 per cent, or "I am now prepared to subject myself to the laws Meanwhile, Archana Uttapa, a company
139.15 rupees, to 39.95 rupees on the Mumbai Stock of the land and face consequences thereof," Raju spokeswoman, denied Indian media reports that
Exchange, as investors dumped the company. The added. Satyam was considering firing 10,000 of its 53,000
broader benchmark 30-share Sensex plunged 7.25 per Indian police arrested B. Ramalinga Raju, the employees. "There is no such move," she said.
cent to 9,586.88. founder and former chairman of beleaguered The scandal comes at a delicate time for India's
Satyam - a leading software consultancy, system outsourcing giant Satyam Computer, days after he information technology companies, which are
integration and outsourcing firm with clients across admitted he doctored the company's accounts to the struggling against a global slowdown and waning
65 countries -- had announced the 1.6-billion-dollar tune of $ one billion. economic growth at home. India's IT firms derive 40
buyout of the Maytas infrastructure firm earlier this Satyam's balance sheets were riddled with percent of their global revenues from financial
month, but abruptly reversed its decision after "fictitious" assets and "nonexistent" cash that could no services clients.
investors rejected the plan. longer be concealed after a deal intended to save the They replaced Satyam's own interim board of
Raju admitted in the statement that the Maytas struggling company was abandoned, Raju admitted directors who took charge after founder and chairman
acquisition plan was "the last attempt to fill fictitious in a letter to the company's board.
Chairman and Founder of India's Satyam Computer Services Limited Hyderabad: Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Satyam Computer Services Vadlamani Srinivas (C) Employees of Indian software company Satyam - their hands
Ramalinga Raju announces quarterly results during a press conference in is escorted by Police. coloured after making a handprint banner - shout supportive
Hyderabad. slogans in Hyderabad.
assets with real ones." Analysts and the stock market Raju and his brother, former managing director B. B. Ramalinga Raju admitted the company's accounts
regulator have reacted with shock at the fraud and Rama Raju were arrested in the southern city of and assets had been falsified for several years.
major brokerages have suspended ratings for the Hyderabad, according to S.S. Yadav, the top police The new members are Deepak Parekh, the
stock. official of Andhra Pradesh state where the company chairman of private sector housing firm HDFC; C.
The investment bank had already placed a "sell" is headquartered. Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Achuthan, a former member of regulator Securities
rating for the stock because of the global economic Pradesh. The brothers have resigned their posts in the and Exchange Board of India; and Kiran Karnik,
slowdown. "The Satyam management's continuance company. former president of an IT lobby group."We will
seems to be untenable regardless of the new board Yadav said the men were being investigated for provide strategic direction to Satyam, not run it on
composition. What this sorry episode has done is cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and daily basis. We are looking to induct fresh blood like
leave a huge hole in corporate governance at Satyam," falsifying documents. They may face up to 10 years the chief executive and chief financial officer into the
said Viju George, analyst at Edelweiss Securities, in a in prison. Several investors in Satyam were company, but it will take time."
report to clients. considering suing PricewaterhouseCoopers, the He said restating the accounts would be critical, as
A company's books of accounts signed by the auditor of the company's doctored accounts, an "people do not have faith in the numbers at this stage."
board, is approved by auditors before being sent to attorney said. The directors also said they had decided to appoint
financial regulators and tax authorities. Satyam shares fell another 45.5 per cent to 21.75 23
new auditors for the company.
Interview Flare Panel Free download | flare.com.pk
The companies including Worldcard, Telecard, Dancom, WiTribe and others claimed that the
USF established by the PTA was a sort of tax and they were not bound to pay. Their
counsels argued that under Article 77 of the Constitution, no tax could be levied without the
authorisation of the Parliament. They also referred to APR 2004 rules
he goals of Universal Service are to promote expansion in rural areas, among other things. USF level of telecom penetration will increase significantly
AMR collects the data remotely through dedicated web portal for various analysis and
report generation. Its unique anti tempering feature restricts power thefts and provides an
interface for viewing different readings of any desired date and time
HL (Konnect Holden pvt. Ltd) is, an ISO Metering System Metering System (AMS) is used to collect data
page is a node of a Lahore-based ISP said. "We feel that the cri-
from buz- teria of blocking should be clearly defined and
zvines.com. should not side with any political party."
Law is not impartial: It varies from one person to Most of the "This is a very repressive step and ISPAK con-
another. PTA has ordered to block links of those blocked Web demns this act," Micronet Broadband CEO and
sites on which exclusive pictures of Governor Pun- pages con-
tained articles
Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan
(ISPAK) convener Wahaj us Siraj told. "The IMC
jab Salman Taseer and his family were uploaded which claimed has no mandate to block political Web sites. The
where hundreds of thousands of nationals are un- to provide in- PTA apparently has less say in it and just con-
able to unplug the relevant Online data formation
about Punjab
veyed the directive of the IMC to the ISPs."
T
here is no doubt that 2008 was the year Mr Warren said data rates looked set to get a customers in some markets will be a mixed
of the smartphone. The last 12 months further boost in 2009 thanks to a follow-up blessing. "As more and more people get a
has seen the launch of iconic devices technology known as HSPA+. He added, mobile you are going down the value pyramid,"
such as the iPhone 3G, Google G1, "HSPA+ will start to become prevalent in 2009. he said. "You get a lot of people but every single
Blackberry Storm and Nokia N97. It also saw the It takes you up to 42Mbps, but the maximum at one is not going to be generating a lot of
emergence of the electronic ecosystems needed the moment is 7.2Mbps in the UK." revenue." The important thing that mobile
to get the most out of such handsets. But, all is operators have to get right in 2009 is increasing
not rosy in the smartphone garden. The the numbers of people paying for data traffic, he
popularity of these devices has brought to light Switch off said. But, the problem with pushing people
several problems that look set to become acute Despite the good news for the mobile world, towards using more data on the move is the
in 2009. 2009 is unlikely to see that success continue. For knock-on effect it has on the infrastructure
a start, said mobile analysts CCS Insight, 2009 operators need to support those customers. The
will see sales of handsets shrink. "This will be global downturn could mean operators will find
Customer control it hard to raise the capital needed to cope with
"It was a goodish year," said Andrew Bud, In the summer of 2008 one significant growth, he said.
chairman of mobile firm Mblox and director of
the Mobile Entertainment Forum. One of the
unlucky Vodafone customer For Mr. Bud from Mblox, the growth of
mobile broadband highlights another pressing
high spots, he said, was the knock-on effect the returned home from a issue for operators - how they price data plans.
launch of innovative smartphones had on the
mobile market. Many were using them to get at
holiday in Portugal to a Research by Mblox showed a huge discrepancy
between the amounts people using different
popular social networking sites such as phone bill in excess of operators in different countries will pay when
Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, said Mr Bud.
"We've also seen the emergence of
£31,000. He racked up the downloading or browsing the web. In the UK, it
found, some folk will pay about £10 to
applications as a whole new content category." bill by using his phone to download a two megabyte music track. By
Alongside the launch of the Apple and
Google, smartphones went shops that gave
download an episode of contrast, in Germany, on some tariffs, customers
will only pay 24 cents (22p) a megabyte.
away and sold applications to run on the high- Prison Break and several The confusion that results was holding back
end handsets. Apple said more than 100 million music tracks while on the growth of mobile data services, said Mr Bud.
applications had been downloaded from its App
Store between July and September. holiday abroad Few people were willing to risk downloading as
they were worried about racking up huge
For Steven Hartley, senior analyst at Ovum, charges. In some cases, he said, their fears were
the popularity of the smartphone was a signal the first time the market has contracted since being justified.
that older technologies were coming of age. "3G 2001," said an end of year report from CCS. The In the summer of 2008 one unlucky
has really started to deliver on its promise," he firm said this slowdown could be blamed on the Vodafone customer returned home from a
said. "That's again something that has been global economic downturn that will hit every holiday in Portugal to a phone bill in excess of
talked about for a long time." part of the mobile industry. £31,000. He racked up the bill by using his
The success of 3G has been attributed to the The only place to buck these trends will be phone to download an episode of Prison Break
use of a technology known as high speed packet markets in developing nations, said the report. and several music tracks while on holiday
access (HSPA). Dan Warren, director of In particular, it said, India, sub-Saharan Africa abroad. "The price consumers see should be the
technology at the GSM (Global System for and China still have low penetration rates by the price they pay," said Mr Bud.
Mobile communications) Association, described standards of mature economies such as the UK.
30 HSPA as "the original 3G service on steroids". But, said Mr Hartley from Ovum, more
Telepedia Luke McKinney Free download | flare.com.pk
CIVIL
MECHANICAL
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TELECOM
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TOWERS
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HR OUTSOURCING
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3G COMTECH(PVT)LTD.
