Sep 2007

Interview: 12-

20-

Tejari Bringing Businesses Online Mr. Shehzad Shabbir Dahar General Manager, Tejari Pakistan Abhishek With MotoQ

Telecom: 8101114161922232627324970-

Dhabi Group Expands Mobilink Hunt for Heroes PTCL in High Gears Telenor’s Tribute to Music Legends PTA to Help Various Countries in MNP Implementation CMPak Set Ready to Enter AJK and NA Warid Uplifting the Street Cricket Shine With Me Excessive Cellphone Chat Mobile TV GITEX Technology Week LG’s Shine in India iPhone Unlocked

46

Cover Story:

VPN on the Rise

Cover Story: 46-

8

VPN on the Rise

IT: 182124767880-

GST; The Root-Cause of IT Setback Pakistan Aims Larger Outsourcing Share Internet Mania The Demise of newspapers Searching the Web Optimizing Your Webpage iSCSI Breaking Through

12

Informative: 5053587290-

Coming Mobiles Current Mobiles Mobile Reviews Hot Laptops Tech News

Tribute 14 Telenor’s to Music Legends

Tejari - Bringing Businesses Online

Briefs: 2834648285-

Pakistan in Pictures World in Focus World in Pictures National International

10

Press Release: 88-

40 Cities to Get Broadband Internet in a Year

23 LG’s Shine in India 4

20

Pakistan's Telecom industry has seen an unprecedented growth in last few years. Cellular phones are considered as a major responsible for this growth. All six cellular operators of the country are bringing more and more people under the umbrella of their network. Cellular subscribers' base of the country has crossed 64 million mark and the teledensity has gone well over 40. All these figures put Pakistan on top of fastest growing markets' chart. Every technology brings some evils along with its advantages. Similarly, the emergence of mobile phones created good room for evil minded people to get their hands on over this gadget. Many of us consistently complain about becoming the victims of cellular crimes. Initially cell phone misdeeds were just for the sake of individual's fun, however, this fun and pleasure soon turned into very well managed crime. Wrong calls, disturbing, alarming and agitating messages are only a promo of very serious and deep rooted crimes which involve cell phones. Increasing instances of lottery scamming through cell phone calls and text messages is one of such crimes – the same that hit the internet users in their email inboxes to make the innocent people fool and extract money from their pockets. Lottery scam in Pakistan has increased alarmingly in recent months. Many of the cell phone users receive calls and messages, from unknown and unidentified numbers, of winning the lotteries of millions of rupees. Users are asked or rather directed to disclose their credit card number in order to claim the prize. In some cases they even ask to send a Cheque for this purpose. Interestingly, scammers term this money as processing fee. The amount of the lottery prize puts many of the simple and innocent people in the hands of the swindler, as a matter of the fact that many people want to become rich in no time. Consequently, they can do nothing, except lamenting on their loss. Most of the times, these swindlers use an unregistered number, which helps them to keep themselves away from the law and authorities. Moreover, the absence of cyber-crime law makes Pakistan a heaven for such culprits. All these elements indicate that Government of Pakistan needs to take the issue seriously and use all its resources to keep a check on the activities of these cyber culprits. The authorities and PTA, apart from issuing strict directives to the cellular operators to get their subscriber registered, need to draft a proper cyber law in this regard. At the same time, the execution of the public awareness programmes is also a need of the hour to address this grave issue properly.


Zubair Ahmed Kasuri

Editor-in-Chief

Published by

Good News PR Network

Aamir Attaa

Editor

Printed by

Akkaz Printers, Lahore

M. Raza Malik

Sub Editor

Usman Yaqoob

Marketing Executive (Lhr.)

M. Farooq Malik

Marketing Executive (Lhr.)

M. Naeem Mughal

Designer

Lahore Office:

Telephone:+92-42 - 7221006 - 7222275 Fax: +92-42-7321920

Islamabad Office:

Phone: + 92 - 51 - 4854463 - 4854464, Fax:+ 92 - 51 - 4854464

Karachi Office:

Phone: +92-21-2275215, Fax: +92-21-2275216

E-mail:

[email protected]

Khawar Shahzad

Incharge Circulation

Price:

250/-

Azhar Javed

Production Manager

Registration No:

PCPB/105

(Vol. 3

Issue: 12)

5

Ads on TV Channels

Cell Phones & Marriage Leaving aside the routine problems of dowry etc, I was surprised to know that in many cases the reason for the break-up of a marriage was none other than the mobile phone. It was learned that the brides were in constant touch with their mothers informing them about minute-to-minute happenings and acting according to the wishes of their mothers sitting hundreds of miles away. A mobile phone is a very good thing to have but it should only be used while one is really mobile. When it comes to the cost one has to pay to enjoy being in contact, then I think it is better not be in contact at all. Dr Munawar Aziz, Abbottabad

Telephone Blues My telephone number is 4813069 and it has been out of order for the last 30 days. Several times I have made complaints with the local exchange. Each time the lineman of our area comes and tells us that the number is bad from "peechay say". Since I am not a very technical person and have no idea about what this means, nothing comes of what the lineman tells us. We suspect that he is only saying this so that we grease his palms to do work, which is his job. The bottom line is that the number remains out of order till today. What are we supposed to do now? Will someone in PTCL please come to our aid and get this number fixed? Or should we stop paying the bill since after all we are being charged line rent. Askari Hasan, Karachi

No Concern for Others Screening movies and playing audio players is considered a courtesy service by most public transport companies operating on national highways and motorways. They play movies and songs for the pleasure of the passengers but actually cause disturbance to many. Some passengers do enjoy the music or the movie but many do not and are forced to listen/watch. Some close their eyes but find it difficult to stop the noise from bothering them and endure the forced entertainment. The question of what they play is another big issue which needs serious consideration and should be of the choice of the majority of the passengers. In Pakistan, a public road transport company gives the passengers a choice to listen to whatever they want via headphones. While in developed countries, people even avoid the use of cellular phones in public transport as others get disturbed, playing TV/audio players loudly is out of the question. The National Highways and Motorway Police should act in this regard. Obaid Hassan Qureshi, Lahore

Mind your English TWO decades ago television was an effective way of learning the English language as programmes, news, movies and even cartoons were shown in English. The youth had exposure to it and used it to improve their English vocabulary and pronunciation. Unfortunately common TV channels today are mostly showing English programmes dubbed in Indian Urdu. Now viewers, especially the youth, are learning words like 'bokhum' and 'durghutna' not earthquake or accident. We as a nation are missing opportunity of learning English via TV.Authorities are requested to do some thing about it. At least channels like Discovery and National Geographic should be allowed in English. SAMI BIN SHAFIQ, Lahore

Telephone Complaint Phone Nos. 5052819 and 2566708 installed at our houses, are out of order for the past three months. Constant complaining to concerned exchange produced no result. Will PTCL inform how these telephones will become operative? MATEEN ANSARI, ADNAN KHAN, KARACHI

6

ONE is amazed as to how TV channels, especially the leading ones, have abandoned a code of conduct and the interests of their viewers by interrupting programmes, even during the speeches of the president and the prime minister, and bombarding them with second rate advertisements, time checks, etc. Everywhere in the world, there is a regulating body which issues guidelines and a code of conduct for the electronic media, relating to the contents of an advertisement and ensures that it is not unethical, immoral or misleading and the gap between each advertisement, etc. At the same time, socially responsible companies and advertising agencies also have their own set of rules and a code of conduct to ensure that interests of the citizens, especially children, are protected. That is why in most countries advertisements of cigarettes and alcohol have either been banned or restricted to certain times, to discourage and protect the young from these social evils. In Pakistan, it is PEMRA which is supposed to regulate the activities of the electronic media. At the same time, the advertisers also have their own associations which are responsible to regulate the activities of their members. But as is always the case in Pakistan, though the laws, rules, guidelines, etc., exist, like the traffic laws, they are not observed and flouted with impunity. And, as usual, the reason is lack of enforcement and accountability, which like a cancer, more deadly than corruption, has spread throughout the institutions in Pakistan and has gradually destroyed them. What is even more surprising and embarrassing is that the offices of the president and the PM have been diminished and their pictures and speeches are being used to promote shopping malls and other commercial activities. This just shows our mindset and how commercialised our society has become. And even more surprising is that the offices of the president and the PM have allowed this gross misuse of their offices. One hopes that the courts will take up the issue of misleading advertisements, misuse of the electronic media and other related matters and instruct PEMRA to enforce the rules and regulations laid down by them and take appropriate action against those who violate them. HAMID MAKER, Karachi

Telephone Directories WHY has the PTCL discontinued printing phone directories when they normally home-delivered these until a few years ago? If the reliance is tilting towards electronic means, the least they can do is provide each customer with a CD containing all subscribers' phone numbers and addresses. In this information age, the PTCL has no website that one may visit and get such information. The operators at 17 normally dish out only one phone number at a time. It is time the PTCL gave back something to customers who have made it so profitable. TAHIR GUL HASAN, Lahore

Monitoring SMS Messages The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed all the mobile operators in the country to start monitoring SMS text messages sent by mobile users in order to impose censorship and block mobile connections of users spreading anti-government content. Speaking purely on technical grounds and without going into the separate debate on the morality of the act, the initiated exercise is bound to face the same fate as PTA's campaign of tracking down stolen mobiles in the country. What PTA does not realise is that technology is always one step ahead. The advisors behind the idea to monitor SMS text messages seem to have ignored the fact that there exist mechanisms for secure transmission of messages using encryption in all mobile devices. Applications for sending encrypted SMS messages using cryptographic methods is already being researched and its commercial deployment is expected in the near future. Let's not waste our energies and resources on a fruitless exercise which will take us no where. Should we not instead strive to encourage freedom of expression using advanced technologies for the benefit of establishing a just society? DR IRFAN ZAFAR, Via email

Send us your letters at [email protected] or at our postal addresses. Flare reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and space.

Telecom

Flare Report

Dhabi Group has expanded its expertise by partnering with Germany's Bertelsmann Arvato Mobile Middle East Group, through its local regional affiliate, Arvato Middle East Sales, to provide its consumer with rich multimedia and value added services he venture capital arm of Abu Dhabi Group has entered into a partnership agreement with Germany's Bertelsmann Arvato Mobile Middle East Group, through its local regional affiliate, Arvato Middle East Sales ("AMES"). AMES has positioned itself in the region to bring to market a full range of Digital Media services, designed to dominate the areas of Mobile and PC Entertainment. The Abu Dhabi Group, acting on behalf of its investors, will acquire 50 percent stakes in AMES for an undisclosed sum. The investment is part of Abu Dhabi Group's strategy to be an active investor in the high growth Telecommunications Industry. The Group follows a strategy which often includes operational control of its investments and designed to complement its GSM and WiMax businesses in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Republic of Congo, and Uganda. The Group's present mobile businesses operate under the umbrella of Warid Telecom International while its WiMax business in Pakistan is being launched by its subsidiary, Wateen Telecom. Bertelsmann, as the world's 3rd largest Media Company with approximately 100,000 employees, generated revenues of 19.3 billion euros in 2006, has made significant multi-million Euro investments in building Digital Media Distribution Platforms over the last four years. Bertelsmann and The Abu Dhabi Group are utilizing these Digital Media Platforms to build within AMES a Digital Entertainment business capable of servicing more than 200 million customers. AMES will offer customers, across emerging markets, unprecedented access to a world class digital entertainment offerings for their Mobile Phones, PC's and set top boxes. While commenting on the partnership, H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chairman of Warid Telecom International and representing the Abu Dhabi Group said, "Our vision is to evolve our businesses as market leaders wherever we operate. Our growth has been largely organic and we selectively choose our partners and form alliances to help realize our objectives: that our customers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the innovation and quality to which Warid Telecom International is committed. We have had a long relationship with the Bertelsmann Group and we believe that this partnership with Bertelsmann will further enhance our objectives". "In addition this latest investment will broaden the potential markets to include the Middle

T

8

East, Subcontinent, Africa, and selected FarEastern markets where Warid Telecom International and AMES will do business". Mr. Hartmut Ostrowski, Arvato's CEO and Chairman, and appointed Bertelsmann CEO as of 2008, said "We were impressed with the proven ability of the Abu Dhabi Group to create value in all the markets that they operate in. At Bertelsmann, we prefer to invest alongside those with whom we have strong relationships and who have strong regional business credentials. We have for some time wanted to work with HH Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, and are glad that this opportunity has arisen." Mr. Bashir Tahir, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Group added: "Content and Digital entertainment service are what operators need to drive data revenues. With our GSM and WiMax businesses we want to offer a bespoke customer experience and we know that is only possible when we differentiate ourselves through such partnerships. Bertelsmann's

Mabarak Al Nahayan, the Abu Dhabi Group has been investing in Pakistan for many years and today one of the largest foreign investors in the country. Bertelsmann is an international media company encompassing television (RTL Group), book publishing (Random House), magazine publishing (Gruner + Jahr), music (BMG), media services (Arvato), and media clubs (DirectGroup) in more than 60 countries. Bertelsmann's claim is to inspire people around the world with first-class media and communications offerings - entertainment, information and services - and occupy leading positions in its respective markets. The foundation of Bertelsmann's success is a corporate culture based on partnership, entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and corporate responsibility. The company strives to bring creative new ideas to market and create value. Bertelsmann is comprised of the television channels, television production companies, and radio stations of Europe's largest entertainment group. The Arvato media and communications services division brings together distribution, service centers and customer-relationship management, state-of-the art printing manufacturing, storage media production, mobile services, and comprehensive IT services. Bertelsmann's direct-to-customer businesses are unified within the Direct Group: book, DVD, and music clubs with more than thirtyfive million members worldwide, as well as book retailers in France and Portugal. Arvato Middle East Sales (AMES) provides an innovative range of digital entertainment content as well as innovative concepts and interactive solutions. The company considers itself to be a 360° manager along the whole digital value chain. The subsidiary of the international media and communication services provider arvato, a corporate division of Bertelsmann, works with market leading network operators, internet service providers, media companies, license holders and brands. Across the Middle East, Africa and Asia territories. AMES is partner to all big music labels and rights owner in the film, TV and games industries. AMES assures for its partners and customers the complete content, category and royalty management. AMES possesses stateof-the-art technology platforms for processing and distribution of digital contents.