TURNKEY SOLUTIONS PROVIDER
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PH: +92-42-5296429,5296529,5296212
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E-MAIL:khurram.mushtaq@comtech.net.pk
Insight Farook Malik Free download | flare.com.pk
he networking and telecommunication as-a-service. These have grown to encompass Similarly, there has been a noticeable uptake
than ever
purposes while 11 per cent of the locations around the world, and
respondents preferred not to hardware vendors started to
answer the question. The survey release devices capable of
was conducted by NewDiligence, an independent Such services can provide a wealth of benefits supporting the technology.
market research firm, for Belmont, California- to an organisation by offering enterprise-class Interestingly, LTE technology, which many
based FaceTime Communications, a provider of software and management without the need for consider to be superior to WiMax, did not see
Internet security solutions. major capital outlay. However, by delivering nearly the same level of coverage in 2008, despite
The most frequent personal use of a work PC these systems over the network, the quality of the significant progress over the year.
was to send email to friends and family, followed connection becomes of paramount importance. Overall it seems that, much like differing
by looking at Web sites (84 per cent), banking and mobile communication protocols, the battle
personal finance (68 per cent) and shopping on between the various 4G technologies may have no
the Web (57 per cent), the survey found. Fifty- Such services can decisive winner, with various regions adopting
seven per cent use their work computer to listen
to music or look at pictures and video while 44 provide a wealth of their own preferred choice, leaving manufacturers
to develop hardware that caters to all users.
per cent use it for instant messaging (IM) chat
with friends and family.
benefits to an From a regulatory standpoint, 2008 saw its fair
share of excitement. With the switchover to digital
Thirty-two per cent connect with friends
through social network sites from their work
organisation by offering TV well underway the question of how to allocate
the sections of the frequency spectrum freed up
computer and 20 per cent update their social enterprise-class software by the move has been debated vigorously.
network profiles with photos and videos while at This year has also seen some major changes to
work. Eight per cent use their work computer to and management the internet landscape with the roll-out of several
update their personal blog or comment on other new top-level domains including .asia and .tel,
blogs. But, if employees are using their work without the need for and more importantly the proposals for generic
importance
reliant on broadband Internet connections due to it looks like 2009 could be as interesting, and
36 the growth in hosted applications and software- possibly even more so.
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report InsighT
T
elevision is now considered to be the The basic idea of display in plasma
best source of entertainment and a television is to illuminate tiny coloured Plasma perform well
powerful source of information. It has fluorescent lights to form an image. The very
become such a powerful medium first prototype for a plasma display monitor regardless of lighting
that, without it, we would be deprived of
much information, as well as entertainment.
was invented in July 1964 at the University of
Illinois by professors Donald Bitzer and Gene
conditions and are not
The idea of a plasma display is to illuminate Slottow, and then graduate student Robert affected by magnetic fields.
tiny coloured fluorescent lights to form an Willson. Bulky Cathode Ray Tube televisions
image. The plasma display varies the were the standard for over fifty years. A flat But the phosphors and
intensities of the different lights to produce a panel television is even thinner than a photo gases deteriorate over time,
full range of colours. album. A flat panel television struggles in the
Unlike a curved screen television, a flat confusion of selecting one of the two causing brightness to fade.
screen television display produces fewer
reflections, thus you enjoy distraction-free
technologies: LCD (liquid crystal display)
versus Plasma Television. The picture
The life span of a plasma
elements (pixels) are controlled individually. display averages 30,000
The picture elements Each pixel in a colour image is made up of a
hours
(pixels) are controlled red, green, and blue component, or "sub pixel"
that works together to create images.
individually. Each pixel in a Plasma is a highly ionized gas-like transistor or TFT). Passive matrix screens have
colour image is made up of substance that is an excellent conductor of
electricity. A Plasma Display consists of
been around a long time and have improved
Lahore: Group photograph of Wateen family with Pervaz Shahid, Member of Board of Directors, Abu Dhabi Group and Tariq Malik, CEO Wateen Telecom.
Lahore: The group Photograph of participants of Bank Alfalah Limited (The Learning Group) Lahore: Dr Usman Bashir, Head of Al Razi Health Care, a project of Abu Dhabi Group
after the Graduation Ceremony. photographed in a group with Dr Kamran.
Lahore: The group photograph of Wateen Telecom members with Col. Shahid after the Mr Arifa Malik gives away shield and certificate to the participant of Graduation Ceremony of Bank
training session, held in a local hotel. Alfalah Limited. Mr Talib Rizvi is also standing.
After awarding shield, Mr Arifa Malik shakes hands with Mr Khawaja Bakhtiyar. Mr Talib
Rizvi is also present on the occasion. 43
BusinesS Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
F
hindsight, he notes, it is clear that many corporate Guay, a Wharton accounting professor. But he
are losing their bonuses, agreeing to work directors and executives failed to appreciate the questions whether making such restrictions per-
for a dollar a year and in many cases losing "risks lurking in what they were doing, and the manent would be wise, arguing that big firms "are
their jobs. Congress is invading the execu- risks lurking in the economy at large." not going to survive long-term by paying their ex-
tive suite, demanding veto power over manage- The main exhibits for reform advocates: First, ecutives $500,000. They're just not going to attract
ment decisions as a price for tax-funded rescues. the near collapse of the three U.S. automakers, the talent."
And, of course, stock prices have plummeted. It while foreign competitors thrived in the same
all looks like a sweeping vote of no confidence, as market conditions; and, second, the extraordinary
if the world thinks America's executives and
boards of directors are beset with an epidemic of
incompetence, self-dealing or both.
The car makers promoted
Many shareholder advocates see the financial profitable SUVs and trucks,
collapse and economic woes as stunning proof of
their long-held claim that too often the wrong peo-
failing to develop enough fuel-
ple are in charge - and that attacking this problem efficient vehicles or upgrade
demands an overhaul in corporate governance
regulations. They propose a range of measures to
plants so they could swiftly
encourage chief executives to focus on the long produce different vehicles as
term rather than the next quarter, to give share-
holders a "say on pay" and to make it easier for
consumer demand changed.
them to field their own candidates for director- Investment banks and
ships. mortgage lenders soaked up
"The recent volatility, we have seen, shows that Even severance payments can make sense, he
the need for better corporate governance has profits on high-risk loans and says, citing cases of CEOs faced with losing their
never been clearer or more pressing," writes Nell securities tied to mortgages, jobs by selling their firms, which is often the best
Minow, editor and co-founder of The Corporate move for shareholders. "A severance package is
Library, a research firm that presses for better go ignoring the damage that going to provide that CEO with some incentive to
variance practices. She adds that "this latest mess must eventually come when say, 'I am willing to sell out the firm and get fired,
is so pervasive and so - apparently - legal that it because there is a golden parachute that I will
has called into question the most fundamental no- the home-price bubble burst get,'" he suggests.
tions of trust in Wall Street and in the American To critics, however, this reasoning underscores
economy." level of borrowing and risk-taking that sank major the corporate culture's hazardous fixation on self-
Not everyone sees governance as the culprit, investment banks. interest. A top executive who is already wealthy
and some warn that a knee jerk attack on estab- For many experts, the common thread was a by any ordinary standard should not need to be
lished corporate practices could backfire. But focus on short-term results that endangered firms' paid extra to do right by his shareholders, accord-
many experts expect that regulators, Congress and long-term health. The car makers promoted prof- ing to this view.
the incoming Obama administration will take a itable SUVs and trucks, failing to develop enough Minow says Corporate Library studies show
hard look at whether rule changes could improve fuel-efficient vehicles or upgrade plants so they that executives receive outsized pay because they
the management of could swiftly produce different vehicles as con- exert excessive influence over their boards of di-
44
Free download | flare.com.pk BuninesS
rectors - influence that also can help a poor-per- holders, we sort of move away from the reason we
forming executive hold on to his job. She says her have boards of directors in the first place."
organization's proprietary studies, which are sold That begs another question raised by the crisis:
to subscribers, show a correlation between exces- If directors are there to make tough decisions and
sive pay and poor shareholder returns. oversee executives, why did they allow so much
While Minow argues that the widespread fail- risk taking?
ures among financial firms show how pervasive Minow and other critics say directors are too
bad management has become, others say the cozy with the executives to oversee them ade-
breadth of the problems shows the crisis was un- quately. In many cases, the CEO is the chairman of
predictable, noting that not many regulators or ac- the board, giving him significant say over who is
ademics saw it coming either. "This was not offered a board seat, which can be worth hun-
something that was missed by a bunch of dum- dreds of thousands of dollars a year at a major cor-
mies. They just didn't get it," says Gerrity. "The poration. Although directors must be elected by
few voices that were expressing scepticism were shareholders, critics note that traditionally a can-
drowned out by the fact that the market was didate needs only a plurality of votes to win an
booming." Executives felt compelled to jump into election. Reformers want to require that candi-
the sub-prime mortgage and other risky markets dates receive at least 50% of votes cast to win. In-
to compete. "Everyone was playing the roulette
wheel."
Guay, too, feels it is too easy to blame corpo-
"These [decisions] are
rate governance for the whole mess. "It is just hard complex," Guay says. "They
to tell a story about why these firms would choose
executives who weren't trying to maximise share-
require a lot of detailed Useem, too, cautions against a quick resort to a
holder value," he says. Hence, executives striving information.... If we move the handful of politically popular remedies. "The great
to match competitors' use of lucrative mortgage decision-making that has danger is [you] screw up free enterprise," he says,
arguing that Obama should establish a blue chip
securities were doing what their shareholders
wanted - and shareholders were not complaining traditionally been in the hands task force to consider governance issues in depth.
at the time. "Most of these executives held a vast of the boards back to "The way in which regulation is going to be effec-
tive here is if it [comes from] a lot of smart people
majority of their own wealth in their companies'
stock or stock options, so they had the greatest shareholders, we sort of move [looking at] what happened at Lehman, Merrill
possible incentives to maximise profits," he says, away from the reason we have and General Motors and saying, 'we can't let it
ever happen again.'"
noting that many Wall Street executives not only
lost their jobs after the business soured but much boards of directors in the first Any analysis of successful companies shows
of their fortunes as well. "It's hard to say that all place" there is no single governance style that guarantees
success, Useem says. Nonetheless, he believes that
the banks hired bad executives."
Some critics argue that stock and stock options moves to make directors more responsive to
give top executives an incentive to manipulate re- deed, this requirement has been adopted fairly shareholders and to open board elections to chal-
sults or take excessive risks to boost stock prices widely in the past few years. "More and more lengers could be helpful. It also can be useful to
over the short term, and they suggest that execu- firms are starting to move in that direction and I better tie executive compensation to long-term re-
tive performance should be judged according to don't think it's a bad idea," Guay says. sults by parcelling out compensation over a num-
different gauges, such as revenue growth, earn- Lucian A. Bebchuck, a law professor at Har- ber of years, with provisions for withholding
vard who specialises in governance, says such re- portions if performance fades.
forms would strengthen U.S. corporations, Having been so badly stung, many firms are
arguing they would serve shareholders better if already moving to address risk taking, Gerrity
they adopted some of the United Kingdom's gov- notes. "We have a healthy new thrust in corporate
ernance rules. In addition to opening the ballots to governance called enterprise risk management" to
challengers and shareholder-sponsored issues, re- establish standing operations to take a more so-
form should include requiring all directors to face phisticated and comprehensive look at a firm's
election every year, he says. In the "staggered" sys- risks. Depending on the business, that can entail
tem common in the U.S., only a fraction of direc- everything from the risk of hurricane damage or
tors face election in any given year. Advocates say terrorist attacks to the risk inherent in portfolios
this promotes stability, while critics say it helps of mortgage securities, or factors that could
en- trench weak directors and managers. Be- threaten access to cash and credit.
bchuk's studies have concluded that staggered Because these evaluations are so complex, they
boards weaken corporate performance. He says could be hampered if too much authority shifts
the range of reforms he advocates could be swiftly from management and employees to sharehold-
ings measures or other data calculated by corpo- enacted by amending the Delaware General Cor- ers, Gerrity adds. "You're not going to improve
rate accountants. But Guay notes that many types poration Law, since most U.S. companies are in- [risk management] from a thousand miles away,
of data produced in-house are more easily manip- corporated in that state. with no real knowledge of the needs of the firm.
ulated than share price, which is governed by the Obama has supported say on pay and other The only solution to this is more intensity and
market's judgment. governance reforms, and most experts expect the more courageous questioning.
Shareholder groups have been pushing "say on Democratic-controlled Congress to push these is- People didn't look at the systemic risk, which is
pay" initiatives that would require companies to sues next year. more obvious now than it ever has been in our his-
put executive-pay issues to shareholder votes. Eric. W. Orts, professor of legal studies and tory, because markets are more interconnected."
While such votes probably would be non-binding, business ethics at Wharton, warn against putting More important than regulatory change is the
the idea is that the prospect of an embarrassing too much emphasis on governance reform, believ- need for a cultural shift to better emphasise long-
"no" vote would prod directors out of paying too ing other regulatory changes are more promising, term issues, Useem says. Ultimately, he notes,
much and compel them to justify pay packages including improved public disclosures about new Americans may adopt a disdain for short term risk
publicly. But Guay and Gerrity question whether securities such as credit default swaps. Firms were taking similar to the disgust they have developed
many shareholders are equipped to make such de- not ignoring risks; they did not have the data for smokers who light up in crowded rooms. A
cisions. "These [decisions] are complex," Guay needed to see how risk was spreading through the new risk-consciousness held by the public should
says. "They require a lot of detailed information.... system. Consolidating regulatory functions now work its way into the boardroom and executive
If we move the decision-making that has tradition- scattered among different agencies would help, he suite, he says. "Rebuilding the national culture be-
ally been in the hands of the boards back to share- says. "This is the ideal moment." comes absolutely vital." 45
Courtesy: KT
Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
PTA should give them relief and announce a bail out plan for them, instead of pressurising
them to pay fee. Paying fee is only important and necessary when the business is good and
any company is earning. We have seen the same policy in the US where US government
has offered a bail out plan to the biggest bank of the world, Citi Bank. Why we can’t offer
such plan to our companies
akistan is country which needs some extra PTA will terminate its services/system after due out plan to the biggest bank of the world, Citi
48
Free download | flare.com.pk Cover Story
J
stronger but also provided highly confidential
Almost all governments have a history of Mobilink’s owner, information of Muslim political and national
using journalists for political propagan- figures to the Jews. Despite of severe criticism
das. We have seen Web sites and URLs, secret agent of Israel from Muslim states, he kept subterranean
exposing the ill-wills or ill-doings of bureau- links with Israel. As a result, his OTH is one of
Israel is stealing sensitive
crats, being blocked on the direction of higher the biggest investors in the world. Sawiris is
authorities to keep the general public ignorant information of Pakistan through Egyptian trader determined to make his company number one
of pathetic facts in Islamic Republic of Naquib Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of OTH at all costs, and the cost he has paid is of all
Pakistan. All big budget news papers have Muslims living on the earth.
remained dedicated to the policies of ex-gov- There are only two ideological states in the Israel is responsible for destroying the
ernments, however, in the regime of Mr Asif world: Pakistan is based on the ideology of nuclear programme of Iraq, it provides tech-
Ali Zardari an emerging daily, Jinnah, has Islam where Israel is a Jewish state. Muslims nology to India and now it is feeding Jews at
dared to unveil the miss sacrificed millions of lives for achieving the cost of Pakistanis. Orascom was initially a
management of Mobilink in Pakistan and its Pakistan in 1947 where Israel is a state which small investor with minimum shares in local
anti-Islam planning on behalf of Israel. has been formed by enforcing Muslims of markets but by the support of Israel, he gained
It is really unbelievable to think that Palestine to leave their land. Israel is an anti- license of Mobilink in Pakistan and Banglalink
Pakistan’s largest cellular service provider Islamic state which is making utmost efforts to in Bangladesh. In almost 12 years, Mobilink
company can take such steps to deceive not spoil Muslim states around the globe. It occu- became network of 50 per cent of mobile sub-
only Pakistanis, but also the government. I will scribers with a
present all that has been published against series of unfair
Mobilink in the space given below with a policies and
poor manage-
question mark-why Mobilink is still unable to
ment.
counter all those claims that have been put for-
In his press
ward against its management that have been
conference in
made public by a local newspaper? Does Islamabad,
Mobilink have nothing to say in its defence? Sawiris was
What threatens Mobilink that it threats those unable to satis-
who complaint against its service? Does fy the journal-
Mobilink ists about
has any Mobilink’s rela-
morality tionships with
to think Israel and
about the India. He was
integrity and security of a nation from whom grateful to then
it is earning and had earned revenue of bil- President
lions? Is it Mobilink’s only responsibility to P e r v e z
start Mobilink Hunt for Heroes and stab in A picture shows the body of a Palestinian girl found in the rubble of her destroyed house Musharraf and
following an Israeli air strike on a three-storey house. Shaukat Aziz
the back of nation’s real hero by providing
for their
their personal discussions on mobile phones
pies Bait-ul-Mukadas, one of the most holy remarkable contribution and flexibility in
to foreign agencies? Does Mobilink has any shrines of Muslims and damages the structure. expanding the network of Mobilink. He
explanation of those unregistered numbers Unfortunately, media and
that were used by terrorists in bomb blasts economy of the world is in the
nationwide? Pakistanis are certainly hos- clutches of Jews who
are using it in fulfill-
ing their aims. It is
an open secret that
contracts are made
by Israel with differ-
ent companies who
pretend to be work-
ing in and for the
prosperity of
Muslims to harm the
states in general and
Muslims in particu-
lar. Many Muslims
have worked and
are working for Jews
consciously, other
did it in their igno-
rance. The double-
DAILY JINNAH DECEMBER 29, 2008 SPECIAL EDITION
faces, Israeli-
pitable to foreigners but when the question of Muslims, entered into Muslim
Pakistan’s integrity comes, everything is left states and crippled the ideologi-
behind-they forgot their hospitality. Millions cal and economic infrastructure
of Pakistanis have switched their Mobilink’s of Muslim states.
numbers to other networks. I am not expos- One of the most loyal
ing Mobilink as a journalist; my intentions are alliances of Israel is Naquib
Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of
of a pure Pakistani who is courageous
Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) who not briefed about his huge plans of great invest-
enough to do all that he is capable of to save
only helped Israel to become financially ments in Pakistan’s telecommunication and
his nation. 49
Cover Story Free download | flare.com.pk
51
Exclusive Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
Why would Israel seek peace if it has to continue grabbing the Arab land?