Bertelsmann is world's 3rd largest Media Company with approximately 100,000 employees, and generated revenues of 19.3 billion euros in 2006, has made significant multi-million Euro investments in building Digital Media Distribution Platforms over the last four years AMES business provides us a digital media distribution platform which will be an essential component of our strategy to offer converged services through our companies." Mr. Bernhard Ribbrock, Chief Executive of Arvato Mobile said, "Globally media companies are working closely with Telecom operators to bring exciting new ventures to market. Bertelsmann hopes to lead the new explosion in media services and believes that relationships with investors and partners like the Abu Dhabi Group and HH Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan who share our vision of convergence, are critical for achieving this vision." Led by His Highness Sheikh Nahayan

Telecom

Flare Report

Mobilink will assist the cricketers through an 'Educational Fund' to support their further education while continuing playing cricket. The selected individuals, through assured quality education assistance from the company, will eventually groom into becoming the face of the nation, representing Pakistan in various international arenas obilink, leading cellular company of the country, and Pakistan Cricket Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for three years for the Hunt for Future Heroes. As part of the plan, masterminded by Director Game Development Mudassar Nazar, who is also director National Cricket Academy and presented by Haroon Rashid, in a media briefing, the Mobilink and PCB's talent hunt officials will visit 50 locations in FATA, FANA and AJK. This nationwide talent hunt will also carry out mobile clinics for cricket heroes of the age of under-16 who would play in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup. Dr Nasim Ashraf signed the MoU on behalf of the PCB with Zouhair A Khaliq, President and CEO, Mobilink, with one of the leading private cable television being the hunt scheme collaborator. Imran Aslam, representing GEO TV, was also present at the occasion to finalize the deal. Mobilink will assist the cricketers through an 'Educational Fund' to support their further education while continuing playing cricket. The selected individuals, through assured quality education assistance from the company, will eventually groom into becoming the face of the nation, representing Pakistan in various international arenas. The concept of the Youth Development Program includes nationwide talent hunt as Mobile Coaching Clinics formulated by the Game development Division of the NCA. The concept was to search for genuine talented cricketers playing in an unstructured environment of Pakistan streets in collaboration with the NCA. Extremely talented players of U-16 age group will be short-listed from this exercise and will be nurtured in the NCA. This hunt will then groom them through advanced training and coaching by elite coaches to make a pathway for them to the Under-19 World Cup in 2010 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

M

This programme will be a regular feaMobilink chief Zouhair A Khaliq and PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf signing a ture and become a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for three years, Mr. Imran Aslam, President, part of the NCA annual Geo Television Network, is also seen in the picture calendar for every three 2011. years so as to groom the future cricketers of Commenting on the countrywide launch of Pakistan in all the departments of the game. the programme, Zouhair A. Khaliq, President The selection criteria will be that the player and CEO, Mobilink said, "Cricket is the game should be l4 to l6 years old, having sound of yesterday, today and tomorrow, and we technical and tactical skills with strong mental understand how important and how close the and physical strength. game is to every Pakistani's heart throughout The programme will be conducted in two the country." phases - the first step would be the nationwide "Being the official mobile phone service mobile coaching clinics beginning from company of Pakistan cricket, it was our promSeptember to January 2008 followed by Inter ise to create a nationwide talent and outreach Regional U-16 National Cricket Championship programme that could one day change the in January-February 2008. lives of ordinary young men to become heroes In the second phase, there will be selection of tomorrow," he stated. of 36 extremely talented players for Advanced "This massive activation would benefit Cricket Coaching and Training at the National potential talent from every corner of the counCricket Academy from March-April 2008. And try reshaping lives for the well deserving youth ultimately there will be a Pakistan U-16 cricket while promoting the game at all levels," he team out of these 36 players through a maintained. planned level of exercise. Addressing the gathering, Dr Nasim Ashraf The programme will commence from said that kids of under-16 age group could September 2, 2007 with first activity to take walk in for the trial. "In this development proplace simultaneously at the eight districts till gramme we will just focus on the youth. Earlier September 11 at Jhang, Dir, Mirpur, we were more focussed on Test cricketers," he Abbottabad, Attock, Gilgit, Hyderabad and said. Appreciating the Mobilink's support, Dr Naseem Ashraf said that it is with the help of the Mobilink that a programme of such an extensive level has been launched. Dr Ashraf also paid rich tributes to Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia for developing regional academies. "The four regional centres will be provided with the state-of-the-art equipment and bio-mechanics this Naushki. year and four next year followed by two the folThe program administrators will be talentlowing year," he added. hunt officers from the PCB, NCA-RCA coach, In the end, souvenirs were presented to local coaches and regional selectors with crickMohsin Hasan Khan, Aaqib Javed, Jalal-udet icons working on it like Mohsin Hasan Khan, Din, Ijaz Butt, Salahuddin, Shafqat Rana, Sadiq Muhammad, Aaqib Javed, Mudassar Saleem Jaffar, Arshad Khan, Haroon Rashid, Nazar, Haroon Rashid and Jalal-ud-Din. Ramiz Raja, Mohsin Kamal, Azhar Khan, The programme will also help the board get Azmat Rana, Moshtsham Rashid, information of the infrastructure and requireEhtishamuddin, Mansoor Rana, Col Naushad, ment of development in remote areas and utiliAftab Baloch and Shafiq Papa.
sation of available recourses for the World Cup

Mobilink, the official cellular company of PCB, employees 4000 people directly and has the largest distribution network with 200,000 outlets throughout the country. The company contributes significantly in key areas of health, education, sports, social uplift and cultural development of the country

10

Azhar Javed

Telecom

Pakistan Telecommunication Ltd., a backbone of telecommunication in Pakistan, despite unfavorable conditions, provided the latest technologies to Pakistani nation, which were earlier only available in developed countries. PTCL has seen its best time this year in terms of adding new customers by introducing newest technologies and reducing tariffs TCL being the nation's leading communication company, on nation's 60th independence day, facilitated the general public by offering free countrywide calls for celebrations and allowing customers to wish independence greetings to their dear ones from August 13 mid-night to August 14 mid-night. It may be recalled that in 2004, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) had offered free local call service on August 14 after mid-night till 6.00 AM in a bid to hold on to subscribers in the face of deregulation. The hard-hitting competition among the mobile phone service provider companies, the graph of PTCL subscribers showed a gradual decrease and its annual balance sheet was observed negative. Deregulation of the telecom sector since 2002 had deprived the national telecom carrier of a nearmonopoly in landline business and dented profits. However analysts have different view point about PTCL's current race. Stats suggest that firm had its best year for fixed line subscriber growth, adding about 922,000 subscribers for a 27% increase. Even after heavy wireless network rollout, the policy makers believe that PTCL would stage a comeback in all areas. Due to tough pricing competition from cellular companies, the management of the PTCL has started to lower its tariff to attract the customers. It reduced national and international calls rates subsequently. In an another move, PTCL has reduced its 0800 service tariff from Rs. 1.90 per minute to Rs 1 per minute, in order to facilitate and encourage its corporate customers. It merits mentioning here that for ordinary customers the 0800 service is free of charge but those companies extending this service to

P

their customers have to pay Rs. 1.90 per minute to PTCL, which has now been reduced to Rs. 1 per minutes. Now with the reduction of charges, more and more companies are likely to avail 0800 service since PTCL has brought down tariffs considerably making it possible even for the smaller companies to acquire this service from PTCL and extend it to its customers. Toll free service offered by PTCL is the most efficient and dynamic telemarketing tool; allowing your customers to call you for free. Toll free services minimize manpower and save your money. Customer's calls can be routed to different locations or offices according to your

line. Initially, the service will be introduced in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, however the reach of triple play will hit all over Pakistan in coming years. Sources in PTCL have confirmed that service would be operational this year, adding that it had so far cost around Rs 3.5 billion to the company. The triple-play service will charge PTCL customers around Rs 1,500 per month. PTCL Corporate Strategies Executive Vice President Zomma Mohiuddin said that the company had been working on the 'triple-play' project for the last two years. He said that the service would be extended to around 10 more cities by June 2008. Today, the number of working lines has been raised to about 2.82 million. The fixed line telephone density is 2.2 telephones per hundred people, which is higher than in some countries of the region. The number of telephone lines is expected to total nearly 4 million within the next 2 years. In addition PTCL started a very aggressive roll out of the conversion of the old analog telecom technologies to digital telecom including installation of Fiber Optic backbone between Karachi and Lahore in the initial phases. PTCL still has a monopoly over the Voice calls sector of the telecom market. This is the sector that is poised for growth, thanks to new Voice-OverInternet- Protocols (VOIP) data compression technology. It is an area where the PTCL is fearful of losing the market share and which ironically will increase overall revenues due to falling phone call prices [commoditization] and subsequent increase in call volumes - more or less the same scenario as happened in the case of the Fax machines, where increased Fax volumes from Pakistan to Japan led to an explosion of PTCL revenues.


PTCL is doing well to maintain and achieve new customers. The Company will soon launch a 'triple play' service, enabling its customers to access more than 100 TV channels, high speed digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet connection and a regular phone service on a single phone line needs. On week days, for instance, calls from customers can be routed to specific offices, e.g. Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad during working hours. On week ends or holidays the calls can be routed to one central location all over the country. PTCL is doing well to maintain and achieve the new customers as the comapny will soon launch a 'triple play' service, enabling its customers to access more than 100 TV channels, digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet connection and a regular phone service on a single phone

11

Interview

Flare Islamabad Panel

Mr. Shehzad Shabbir Dahar General Manager, Tejari Pakistan

Mr. Shehzad, Having a BA (Hons) degree from London, UK, with Majors in Marketing and Minors in CBS (Computer Business Information Systems), has a strong background in Marketing & Sales vis-à-vis defining revenue streams for profit maximization. He has worked in the Hashoo Group of Hotels at various managerial positions. He has also worked for a world class property developer plus a leading system integration company with partners like Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, NetApp e.t.c. All this experience has helped him add versatility to his marketing and selling techniques. Mr. Shehzad has been appointed as Tejari Pakistan's General Manager to lead the company and work on Tejari Pakistan's market awareness & outreach. Working closely with the franchise head office in Dubai, his aim is to put together a top-notch operation founded on great people, cutting edge technology and best business practice in order to ensure the continued country wide growth and success of Tejari Pakistan. 12

Interview Flare: Please tell us about Tejari Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Tejari is a pure B2B (business to business) platform, where one business buys/sells a product to/from business entity. If we see in the global context, Tejari was started back in 2000 by Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Almakhtoom, Dubai's ruler and UAE Prime Minister. He had a vision to make all traditional procurements of the government organizations more transparent. Furthermore, Tejari helped in moving from a traditional procurement to the strategic sourcing, two entirely different worlds altogether. In traditional procurements, it is impossible to take dozens of quotations and create a competition among them, but Tejari enables a buyer to bring hundreds of vendors to a platform for competition. Flare: Please tell us about Tejari's operations in Pakistan? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Tejari has turned out to be of a great success in Pakistan, lot better than what we were actually expecting. Keeping an eye on IT literacy rate, which has picked up during the last few years, the response we received was marvelous. We have already surpassed 300 mark of paid suppliers in just four months. One thing worth mentioning here is that this period also includes managerial set up, trainings, human-

Any company that becomes a registered organization, meets the demands of supplying, does not fall back on the terms and conditions, can not only enter but conquer Tejari resource recruitment and other start-up tasks. The main reason for this success, in my opinion, is the benefit reaped by the suppliers who joined the Tejari very early. A fine example, which I would like to quote, is that when we brought a local fruit and vegetable trader online, he won an auction bid against an aviation company of Dubai due to competitive price. There are lot many other success stories of elevating local trader to the global market. If we look at the buyer end, Hashoo Group, the biggest group of the country, spends billions of rupees for its seven hotels. Through Tejari, Hasho Group noticed savings of 22 percent in the initial two months and this big margin carries a lot of weight. Tejari is playing its role as an online window for Pakistani traders, suppliers and businessmen. Flare: Please brief us about the process of buying or selling on Tejari Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Workflow on Tejari is very much automatic, based on system generated phenomenon. Operations on Tejari involve very nominal human involvement. If a seller places a new product on Tejari, it appears immediately as a new amendment. Similarly, if a buyer posts a requirement, all relating vendors are informed thus asking for their bids. The process is carried out in systematic way leaving the system very simple to understand and operate. Flare: How the suppliers are responding to Tejari, and what potential benefits they are enjoying? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: There are two per-

Tejari helped in moving from a traditional procurement to the strategic sourcing. It enables a buyer to bring hundreds of vendors to a platform for a better competition and transparency spectives in this regard. First I would like to mention the positive aspects with regards to the buyer organizations. With the arrival of Tejari, the monopoly of some suppliers has come to an end. Secondly the competition brought the prices down and the suppliers who molded themselves according to the demands of the time are enjoying good business. Now a supplier, who initially used to supply his products to Marriot Hotel Islamabad only, can supply to other branches across the country from one platform. Suppliers save their time by not visiting organizations physically. Time saving and easy access to more buyers allow suppliers to bid for hundreds of auctions in comparison with lot fewer opportunities before this. We have presented Tijari to various government organizations as well, to get benefited from this dynamic procurement solution. The mission is that we do not take Tejari as a commercial project but as a project that in the end of the day benefits the Pakistan, brings transparency, reforms and cost savings to its organizations. Flare: How one can start buying/selling on Tejari? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: After some early data collection process the information is sent to Dubai for the creation of the user name and password. And this is all we have to do for registration. This initial process does not take

more than two working days. Instead of sophisticated software or hardware you just need a PC and internet connection to get started with Tejari, which is aptly available in almost every organization. Buying and selling on Tejari is as easy as creating an e-mail id. All the best business practices like creating auction, open bidding, sealed bidding and blind auction are available in the system. For a buyer, we determine the membership fee on the bases of procurement spending. The yearly membership fee ranges from Rs. 1.5 million to Rs. 3 million. We also charge 1 percent as the transaction processing fee on

every auction. The annual membership fee for a supplier is just Rs. 60,000. Hereafter he/she can bid for all the auctions without paying any additional charges. You can also place your catalogue on Tejari platform. Flare: Do you have any competition in local or global markets? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Yes there are many companies working on the same line but those are for more specialized market segments. Like Aero-x is an e-market for aircraft parks procurements only. Tejari is the pioneer in the B2B market places and there is no other such service provider in Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. Tejari is first of its kind organization in Pakistan as well. Flare: How do you feel in the absence of a competitor? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Well, it has its advantages and disadvantages at the same time. You always feel nice in the absence of a competitor, but competition helps you to identify and rectify the flaws and weaknesses in your platform. For which we compare our products with our global competitors. Flare: Where do you see Tejari in coming years? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Every company has its defined targets. Our first target is to achieve 1000 customers mark by the end of 2007. Along with facilitating an organization with new suppliers, we are getting their previous suppliers on-board to provide them more buyers, while on the other hand suppliers are getting more buyers - more opportunities to expand their business. Flare: Does the idea of virtual supplier exist on Tejari? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: Yes, it is possible. But for that purpose you need to get yourself registered as an organization according to government regulations. Any company that becomes

a registered organization, meets the demands of supplying, does not fall back on the terms and conditions, can not only enter but conquer Tejari. Flare: Would you like to add any message for our readers? Mr. Shehzad Shabbir: We at Tejari are reaping the benefits of the model, as a Pakistani, I feel that these benefits will bring transparency in our procurements. It will not only help us to save the money for our organizations but also at the same time we will bring human resource in the form of specialized people, which will bring prosperity to our country.


13

Event

Flare Report

elenor Pakistan arranged a series of enchanting evenings for its Persona Postpaid corporate clientele to pay tribute to the legends of Pakistani music. The events - which were held in Karachi, Lahore and most recently in Islamabad - celebrated the musical genius of our maestros from the past with performances from Fareeha Pervez, Shabnam Majeed, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Ali Zafar, Asif Mehdi, and Sajjad Ali. Anwar Maqsood, who moderated the events, evoked vivid memories of the golden days of music with his encyclopedic knowledge of the history of songs and artists alike. Another highlight of the events was Mehboob Ashraf's 40-piece orchestra, which broke new ground in Pakistan's music history. The ambience created at the venues added to the nostalgia of listening to heart-breaking songs from the past and captivated the audience.

T

Commenting on the initiative, CEO Telenor Pakistan Tore Johnsen said, "We wish to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by the truly great singers and composers from the past. Telenor Pakistan is engaged in several such efforts to promote and preserve the cultural heritage of Pakistan that carries timeless beauty." Director Corporate Sales Telenor Pakistan Najia Naqavi, who welcomed the guests at all the venues, gave details about Telenor's international and local operations. Commenting on the growth of Telenor Pakistan's Persona brand, she said, "Currently, Persona is the most attractively priced postpaid package in the market. It has the best call rates in the industry and comes with a number of exciting value-added services supported by professional customer care and Telenor Pakistan's high quality network."


Following are the highlights of artists performing at Telenor Persona’s muscial event

14

Telecom

Flare Report

PTA to Help Various Countries in MNP Implementation s per Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Major Gen (Retd) Shahzada Alam Malik, more than 100,000 cellular mobile subscribers have availed the service of MNP in Pakistan since the service started five months ago. He said that Pakistan is one of the first country in the region to provid the services of MNP to its 64 million mobile subscribers. He said this while addressing the opening session of three-day Workshop on "Implementing MNP" organized by PTA under the aegis of ITU Centre of Excellence Network. He said the service is aimed at strengthening further healthy competition in the market and to improve the quality of service of the country's rapidly growing cellular mobile sector. Appreciating the cooperation extended by the country's mobile companies towards the implementation of MNP in the country, he said that the service has been launched in Pakistan with a cost of around 150 million dollars. It merits mentioning here that MNP enables any mobile subscriber to switch to any mobile service provider while retaining their original mobile number. On the occasion, Member Telecom Ministry of IT & Telecom, Mr. Nooruddin Baqai said that

A

the establishment of ITU's Centre of Excellence Node in Pakistan is recognition of the country's sound economic liberalization policies and The Group photo of participants of International Workshop on "Implementing Mobile Number the unprecePortability" organized by PTA dented wide experience of PTA in this area is an asset growth that has been witnessed in the counfor the program. Member (Technical) PTA, Dr. try's telecom sector. He said that MNP has Muhammad Yaseen, in his presentation, empowered the mobile subscribers and they explained the process of implementation of enjoy their right to choose any mobile service MNP in Pakistan. provider while retaining their numbers. It may be noted that around 45 participants On this occasion, Head ITU Regional Office from 15 countries including USA, UK, for Asia Pacific, Dr. Eum-ju Kim said in a mesMalaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Oman sage that this Workshop on "Implementing attended the Workshop. Renowned experts MNP" is an excellent example of PTA's willingmade presentations during the three-day ness to share the experiences gathered and Workshop.
lessons learnt while implementing it in Pakistan. The resources available and the

Warid Introduces Mobile Business Centre arid Telecom has successfully launched the first ever mobile business center in Pakistan. This step was initiated to keep in line with Warid's corporate strategy of customer-friendliness and simplicity. Mobile business centers will help reach out to customers and provide them with sales and services at convenient locations. This mobile unit is completely equipped to facilitate customers with their sales and customer service needs. Currently the first mobile business center is placed at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore. This service will be soon extended to other cities including Karachi, Islamabad and Faisalabad. Mobile business center is unique to the telecom industry in Pakistan as it was designed to keep the customer's ease in mind. The possibilities are endless with this type of a service-oriented solution. By conveniently placing the mobile business center at the airport, Warid can ensure that customers can be eased of their problems, queries and board their flight stress-free. By placing it on customer convenient locations in a rural market where business centers are scarce, mobile business center vans can serve to ease customers' inquiries and demands. In such areas, customers often do

W

16

It is an honor for Pakistan to be selected by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to provide training to other countries, who wish to implement Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in their respective regions. Pakistan would provide support to those countries

Warid Telecom has successfully launched the first ever mobile business center in Pakistan. Mobile business center will help reach out to customers and provide them with sales and services at their convenient locations

not have access to conveyance where they can travel to a business center miles away. However, a fully functional business center van positioned in their local market will relieve them of that stress and make life with Warid very simple for them. Warid Telecom CEO Hamid Warid Telecom has launched Pakistan's first mobile business center for cellular subscribers. Seen in the picture are Mr. Pervez Shahid, Board Member and Ms. Zoha Imam, Farooq said, "Our GM Customer Services & Sales with team members. vision is to provide another milestone we have achieved while the best services to Warid Telecom's subworking to make Warid Telecom the leading scribers. By introducing mobile vans, we want mobile operator of Pakistan". our customers to know that we care enough to Ahmad Kamal, Head of Customer Service reach out to them. By being available at locasaid, "Warid Telecom has always come up with tions that are convenient for them, we are innovative ideas to facilitate its subscribers. committing ourselves to an implementation of Mobile business centers are another valuecost-effective measures and innovative valueadded service for the mobile users. The first added services for our loyal consumers." mobile unit is placed at Lahore Airport for the Warid General Manager Sales & Customer convenience of travelers but moving forward Services Zoha Imam said, "I would like to we plan to have more such units. We plan to appreciate the efforts of my team members in launch such mobile business centers in setting up first mobile business center by any Karachi, Islamabad and Faisalabad also".
mobile operator in Pakistan. This is indeed

IT

Flare Report

GST; The RootCause of IT Setback akistan is experiencing a remarkable boom in the IT sector during the recent years. But the obligation of 15 percent general sales tax on import of branded computers unlikely to yield desired results in the backdrop of increasing smuggling of computers and laptops. According to experts Pakistan has a potential consumption of one million computers and laptops annually out of which about 150,000 are imported through legal channel. It is a common practice that most of the passengers while returning from abroad bring four-five laptops in their bags and easily skip the airport in connivance of Customs staff. The

P

Pakistan has a potential consumption of one million computers and laptops annually, out of which about 150,000 are imported through legal channel Federal Board of Revenue authorities need to review the income generated out of general sales tax imposed on the import of computers/laptop.

18

It is a common practice that most of the passengers, while returning from abroad, bring four-five laptops in their bags and easily skip the airport in connivance of Customs staff

According to the experts the levy of general sales tax has discouraged the honest businessmen whereas it encourages the smuggling activities. The ratio of taxation including Customs Duty, Withholding Tax etc was not more than 11 percent in 2006 that helped reduce laptop prices from Rs 60,000 to Rs 40,000 in the country. After the imposition of general sales tax, the prices have increased up to Rs 48,000. It is interesting to note that customers don't want general sales tax invoice and ask the shopkeeper/dealer to issue a ' Fake/Katchi receipt' instead, without general sales tax despite the fact that they have to pay only Rs 41,000 in the market. For providing level playing field to the local brands as well as foreign brand, the government must reduce general sales tax from 15 percent to 5 percent and impose it across the board which would generate more revenue to the national exchequer. According to experts' opinion the foreign investors are reluctant to come to Pakistan just because of discriminatory attitude of government functionaries. It is estimated that 70 percent of refurbished or used computers are sold in Pakistan while 15 percent of the need is catered by local and foreign brands.

It is interesting to note that customers don't want general sales tax invoice and ask the shopkeeper/dealer to issue a ' Fake/Katchi receipt' Despite government's facilities, only two out of over a dozen of local manufacturers/assemblers could survive while rest of them has wrapped up their businesses. Although the government is striving hard to promote the IT industry but lack of co-ordination between the departments and concerned ministries remains as the main hurdle to achieve the desired results. Prior to the levy of any tax on IT related equipment, the government must co-ordinate with the stakeholders including manufactures and dealers, the Higher Education Commission, the Ministry of Information Technology, the Federal Board of Revenue, the Ministry of Commerce and Board of Investment.Ultimately, a unanimous decision should be taken in this regard to boost the IT industry.


Flare Report

Telecom

China Mobile with an aim to serve cellular services in the far flung areas of Pakistan has acquired license to operate in Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas. World's largest mobile phone operator's arm in Pakistan is looking forward to take quality services to new fronts MPak Limited has been given a license by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to provide cellular services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Areas (AJK & NA). The contract, in this regard was signed by Guo Yonghong, CEO, CMPak Limited and Chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Maj. Gen (R) Shahzada Alam Mailk at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad. CMPak is rolling out its expansion throughout the country, soon after its acquisition of Paktel. CMPak is extending its arms to newer markets and getting the region supplied with quality services, following the policy of its parent company. Maj. Gen (R) Mr. Shahzada Alam Malik appreciated the expansion of

C

and Mr. Luo Zhao Hui, Ambassador of China to Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Luo Zhao Hui, the Ambassador of China to Pakistan said that CMPak is the biggest project among all the Chinese investments. It is emissary of friendship between Pakistan and China. It is of great meaning that with the support of the Government, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, awarded the licensed for AJK and Northern Areas to CMPak. He said that this region is neighbor to Chinese border through service to the region, as the main stream and KKH road carried greater amount of foreign transportation. CMPak will put the road's telecom coverage as the most important task, promoting the economic and commercial between Pakistan and China. It's a great honor that the ceremony is held in Chinese

"Acquisition of license for AJK and NA shows CMPak's greater confidence in the Government of Pakistan and this will lead the company to bring more Foreign Direct Investment in the country" Guo Yonghong, CEO, CMPak Limited CMPak and marked the entity as a major role player in Pakistan’s telecom market. The agreement shows the commitment of CMPak towards Pakistani market. Guo Yonghong, CEO, CMPak Limited considered the license as a land mark achivement. He said that it would be CMPak's prime objective to be rated as the best cellular service provider in Pakistan by expanding its service area to every corner of the country which is to be backed by excellent after-sales service. Acquiring AJK and Northern Area licenses would certainly help CMPak limited to extend its service coverage into the beautiful northern parts of the country. Mr. Guo further commented that acquiring of the license shows CMPak's greater confidence in the Government of Pakistan and this will lead the company to bring more Foreign Direct Investment in the country. The ceremony was witnessed by other dignitaries including Mr. Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Minister for Defense

Embassy and it shows the great attention of Chinese and Pakistan Governments. Mr. Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Minister for Defense also expressed his views and shed the light over the friendship journey Pakistan and China has covered. After its 100 percent acquisition by China Mobile, Paktel has embarked on the most aggressive network expansion plan in the history of the country. The company after its recent agreement for network expansion has already started implementation of the plan. China Mobile is the number one cellular company in the world in terms of network scale, customer base and revenue. The company plans to increase coverage in several thousands of miles, every corner of Pakistan including highways with the capacity of 20 million subscribers which will be enhanced with the passage of time. It is worth noting here that China Mobile is the official cellular company of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.


Guo Yonghong, CEO, CMPak Limited and Chairman, PTA, Maj. Gen (R) Shahzada Alam Mailk shaking hands after signing ceremony

Mr. Luo Zhao Hui, Ambassador of China to Pakistan

Guo Yonghong, CEO, CMPak Limited

19

Interview

Flare Panel

Abhishek is a stylish and sophisticated actor who appeals to all segments of the society - young and old, urban and rural, fashion conscious and the intelligentsia. Here is the conversation he had regarding the cellular gadget that is in his use Q: How does the new Moto Q fare in what is becoming a "crowded" field of contenders for the title "Best Smart Phone available?" Abhishek: Recently I had the opportunity of experiencing the slim and stylish QWERTY MOTO Q from Motorola. The trendy Moto Q with a QWERTY keyboard is an ideal device that provides an ease of messaging. It not only gave me easy access to mobile email, Web, calendar, music, video and phone functionality but it glided into my pocket so easily. These days our life goes beyond home or work and the same happens with me. The MOTO Q gives the power of information that moves with me in a sleek, ultra-thin form factor. For me it's a complete device that has everything right from making and receiving calls to an e-mail solution to an organizer. Now I don't have to worry about being in touch with my family while I'm at an off-site location shooting.

20

Q: What is different about its design? Abhishek: Moto Q feels awesome in the hand! The side scroll key and the five way navigation keys help me to use the device effortlessly. The build quality seems very solid. The Keyboard has light silver keys, which are more spread out, and I found them very user friendly. At the very bottom of the keyboard are dedicated keys for email, the camera and speakerphone / voice activation. Only Motorola can come up with such a slim design for this category of phones. Not only are they slim, but are very stylish and robust to use.

Q: How is it as a Phone to be used in daily life? Abhishek: If you ask me its daily usage, I am very impressed with its voice recognition feature because of the fact that when I am wirelessly connected with the phone using Bluetooth headset I can hear the message without reading it and make calls without dialing. In my Q, I can store speed dials, add specific ring tones and pictures for callers and it offers lots of mapable fields in the contacts directory making me select the right number to dial and trust me it made my life easy like never before. Not only this, Q also supports call waiting, call forwarding, three way calling and the like. In short, the Q is an incredible device. Q: Can the Q be a Personal Media Device? Abhishek: Moto Q comes with Windows Media 10 Player for Windows Mobile. It supports most Audio formats and video formats right out of the box. Using Windows XP Media edition I could easily transfer media. I could also just drag and drop to the appropriate folder using the "explore" command in Active Sync. Music, my one big passion, was loud and clear thanks to two stereo speakers on the back. I have loaded MP3's onto the mini-SD card and now I have a comprehensive music player with me everywhere! Speaking of Media, the camera on the Q is top notch. This is a 1.3 mega pixel camera with six levels of zoom. One nice feature is that this camera has a "burst" feature that allows for rapid picture taking so you capture that "perfect" shot. The Flash and White bal-

ance can be set to automatic or can be user adjusted. All in all, this was an excellent camera for a Phone. Q: How friendly it is when used for Email and Text Messaging or while Web Browsing on the Q? Abhishek: Moto Q handles all of my email needs. The Keyboard is great. The keys have a nice, solid feel. They light up in a Bluish tint for use in the dark. So I can use it with ease any time, even when I am traveling in my car. The Q's screen is set up in landscape mode. This makes viewing web pages very nice with less scrolling. Colors were beautiful and much more like what we see on our PC screens than most Smart phone screens. It was very easy to set up and return to favorites. All in all, the Q was the most satisfying web experience I have had to date on a Smartphone. " Describe Moto Q in just few words? To describe it in one word I would say it is a MASTERPEICE- one of the best QWERTY phones I have ever used. The Q has an unmatched power as it feels very solid, but when you take off the battery cover it is almost as flimsy as paper. The "rubberized" feel makes it seem sturdier. I think Moto Q will appeal to everyone, right from senior executives to the young fashion conscious adult. This will surely be one hard nut to crack for Moto Q's competition, who are still offering devices that only do a fraction of what this baby can!.


John Ribeiro

IT

Pakistan, which has been affected by Islamic extremist violence and civil unrest against the current government, is trying hard to compete for a share of the offshore outsourcing business. Country's highly skilled, English speaking people have to play a key role in this scenario akistan, which has been affected by Islamic extremist violence and civil unrest against the current government, is trying hard to compete for a share of the offshore outsourcing business. The country's highly skilled, English speaking people provide a key advantage, said Yusuf Hussain, managing director of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), a government agency set up to promote the IT, BPO (business process outsourcing) and call center industries in Pakistan. Some multinational companies have centers in Pakistan, while others are outsourcing work to IT and services companies in the region, he added. “Salaries in Pakistan are lower by 30 percent than in neighboring India,” said Ashraf Kapadia, president of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA), an association of software, call center and BPO companies in Pakistan. On the downside, the country has an image problem, according to Kapadia. "There is this perception abroad that Pakistan is politically unstable," he said. However, these problems have not scared away customers, Kapadia said. His software and BPO company, Systems Limited, has a number of large multinational customers, including Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc., which continue to do business with his company, despite the country's unrest, he said. A customer that has never done business in Pakistan may hesitate to outsource to a company in the country, Kapadia said. But regular customers understand that Pakistan is large, and trouble in a corner of the country will not affect their operations in another part of the country, he said. Software, BPO and call center companies have in place disaster recovery strategies, and centers in many locations, to ensure that work does not get disrupted, he added. Pakistan's exports of IT and services have grown by 50 percent year-on-year for the last three years, Hussain said. The PSEB now has an ambitious target: to

P

boost exports of software, IT services, call center and BPO from US$1.4 billion in the fiscal year ended June to about $4.5 billion by 2010. By then, the overall IT and services industry in the country is also expected to grow to $10 billion from the current $2.4 billion a year. In computing its IT and services export figure, Pakistan includes exports by Pakistani companies, salaries of its people with workpermits working on IT jobs abroad, as well as sales of services to operations in Pakistan of foreign companies, and foreign government agencies. “Several challenges abound. Pakistan has similar characteristics that have made India successful as an outsourcing hub, such as its low-cost, skilled, English-speaking staff,” said Siddharth Pai, a partner at sourcing consultancy firm, Technology Partners International Inc. in Houston. But the IT industry in Pakistan is still in its early stages, and companies have

age of the country so far has focused on lawand-order problems, rather than on its thriving economy. Not many people outside Pakistan know, for example, that the country has over 63 million mobile phone subscribers for a population of about 164 million people. The percentage of Pakistan's population using mobile phones is more than that of India, which is seen as a key Asian market for mobile-phone vendors. Besides helping to earn foreign exchange and provide large-scale employment in Pakistan, the country expects a booming IT industry to change the nation's business culture from "industrial age" to a more modern, "knowledge age" industry. Growth of the IT sector will also help increase productivity in local agriculture and industrial sectors. The PSEB has introduced a package of incentives including tax breaks for the IT sector until 2016, and low-rent facilities for IT companies. The PSEB already operates 750,000 square feet of software technology parks in eleven buildings across Pakistan, with large IT parks planned in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. For the Islamabad park, the PSEB has invited global developers to bid to set up and operate the park under a "build, operate, transfer" model. Other government agencies are also pitching in. The country is investing in education with an eye to avoid the shortages of staff that have affected India's outsourcing industry. The annual budget of the Higher Education Commission has gone up to about 30 billion Pakistan rupees ($497 million) from 600 million rupees seven years ago. Nine engineering universities are being set up with foreign collaboration, and will have foreign faculty, curriculum and certification. "We don't have staff shortages now, but that could change in the next three years, as the industry is growing very fast," Kapadia said. “The PSEB is also setting up a venture capital fund, which will be run by international venture capital. The fund will invest in both IT services and products companies,” Hussain said.


A customer that has never done business in Pakistan may hesitate to outsource to a company in the country. But regular customers understand that Pakistan is large and trouble in a corner of the country will not affect their operations in another part of the country very little experience in the business and lack the ability to scale their operations, he added. To boost the country's outsourcing industry, PSEB and other Pakistan government agencies have launched a multi-pronged strategy covering infrastructure, cheaper communications, investment in education, quality certifications and a data confidentiality law. The PSEB is also investing in promoting Pakistan as an offshore location to European and U.S. companies. Most of the media cover-

Courtesy: Washington Post

21

Telecom

Flare Report

Warid Telecom, in an effort to further boost sporting culture in Pakistan, organized First Warid Tapeball Floodlight Cricket Tournament in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad simultaneously arid Telecom is strongly cultivating the physical spirit and sportsmanship in the country. It has been actively promoting the sporting culture in a mass level. During this year, the company has organized different matches of hockey, golf and polo within the country Warid Telecom, in an effort to further boost sporting culture in Pakistan, organized First Warid Tapeball Floodlight Cricket Tournament in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad simultaneously. The event was first of its kind, where cricket potential from grass root level came across in 3 cities of Pakistan under the flood lights. Warid telecom open heartedly invited everyone who has a strong passion for the

W

22

sports to play this exciting flood light competition. Importantly, there was no registration fee and the registration process was as simple as creating email id through a form that was available Farhan Abbas, Manager Marketing, Munazza Elahi, Brand & Marketing Manager alonge with Furrakh Hayyat, GM Sales & Distribution during the press conference on www.waridtel.com. To encourage and trigger the true enthusiThe tournament included 64 matches at asm for the game there were exciting prizes of Shah Faisal cricket club, M-block Model Town Rs 500,000 to Rs. 150,000 for the winners and Lahore, 96 matches at Greenwich hockey starunner-ups of the tournament.
dium ground defense, Karachi and 32 matches at Pak army cricket ground, Rawalpindi.