A peace will demarcate the boundaries of all the countries and make Israeli
encroachment impossible
he Israeli army is at it again, this time
T
Obama should try to foster peace between Israel and settlement activity – including land confiscation,
advancing into Gaza strip. The excuse as the Arabs, Aaron David Miller wrote, "If Obama is bypass roads and housing demolitions – does to the
every time is to stop the terrorism. Two years serious about peacemaking, he'll have to adjust that peacemaking process."
before, it had advanced into Lebanon to quell balance in two ways. First, whatever the transgressions Commenting on the possible outcome of the
the Hezoballah terrorism. Israel knows that it can of the Palestinians (and there are many, including forthcoming Israeli elections, David Gavron observed,
aggress into Arab lands any time it so desires because terror, violence and incitement), he'll also have to deal "Should he (Netanyahu) become prime minister once
no Arab country has the power to stop it. On the with Israel's behaviour on the ground. The Gaza crisis more, there will be no meaningful negotiations with
political front, the world supports Israel all the way or is a case in point. Israel has every right to defend itself the Palestinians.
at best remains mute and tongue-tied on Israeli against Hamas. But does it make sense for America to Construction of the security fence and the
aggression. support its policy of punishing Hamas by making life expansion of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian
The Western world has a guilty conscious about unbearable for 1.5 million Gazans by denying aid and territories will continue, as will the extension of a
the Jews. Hitler's holocaust had eliminated millions of economic development. The answer is no." massive infrastructure of roads, water pipes, power
defenceless Jews. To mitigate its guilty consciousness, lines and military installations that will make the
the Western world created Israel as an independent They didn't do it in Europe eventual establishment of a Palestinian state physically
country for the Jews. They didn't do it in Europe where where majority of the Israeli impossible."
majority of the Israeli Jews belonged; they did it in the Now consider the fact of the Israeli democracy
occupied Palestine from where millions of Palestinians Jews belonged; they did it in which is so loudly vaunted by Israel and its western
were permanently displaced to accommodate Jews. the occupied Palestine from cronies. There are about 14 per cent Arab voters in
This created the never-ending Arab-Israel problem. Israel. According to Gavron (quoted above), "These
Israel and the Western world has projected Israel where millions of (Arab) citizens have full rights under Israeli law but
as a peace loving country; they pretend that the Arabs Palestinians were have long felt like second-class citizens, and their
are the trouble shooters who do not want peace with political parties, though allowed in the Knesset, have
Israel. Reality is however quite complex. As long as permanently displaced to been barred by tradition from joining coalition
there is no peace, Israel has the pretext to capture and accommodate Jews. This governments." In other words, they don't have any
annex Arab land. This gives Israel an opportunity to voice. So much for the democracy in Israel
expand and it is continually expanding. Why would created the never-ending Will there be any end to Israeli aggression? Not
Israel want peace and stop expanding particularly Arab-Israel problem until there is another Arab or pro-Palestine (Iran, for
when all the wars are fought on Arab land and all the instance) power to stop Israel in its tracks. That is one
devastation of property and human life occurs there? This is a lukewarm and very guarded criticism of reason that Israel doesn't want Iran to go nuclear. The
America goes all the way with Israel. The Europeans Israel. Very few seem to have the will to criticise Israel U.S. is committed to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear
show sympathy to the victimised Palestinians and that for its aggression and inflicting terror and death on the country. This doesn't bode well for the world peace.
is all they do – the lip-service. The lip-service though of innocent civilians. Some years ago, Ted Turner had The U.S. and its western allies have exerted great
little consequence is at least something in the face of commented regarding the Arab suicide bombers economic pressure to persuade Iran to abandon its
the huge Israeli propaganda. Some of the Arab saying, what else they (Arabs) have to resist Israel? nuclear ambitions. Such pressure and threats have not
countries, though the wealthiest in the world, do not There was such a huge uproar mounted against Turner been effective so far. If at any stage, America or Israel
have the will nor the know-how to counteract the that he hastily withdrew his statement. opened a war front against Iran, the war may spill out
Israeli propaganda. At best, they are the laughing stock Miller continued his criticism writing, "Then there's and not remain essentially a Middle Eastern war.
of the world. the settlement issue. In 25 years of working on this To avoid such a catastrophe, the U.S. should better
However, some facts regarding the Israeli high- issue for six secretaries of state, I can't recall one rein in Israel (or at least withdraw its unconditional
handedness do come to light in the western press meeting where we had a serious discussion with an support) while there is still time to preserve the world
occasionally. Writing how the president-elect Barack Israeli prime minister about the damage that peace.
52
Free download | flare.com.pk Exclusive
Palestinian relatives from the Deeb family cry on January 7, 2009 during the funeral Palestinian mourn the death of one of their relatives, A Palestinian man looks at a crater dug into the ground by an Israeli
of 10 people from their family who were killed yesterday in an Israeli strike on a UN killed during the Israeli strikes, at the local cemetery in bomb a day after air strikes on the Gaza Strip on December 28, 2008
school in Gaza Gaza City on January 11, 2009 in Gaza City.
Palestinian and foreign activists hold a candle light vigil in the West
Palestinians remove a body from a destroyed car following an Israeli Bank city of Ramallah on January 1, 2009 to show solidarity with the A Palestinian carries a victim of an Israeli air strike that targeted Buriej 53
air strike in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on January 7, 2009. people of Gaza refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on December 27, 2008.
Exclusive Free download | flare.com.pk
A picture shows the body of a Palestinian girl found in the rubble of her
destroyed house following an Israeli air strike on a three-storey house Palestinians pray over the bodies of Hamas leader Nizar Rayan and members of A Palestinian woman wounded during Israeli strikes is
belonging to a Hamas member in the eastern Gaza City neighborhood his family killed in an Israeli air strike during a funeral procession in Jabalia before carried into Shifa hospital in Gaza City on
of Zeitun on January 6, 2009 burial in Beit Lahia cemetery in the northern Gaza Strip on January 2, 2009. January 11, 2009.
Palestinians walk through the rubble as smoke billows from a building A Hamas policeman runs in front of a burning building following a fresh
following a fresh Israeli air strike in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Israeli air strike in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Strip early on Palestinian mourners carry the body of Haya Hamdan during her funer-
Strip early on December 28, 2008. December 28, 2008. al in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip on December 30, 2008.
Palestinians mourn during the funeral of Haya and Lama Hamdan in Beit Hanun,
northern Gaza Strip on December 30, 2008.
Smoke billows from a targeted location in the northern Gaza Strip following an
Israeli air raid, as seen from the Israeli border with the Palestinian territory on Protesters shout anti-Israeli slogans during a demonstration in Palestinians inspect the rubble of a destroyed building in the
December 30, 2008. front of the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles, California, on Jabalia refugee camp, following overnight Israeli airstrikes on 55
December 30, 2008. December 31, 2008.