Flare Report

Telecom

There would be so many opinions on the LG's latest ad, featuring Emraan Hashmi. Atif Aslam, Abrar-ul-haq and now Emraan Hashmi, LG seems to be greatly relying on celebrities. We have gone from "ab sub kuch mobile" and "ab aap bhi kar lo join" to "Shine with Me". Let's have a look at how people have responded to latest LG Shine AD

don't know guys. From my perspective, I see more people carrying LG phones everyday. Maybe it is working? Every brand from Pantene to Sunsilk, Lux to Dettol, Ufone to Warid, and everywhere else I see; there is celebrity endorsement these days. However, in cellular, Sony Erricsson has done it with Hrithik and it's just normal for LG to do it too. The problem or rather the contention I have with all of this going on is that: because there is SO MUCH of this going around just recently, it has turned celebrity endorsements into a FAD. And you know they say about fads … "they fade away". People might just react negatively to these endorsements soon or grow tired. That way, they'll loose impact. However, again, our growing market needs to go through this kind of a phase?

I

Best Regards, Ali Imran Memon [email protected] Hey all..! Well I personally think as portraying a younger generation of Pakistan that the LG was smart enough to sign Emraan Hashmi. This is because that many girls are completely in love with this new kid in town and as well as guys love him. People like to see his movie although, he doesn't even know how to act but it's simply his image, a playboy carefree and a guy-chasing-girls image! And honestly, girls like macho personality and guys compare themselves with Emran Hashmi to copy his macho moves and looks. huma wh [email protected] I wish if we could attribute all this to advertising and usage of celebrities. It could primarily be due to: Focus on the right segment… Higher investment into the brand, Focus of competitors towards other segments, like building the premium range (Multimedia phones) whereas LG is more basic/entry level phones. Future is all about identifying your segment and being a leader in it, like O2 has identified its playing field. What if you were not using Abrar, LG will achieve target? This can measured (in a basic manner) by seeing who all recall seeing Abrar in the ad? Out of those how many bought LG Vs those who bought LG and don't recall seeing Abrar in the ad. But do we have such a measure in

place for our brands? I doubt! We are doing things without knowing how good or bad we are at it. Sales results can not be attributed only to the advertising campaign….its the combined result of all our marketing mix. Regards [email protected] LG seems to have gone crazy in appointing the brand ambassadors. They are not satisfied with the associations or the brand ambassadors are not satisfied with LG. Anyhow, it seems to be not a very good move by LG. In the first place, I disagree from taking Atif in their advertisements as he had already been representing a competitor brand (Sony Ericsson). In the opening shot of the advertisement, we see Atif Aslam. Instantly what came in my mind was, "Sony Ericsson is going to launch another walkman phone". Anyhow, changing the brand ambassadors with such speed can confuse the target market. Wasim Iqbal [email protected] Well imran Hashmi? Needless to say that LG Mobile is riding on Indian actors. Are they trying to capture the cross cultural exchange and presumably they took the lead from Pepsi casting Adnan sami who is now an Indian national. Gunning down two cultures, Sony Ericsson has already done this with Reesham and Arshad Warsi (Munna bhai fame) I don't remember the sales numbers but I guess it worked out. Either way half of our super cricket celebrities will soon be endorsing Indian brands when the ICL will start in November and December. Wait out till Nokia or Samsung does the same with Hamesh Rashmia, Regards, Azadar Hussain [email protected] Having different brand ambassadors for different brands/models of phones may be fine to a certain extent, but then they should be kept for a longer time period so that the consumers get to know of it and the confusion can be avoided. It might be possible that they are planning to start another model for which Emran is the ambassador. In that case, LG might also have to be very careful as they are a new entrant and the current models are not very common despite the aggressive advertising that they have been doing. "Ammar Mursalin" [email protected]

I think Emran Hashmi endorsement wouldn't be so appealing in LG Mobiles. If marketing team of LG and their ad agency think that it is going to be a massive blast then it would be their short sightedness. By endorsing Atif and Abrar ul Haq was quite amazing and successful but now endorsing Emran Hashmi may be not positively effected on sales. jalil amar [email protected] Dear All, For your kind information LG Mobile has achieved 3rd position in Pakistan. within next 2 months LG Mobile will be in 2nd position. We achieved this position in 11 months. If you are not in favor of our artist engrossments, please give us suggestion and we are open for your great ideas.... Regards Zeeshan Yousuf [email protected] Dear Zeeshan, On celeb endorsement in my opinion Emran Hashmi is a good choice especially when university and collage goings are one of the biggest target segments. Even with the image Emran Hashmi is very famous in this segment. Regards, S.Zafar Raza Dear all we have been discussing instead criticizing LG, too much about has been said about Emraan Hashmi, but we are ignoring the fact that just like brands, every artist has also got segment of peoples who love/like/admire/ be inspired by him/her I don't think that the said segment is too small/or even non existent. Who says that Emran Hashmi is disliked by Paki viewers?? Film after film, hits, famous songs, box office results, all are realities and proves that LG has done deep analysis before taking this step. Further about the image threat of the actor that will be associated with the brand, so the image built by this celebrity via his new film Awarapan, is very different, very positive and is being admired even by several of his criticizers. The presence of that film in Pakistan cinemas is an evidence that this film (n hence image) was quite different from what public was having earlier. Further the strong recall of the actor and his image in the film, b/c of the songs is another fact to support. So I think, perhaps, this was the right time for LG to use Emraan here, and even then if we have doubts, then let the ad come, let Emraan associated with the particular LG mobile model, and n let the results be evident of......what happens tc,.. Adnan Afsar [email protected]
23

Internet

M Raza Malik

According to a research overall time spent with media declined slightly, a spill over effect of the consumer shift away from newspapers and other traditional sources of news and entertainment. User will spend more time surfing net than reading newspapers or going to movies or listening to recorded music in the future here was a time when one had to receive the news of an event or happening after the passage of weeks and even months. Then newspaper facilitated him to get information about the various activities of his surroundings and even across the globe. But now with the introduction and arrival of new kinds of media, especially internet, the importance and readership of newspapers is witnessing a decrement day by day. Many newspapers are finding it hard to keep their readers glued to them these days. Cyber world has engrossed a large population which prefers to spend time surfing net. Media boom and fast internet access has squeezed distances. Easy access to information has become possible because of internet and computer technology. Recently a research was conducted to determine the popularity of internet, how much time people spend online compared to reading newspapers and using other media outlets. Now a man surfs the web at an internet cafe. News audiences are ditching television and using the Internet as their main source of information, in a trend that could eventually see the demise of local papers, according to the study.

T

News audiences ditch television and Internet as their main source of information, in a trend that could eventually see the demise of local papers

24

"As online use has increased, the audiences of older media have declined," Harvard University professor Thomas Patterson said in a report on the year-long study issued by Harvard's Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. According to the study, entitled "Creative Destruction: An Exploratory Look and News on the Internet", newspaper circulation has fallen by three percent while broadcast news has lost a million viewers only in the past one year. Meanwhile, the numbers of people using the Internet as a news source have increased

tremendously, in many cases. Traffic to websites that post news produced by a third source, including search engines and service providers, aggregators, such as topix.net or digg.com, which use software to monitor and post web content; and blogs -increased across the board. Monthly visitors to Digg.com, an aggregator which lets users decide on site content, skyrocketed in the last 12 months, from two million to more than 15 million. Other online news sources grew more modestly, with user rates growing by 14 percent for community websites and six percent for blogs. The Google, Yahoo, AOL and MSN websites between them have about 100 million monthly visitors, far outpacing user numbers on websites of major television networks, which averaged 7.4 million visitors a month. The authors of the study predict that many small newspapers could have difficulty holding on to even their web audience, and counsel that they include "national and international news in the mix." The results of the study show that advertisers are paying more attention to the shift in consumer behavior and investing more money into areas like digital marketing. Last year, the top two advertising mediums were newspapers, at $55.7 billion, and broadcast television at $48.7 billion. It estimates that by 2011, overall Internet advertising will become the largest advertising medium, at nearly $63 billion. The study found that for the first time in a decade, consumers spent less time with media than they did in the previous years. Usage per person dropped 0.5 percent to 3,530 hours annually. The study emphasized that digital media typically requires less time than traditional media. Previously consumers spent the most time with TV, followed by radio, which together combined for nearly 70 percent of the time spent

with media. That was followed by recorded music at 5.3 percent, newspapers at 5 percent, and the Internet at 5 percent. But this year the study forecasts the Internet will take up a bigger chunk of time spent with media than either. Internet will move up to 5.1 percent, while newspapers and recorded music each move down to 4.9 percent.

Traffic to websites that post news produced by a third source, including search engines, service providers and aggregators has increased tremendously in the last one year across the board At the same time, more time is being spent with media at the workplace, thanks to the Internet, the study showed. It said media usage by institutional end-users grew 3.2 percent to 260 hours per worker in 2006. It predicted that institutional media usage would continue to grow from 2007 to 2011. More and more companies need up-to-thesecond information. Most people in their jobs have access to computers on their desk -- companies need the information and are willing to pay for it.


Telecom

Flare Report

Excessive Cellphone Chat May Trigger Ear Problems ver since the inception of mobile phones, the official advice has been that the device is safe. The guidance is based on the assumption that the phones emit too little radiation to heat the brain dangerously. The new study, however, suggests that "non-thermal" radiation can pose a risk. Just 10 minutes of chatting on cellular phones is enough to trigger such chemical changes in the brain that can increase the risk of cancer and ear related problems, warn scientists. Although the researchers have yet not found any evidence that signals from cell phones are harmful, their findings suggest they may be. Several studies have been conducted to find an association between mobile use and brain tumors, but they neither found any such link nor any dramatic rise in cancer rates but a relation has been found between the use of cellphone and ear problems. In lab tests, the researchers exposed human and rat cells to low-level radiation at 875 megahertz, a similar frequency to the one used in many mobile phones. Despite being weaker than emissions from a typical handset, the radiation began to switch on a chemical signal inside the cells within ten minutes. The

E

26

The study suggests that "non-thermal" radiation can pose a risk. Just 10 minutes of chatting on cellular phones is enough to trigger such chemical changes in the brain that can increase the risk of cancer and ear related problems

chemical signals detected were involved in the division of cells. The researchers also claimed to have found a separate way in which mobile phones can damage health. "The significance lies in showing cells do react to cellphone radiation in a non-thermal way," said Dr Rony Seger, a co-author of the study published in a foreign Magazine.

Despite being weaker than emissions from a typical handset, the radiations switch on a chemical signals inside the cells within ten minutes. These chemical signals were found involved in the division of cells "The hearing loss was more in the dominant ear (ear of use). Presence of fullness in the ears, ear warmth, strange noises in the ear are warning signals which should not be ignored," Dr Naresh Panda, head of the department of Otolaryngology at PGIMER, who along with his team conducted the 18-month long study, said.

He said the aim of the study, which is a preliminary one, done on 100 long term mobile phone users, was to assess if long term mobile phone use had any adverse effect on hearing and central auditory pathways. Panda said the study was conducted on people between the age group of 18-45 years and those who were using GSM handsets. The study group was divided into three categories -- those using mobile phones for 1-2 years, 2-3 years and 3-4 years and above. Asked if study was suggesting that people should stop using mobile phones, Panda said that it was just a preliminary study and our aim is not to spread panic among the public. All we are saying that people should limit or curtail their usage and take measures like using ear phones.


Jameel Ahmed Memon

Telecom

Mobile TV involves integration of TV and cellular services, where it allows cellular users to enjoy personalized, interactive TV. Mobile TV delivers a variety of services including video-on-demand, traditional/linear and live TV programs. The idea of Mobile TV is sensed by many as the strongest future medium of broadcasting obile TV was introduced in South Korea back in 2002, where TV signals were transmitted over a standard cellular network (GSM), alongside Samsung and Vodafone introduced cell phones in Korea and Japan to receive local analog TV channels for free. Quality of this free TV was not satisfactory, and it drained the phone battery. In the United Kingdom BT was the first company outside Korea to implement Mobile TV. This was beginning of "Mobile TV revolution" as mobile manufacturers released high-quality DTVenabled phones and simultaneously rush to build the broadcast networks to deliver the corresponding content. Mobile TV involves integration of TV and cellular services, where it allows cellular users to enjoy personalized, interactive TV. However Traditional TV viewing experience may differ from mobile TV which delivers a variety of services including video-on-demand, traditional/linear and live TV programs. Another exciting opportunity for users is Mobile TV pod casts, where content is delivered to a user's mobile on demand or by subscriptions. Stored locally on the handset, this content can then be viewed even when there's no network connection. And a service provider can schedule the delivery to "off-peak" hours, for example during the night.

M

But technology advances are beginning to make TV phones a viable luxury. Fast "3G" networks (which provide broadband Internet access to cell phones and other mobile devices) proThree technologies are used for Mobile TV communication terrestrial, web-based and satellite. vide datatransfer rates type of devices, but none of the options got a of 144 Kbps to 2 megabits per second (Mbps). positive response from even half of those tak3G multicasting technology saves bandwidth ing the survey. While 40% prefer to watch by allowing multiple subscribers to access a single broadcast stream (as opposed to unicas- online video, just 17% showed interest in watching it on an iPod, and only 14% like the ting, which is a one-to-one transmission). And idea of seeing videos on a mobile phone. Many companies are implementing power-saving of subscribers showed their reservations transmission techniques like time sharing. Technology has made it possible to transmit regarding the high cost or unsatisfactory Quality of service. Mobile TV data via satellite, terrestrial towers Another survey conducted recently or WiFi/ WiMAX networks. A Web-enabled observed that more than half of European smartphone with data capabilities can pick up users who have tried Mobile TV decided it wasthe stream from any WiFi hotspot or WiMAX n't worth the effort. This data comes from a surcoverage area, while on the other hand terresvey of 22,000 European users, commissioned trial system can support up to 15 Mbps data by Tellabs and carried out by M:Metrics rate. Cost is the biggest issue turning off users. Broadcasters can transmit video 45% of disconnections came down to money, data from satellite to phone, from but 24% dropped the service because of qualisatellite to base station to phone or ty and reliability issues. Price and quality genuse both methods simultaneously, erally go hand-in-hand, so it's safe to assume system can reach data rates of 128 that better quality would have reduced conKbps. cerns about price. Nearly 30% of UK users Pakistan Telecommunication cited quality as the reason they wanted out. Authority stepped towards the The study didn't establish what technology launching of Mobile TV, which is was being used, so unfortunately there is no one of the hot services offered by opportunity to compare broadcast with narrowTelenor, while Wateen is also plancast solutions. But overall it seems that users ning to launch Interactive TV aren't enjoying the experience of video on the through its WiMax network. move and, once they have shown it off to their Huge amount of mobile service mates, seem to have little time for it. subscribers are not using hi-tech cell phones This does not predict well for the industry, because of several identified reason. This facwhich is betting a great deal on consumers tor may decrease number of subscriber to wanting video on the go and being prepared to choose Mobile TV offered by Telenor, even pay for it. Interactive TV service of wateen are though Mobile TV charges by Telenor are expected shortly over the fully hi-tech network, reduced to only 149/Month + tax for 22 chanalso subscribers will have options to choose on nels, which includes 10 new channels in the the bases of QoS and cost. After having a categories of entertainment, news, sports, close look at Pakistani market trends, analysts music and business channels. doubt the extensive use of Mobile TV in local A survey conducted by a Los Angeles market. However in the long run, the service based firm showed that few teens and young can benefit the end user to a great deal once adults are interested in watching video on the pricing and quality levels are maintained.
mobile devices like cell phones or iPods. Not surprisingly, the level of interest varies by the

Mobile TV can benefit the end user to a great deal but service providers have to fix pricing and quality levels to a certain limit to achieve the desired number of service users Delivering TV signals over mobile network poses some challenges. For one thing, streaming video requires fast transmission speeds. "2G" GSM networks provide data rate of 10 to 14 kilobits per second (Kbps), and "2.5G" networks offer 30 to 100 Kbps. At 10 Kbps, a TV show is really a slide show; at 100 Kbps, streaming is still quite choppy. There's also the bandwidth issue. Video data takes up a lot more space than voice, and delivering live TV to thousands of cell phones simultaneously can slow down a network to a crawl. Finally, receiving and displaying video content requires enough power and processing resources.

27

WEDDING

Fahad Shahid, son of Mr. Pervaiz Shahid, Member of Abu Dhabi Group and a senior official of Bank Al-Falah, ties the knot with Sara. H.H Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, senior minister UAE, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, President of Pakistan Muslim League, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Chief Minister Punjab, Mr. Bashir Tahir, CEO Dhabi Group and other family members are also seen in the picture. Below are the group photographs of freinds and relatives including Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister Pakistan, present at the ceremony.

28

Pictorial

The signing ceremony marking the acquisition of 30% equity stake in Warid Telecom Pakistan by Singtel for US $758m was held in Abu Dabhi. Chairman Abu Dabhi Group (Warid Telecom) H.H Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan and SingTel's Group Chief Executive Officer Ms. Chua Sock Koong are signing the agreement.

Chief Executive Officer Integrated Technology Partnera ‘Anwar Matin’ addressing a press conference along with other officers of ITP at a local hotel.

CMPak CEO Guo You Ghong inaugurating the first tower of Paktel at Baghbanpura area Lahore.

Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari attending the launching ceremony of new web portal of Government of Pakistan held at a local hotel. Pakistan, India and Sri Lankan female swimmers pose for a group photo after the medal ceremony of day three of the 1st South Asian Swimming & Water Polo Championship, at Pakistan Sports Complex. Five countries are contesting in the mega event.

A group photograph of Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Durrani with the participants during 6 TV licences and 3 cellular phone licences giving ceremony at PAMERA Headquarters.

Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Coordinator General of Comstech Dr. Attaur Rehman addressing the inaugural session of a week-long International Thematic Workshop on DNA/Emerging Vaccines and Production Challenges jointly organized by HEC and Comstech.

29

Pictorial

US Ambassador Ms. Anne W. Patterson addressing to the students on “the Human Dimension of Diplomacy” at Foreign Service Academy. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz and Federal Minister for Port & Shipping, Babar Khan Ghauri, Jamal Akbar Ansari, CEO Akbar Group present at the singing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and a Consortium of Fauji Foundation, Akbar Group and Portia Management Services, UK for the construction of Pakistan's First Dedicated Modern Grain and Fertilizer Terminal to be built at Port Qasim, held at PM House in Islamabad.

Kamran Lashari, President Pakistan Swimming Federation, speaks during a press conference regarding the South Asian Swimming and Water polo Championship. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz talking to Director General Asian Development Bank (ADB), Juan Miranda at Prime Minister House.

A group photograph of Provincial Finance Minister Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak with ACCA Pakistan Approved Employer during a ceremony.

Punjab Education Minister, Mian Imran Masood giving books to a position holder student during prize distribution ceremony of Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE) held at Al-Hamra Hall in Lahore. Chairman Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE), Mohammad Zakarya Butt is also present on this occasion.

30

Advisor to Prime Minister Dr. Salman Shah addressing the inaugural ceremony of a twoday national conference on “Technology Upgradation in Industry Key to High Value Addition and Growth” at LCCI.

PTCL staffers engaged in repairing work of cabinet wires of telephone lines which was damaged due to an explosion.

Event

Flare Report

The Gitex Technology Week has demonstrated its strength as the region's IT procurement platform, with major deals and high profile technology launches stealing the spotlight at the event

T

he 27th edition of GITEX, the newly named GITEX Technology Week, was a "great success", Helal Al Marri, director general of show organizers Dubai World Trade Centre declared as the show drew to a close. Admitting that initially organizers saw the show as a "bit of a challenge" this year feedback gathered was well received. The new format of the show, the region's largest annual technology event worked well, enabling more companies to take part in the show and for the event to have more focus. Feedback from exhibitors on the new organization was also on the whole positive with many commenting that there seemed to be more serious visitors this time. One of the largest and most significant announcements at this year's Gitex Business Solutions exhibition was SAP AG's acquisition of the software license and maintenance business of SAP Arabia, its exclusive long-term

32

partner in the region. Other major announcements have included the unveiling of the master plan for SmartCity Malta, a new self-sustained industry township for knowledge-based companies to be developed by Dubai-based SmartCity in partnership with the government of Malta, and the award of a multi-million euro contract to AlcatelLucent from the Egyptian mobile operator Mobinil, to expand its wireless network. Vendors reporting an impressive run of new deals at the show include Oracle, HP, Avaya, Sun Microsystems, IBM and Fujitsu Siemens Computer. Over 3,300 companies participated in the event held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) to meet potential and existing customers and many have brought the latest hardware and software to display on the show-floor. Given the volume of trade visitors, many companies have opted to host the regional launch of key new technologies at the show.


UAE Finance and Industry Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Makhtoum during his visit at GITEX 2007. The annual largest information technology fair in the Middle East hosted more than 3000 exhibited from almost 80 countries. Other pictures includes highlights from the event

Thuraya’s new generation handset is powerful and compact, offering total convenience and mobility. World’s Smallest Satellite Phone Thuraya SO-2510 offers satellite services exclusively in a mobile handset that is as compact and light satellite phone ever made. Mobility Unlimited Thuraya SO-2510 offers you mobility and a choice to stay connected with Thuraya satellite services in places where terrestrial and GSM communications are unavailable. System - Satellite only Phone Memory- up to 32 MB Dimensions - 118 x 53 x 18.8 mm (HxWxD) Weight - 130 g Display - 262,000 colours Resolution - 128 x 128 pixels (1.5 inch) Polyphonic Ring Tones Connectivity - USB GmPRS capabilities Supports 12 languages Battery: Talk time up to 2.4 Hrs Standby time up to 40+ Hrs

Thuraya SG-2520 is an advanced smart phone using cutting edge satellite technology. Its superiority reflected three integreted technologies in one handset: satellite, GSM and GPS offering users an unmatched combination of quality and performance. Phone Features: System - Satellite, GSM Tri-Band (900/1800/1900) Memory: Internal - Up to 128 MB External - SD memory card Dimensions: 138.5 x 52 x 18.8 mm (HxWxD) Weight - 170 g Display: Colour display - 176 x 220 pixels, 262,000 colours Camera - Integrated 1.3 Mega pixel GmPRS capabilities: Satellite and GSM Mode Operating system - WinCE 4.2 Micro browser - HTML, WAP 1.0, WAP 2.0 Supports 12 languages Battery Satellite Mode Talk Time up to 2.4 hrs Standby time up to 40+ hrs GSM Mode Talk time up to 4.0 hrs Standby time up to 75 hrs

World in Focus

US Requests WTO in Copyright Spat with China The US government has again lodged an official complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's failure to deal with copyright infringement and product piracy and has requested formal mediation. This represents an escalation of the dispute with China. The negotiations, carried out under WTO rules following an initial complaint from the US submitted in April, have, in the opinion of the US government, failed to achieve the desired result. The office of the US trade has complained that China has failed to introduce measures to resolve the disputed issues. The US is accusing China of breaching various WTO regulations with regard to trade in and treatment of intellectual property. Sean Spicer, a spokesman for Schwab, stated that although the Chinese government has taken cautious steps towards improving protection of intellectual property over the last few years, the US government "still sees important gaps." According to estimates by lobby groups, in 2006 product piracy and copyright infringement in China cost American businesses around 2.2 billion dollars in sales. The US is in particular complaining about the high threshold for prosecution for copyright infringements under Chinese criminal law. Wholesalers and retailers are able to trade in fake goods below this threshold and thus remain safe from prosecution. The high threshold means that product piracy at commercial levels is effectively permitted. In addition, China needs to ensure that fake goods seized by customs authorities no longer end up being sold. China prefers bilateral negotiations in order to avoid WTO sanctions. The US government wants to continue talks with China on other intellectual property issues in parallel with the WTO process. In April the head of the Chinese Intellectual Property Office, Tian Lipu, described the initial complaint as "not a smart move by the US government" and pointed to progress made by the Chinese government. The threshold for prosecution for fake goods has, for example, been reduced from 1000 to 500 copies. Irrespective of this, the WTO is to establish a panel to mediate in the dispute and rule on the US complaint. China can initially block the formation of a mediation panel, but cannot then block any second application made by the US. After hearing from both parties and from expert witnesses, the panel will then issue a concluding ruling on the dispute. The whole process can take up to a year, or even longer if one party contests the proceedings.


World of Warcraft Being Sued by Chinese Company This file image from the game "World of Warcraft" was provided by its publisher, Blizzard Entertainment. A Beijing-based software company has filed a lawsuit against the creator of "World of Warcraft" and the game's Chinese operator. Blizzard Entertainment may be in trouble. The stylish letters in World of Warcraft could end up costing them a lot of money. Chinese character fonts are at the basis of this lawsuit, brought on by Founder, a Chinese company which develops character fonts. Apparently, the Chinese version of WoW uses the character fonts without permission, and Founder found a reason to sue. Blizzard had no immediate comment, though its attorneys said that the matter is still under investigation. Should the lawsuit turn out in Founder's favor, it will possibly be a costly result for Blizzard with 3.5 million subscribers to WoW in China.


Yahoo Adds Features to Popular E-Mail

34

Yahoo Inc. has introduced new features for its popular Web-based e-mail program, including software that allows computer users to type text messages on a keyboard and send them directly to someone's cell phone. The enhancements make it easier to send e-mail, instant messages or text messages from a single Web site no need to launch or toggle between separate applications or devices. The features will be available to users in the United States, Canada, India and the Philippines; however SMS for more countries including Pakistan will be available soon. “The most obvious beneficiaries will be parents, who will be able to use their keyboards to type messages sent to their children's cell phones - no thumb-twisting typing on a dial pad” said Yahoo Vice President John Kremer. "We are giving you the right way to connect at the right time with right person," said Kremer, whose two preteen sons vastly prefer text and instant messages to email. The changes come amid fierce competition among providers of free, Webbased e-mail services. Yahoo and Microsoft Corp.'s Hotmail have long dominated the niche, but Google Inc.'s Gmail has grown quickly since its introduction in April 2004. In March, Yahoo announced that it would provide unlimited storage space, and earlier this month Microsoft said that Hotmail would increase free storage from 2 to 5 gigabytes. Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, the fourth largest e-mail provider, began offering unlimited storage last summer. Google provides nearly 3 gigabytes. Sunnyvale-based Yahoo bills the changes as the most significant overhaul of Yahoo Mail since its launch in 1997. The new version replaces a one-year-old beta program and adds new features, including text messaging, a more comprehensive e-mail search engine and an easier to read and edit contacts database. Users who don't want the upgrades or whose computers are too slow to handle them can opt to remain with the current version, which Yahoo will call "Classic." The new version allows users to click on a contact and then select whether to send that person an e-mail, instant message or text message. You could send an e-mail or instant message if you know the recipient is at the computer or a text message if the recipient is on the road with a cell phone. "This gives people the ability to reach anybody in their contact database anytime and or good or evil, it's going to be much easier for anybody to get hold of you." said Mike McGuire, vice president of research at industry analysis firm Gartner Inc.


World in Focus

Europe's Biggest Games Convention Computer and video games fans from all over the world come to Leipzig to check out the latest companies have to offer in electronic games and infotainment. The Leipzig Games Convention, first held in 2002, today rivals the Tokyo Game Show as the biggest game event in the world. It has already become Europe's largest show for interactive entertainment and is expecting to attract more than 200,000 visitors over its four-day run. More than 500 exhibitors from 35 countries have made the trip to the eastern German city. As the organizers point out, "playing is quite simply part of human nature it is only the toys that have changed over the course of time." Visitors to the GC get the chance to see and try out the latest in video games and infotainment as well as check out the newest trends in educational software. This year leading German mobile phone content provider Jamba is participating for the first time with a display of the latest trends in games specifically designed for mobile phones. The show will mark the European debut of the elite version of Microsoft's Xbox 360. Chipmaker Intel unveiled its new high-performance central processing chip, which is aimed at gaming and highly demanding operations. It contains powerful graphics processors and memory capabilities that are required for today's sophisticated games. The speed at which the computer games sector is developing worldwide is breathtaking. Advancements in sound and graphics cards make the simple shoot-'em-up games of the early days seem years away. In Germany the number of game fans playing on notebooks has leapt from 5 percent in 2005 to 21 percent this year. Among the highlights of the 2007 GC is the performance by Martin Leung of extracts from well-known video game music, including "Zelda," "Halo" and "Final Fantasy." Leung, who's also known as "the video game pianist" is one of the first musicians worldwide to achieve international fame with his renditions of video-game music. His breakthrough came in 2004 with an internet video showing him playing the title music from "Super Mario World" blindfolded. Germany's oldest registered online game player, 85-year-old Walter Lutzky, is also in Leipzig. He's been playing his favorite card game, "Skat," online since 2004 and is looking for a new console.


Japan to Get Quake Warning System Akihiko Sawamura, a field engineer in Yokohama, near Tokyo, looks at a monitor screen indicating a strong level 5 earthquake will hit Tokyo in 38 seconds. It's still beyond the reach of science to predict exactly when an earthquake will strike, but Japan will soon get the next-best thing - televised warnings that come before anyone feels the ground shake. Japan's Meteorological Agency and national broadcaster are teaming up to alert the public of earthquakes as much as 30 seconds before they hit, or at least before they can bring their full force down on populated areas. The system - the first of its kind in the world - does not predict quakes, but officials say it can give people enough time to get away from windows that could shatter, or to turn off ovens and prevent fires from razing homes. The warnings, to begin in October, will be based on data provided by the Meteorological Agency, which maintains a network of sensors deep underground that estimate the intensity of a quake as soon as the ground ruptures. Alarms can go out before the shaking starts because there is a lag between the time it takes for different seismic waves to travel to the surface. Japan, which sits atop four tectonic plates, has been hit by 83 earthquakes strong enough to cause injury since March 1996, including one last month that killed 11 people and caused a fire and small radiation leak at a nuclear power plant. The agency started issuing warnings last August to more than 500 organizations such as power companies and train operators. "Chaos and injuries could result, for example, if an urgent earthquake warning is sent to a facility with large numbers of customers and a crush forms at the exits as people rush to get out," a meteorological agency study group said in a report last year. The warnings, it was decided, must come with explanations of what people should do - stop cars and elevators, get away from things that can fall and, most of all, protect their heads.


Laptop, 'Tongue Sucker' Fetch Awards An electric sports car, a prosthetic foot for land mine victims and a potentially lifesaving device known as the ``Tongue Sucker'' were among the winners of an international award honoring innovative designs. The INDEX prize of $136,000, which is given out in five categories, also awarded an inexpensive laptop designed for children in the developing world and a water purification bottle. The award, which is funded by private and public companies in Denmark, was first given out in 2005 ``to celebrate design that not only looks good but also improves lives of people all over the world, said Kigge Hviid, manager of the award foundation "Great design is a way to tell people that you value them,'' said Yves Behar, a Swiss designer who was part of the team behind the "XO" portable computer. He said the prize money would be donated to the Massachusetts-based One Laptop Per Child program, which has been trying to line up governments in several countries to buy the machines, which for now cost $175. Philip Greer, one of the British designers behind the "Tongue Sucker", said that first-aid device could be used to open the airways of an unconscious person by sucking the tongue from the back of the mouth. Canadian Sebastien Dubois said his prosthetic foot was designed for land mine victims, and could be produced for as little as $8 in developing countries using local materials. The other winners were the "Solar Bottle", which disinfects water with the help of sunlight and the Tesla Roadster electric sports car made by California-based Tesla Motors.