Tech-Tool Upcoming Mobiles Free download | flare.com.pk
56
Free download | flare.com.pk Upcoming Mobiles Tech-Tool
Size Size
Dimensions 103 x 49.5 x 15.2 mm, Dimensions 107 x 55.9 x 14 mm, Weight
68 cc, Weight 121g 119.9 g
Display Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pix- Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors (65K
els, 2.2 inches, Navigation scroll wheel effective), Size 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inch-
Screensavers and wallpapers es
Ringtones Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3, Customization Type Polyphonic, MP3, Customization
Download, Vibration Yes Download Vibration Yes
Memory Memory
Phonebook 1000 contacts, Photo call Phonebook Practically unlimited entries
Call records 20 dialed, 20 received, 20 and fields, Photocall, Call records
missed calls, Card slot microSD, Practically unlimited, Card slot
(TransFlash), 256 MB ROM microSD (TransFlash) up to 16GB
110 MB user memory 256 MB ROM, 128 MB RAM
Data Data
GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48
32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 12 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8
3G No, WLAN, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA kbps, 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, WLAN Wi-Fi
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
port No, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB Infrared port No, USB Yes, v2.0
Features Features
OS Linux, Messaging SMS, MMS, Email OS Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (Opera Professional, Messaging SMS, EMS,
browser), Games Yes, Colors, Camera MMS, Email, Instant Messaging, Browser
5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, video, WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Games Yes
flash, Widgets, FM radio with RDS Colors, Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pix-
MP3/ WAV/ WMA/ AAC++ player els, video, built-in GPS, aGPS function
MPEG4/ WMV/ H.263/ H.263 player AT&T Navigator, Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio
Push to Talk, Organizer, Calculator Pocket Office (Word, Excel, OneNote,
Built-in handsfree, Voice memo, Java MIDP PDF and PowerPoint viewer),
2.0, T9 MPEG4/H.263/H.264 player
Battery MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA player, Voice
Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to 6h 40 recorder, Organiser, Built-in handsfree, T9
min Battery
Stand-by Up to 500h, Talk time Up to 8h
57
Tech-Tool Upcoming Mobiles Free download | flare.com.pk
Size Size
Dimensions 93.5 x 50 x 14 mm, Weight 98 g Dimensions 96.9x47.6x18.6 mm, Weight 141 g
Display Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 480 pixels diameter,
2.2 inches, Accelerometer sensor 1.55 inches
Ringtones Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3, Customization, Download Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Vibration Yes Customization Download, order now
Memory Vibration Yes
Phonebook 1000 x 24 fields, Photo call, Call Memory
records, 30 received, dialed and missed calls Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall, Call records
Card slot, Memory Stick Micro (M2), up to 16GB, 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls, Card slot
1 GB card included, 100 MB shared memory No, 2 GB internal memory
Data Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48
HSCSD No, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 12, 3G No
Yes, 384 kbps, WLAN No, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 WLAN No, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
with A2DP, Infrared port No, USB Yes Infrared port No, USB Yes, v2.0
Features Features
Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Browser WAP
Messaging, Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML 2.0/xHTML, Games order now, Colors, Silver
(NetFront), Games Yes + downloadable,Colors Camera, 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video
Metal Grey, Poetic White, Camera 3.15 MP, Stainless steel housing with chemically etched
2048x1536 pixels, video(QVGA@15fps) textures, Assisted-opening blade mechanism with
Java MIDP 2.0, Walkman media player, T9 carbon carbide coated main gears, Java MIDP
FM radio with RDS, TrackID music recognition 2.0, MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC+ player, MPEG-4/3gp
Image viewer, Picture editor, Organizer player, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo, T9
Shake and Gesture control Battery
Battery Stand-by Up to 410h, Talk time Up to 7h 20 min
Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to10h
58
Free download | flare.com.pk Low Range Mobiles Tech-Tool
Rs Rs
3,400 3,999
Rs Rs
3,900 3,500
Rs Rs
3,900 2,550
59
60
61
Dimension Dimension
106 x 49 x 13 mm 107 x 45 x 15 mm, 67 cc
Weight Weight
99 g 134 g
Battery Battery
Talk time Up to 12 h, Stand-by Talk Time: Up to 3 h,
Up to 380 h Standby Time: Up to 190 h
OS Memory
Symbian OS, UIQ 64MB internal NAND flash memory
Memory Connectivity
160 MB Built-in + Memory Stick Bluetooth? Wireless technology
Micro (M2) stereo, Plug & Play, Bluetooth?
Connectivity Display Size
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, 208 x 208 pixels
Display Size Display Colour
240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches TFT, 256K colors
Display Colour
TFT touchscreen, 256K colors
62
63
64
Free download | flare.com.pk Tech-Tool
65
Tech-Tool Latest Laptops Free download | flare.com.pk
Rs Rs
62,500 67,000
Rs Rs
74,500 54,500
This 145 grams slider phone has a Lithium This 133 grams phone has a Lithium Ion
Ion battery, which has features like QWER- battery, which provides talk time of 600
TY keyboard, 65k coloured TFT touch- minutes and standby time of 300 hours. It
screen display with a resolution of 800 x has added features like Quad band, 16m
480, Quadband, 3.15 megapixel auto focus coloured touchscreen display with resolu-
camera with flash and video recorder. It tion of 320 x 480 pixels and a music play-
comes with 400MB inbuilt memory, Wi-fi, er supporting MP3, AAC, Audible, Apple
EDGE, Bluetooth, GPRS and USB connec- Lossless, AIFF and WAV music formats.
tor. The mobile comes with a Music Player It also comes with an inbuilt memory of
which supports MP3 and AAC music for- 8GB, 3G compatibility, 2 megapixel cam-
mats and supports email clients. Built-in era, Wi-fi, Bluetooth, USB connector and
GPS receiver, Motion sensor, TrackID EDGE. Multi-Touch Display, OS X
music recognition, Picture editor/blogging Operating System and GPS are the
are the unique features of this mobile unique features of this mobile phone and
phone. comes in Black colour.
Rs Rs
53,000 33,500
66
T people who never cover telecom sector are taken to There is dire need of monitoring and evaluating
swiftly day-by-day for the last many years. system on the part of Mobilink to control over the
There is immense competition among the leisure strip abroad; and the genuine journalists
are deprived of the facility. deficiencies if occur at any department of the
different mobile companies to attract
maximum subscribers for at least two reasons. One is Another thing which was very important to note
the provision of mobile phone services to the
maximum number of people and the other is, like all
was the time of leisure tour. When the nation was
commemorating the first death anniversary of
It was a challenge for
businessmen, profit.
Mobilink is one of the big companies in Pakistan.
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Muharram-ul-Haram
was just starting, Mobilink invited the journalists to the management of the
It has a comprehensive and reliable network across
the country from Khyber to Karachi and Bolan,
have a moj mela out of the country. Even the
journalists who have enjoyed the time on the beaches company to come back
Balochistan. Its subscribers are over 30 millions. The
company has made a huge investment in Pakistan
and in luxury hotels must note that they just do it on
the expenses of the people of Pakistan. This money on its real track and
which helps the Government of Pakistan not only to
earn more revenues but also to create hundreds of
was not earned by the company from its assets in
Egypt or any other country but from Pakistan by dispel its impression
which was created
employments for the educated youth. The company over-charging and poor services. They have been
has introduced many packages for its subscribers in looting innocent customers in Pakistan and want to
cover their wrong doings by boarding these
past such as Jazz, Indigo etc. that attracted the people
a lot. But, on the same time, Mobilink has been facing journalists on their panel. Actually this was an effort owing to PTA’s action
to pave the way for their future malpractices as well.
a tough task of maintaining its position in terms of
credible standard of service, profit and reliability. Its Recently, a leading Urdu newspaper has against it. So, the PR
published an eye opening story about the boss of
department is trying its
network was rapidly growing. In the early years
could not maintain its standard services on every Mobilink and his links with Israel and regarding the
nock and corner. This increased the number of taping of secret talks between Shaheed Benazir
complaints registered against Mobilink’s poor service Bhuttoo and Ex. President Musharraf during August
2007. This was actually a failure of PR department
best to improve its
with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA),
an authority which regulates the services of which created a sense of in-security among masses.
The company has to do a lot to improve its image
relations with media
Pakistan’s telecom sector. After scrutiny of the matter
on appropriate level, PTA fined Mobilink Rs 60
million in 2004. PTA also warned the management
after the publishing of such stories.
One of the journalists told Flare after returning
persons
to improve its services; otherwise more punitive from the tour, “It was simply a luxury tour. The
initiatives could also be taken against it. company gave us tickets, bore hotel expenses and
even distributed heavy amount and what our company and to improve its service standard. The
But, it should also be kept in mind that while monitoring team of the company should also contact
improving relations with media persons, the PR comrades did there is a worth telling tale.” However,
the tale, he told, simply cannot be published due to with its subscribers for suggestions to improve its
department of the company should evolve a strategy service as well as image among the masses so that it
that may prove fruitful for the company on one hand the repute of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Every
journalist was given $ 1000 for this purpose and they can stack more and more people towards it in this era
and on the other no one may raise finger on the of competitiveness.
company. Because, in the era of competitiveness and spent this money in the Dhabi, on the activities,
which they could not even think of in their native At Flare we pledge with the nation and the
growing telecom sector, we have to tread with country that we dwell, and never allow anyone to
extreme scrupulously for improving our image country.
Furthermore, an issue has been discussed in the work against our national interest.
among the existing as well as new esteemed 67
Tech Tool Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk
Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue taps this tech to Encased in carbon fibre, the Envy is just 0.7-
produce an astonishingly vivid picture. The rear- inch thick and weighs 3.4 pounds when outfit-
projection set's colour range is twice as broad as a ted with a solid-state hard drive. Its looks will
typical HDTV's, yet it consumes 33 per cent less induce pangs of jealousy in the boardroom;
energy than a similar-size LCD. Though this 3D- back in the hotel room, the Envy proves that it
ready TV may seem straight outta Solaris, you do is not just a pretty face. Even the base model
not need to fear its newness; unlike most nascent rocks the tiny-team roster with a 1.6-GHz Intel
technologies, lasers have stamina. The company
processor, 2 gigs of RAM, swappable battery,
claims they will never need replacing. So go ahead
LED-backlit display, and the widest array of
and screen those Lost DVDs 24/7.
ports — HDMI, eSATA, and ExpressCard — in
its class. Like most of the svelte set, the Envy is
heavy on wireless (802.11n, Bluetooth), but
wired users are not locked out. Since the case is
thinner than an Ethernet jack, Voodoo built the
connector into the power brick, which gener-
9- Netflix Box Streams 15,000 Films
ates a dedicated wireless link with the com- Worth: $100
puter. An instant-on OS lets you surf the Web
or make Skype calls without booting up Win- Roku's Netflix Player, the $100 video box that
could summon more than 15,000 titles at no
dows. It all adds up to one drool-worthy pack-
charge for Netflix subscribers. It was a revelation,
age.
wherein we learned what streaming video was
supposed to feel like: nothing. That nothing
changed everything. So go ahead, tear through all
four seasons of The Office on a whim (then the
original British version for good measure). Watch
Strays because there is nobody home to exercise a
Vin Diesel veto. For movies you cannot stream,
you still get your little red envelopes. And the
same Roku box you love now will support hi-def
streams when Netflix offers them. This little treas-
ure chest is the real thing, straight from the all-dig-
ital future.
6- USB monitors soil conditions
Worth: $60
Courtesy: www.weird.com
Free download | flare.com.pk Latest Laptops Tech-Tool
Rs Rs
139,085 99,095
The Dell XPS 1330 is arguably the most powerful, ultra thin, portable Enjoy truly mobile computing without sacrificing productivity. Work and
notebook in the market now. It stands out from the crowd with its high play wherever you go with the HP Pavilion tx2675 series Entertainment
specification and brilliant performance ratings across the board. Dell Notebook PC. HP's first ultra-portable Pavilion notebook provides a
have not been shy promoting this notebook and for good reason. Its new "twist" on mobility with an optional touchscreen that can be turned
design is sleek and for the truly mobile user, it is beautiful to handle. 180 and flattened into a slate to capture hand-written notes and draw-
On first impressions, the XPS 1330 is a slick looking notebook. ings. The tx2675 delivers the convergence of powerful mobile comput-
Stunning design lines and a choice of color provide a personalized, ing and digital entertainment with the latest mobile processors and
professional look, and with the unit tilting forward slightly (due to the exciting new Quick Play features.
height being at the back) the XPS 1330 embraces the user and makes
for better ergonomics.
Rs Rs
138,763 119,891
Every new product needs an angle and the more superfluous, the Intel® Centrino® processor technology combines the latest Intel®
greater the alarm bells. Happily, for Acer at least, its range of mobile processor technology with Intel® Wireless Wi-Fi Link and Active
"Gemstone Blue" laptops has a very simple selling point, they're the Management Technology for enhanced notebook management and
only 16:9 screen ratio laptops currently available. DVD and Blu-ray security. Intel® Turbo Memory shortens boot time and speeds applica-
movies are mastered to anamophically fit a 16:9 aspect ratio screen, tion loading.
rather than the 16:10 ratio that most notebooks and PC desktop moni- Think Vantage® Client Security Solution, 32-byte boot password,
tors favour. Available in both 16in and 18.4in varieties, we're taking a optional Integrated Fingerprint Reader and Smartcard support protects
look at the 18.4 version, the 8920G, today and it's no shrinking violet. data Against would-be intruders.
Measuring 441mm across, 300mm deep and 44.2mm thick it weighs
4.1 kilos and strikes an imposing figure on any desktop.
Rs Rs
124,143 179,000
Restrained and in control, the matte black finish is an expression of Stylishly and intelligently designed for mobile professionals, Apple's
quiet strength. Its small size and great specs are ideal for mobile com- MacBook Pro now includes Apple's Multi-Touch technology (which
puting. Sporting a unique cylindrical design, it comes with an isolated debuted with the MacBook Air), allowing you to pinch, swipe, or rotate
keyboard for easy input. New “Switch” mode changes settings at the to enlarge text, advance through photos, or adjust an image. And it gets
press of a key. a serious speed bump from Intel's latest 2.4 GHz 45-nanometer Penryn
• Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor series Core 2 Duo processor, which also helps to reduce power require-
• Windows Vista® Home Premium ments and save on battery life. This model (MB133LL/A ) also has a
• Convenient "Switch" Function mercury-free, power-efficient LED-backlit display measuring 15.4 inch-
• Easy Presentation: VAIO Presentation Support Software es and a state-of-the art NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT video card with
• Beautiful Viewing: Clear Bright LCD: White LED 256 MB of GDDR3 video RAM.
71
Telepedia Andrew Boxall Free download | flare.com.pk
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Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Tech Tool
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IT industry ready to
face the challenges in
2009
The IT companies in neighbours have grown out of to cut the workforce or offer decreased packages,"
he said, and added that the IT professionals
proportion and the sustainability in growth is becoming a should settle for smaller packages then losing a
job.
Herculean task with every passing day. They have no So far as setting up a new IT business in 2009 is
option, but to cut current expenditures heavily that would concerned, Ghauri said, there's always
opportunity for new entrepreneurs as they come
affect their business ventures up with new ideas and creativity. Many IT
companies started their businesses in early 90s
hairman Federal Task Force on adverse circumstances to sustain the recession hit
C
and wrote success stories in the years to come,
Information & Communication economies of the world." According to him, the simply because they relied upon innovative ideas
Technologies (ICT) Salim Ghauri said year 2009 will also demand a change in attitude and approaches, he added.
that Pakistan IT industry possesses the from the IT professionals from carefree and "take According to him, the IT industry will be the
potential of benefiting from the unavoidable it easy man" style to a more professional approach. most important segment of Pakistan's economy
challenges being faced by neighbouring countries Now only the fittest will survive, he warned and and it will earn precious foreign exchange for the
in 2009. added that in the same breath that there will be country in the years to come. He stressed the
Salim Ghauri said in an emergency situation in room for people to join IT industry, but this year education institutions to be more focused in their
2009, the Western IT managers would be looking will require long hours and hard work from the curriculum and lectures to discuss ongoing global
for new vendors and new places to outsource their professionals to sustain and survive. changes in world economies and its impact on IT
projects, as the new vendors are always keen to industry. The industry will be cutting costs
provide better services at lower cost with quality The IT industry will be the throughout 2009, but it will be working on better
assurance. We have witnessed this trend back in software simultaneously that will open new
the 2001 when IT industry crashed and we should most important segment of windows of opportunity for young professionals.
be ready for it in 2009, he added. He said it is Pakistan's economy and it Ghauri also urged the government to revisit
important for our IT industry to move quickly in tax policy towards the IT sector, as the tax holiday
early 2009 and get its share of business from across will earn precious foreign for IT sector is expiring in 2011 and any failure in
the globe.
"We have always been complaining about
exchange for the country extending it for another 10 years would cripple the
industry from generating hundreds and
Pakistan's image abroad while terming it a major in the years to come thousands of jobs in the years to come. We have
hurdle in getting business from the outside world, already seen that a good number of IT companies
but the time has come to put such approach aside "The financial packages will in fact decrease had shifted their businesses from tax-burdened
as this is a reality which will continue to stay with rather than increase. Little increments in salaries regimes to tax free regimes in the past. The
us in near future," he elaborated. "We will have to will be offered, which have been inflating in government of Pakistan needs to move fast on this
face the reality and dig opportunities out of the previous years, as the IT industry will either have front, he asserted.
D
a month ago and realised that my father was right,” cafes reserve sections exclusively for women.
cafes in commercial and non-commercial she said. “Unfortunately, the number of such facilities is
areas in town, girls have hardly been able A resident of Chaklala Scheme III, Saadia, said limited,” said Waseem Akram, who runs his
to utilise the facility because of non- that the dingy cafe was located in the basement that business in Super Market.
conducive environment in majority of these outlets. was completely male-dominated. “The loud music Akram said that no one knew the exact numbers
Receptionists watching vulgar Indian movies or and vulgar songs all made the environment of such outlets for many young boys were running
playing songs on their PCs, smoke-filled room with unbearable for any respectable person,” she said this business in their homes. “Low investment and
guys staring at you are common. No wonder the while calling for separate facilities for girls. good profit is attracting many to start this business,”
number of female visitors to such cafes is very low. Aziz Khan, a university student, said that even he said advising women to start their own outlets
Female students urged the authorities to look into boys avoided going to certain net cafes famous for reserved for females.
the matter for the use of Internet, scanners and illicit activities. “Many cafes are famous for free Some girls said that universities and colleges
printers had become a vital part of university availability of drugs and playing of porno movies,” could provide computer-related facilities for students
projects. Highlighting the problems faced by girls he said adding that it was advisable for even boys whereas others said that government could arrange
who do not have these facilities at home, Saadia not to visit cafes with cabins. for computers and related machinery on loan to girls.