35

World in Focus

SAP to Invest $1b to Expand Indian Presence By 2010 SAP AG, one of the largest provider of business application software, has reiterated its focus on the Indian market. The company has announced that it has doubled its customer base in India from 1,000 to 2,000 since August 2006. It also said that the company was the first enterprise software vendor in India to cross the 1,000 customer mark, which further reinforces the company's leadership in India. Picture shows Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the executive board, SAP AG, Henning Kagermann (L) looks on as Deputy Chief Executive Officer Leo Apotheker (C) shakes hands with President, SAP India Subcontinent, Ranjan Das (R), during a press conference in New Delhi. It is for the first time that the entire SAP executive board is in India. Henning Kagermann, CEO and chairman of the executive board, SAP said "The unprecedented growth that we are seeing from India is one of the best examples of how our 2010 strategy translates into action. Markets like India are at an inflection point when it comes to the adoption of technology by businesses of all shapes and sizes. For instance, it took us nine years in India to reach the 1,000 customer mark, and only one to double it." Globally, the company has set a goal of reaching 100,000 customers by 2010. In order to achieve the goal, the company plans to significantly expand the addressable market for enterprise software solutions by aggressively targeting small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) and emerging markets. Validating the continuing importance of India to SAP, the company reaffirmed the investment of $1 billion in the country by 2010. A major portion of SAP's investment in India is targeted at expanding the company's global development and services and support hub in India - SAP Labs. "SAP Labs India is today the largest research and development hub and support presence for us outside Germany," added Kagermann. "While the Bangalore centre will continue to play a central global leadership role, we now foresee the Gurgaon centre focusing on global service and support scaling up significantly in the next few years to enable us to meet our aggressive goals for India."


Asustek Sets Launch of Laptop Asustek Computer Inc. will launch its much-awaited low-priced computer next month, becoming one of the first companies marketing the ultramobile product for the developing world. Developed in conjunction with Intel Corp., the Taiwan computer maker's laptop, with a seven-inch (18-centimeter) screen, also will come in a more-sophisticated model that will target developing countries, said Asustek Chairman Jonney Shih. “A simple model will be priced at US$199, while one with more features will sell for between US$245 and US$299,” he said. Intel and the nonprofit organization One Laptop Per Child have aimed to bring affordable laptops to the most remote and poorest children in the world. "It will be a laptop that's easy to learn, easy to play and easy to work with ... one targeting both the emerging and mature markets," Mr. Shih said. Some analysts expect the low-priced laptop to sell well because of its mobility and easy use. Asustek also announced a 91% rise in first-half net profit on strong demand for personal-computer products. The world's largest maker of computer motherboards by revenue said that its net profit rose to achieve the height of US 411.7 million dollars. "The entire PC industry, including motherboards, is doing well," said Nick Wu, an investment-relations officer at Asustek. "Hence, our margins and costs have stabilized, resulting in better profits."


Acer-Gateway Deal Poses Threat to Other PC Makers

36

If Acer completes its $710 million acquisition of Gateway, the Taiwanese company would immediately become the third largest computer maker in the United States, and be in a strong position to increase the competitive pressure in the consumer market against the top three PC vendors HewlettPackard, Dell, and Lenovo. Lenovo would be the first to feel the heat if the deal goes through as planned in December. Besides threatening to push Lenovo to fourth in the global market, the AcerGateway agreement could kill Lenovo's talks to buy Netherlands-based Packard Bell, which the Chinese company wanted to give it a bigger presence in the global consumer market. Gateway owns all of the shares of Packard Bell parent company PB Holding, has said in a statement that it "intends to exercise its right of first refusal" to acquire all the shares of PB Holding, an indication that Packard Bell could become a part of the combined company. The Acer-Gateway deal would also double Acer's market share in the United States, making it the clear No. 3 computer maker. In the second quarter, Gateway was third behind Dell and HP, with 5.6% of PC shipments, according to IDC. Acer was sixth with 5.2% of the market. Globally, Lenovo and Acer have been battling hard for third place over the last two quarters. Acer took the position from Lenovo in the first quarter, giving it back to the Chinese company in the second quarter, according to Gartner. Nevertheless, Acer had a very strong second quarter, recording more than a 54% increase in shipments year to year - the biggest increase among the five top vendors. The heated competition between Acer and Lenovo highlights the rise of computer brands owned by Asian companies, which in the past used to make computers for other vendors. The current market reflects how they've moved from manufacturing to branding, marketing, and sales. "It becomes a little bit of Taiwan versus China," said J.P. Gownder, analyst for Forrester Research. "It moves them up the value chain a bit." Nevertheless, whether it's Lenovo or Acer in the third slot in the global market, the companies will remain far behind No. 1 Hewlett-Packard and No. 2 Dell, which together accounted for more than 35% of all PC shipments in the second quarter, according to IDC. Lenovo and Acer, which were third and fourth, respectively, had a combined total of 15.5%.


World in Focus

iCame, iSaw, iCaved Steve Jobs unveiled new iPods with touch screens inspired from iPhone, video games and new storage capacities. Jobs began by announcing that iTunes sold over 600 million copies of iTunes and that Apple has sold 95 million TV shows. After, he introduced a new iTunes version which will support ringtones. Practically, thanks to this new feature, users can create custom ringtones from any of the 500.000 songs offered by Apple's music store. After he finished introducing ringtones Jobs began unveiling the new iPods. "We're approaching holiday 2007 and today we're going to refresh or replace every single product on this lineup," said CEO Steve Jobs during the "The Beat Goes On"' event held at Moscone Center in San Francisco. First, Jobs unveiled the new iPod nano. It has video capabilities and a 2.0-inch display that features the same resolution as the previous-generation full-sized iPod: 320 x 240 pixels "We've achieved this with a screen with the highest pixel density we've ever shipped: 204ppi," explained Jobs. "And the screen is just gorgeous. We see it you're going to really love it." Beside video, the new iPod nano ships with three games and comes in two versions: a 4GB version in silver for $149, and 8GB version in colours, for $199. iPod nano delivers up to 24 hours of audio playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge, and is encased in a beautiful new allmetal design made with anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel and comes in five new colors-silver, black, blue, green and a RED special edition. Apple CEO announced a new name and new features for the iPod. "Now the iPod's got a funny name," said Jobs. "It's just called "the iPod" because it was the first one. We thought, "It's time to give it a name." We're going to call it the iPod Classic." According to Jobs, the iPod Classic is now thinner than the 30GB thin model that preceded it. Apple announced two versions: the new 80GB model costs $249, while the 160GB model costs $349. And after iPod Classic, Jobs started to talk about the iPod everyone was expecting: iPod Touch with WiFi capabilities. The new iPod Touch looks exactly like the iPhone. It has the same size, but 8mm is thinner, "We think it's one of the Seven Wonders of the World." said Jobs. "We've built WiFi in and we've made it USABLE. We're REALLY excited about this." Similar to iPhone, the iPod touch's battery lasts for 22 hours of audio playback and five hours of video playback per charge, according to Apple. The player will be offered in two versions 8GB and 16GB, for $299 and $399 respectively. The iPod Touch also includes Safari, that lets users wirelessly view web pages just as they look on their computer, and features Google Search or Yahoo! oneSearch. Also it offers Apple's YouTube application. But Jobs dropped the real bomb in the end of the event. He announced that Apple is on track to sell its one millionth iPhone before the end of September, and….hold your breath…to make iPhone affordable for even more customers this holiday season, it is lowering the price of the most popular iPhone model with 8GB of storage from $599 to just $399. "The surveys are in and iPhone customer satisfaction scores are higher than we've ever seen for any Apple product," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We've clearly got a breakthrough product and we want to make it affordable for even more customers as we enter this holiday season." Jobs said that 8GB iPhone is available immediately for $399 in the US through Apple's retail and online stores and AT&T retail stores. The iPhone 4GB model will be sold while supplies last.


Mobile Phone Technology Turns 20 On 7 September 1987, 15 phone firms signed an agreement to build mobile networks based on the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications. According to the GSM Association there are more than 2.5 billion accounts that use this mobile phone technology. Adoption of the technology shows no signs of slowing down with many developing nations becoming keen users of mobile handsets. Robert Conway, head of the GSM Association, said that memorandum of understanding signed in 1987 is widely seen as the moment when the global mobile industry got under way. Although work on the GSM technical specifications began earlier, the agreement signed in 1987 committed those operators to building networks based upon it. "There's no doubt that at the time of the agreement in 1987 no one had an idea of the explosive capabilities in terms of growth that would happen after the GSM standard was agreed," he said “Since then, the numbers of people using GSM mobiles has always outstripped the predictions. Once the preserve of the well off, mobiles were now the everyday gadget that's essential to people's lives," he said. Figures from the GSM Association show it took 12 years for the first billion mobile connections to be made but only 30 months for the figure to reach two billion. This was because handsets were now cheap and mobile networks much less expensive to set up than the fixed alternatives. But getting mobiles in to the hands of billions of people was just the start, said Mr Conway. "The technology is a gravitational force that brings in to its orbit a huge amount of innovators," he said. In the future, he suggested, high-speed networks would be ubiquitous adding the intelligence of mobiles to anything and everything. "The technology will be in the fabric of your clothing, your shoes, in appliances, in your car," he said. For instance, he said, the ubiquity of mobile technology could revolutionize healthcare and see people wearing monitors that gather and transmit information about vital signs. Phones too could change radically in the future. "You'll pull them out of your pocket and they'll look like a map but unfold like a screen," said Mr. Conway. "We're now on the verge of another wave and that's going to be stimulated by mobile broadband."
38

Telecom

Toyota, EDF Working Together On European Plug-In Hybrid Toyota recently got the OK to go into the plug-in game in Japan, and now the super-best number one awesome automaker from the land of the rising sun is looking to do the same in France. Toyota and Electricite de France SA (EDF) are working together to "evaluate Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles in Europe. The objective is to develop practical solutions for the commercialization of Toyota's prototype vehicle technology, which can further reduce the environmental impact of vehicles especially in urban areas. Under the joint agreement, a small number of PHVs will be integrated into EDF's fleet and will be tested on public roads in France under every-day driving conditions. Road trials of the PHV will commence in France in the autumn and may be expanded to other European countries in the future. The vehicles use Toyota's hybrid technology but with the added benefit that their batteries can be recharged using a standard electrical plug. Toyota's PHV technology combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor and a battery which can be charged in two ways: either whilst the vehicle is driving and by recovering energy otherwise lost during braking, or by connecting the vehicle to an electric supply source at home, work or at a public charging station. For short journeys, a PHV would rely more on electric power, offering significant reductions in CO2 emissions through reduced consumption of fossil fuels. For longer distances, it would switch to a combined electric/gasoline mode. EDF and Toyota have also developed an innovative charging and invoicing system, equipped in each of the test vehicles. This system is compatible with a new generation of public charging stations, which aim to make electric power more accessible on public roads and car parks and to reduce the cost to the customer. For more than 40 years, EDF has acted to promote the use of electricity for transport and rechargeable vehicles, in-line with its strategy of sustainable development. Mr Pierre Gadonneix, President and CEO of EDF said. "I am delighted by this partnership between EDF and Toyota on a new generation of vehicles. This innovation is a promising move towards acceptance of electricity as a competitive and ecologically-viable source of energy for European motorists. It strives to reconcile the challenges of individual mobility, economic growth and environmental impacts". "This new collaboration marks an important milestone in advancing global capability in the area of alternative fuel sources for transport, which we believe are critical to society's future," "We are proud to partner such a leading European energy supplier as EDF, with whom we share a common vision towards sustainable mobility." said Mr. Masatami Takimoto, Executive Vice-President of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). 2007 marks ten years of hybrid leadership for Toyota since the launch of its first mass-produced hybrid vehicle in 1997. Having sold over one million hybrid units worldwide and over 100,000 in Europe, the company now aims to sell one million hybrid units a year globally in the early 2010.


Toshiba, SanDisk at odds over next NAND plant site Japan's Toshiba and U.S. partner SanDisk appear to be at odds over when and where to build their next flash memory plant, straining an 8-year-old relationship that has helped both firms profit in a fast-growing market. While the two are unlikely to break off ties, failing to agree could have big implications for supply and prices of flash memory a few years from now and could even alter alignments in the $12 billion NAND microchip market. Toshiba, the world's second-largest maker of NAND flash memory after Samsung, and SanDisk, the top supplier of flash memory storage cards, have spent $5 billion to build two factories together since joining hands in 1999. Toshiba wants to build their next plant in Japan, but SanDisk wants to look at sites elsewhere too. If the talks get bogged down, that could affect the speed of future ramp-ups once the two firms' newest plant in western Japan hits full capacity in the 2009/10 business year. The ties between the two are key to Toshiba's ambition to beat rivals such as Samsung, Intel Corp and Micron Technology, but analysts say SanDisk is holding the cards in talks on a new plant. Toshiba wants a decision on a site by March to better meet demand in years ahead for NAND, used in portable electronics such as Apple Inc's iPod digital media players and the iPhone. SanDisk is now looking for 100 engineers to staff the two firms' newest plant, which will begin mass production in December and plans to ramp up shipments of three-bit-per-cell memory technology to pack more capacity onto each chip and cut costs. Another risk in Japan is earthquakes, such as the one that hit a key factory at Sanyo Electric chip unit in 2004, ruining equipment and causing customer flight. Toshiba, which blames its downfall as a top supplier of PC memory on an exodus of engineers to Samsung in the 1980s, has repeated its vow to build its next NAND plant in Japan.


LG Releases Dual-Format hi-def Disc Player In this photo provided by LG Electronics, Michael K. Ahn, LG Electronics USA Inc., chief executive officer, shows off the company's new dual-format player during the 2007 Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association Expo 2007 in Denver With the high-definition disc format war still going full-bore, LG has introduced its next-generation dual-format player. Playing both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, the Super Blu Player, scheduled to be unveiled at CEDIA in Denver under the model number BH200. The player, scheduled for an October release at an MSRP of $999, succeeds the BH-100, which was launched earlier this year as the first player of its kind. More details will be announced later, but LG says that the new player will give access to all interactive features on Blu-ray and HD DVD movies, as well as outputting of 1080p video resolution, and various audio formats.
39

World in Focus

Microsoft Teams up in Japan to set Robotics Standards Microsoft Corp. is the unquestioned leader in computer operating systems with Windows but the growing field of robotics relies on diverse programming platforms. The Redmond, Washington-based software giant last year launched Microsoft Robotics Studio, eying robotics as a potential expanding market of the PCs. Microsoft Co. Ltd., the company's Japanese unit, said it was forming a technological alliance with Tmsuk Co. to further develop programming software. "Currently many kinds of robots are made individually based on different operating systems and not all of the newly developed technologies can be adapted to one another," said Shunichi Kajisa, the Japanese unit's chief technology officer. "We aim to commonise robotics technology by recommending researchers use our Microsoft Robotics Studio," he told a news conference. Tmsuk President Yoichi Takamoto said: "We've developed various sorts of robots with different partners, but right now we cannot adopt one technology used in robot A to robot B. "If this Microsoft software comes to be used by many developers, then technological advances in robotics will dramatically accelerate," he said. Tmsuk, a company originally focused on factory automation in the southwestern city of Kitakyushu, has developed a variety of robots for practical use as well as experimental humanoids, in cooperation with universities and other firms. One example is a disaster relief robot, which was put to use clearing rubble after a powerful earthquake hit central Japan in July. Microsoft's Kajisa said that the company chose Tmsuk because of its "network of researchers in universities, as well as its past achievements in robotics. But Atsuo Takanishi, a professor at Waseda University and a leading researcher of robotics in Japan, said it remained to be seen if Microsoft would come to dominate the field. "We have to try first to see if the Microsoft software can really be used for developing robots with state-of-theart technology," Takanishi said. "But I don't think it is very difficult to modify the existing technologies developed with other operating system -such as Linux -- into a Microsoft version," he said. Japanese companies have increasingly focused on humanoids, seeing advanced robots as a future resource in a nation whose population is shrinking. Japan's most famous humanoid is ASIMO, which Honda Motor Co. gave birth to in 2000. ASIMO has danced and dined with dignitaries as a Japanese ambassador of sorts and has been put to use as a coffee-serving office receptionist.


Intel opens up new vista for Bangladesh US-based CPU-maker Intel penned a deal with Bangladesh's IT consultancy Grameen Solutions to offer computers and help with information technology education in rural areas. The agreement was signed by Barrett and Muhammad Yunus, the Grameen Solutions chairman and Nobel Peace Prize winner, in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital. Speaking at a press conference in Bangladesh, Intel's chief, Craig Barrett stated that under the new agreement, over the next three years, Intel will be offering 1,000 computers to schools and coach teachers to help spread information technology in the country. This is the techno evangelist's first visit to Bangladesh. In addition, this pact will also enable the two companies to cohesively promote and support digital projects across the South Asian nation, enhance education, connectivity, and access to technology, web content and software applications. But all the same, currently Intel does not intend putting its money in Bangladesh's slowly emerging information, communication and technologies sector, Barrett told a news conference in the capital, Dhaka. Instead of that Intel will be joining hands wit software firms across Bangladesh to develop localized Internet content and software, continued Barrett. Furthermore, Intel and Grameen also plan to team-up for working on WiMAX technology, which is believed to be a cost effective and efficient system to deliver broadband Internet access to rural areas.