Siddique said that her family members never Accepting the fact that only a few girls dare to “Women should be encouraged to start such
allowed her to visit Internet cafes due to their bad visit net cafes, an owner of such a facility said that business for students so that there can be a choice of
reputation. “I visited one such outlet with my brother the number was increasing. He said that quality net separate Internet cafes for girls,” said Saadia.
78
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unjab Chief Minister Mian provide strong base to the students who
Wedding Packages
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80 Creativezone
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Telepedia
T
Instaphone's licence when the company ran into
sector include superior benefits – medical financial difficulties and failed to pay its dues to
and insurance – and the plus side is the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). South
exposure to international business and Korea Telecom and then the Russian telecom
culture. But, all these are like fading dream for the investors, Altimo, also backed off due to poor
employees of a mobile phone company. investment climate and political instability or so they
For several months now, former and serving say.
Instaphone employees have not been paid their "Investment has been fine elsewhere. In case of
salaries, gratuity and provident funds. This has Instaphone, it was management failure to attract
become a routine for the company to delay salaries them. The crisis is of leadership and the crisis is of
by months and this situation has been continuing competence," said one former senior Insta employee.
since January 2008. With 500,000 subscriber base in the good old days,
A real kick in the teeth came when Instaphone reminded and reiterated on countless occasions," a Instaphone was probably one of the simplest ways
recently decided to shut down its operations and any senior staffer protested. "Dues of former employees to get connected. It was the first to launch pre-paid
glimmer of hope died. Many have quit the company have not been cleared either. The distressed technology. It was difficult to understand the
and moved on. Many still, not prepared for a employees have been visiting the company since direction the company had chosen to move in and
prolonged struggle, have absolutely no opportunities 2007," he added. frustrating that management seemed to lack the
for any kind of advancement in their careers with He said their medical/health insurance policies critical organisational skills necessary to implement
Instaphone. and other benefits were withdrawn in February 2008 the plans.
What did follow is an outpouring of anger and and the vendors had not been made payments for the Courtesy: Dawn News
A
with 35 per cent increase in earnings to stand at
the cellular mobile telephony operators through the recorded voice- Rs 182.080 billion in 2007-08 as compared with
(CMTOs), where the calling rates have messages, which are 30 to 45 revenue growth of previous financial year which
been continuously declining, a raise of seconds long. But, there are was Rs 133.132 billion with staggering 48 per cent
100 per cent is made on the calls to the helpline. few calls in which customers growth.
The CMTOs have increased call charges to interact with call centre In November 2008, the mobile phone
helpline or customer services by 50 paisas to Rs 1 agents for services inquire. operators imposed 5 per cent services charge
per call particularly for their pre-paid customers, "Such calls take up to two on the recharge of credit through pre-paid card
whereas one out of five operators has increased minutes," officials and easy load. Mobile companies have offered
call charges for post-paid customers as well. This informed. This is the dozens of value-added services and call
hike includes 21 per cent general sales tax (GST). second raise in call tariff packages, which customers activate through the 81
Normally these calls' duration is less than one made by CMTOs in a interaction of helpline or customers services.
Free download | flare.com.pk Babar Bhatti Telepedia
T
publicised agency the Telecommunications
phones in Pakistan has spawned a whole their customers with top notch repair lab, Industry Ombudsman handled 100,000
industry around mobile phone repair complete with quality control standards and complaints over the same time in a country two-
work. The trend of mobile repair as a good customer services. But apart from Nokia, thirds the size of Canada.
small business in Pakistan has taken off rapidly markets are loaded with other brands such as To assess the CCTS, CBCNews.ca embarked
in the last few years. One reason for this could be Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Blackberry on a first-hand investigation of its complaint
the increase in handset prices caused by higher etc for which there are no such quality repair resolution process. The investigations found the
duty on handsets and falling value of Rupee. facilities. following results.
Most of these “repair technicians” lack formal The perception of general public is that once • Consumers should be wary of signing
training and have most likely picked up mobile your mobile gets into a repair shop its value contracts with big telecommunications service
repairing skills on the job. decreases instantly. Usually 80% of the second providers, because the terms can and will change.
The small mobile repair shops have opened hand mobile phones are repaired because of • As such, though contracts can afford
up everywhere. In Lahore, markets like Hafeez technical issues and then sold again in the short-term savings, in the long run they are likely
centre and Hall road are among the most popular market. Above all, it is clear that the quality in to be more grief than they're worth.
for mobile repair work. There are signs outside repairing these hand sets is below standard. The • Customers should also be wary of
these shops which claim that they can repair and tools employed are usually not specifically seemingly sweet offers as they can be and are
unlock phones from anywhere in the world. designed to do that work. The physical used to move customers off of older plans that
These shops charge around Rs 300 to 500 to environment of the repair unit is open with dust potentially provided better value.
unlock a phone, depending on the model and and pollution. • The CCTS seems inclined to initially
difficulty involved. These shops are equipped While we have failed to bring in new phone reject complaints and accepts them only after
with tools, hardware and Internet access (for manufacturing facilities to Pakistan we can making the complainant jump through hoops. It
access to unlock codes I guess). support and strengthen the mobile repair also seems averse to escalating complaints to the
I did a first hand experiment by getting a industry by providing training, tools and by decision-making stage.
Motorola RAZR phone unlocked at Hafiz center establishing standards. A simple repair manual • A complaint with the agency, if accepted,
(shown above). The phone was unlocked in less like this or training videos in local languages can is an excellent way of getting someone with
than 30 minutes and worked fine, thanks to be very helpful. I don’t know how many authority from the service provider to contact
Pakistani craftsmanship. On the high-end, technical training schools offer mobile phone you.
mobile phone retail networks like MobileZone repair courses or certifications but I feel that there • It is a good idea to document every step
have their own technical facilities to service their should be more of those. New quality standards of the complaint process, whether through saved
customers and the phones under warranty. must be set for the private repair workshops. But e-mails or recorded phone conversations (it is
In May 2008, Nokia started Nokia Care more importantly Mobile handset brands should legal to record phone calls in Canada if at least
centers in Pakistan, located in Lahore and invest in local customer care centers and training one party knows the recording is happening).
Karachi. Nokia’s official outlet provides services of local staff. This will not only benefit their • If you are willing to put up a fight and go
like warranty claims and mobile repair. This customers but also create trust and customer through the hassle, the CCTS can help get your
specific service is the only one by a global retail satisfaction. problem resolved. 83
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Medical
A
ratory facilities. Using sputum to test for TB has
sale to developing countries has found effective, many others do not work effectively or similar issues because of the impracticability of the
that most were missing more cases than reliably — leaving people with undiagnosed con- sample medium. Thus, new biomarkers might be
they found. ditions or infections that could be life-threatening. needed to test for diseases with specimens differ-
The evaluation of 19 commercially available "Very few countries actually look at the quality ent from those currently used. Combination tests
rapid diagnostic tests, which detect antibodies to of the products before they are allowed to go on that look for a range of infectious organisms in one
tuberculosis bacteria, found that on average they sale," said Peeling. sample would be useful in resource-poor settings.
could identify only about a quarter of cases. Most
detected less than half and one test identified less It pointed out that the major-
than one in a hundred cases.
"This means that ninety-nine out of 100 TB-in- ity of the tests were techni-
fected people would continue to go about their
daily lives coughing and infecting people," said
cally simple and, if
Rosanna Peeling, director of diagnostics research performance could be im-
and development at the WHO Special Programme
for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases proved, would be appropri-
(WHO-TDR), which conducted the research. ate for their target use
"Imagine if this goes on for one year, how many
more people would they have infected?" The study focussed on RDTs for TB. It con-
Peeling was speaking at a workshop for diag- cluded that "the tests are sold and used in disease-
nostics experts which called for a global body to endemic countries, without evidence of The researchers also highlight the importance
regulate diagnostic tests, particularly those used in effectiveness". It pointed out that the majority of of taking into account cultural and social sensitiv-
the control of diseases that disproportionately af- the tests were technically simple and, if perform- ities when designing interventions – blood sam-
fect developing countries. ance could be improved, would be appropriate for pling is not always accepted in some regions of the
Such a body could set standards for tests, pro- their target use. world, for example.
vide guidelines for their evaluation, ensure partic- "It would be good to have a seal of approval For malaria, good diagnostics are urgently
ipating manufacturers adhere to a code of conduct from a diagnostics manufacturing association that needed to save lives, reduce over-treatment and
and provide a 'seal of approval' for quality prod- we could trust," says Peeling. WHO-TDR is work- ensure that the resources of overburdened health
ucts, they said. ing with networks of laboratories in over 40 coun- systems are directed to the right place. But in de-
Few developing countries have regulatory in- tries to engage them in the evaluation of RDTs for veloping countries, even if available, diagnostics
frastructure for approving the sale and use of di- their country or region. are likely be outdated. Most healthcare is delivered
agnostic tests, Peeling told the 'Global Health "If national regulatory authorities can become in rural, 'peripheral' health centres with little facil-
Diagnostics: Research, Development and Regula- more active using their reference laboratories to ity for laboratory-based tests. Water and electricity
tion' workshop, organised by the Academy of properly evaluate diagnostic tests, then hopefully supplies may not be available or reliable in such
Medical Sciences in London, United Kingdom. national authorities will learn to distinguish be- settings, and conditions may be hot, humid and
tween reliable and unreliable diagnostics," said dusty, with the added risk of pathogens from the
Peeling. environment contaminating samples.