Ko San Chosen as First Korean Astronaut

40

The first Korean astronaut, who will go on a space trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in April next year has been chosen. The Ministry of Science and Technology said Ko San (30) was selected over fellow finalist Yi So-yeon (28) at a meeting of the seven-member selection committee that includes Korea Aerospace Research Institute President Paik Hong-yul. Ko will travel into space on a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan in April next year. He will stay at the International Space Station for seven or eight days performing various tasks including scientific experiments. At the meeting, the Science and Technology Ministry said both candidates Ko and Yi were qualified to fulfill space science duties but Ko scored higher and performed better during a training program in Russia and during a space science experiment training program in Korea. Ko will continue training programs in a team with two Russian cosmonauts until March next year. As the backup in case Ko should be unable to board the spacecraft, Yi will undergo the same training separately. The two candidates were given their certificates by Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Kyuhyung at the Korean Embassy in Moscow. At the ceremony, Ko said, "I'm very happy at this moment. I'll do my best until the moment I take the first step into the space as a citizen of the Republic of Korea." Ko has a B.S. in mathematics and an M.S. in cognitive science from Seoul National University. He was a researcher at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology before becoming one of 36,206 applicants to be the first Korean in space.


World in Focus

ATM Makers See Ties to Cell Phones, PDAs Diebold and NCR, long key players and staunch competitors in the automated teller machines market, are both firming up strategies for communicating with an ATM by cell phone or personal digital assistant. The Ohio-based companies are banking that a generation comfortable with increasingly versatile communications devices will be interested in technology that helps them find an ATM or avoid waiting in a long line to complete a transaction. Over the past two years, Diebold has won five U.S. patents for applications that enable mobile devices to interact directly with bank ATMs. "It's more than a social trend, it's a global one," said Jim Block, Diebold director for global advanced technology. "More and more things are becoming centered on the cell phone." Bob Tramontano, NCR vice president for self-service, said adding that the company has been developing technology for linking hand-held communications devices with ATMs since 2001. NCR already uses such technology in Denmark and Singapore. Genie Driskill, vice president and director of research at Atlanta-based Synergistics Research Corp., which tracks consumer trends in banking, said mobile banking is a hot trend. Many banks are either testing or have started mobile banking programs, which could involve ATMs, she said. The Diebold patents involve allowing banking consumers to use their mobile devices to locate and get directions to the nearest ATM, order cash withdrawals remotely and generate various other transactions by linking to an ATM. Diebold has estimated such applications will be widely available within three to five years. "All of the ideas embodied in these patents actually came about before the phone was observed to be a ubiquitous, always-in-my-pocket sort of device," Block said. “As bank consumers get used to online banking from home on desktop computers, they may increasingly want similar ATM options,” he said. A one-time code the mobile device user would receive could then be entered when arriving at a specified ATM. The user could insert an ATM card and the one-time code and the ATM would then know to complete the transaction, such as a cash withdrawal. That one-time code could be an attraction to anyone who isn't comfortable about punching in a PIN code in a public place. NCR's Tramontano said what may prove to be a popular benefit for the technology is that an ATM user can arrange to have an ATM receipt sent electronically to a cell phone or PDA.


HTC Picks Qualcomm Mobile Chips Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp., the world's largest developer of smartphones that use Microsoft software, plans to launch more than ten mobile phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants) armed with Qualcomm Inc. chips by the end of this year. HTC is the first company to launch smartphones based on Qualcomm's latest chipsets, the dual-core Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM7500. The company will use another chipset in the family, the MSM7200, in several of the Qualcomm-based handsets it plans to release by the end of this year. “HTC has been working with Qualcomm for years, and its technology is already inside the HTC Mogul and Titan II handsets,” said Peter Chou, the CEO of HTC, at a news conference in Taipei. “The company has aimed some of the handsets at the U.S. market, but it shouldn't run into any problems from an import-ban related to certain Qualcomm chips,” said Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm, at the news conference. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) banned the import of new models of phones and PDAs that hit the market after June 7 and contain certain Qualcomm chips, as the result of a patent infringement dispute between Qualcomm and rival Broadcom Corp. Some companies have found ways to work around the import ban through licenses with Broadcom. Verizon Wireless Inc. last month agreed to pay Broadcom US$6 for every handset, PDA (personal digital assistant) or data card that uses the mobile broadband technology at the heart of the dispute, EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized). Jacobs also said that his company remains in discussions with Broadcom over the issue and he expects to reach a deal at some point. "Broadcom wants to be in the chipset business, so they'll need some licenses from us," he said.


Showcase Nokia Store

42

Nokia will open a flagship store in either Mumbai or Delhi - it's seventh in the world after Helsinki, New York, Chicago, Moscow, Hong Kong and Mexico City. "We are still looking for the exact location but Mumbai and Delhi are definitely the cities where we will have our first stores. Among the two, I prefer Mumbai," said Cliff Crosbie, global director, retail marketing. The company's image has been slightly sullied recently after a worldwide battery recall and sporadic reports of exploding cellphones. Nokia is battling counterfeit and grey market operators and serious rivals such as Motorola to keep its grip on one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The concept of the flagship store is one of the initiatives Nokia has taken to meet the challenge. It plans to establish another 18 such stores worldwide. At present, the company reaches out to its customers through a network of franchisee-run Nokia Priority stores. Nokia also recently entered into a revised agreement with HCL Infosystems to split the distribution business. Under a new five-year agreement, both the companies will jointly distribute mobile handsets in the country. The idea behind the flagship stores is to go beyond just a mobile phone into services. "The flagship store is a whole concept, and it's not just about furniture. The stores are more interactive where the customer will be encouraged to spend at least an hour or two. We at Nokia have realised that we need to move to the interactive space more now. The flagship stores will be a significant investment for the company," he added. The company has a concept store in Chennai, which is owned by a Nokia partner. "The concept store in Chennai is exactly like the one we have in other parts of the world. They are our first point of interaction with customers directly." We adapt the concept stores to the local needs," he added. More such concept stores are expected to roll out in the country in the next few months. A flagship store is 300 to 400 square metres in size and has the same look and feel as the rest of the stores globally.


World in Focus

World's Largest Civil Aerospace Expo Held in HK Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) K. Ramalingam speaks at a seminar in Hong Kong. The seminar was held as part of the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress held in Hong Kong for the first time in 25 years, since it moved from its original home in Singapore. The Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress 2007 marked the fast-growing Asia Pacific market, which is forecast by the world's top manufacturers to account for a third of aircraft orders over the next 20 years. The Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress 2007 celebrated its 14th presentation with the move of its venue from Singapore to Hong Kong for the first time. Clive Richardson, senior vice president Asia of Reed Exhibitions that organize the four-day exhibition, said, "This historical presentation of our flagship aerospace industry event as the world's largest dedicated civil aerospace event has been shaped to suit the business demands of the entire Asian region." The more than 25-year-old biennial event attracted around 500 exhibitors from more than 20 countries. The top 10 countries represented by visitor numbers include China, Singapore, India, Japan, the United States, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. Both the Airbus and Boeing, at Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress 2007, see the Asia Pacific market for aircraft demand growing strongly over the next 20 years, making it the second most important region behind the North American market. Boeing expects the Asia Pacific region to account for 29 percent of all new aircraft deliveries through 2026. Richardson noted the forecasts the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, which sees domestic traffic doubling every five years, and expects at least three Chinese airlines to be among the world's top 10 in passenger traffic and revenue rankings by 2020. Similar growth is also expected in India, which in 2003 had four main scheduled airlines and started this year with 14.


Boeing Delays First Flight for 787 Boeing will not begin test flights of its new 787 jetliner until midNovember or mid-December, months later than originally planned, because it's taking longer than anticipated to get the first plane ready. Boeing initially aimed to begin flight testing within a monthlong window beginning in late August, but early last month acknowledged first flight might not happen until October. The midsized, long-haul 787 is the first large commercial jetliner being made mostly from composites, which Boeing has promised will make the plane more fuel efficient and cheaper to maintain because carbon fiberreinforced plastics are lighter and more durable than aluminum. Rival Airbus SAS's A380 superjumbo has suffered about two years of delays, in large part because of wiring problems, which have wiped billions off its parent company's profit forecasts for the coming years. Boeing unveiled its first 787 amid much fanfare in early July, but has spent the past several weeks working to get that plane ready for its maiden flight. Boeing recently told several of its suppliers to reschedule some work and take on more of the systems installation so the company can streamline the final assembly process. The company also hired new mechanics and made others available to do the final assembly work once those components arrive at the factory. Boeing has done a lot of pre-flight testing on the 787 that has helped it find and fix problems it normally hasn't discovered until the flight-test program is under way. Still, surprises could cause setbacks. The 787's flight-test program will be more condensed than that of Boeing's last all-new jet, the 777, which went through about 11 months of flight testing before airlines first started flying it in 1995. Airbus' A350 XWB, a slightly larger long-haul plane that will compete with the 787, is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2013. To date, Boeing has won 706 orders for the 787. Airbus has won 154 orders and 100 non-binding commitments for the A350.


Landing Gear Issues Cancel Hundreds of Flights Seattle-based Horizon Air has canceled hundreds of flights so the landing gear on some of the carrier's 70-seat Q-400 turboprops can be inspected. Horizon has 33 Q-400s in service, making it the biggest operator of the aircraft in the world, according to Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Horizon grounded 19 for inspections. To minimize disruption, Horizon has been contacting customers. Alaska is using some of its jets to fly some of the Q-400 flights and accommodate many passengers, company said. Passengers can request refunds. Bombardier recommended that operators of many of the 160 Q-400s in use worldwide inspect the their planes after the landing gear failed on an SAS Scandinavian Airlines plane. The failure sent the plane skidding off a runway in Vilnius, Lithuania. No one on the plane was hurt. But recently, the landing gear failed on another SAS Q-400, injuring five people. The plane caught fire after its right landing gear collapsed during an emergency landing at an airport in western Denmark. Bombardier said Qantas, Lufthansa, British carrier Flybe, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air Commuter are also grounding Q-400 turboprop planes. Montreal-based Bombardier, the world's No. 3 civilian airline manufacturer, said Canadian regulators have been briefed on the situation and could recommend further "corrective actions." Since July, Denver-based Frontier Airlines had taken delivery of the first two of 10 Q-400s to launch a new regional carrier, Lynx Aviation. The Q-400, at 70 seats, is larger than the typical turboprop. It went into service about eight years ago. Its main selling points were its speed, reduced noise and cost efficiency relative to jets. But sales have limped along, largely because of airlines and consumers' negative perceptions of turboprops, which are widely viewed as cramped and noisy.


43

World in Focus

AMD And Nivio Join Forces Nivio, a provider of virtualization solutions enabling users to access their personal windows desktops from any computer with a broadband connection, signed an agreement with AMD, a provider of processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. The partnership will see AMD invest an undisclosed amount in its research and development and support Nivio's vision of virtual desktop access for a worldwide audience and AMD's drive to extend Internet access to emerging markets. Alok Ohrie, Managing Director, AMD India commenting on the agreement said, "Our vision of 50x15 i.e. trying to enable 50 percent of the world's population with affordable Internet access and computing opportunities by 2015, is aimed to bridge the digital divide. That is where Nivio comes in with same vision, passion, innovation and customer centric approach. This partnership will help AMD drive the future direction of computing and will be a great enabler for AMD Live customers." "Nivio's commitment to launch in India is definitely a draw for us and in return for our investment in R & D we also get to support a service that fits perfectly into our continued aim of extending the breadth of access to the Internet," he added. Sachin Duggal, CEO, Nivio commented, "Nivio aims to evolve the computing experience by hosting a users windows desktop, making it available through any Internet connected device. The technology expertise this collaboration brings will enable us to continue towards our aim of launching the service over the coming months and will help Nivio deliver the best future technology. We are in talks with several Internet Service Providers and are targeting segments like students and cyber cafes and are hopeful that it would see large acceptance among the masses." The Nivio service has been in development for the past 18 months and is currently in private beta testing mode, where it has gained a positive response from the technology community. The user can download the most up-to-date software for use anywhere at anytime without having to upgrade their PC. The service is shortly set to launch in both India and UK where the company believes it could provide millions of people with their first private secure desktop environment. Nivio an online virtual desktop was launched in India on June 15, 2007. Since then it has been providing its users a customized and hassle free computing world.


Russian Air Show Aims High The biggest event on the aviation industry circuit is the biennial Paris Air Show, the most recent of which took place two months ago. This month, Russia strives for some of that same je ne sais quoi with the MAKS 2007 International Aviation & Space Salon. One of the highly anticipated planes at the Russian show is the latest Sukhoi SU-35 multipurpose fighter. Pakistani delegation visited International Aviation and Space salon 'MAKS2007', which suggests that it might be interested in acquiring Russian next generation helicopter gunships. Pakistani military officers were seen in 'MAKS2007' salon checking out the new Mi-28 and the KA-52 helicopter gunships. It may very well support that there are Russian contenders as well.


Wind Turbine to Run the Globe Driven by rising demand for renewable energy sources, the world wind energy market is expected to grow at gutsy speed to generate over 360 thousand megawatts of energy by the end of 2015. Further, harnessing the power of the wind will generate approximately 12% of the world's electricity by the year 2020. A new report on wind energy has been released by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., which has detailed analysis and coverage of the US, Canada, Japan, Europe (Germany, Spain, Denmark, Italy, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Greece, France, Portugal, Austria, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (India, China, Australia and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Africa/The Middle East, and Latin America markets. As an evolving industry, and the fastest growing segment of the energy sector, wind power is poised to make significant contributions in energy generation in the upcoming years. Europe, world's largest market for wind energy, is expected to harness close to 169 thousand megawatts of energy from the winds by the year 2015 from projected 85 thousand megawatts in 2010. Germany is the single largest market in Europe as well as worldwide, accounting for about 28% of global wind energy capacity in 2006. Wind energy is emerging, and constantly changing proportions since its emergence. Although the market is expected to face several competitive, and structural challenges, apart from the meltdown in the global economy, wind energy flaunts the potential to survive the uncertainties currently plaguing the overall energy market. Recent strategic developments in the wind industry, the vibrant new power project undertakings, and upgradation activities, the cumulative increment in new capacity installations in the recent past, and the shift in governmental energy plans, all call for buoyant market forecasts. The main trends of the forecast are continuing strong development in Europe and an increasing interest in wind energy in "Rest of the World". The uncertainty and unrest in the energy sector, the rapidly depleting natural resources, together with, the political pressures, and environmental issues, are shedding the light on the rapidly evolving role of clean technologies, such as wind power, solar energy, fuel-celled power automobiles, and other bio-based materials. As the investment climate for clean technologies clears, the clean energy market will witness a torrent of venture funds, as energy companies begin to vie for a stake in clean technologies. Wind and solar power, presently, constitute the most widespread costcompetitive solution to the current energy crises. Major players in the global wind energy market include American Electric Power, American National Wind Power Inc., AES Corporation, Cielo Wind Power, GE Wind Energy, ENEL Greenpower, Enercon, FPL Energy, Gamesa, Green Mountain Energy Company, Navitas Energy, National Energy & Gas Transmission, Pacific Hydro Pty Ltd, Shell WindEnergy Inc., Suncor Energy Inc., Suzlon Energy Limited, TXU Energy and Siemens.


45

Cover Story

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri

Businesses today are facing complex challenges. They need to maintain extensive communication infrastructure, even as they seek to reduce its cost. With the trend towards mobile connectivity, virtual private networks (VPNs) have emerged as the answer to many of the networking problems. In Pakistan, IP VPNs have come a long way with growing acceptance of this technology. Besides software houses and call centers, enterprises from different sectors are reaping the benefits of VPNs. However, lot more needs to be done to attract SMEs towards this technology usinesses today are facing complex challenges. They need to maintain extensive communication infrastructure, even as they seek to reduce its cost. At the same time, they are finding that past solutions to wide area networking between the main corporate network and branch offices, such as dedicated leased lines or frame relay circuits, are not meeting the modern age requirements. These solutions do not provide the flexibility required by both, employees looking to access the resources of their corporate intranets and business partners intending to share information by joining together their networks. With the trend towards mobile connectivity, virtual private networks (VPNs) have emerged as the answer to many of these networking problems. Virtual Private Network (VPNs) is a virtual

B

connection constructed over internet. For example, there are a number of systems that enable you to create networks using the Internet as the medium for transporting data. These systems use encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted.