"Since reliance upon bad diagnostics can be It is not simply a case of transferring diagnos-
public health and life-threatening, unreliable prod- tics from developed countries. As the Foundation
ucts would thus be removed from the market ei- for Innovative Diagnostics (FIND) says, "Impover-
ther by voluntary or regulatory actions." ished populations need diagnostics that are better,
not worse, than those in industrialised countries."
Requirements for high Diagnostic tests need to be quick, simple to use
and easy to interpret with little training. They must
also be completely self-contained, with no mainte-
impact diagnostic nance or calibration required. And they need to
work — patients who have travelled miles to a
Calls for research into treat- health centre can't easily come back if a test doesn't
ments for developing world dis- work or takes days to give a result.
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), which can diag-
Governments, disease control programmes, eases are not new. But it's only nose infectious diseases in as little as five minutes,
donors and the general public could all be buying
useless tests. recently that these have been for are being hailed as the solution. But despite success
in the laboratory, in the hot, humid areas where
The problem is particularly acute in the case of better diagnosis malaria is endemic, questions remain over how
rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), which act in a way RDTs will fare. And even if they work, how can re-
Knowing who not to treat is as important as
similar to pregnancy tests and have been hailed as searchers persuade policymakers that RDTs are the
knowing who to treat. The article reports on analy-
the solution to providing affordable and timely way to go?.
ses by the Global Health Diagnostic Forum of the 85
point-of-care diagnosis in developing countries.
Mosaic National Free download | flare.com.pk
Lahore: Hannan Asif, Director Advance Telecom with Aslam Butt Director IbrarTele- Zong has provided support to the 6th National Korean ranking Taekwondo Champi-
com on the opening cermoney of Exclucive retail outlet of Nokia . onship held in Islamabad from December 16 to 19, picture shows Lt Col Waseem Janjua
(3rd L), Secretary General, Pakistan Taekwondo Federation, Rizwan Akhtar (4th L), Man-
ager Advertisement and Promotion, Zong, Master Yu Han (3rd R), National Taekwondo
Team Coach, Pakistan and Amir Pasha (2nd R), Manager Public Relations, Zong.
Islamabad: SEVP (Commercial) PTCL Sadiq Aljader presents the keys of a car to
winner ,after the lucky draw of bumper prize.
Muridke: The students are busy in a class room of the charity school.
Shayan Taimur Khan, the 4 year old youngest Golfer Lahore: A girl watching the New Year Polo Cup 2009 Islamabad: A lady capturing the moment with her cell
of Defence Club, Lahore. final match. phone during the Zuljinnah procession.
86
Free download | flare.com.pk Mosaic
Lahore: Ashraf Zaki, OEM System Engineer Microsoft gives away the prize to Asadullah
Lahore: Zaheer Ahmad Khan RSM HTC presents gift to a winner.
Bhatti GM COMPSI. HTC organised an event for encouraging its dealers in collaboration
with Microsoft.
Islamabad: Chairman PEMRA Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Malik presents gifts and flowers Islamabad: Regional General Manager PTCL Zulfiqar Ali Ursani presents a cheque of
to the Christian employees in a simple but august ceremony held in PEMRA head- special death compensation to the daughter of late Khalid Ahmad.
quarters to felicitate its Christian employees on the eve of Christmas & New Year.
Islamabad: Students pose for a group photo during an exhibition, organized Islamabad: Chinese artists performing during Chinese Cultural Performance.
by National Textile Institute.
S responsibility
extending HP’s
market leadership,
of
Abu Dhabi: Britain's Andy Murray and top-seeded tennis player Spanish Rafel Nadal (R) pose for a pic-
ture with Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahayan during the award ceremony after the final of the Capi-
tala World Tennis Championship.
Nokia Siemens Networks $61 million agreement with Qatar Telecom (Qtel) contributes to
realization of ongoing strategy to deliver world-class communication. Rick Seney Chief Operating
Officer – Qtel, Dr Nasser Marafih, CEO, Qtel, Christoph Caselitz, Chief Market Operations
Officer, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-
Thani, Chairman of Qtel, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammad Bin Suhaim Al- Thani, Jan Cron, Head of Middle
East and Africa, NSN and Qais Esrawee, Country Director, Qatar, Nokia Siemens Networks on the occasion.
London : Indian actress Deepika Padukone signs autographs for her fans
as she arrives for the European Premiere of her latest film, Chandni
Chowk To China, in London's Leicester Square. ''Chandni Chowk To
China'', directed by Nikhil Advani, is the first Hindi film to be shot in
China.
A Nokia N97 mobile computer is displayed at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show at the
Las Vegas Convention Center. The device features a full-QWERTY board, touch screen and full GPS
and will be available in North America in the first half of 2009.
Nepal: The phone transforms into "kill mode" by sliding the keypad
section apart. Police said the device was fully loaded when it was found
during an early morning raid against the Gionta clan crime family, who
control the southern port city of Naples. A 28-year-old man was arrested
Miranda Meagher displays the new Myvu Crystal, a new USD $300.00 entry in the company's line of
personal media viewer glasses, at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas during the raid but other gang members escaped.
90 Convention Center January 10, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Free download | flare.com.pk International Mosaic
Tokyo: Natsuki Kimura, an employee of Sony displays a prototype model of an organic solar
power cell which generates electricity and at the same time turns an electric fan, on display.
Tokyo: A model shows off Sony Ericsson's new mobile "Walkman Phone, Xmini". The new handset,
equipped with 4 GB internal memory to save about 2,300 songs.
he country is facing a huge electric tioners are installed behind these sets. In
Communities benefit
live and work has spurred the Meaningful volunteering acts in Pakistan in-
development of a new skills- clude efforts by employee made towards the Cit-
based volunteer programme at izens Foundation and the Child Aid Association
coupled
matching
volunteerism
Intel's
impact of
with
commitment
one
grant
the
of
million
Intel
more important
is stronger than
hours
approximately
of volun-
Foundation's
$
vol-
eight
employees for their volunteerism. Intel employ-
ees gave of their time in more than 40 countries,
including Pakistan a more than 50 per cent in-
crease over 2007. More than 47,000 Intel employ-
ees volunteered this year for nearly 5,500 local
ciaries. million for non-profits and schools, makes a big schools, community support organisations and
The statement issued by the organisation said difference for the communities in which our em- other non-profits.
that increased volunteerism where employees ployees live and work', he added. 93
Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis
Zone and Lt. Gen. (R) Deputy General Manager, Programme implementation
SMEDA, Textile Mills Association
(APTMA), and University Muhammad Akram Khan, SMEDA and Mr Anis ul presents a standard method
of Engineering & VCR, UET, at UET Campus. Haq, Secretary, APTMA, for the continuous energy
APTMA, Technology (UET), Lahore Mr Ulrich Stohr-Grabowski, Punjab attended the signing efficiency improvement
have signed a Principal Advisor, GTZ ceremony. through a systematic
UET sign Memorandum of (German Technical According to this MoU, approach. Under this
Understanding (MoU) to Cooperation)Mr Abbas the three organizations have approach, APTMA and
MoU for implement a comprehensive
Energy Management
Mehmood, Project Advisor,
GTZ (German Technical
resolved to share
responsibilities in a formal
SMEDA will pick up 20 to
25 selected companies from
EnMS System (EnMS) in Textile
industry of the country.
Cooperation), Prof. Dr Noor
M. Sheikh, Dean, Electrical
manner to execute the
Energy Management
the Textile sector in the first
phase to start
Lahore: Small and The MoU was signed by Engineering, UET, Syed System (EnMS) through an implementation on the
Medium Enterprises Shahid Rashid, CEO, Iqbal A. Kidwai, General Implementation & Training EnMS.
Development Authority SMEDA, Akbar Sheikh, Manager, Outreach, Programme for the Textile
(SMEDA), All Pakistan 99
Chairman APTMA, Punjab SMEDA, Mr Fayyaz Riaz, Industry. The EnMS
Synopsis International Free download | flare.com.pk