Enterprises are eyeing MPLS VPN deployment due to the emergence of new backbone infrastructure players, like Wateen. However IP VPNs are still the most widely used technology throughout the country

46

VPNs achieve different security levels by creating a 'tunnel' between corporate servers and remote users' laptops or PCs. VPN tunnel-

ing involves establishing and maintaining a logical network connection. On this connection, packets constructed in a specific VPN protocol format are encapsulated within some other base or carrier protocol and then transmitted between the VPN client and server. These packets are finally de-encapsulated on the receiving side. VPNs are used most often to protect communication carried over public networks, such as internet. They provide several types of data protection including confidentiality, integrity, data origin authentication, replay protection and access control by using both symmetric and asymmetric forms of cryptography. Symmetric cryptography uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, while asymmetric cryptography uses separate keys for encryption and de-encryption. Symmetric cryptography is generally more efficient and requires less processing power than asymmetric cryptography. There are Three Primary VPN Models Gateway-to-Gateway:

Cover Story IPsec VPNs make sense in server-to-server space. The technology affords full network access to older applications that may trip up for SSL or other VPNs. MPLS VPNs MPLS uses a technique known as label switching to forward data through the network. A small, fixed-format label is inserted in front of each data packet while entering into the MPLS network. The packet is then routed on the bases of the value of the incoming interface and label and eventually dispatched to an outwards interface with a new label value. Intermediate MPLS nodes do not need to check the content of the data in each packet. Particularly, the destination IP addresses in the packets are not examined, which enables MPLS to offer an efficient encapsulation mechanism for private data traffic traversing the SP backbone. MPLS can therefore, provide an excellent base technology for standard-based VPNs. While an IPsec VPN creates circuit across the internet, MPLS creates circuits across service providers' networks. In effect, any organization, looking for a highly secure, low-cost, high band-width, robust networking solution for inter-networking between various sub-units, can enjoy immense benefits from this cutting edge technology.

VPNs are used most often to protect communication carried over public networks, such as internet. They provide several types of data protection including confidentiality, integrity, data origin authentication, replay protection and access control This model protects communication between two specific networks, such as an organization's main office network and a branch office network, or two business partner networks. Host-to-Gateway: This model protects communication between one or more individual hosts and a specific network belonging to an organization. The host-to-gateway model is most often used to allow hosts on unsecured networks. These include traveling employees and telecommuters who wish to access the organization's email and web services. Host-to-Host: A host-to-host architecture protects communication between two specific computers. It is most often used when a small number of users need to apply or administer a remote system that requires the application of inherently insecure protocols. Virtual Private Network (VPN) Technologies VPN architectures are primarily based on multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), IP security (IPsec) and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technologies. Companies selecting IP VPN architecture need to consider their business requirements because there is no single best choice. In fact, many enterprises are best served by some combination of these architectures. The choice of architecture has wide-reaching effects, including inflexibility and whether the VPN will be network based or customer premises equipment (CPE) based. MPLSbased VPNs are usually offered by the service

providers as a managed service that originates and terminates in the service provider's MPLSenabled IP network. IPsec and SSL VPNs, in contrast, are typically managed by the enterprise, and originate and terminate at customer premises equipment (CPE). However, IPsec and SSL-based VPNs are also available as managed services from certain service providers. IPsec VPNs It is most widely used data encapsulation technology for transmitting encrypted data across the internet or any IP network. Using an IPsec VPN, companies with remote users or locations can safely transmit company information internally (intranet) or externally (internet) without being read or tampered during its journey. IPsec VPNs offer enterprises an easy and cost-effective way to route communication between sites delivering high performance connectivity and resilience to meet the needs of most demanding network environments. They are a low cost alternative to private or leased-lines. It enables enterprises to use the internet infrastructure to quickly extend the private network across geographically distributed locations. Technically, IPsec VPNs address the challenge of using the internet as a transport for sensitive, multi-protocol traffic. IPsec VPNs provide combination of encryption and tunneling functions to meet this challenge. Proponents of VPNs based on SSL and MPLS technologies may argue that IPsec VPN should be replaced, as this solution has become outdated. But, with plenty of machineto-machine communication still prevalent,

SSL VPNs Traditionally, providing telecommuters and business partners with access to back-end servers and resources, SSL VPNs are best favored solution for site-to-site communication, for client-to-enterprise links. IPsec tunneling may also follow an unknown device through the firewall and directly into the heart of the network. As a result of this problem with IPsec, the SSL VPN is gaining an increasingly remarkable acceptance in the IT sector. With an SSL VPN, there is no client software to install. This implies that remote users are not limited to specified location and will be able to work from public internet locations, partner sites or even borrowed laptop, which makes the deployment, management and administration of SSL VPN extremely simple and effective. More importantly, with an SSL VPN there is no open tunnel to the enterprise. SSL VPNs enforce security policies on each connection, allowing access only to specific resources based on the user, location and/or device. In addition, most SSL VPNs provide cachecleaning software that covers users' tracks by removing temporary files, cookies and other session information from the browser. These measures are very important for users connecting from publicly accessible PCs, but they are not as effective as using a secure browser because deleted files can often be recovered. The growth of SSL VPNs has accelerated in last two years. This is largely due to greater awareness among users for its commercial advantages, better marketing that focuses on its benefits rather than the technology and improved security features. The ultimate goal of SSL VPN technology is to allow controlled, secure and managed access to any application from any device and from any location. Early implementation had some limitations, such as user account information not being cleared from the browser after user sessions, no support only for webenabled applications, and no strong authentication of the user or the access device. However, all of these and other concerns have been addressed as SSL technology has matured. Clearly, with so many different VPN tech-

47

Cover Story ket, the managed security service market is also predicted to grow at a rate of 68 percent from US 5 billion dollars in 2005 to US 8 billion dollars in year 2009. Service providers have responded to this growing interest with a host of ever more sophisticated VPNs. This has ensured a high development race of new solutions and areas of deployment. The market will grow but will continue to be dominated by top-tier vendors Cisco, Nokia, SonicWall, Check Point, and Netscreen. This is due to the particular need for a strong brand image in the industry so that the necessary trust can be generated in the products.

nologies available in the market today, organizations can easily find a solution that meets their requirements and is able to create global communication links at a fraction of the cost of frame relay system. On The Rise While North America is currently leading in VPN service revenues, the Asia-Pacific region has also witnessed significant growth in this field over the last few years. IP VPN is fast becoming an important element of the managed data network services market in AsiaPacific and leading the growth of many carriers. The Chinese market alone represents a significant growth opportunities for VPN-based services. Based on revenue increase, it is obvious that there has been and will continue to be, a strong uptake by new subscribers of IP VPN services. Small and medium businesses and remote and offices of large businesses are increasingly opting for IP MPLS VPNs, because they offer considerably more bandwidth with little or no increase in WAN cost. In addition, VPNs are a means to reduce complexity for enterprises, as they try to connect multiple locations that are often using different access forms. Moreover, the increasing offshoring of business processes, such as customer support, contact centers and call centers, means that there is a need to seamlessly connect all these branch offices. The growing

48

MPLS-based VPNs are usually offered by the service providers as a managed service that originates and terminates in the service provider's MPLS-enabled IP network. IPsec and SSL VPNs, in contrast, are typically managed by the enterprise and originate and terminate at customer premises equipment (CPE) popularity of voice over IP (VoIP) is helping pour more fuel on the network-based VPN fire. According to a study, it is predicted that while the uptake of MPLS, MPLS/IPsec and SSL VPN services will increase revenue, standard IPsec revenue is likely to decline every year till 2009. Propelled by the growth in the IP VPN mar-

Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche stands in front of the new C300T Bluetec Hybrid station wagon at the Frankfurt International Auto Show IAA in Frankfurt. After two days for the media and analysts the Frankfurt motorshow will be open to the public.

Pakistani VPN Market In Pakistan, IP VPNs have come a long way with growing acceptance of this technology. Besides software houses and call centers, many organizations from various sectors have been using and successfully running these critical applications for last many years. Enterprises are eyeing MPLS VPN deployment due to the emergence of new backbone infrastructure players, like Wateen. However IP VPNs are still the most widely used technology throughout the country. Prior to recently launched Wateen Telecom, PTCL was the main service provider for MPLS VPNs. However, there are numerous other VPN service providers as well. "Our eight offices around the globe are connected over IPsec VPN, however we have plans to shift to MPLS technology in near future", said Mr. Waqar Janjua, who is responsible for network at LMK Resources, Islamabad. We have other examples too where companies are transforming from IPsec VPN technology to MPLS VPN. Total value of VPN market is not that considerable, however the declining tariffs and awareness will defiantly create opportunities for VPN Market in Pakistan. "Small and medium sized businesses will be the potential clients of VPNs in coming days" said Mr. Sajid Dastagir, Chief Operating Officer, Wateen Telecom. "Enterprises from different sectors are reaping the benefits of VPNs, however, there is lot more to be done to attract SMEs towards this technology. Wateen has organized road shows in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore to aware the businesses with VPN technology and its benefits" added Mr. Dastagir. Today, VPNs have emerged as a one-stop solution for converged networks. They are clearly going to continue to grow, helping enterprises plan for the future by enhancing the capabilities available for their businesses.


Wendelin Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche AG, poses beside a Porsche GT 2 before a news conference at the Frankfurt International Auto Show IAA in Frankfurt. After two days for the media and analysts the Frankfurt motorshow will be open to the public.

Flare Report

Telecom

LG Shine is a full metal-bodied phone with a multi-functional scroll key G Electronics has launched its latest handset in its Black Label series in India. LG Shine will be available both in a slider phone and bar phone version. With 2.2'' wide mirror LCD screen, Shine includes a 2 mega-pixel auto focus camera by Schneider Kreuznach. Shine is also equipped with a media player with multi-codec support (MP3, WAV and ACC++) and real spectrum display. Shine supports GPRS and EDGE net-

L

work compatibility, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Choi, vice president mobile communications LG, Asia, Middle East and Africa, said "The Asia Pacific market is one of our key markets, as it has the potential to grow at double digit rates annually. We are confident that this year we will have an even stronger presence in the market with our premium fashionable and advanced handsets and clear focus on stylish handsets, such as LG Shine."

Speaking on the launch, Moon B Shin, president South West Asia, LGE, and managing director, LG India, said "As the second handset under the Black Label series, LG Shine is set to capture the imagination of mobile phone users who crave for the perfect balance between design and technology. With the launch of Shine, LG India will now aim to be amongst the top three premium handsets in market and increase their GSM market share to 3.41 per cent by first quarter of 2008."


LG Electronics, President South West Asia and Managing Director, LG India, Moon B Shin (C) poses with Indian models displaying the LG Electronics’ full metal body mobile phone 'Shine' during the launch in New Delhi.

49

Informative

Nokia N81 8GB

Nokia N95 8GB

Size Dimensions 102 x 50 x 17.9 mm, 86 cc, Weight 140g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches Navi wheel interface Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, True Tones, MP3 Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall, 8 GB internal flash memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Yes, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with UPnP, Bluetooth, Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB Features OS Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 v3.1 UI Camera, 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(VGA), flash; secondary CIF videocall camera, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, Rotating gallery with Navi wheel, Stereo FM Radio, T9, Push to talk, Voice dial/memo PIM including calendar, to-do list, 3.5 mm audio output jack, Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 410h, Talk time Up to 4h With dedicated music and gaming keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and 3G and WLAN connectivity, the Nokia N81 multimedia computer is a true mobile entertainment powerhouse. With a sleek, polished surface and keys that light up when you activate them, accessing content on the 3D multimedia menu is fast and intuitive. Equally impressive, the Nokia N81 is configured to find, buy, manage and play music and games purchased from the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service.

Size Dimensions 99 x 53 x 21 mm, 96 cc, Weight 128g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, True Tones, MP3 Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall, Call records Detailed, max 30 days, 8 GB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 32, 296 kbps; DTM Class 11, 177 kbps, 3G HSDPA, WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, v2.0 miniUSB Features OS Symbian OS 9.2, S60 rel. 3.1, Camera 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA 30fps), flash; secondary CIF videocall camera, Built-in GPS navigation, Installed Maps application covering over 100 countries, Dual slide design, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA player, 3.5 mm audio output jack, TV out Stereo FM Radio, Organiser, Office document viewer, T9, Push to talk Voice dial/memo, Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 280h, Talk time Up to 6h With all the key features of its predecessor, the Nokia N95 8GB now offers up to eight gigabytes of built-in memory. The N95 8GB also boasts a new luminous 2.8-inch QVGA display - so that watching videos, browsing the Internet or viewing maps is easy. With its expanded memory, the N95 8GB offers up to 20 hours of video or up to 6000 songs.

Nokia 5610 Size Dimensions 98.5 x 48.5 x 17 mm, Weight 111g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches, 33.5 x 44.7 mm Downloadable themes Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, MP4, WMA, AAC, video tones Memory Card slot, microSD (TransFlash), hotswap, 20 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE, Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB Features Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video, flash; secondary QVGA videocall camera, Java MIDP 2.0, Stereo FM radio with RDS MP3/MP4/AAC/eAAc/WMA player, Nokia sensor, World Clock II, Converter II T9, Stopwatch, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/commands Battery Stand-by Up to 320h, Talk time Up to 6h The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic comes ready to rock with an iconic Music Slider key making music easy to access with a flick of the thumb. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic offers crystal clear sound and up to 22 hours of music playback and memory with capacity for 3,000 songs on an optional 4 GB microSD card. More than just a phone and music player, the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic features a high-quality 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic uses 3G technology, making downloads, web-browsing and video calls faster and easier.

50

Exhibition visitors try out the latest mobile phone models with built in MP3 player capabilities during a communication and broadcast exhibition in Singapore.

Nokia 6555

Nokia 5310

Size Dimensions 99.6 x 44.3 x 19.6 mm, 67.6 cc, Weight 97g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches Second external display 256K colors (128 x 160 pixels) Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 30MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 32, 52.6 kbps, HSCSD Yes, 43.2 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB Features Camera 1.23 MP, 1280x960 pixels, video(QCIF 15fps), Java MIDP 2.1 MP3/AAC/eAAC+/WMA player, 2.5 mm audio jack, Video player, T9 Calendar, Calculator, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo, Flight mode Battery Stand-by Up to 260h, Talk time Up to 6h 10 min

Size Dimensions 103.8 x 44.7 x 9.9 mm, Weight 70.2g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2 inches, 31.5 x 41.5 mm Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, MP4, WMA, AAC, video tones Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), hotswap, 30 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 32, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 32, up to 177 kbits, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF), Java MIDP 2.0, Stereo FM radio MP3/MP4/AAC/eAAc/WMA player, 3.5 mm AV jack, Nokia sensor, Nokia mobile search, World Clock II, Converter II, T9, Stopwatch, Built-in handsfree Voice memo/commands Battery Stand-by Up to 300h, Talk time Up to 5h 20 min

Adding to its attraction, the Nokia 6555 features a QVGA 16 million color internal display. The camera featuring a 6x zoom gives even greater versatility and full screen portrait viewfinder. From the thin, narrow form factor with smooth lines to the 30 MB user memory and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the Nokia 6555 sets the standard in its class.

With a sleek aluminium finish, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic phone blends an array of features with an iconic design. At only 9.9 mm thick and weighing less than 71 grams, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic fits comfortably in a pocket or purse. Equally important, the 5310 XpressMusic offers up to 18 hours of music playback, memory for up to 3,000 songs on an optional 4 GB microSD card and dedicated music keys. Other features include a 2.0-megapixel camera and a bright 2-inch QVGA screen with up to 16.7 million colors.

Informative

Samsung F330

Samsung i450

Size Dimensions 103 x 48 x 12.8 mm Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 20 MB embedded memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, autofocus, video; secondary videocall camera Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/eACC/WMA player, FM radio with RDS, T9, Picture editing, Organizer, Built-in handsfree

Size Dimensions 113 x 59 x 11.8 mm, Weight 95g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.3 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 1 GB built-in memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Yes, 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 Features OS Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 v3.1 UI, Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary VGA videocall camera, Java MIDP 2.0 Flash player, WMV/3GP/H.263/MPEG4 player, WMA/MP3/AAC/AAC+/OGG/ASF player, Organiser, Document viewer (MS Word, Excel, PPT, PDF), Built-in handsfree

The Samsung F330 slider seems like a strong phone with only 20MB of integrated memory supported by the microSD card slot. 2MP camera, 2.1 inch 240 x 320 pixel, 262K color screen, tri band GSM, EDGE and HSDPA network options and connectivity via bluetooth and USB are also available.

Rumors swirl about this cellphone, and they range from tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900, UMTS and 3.6Mbps HSDPA connectivity, a 2.3" 262k color QVGA display, a 2 megapixel camera behind and a VGA camera up front for video calls, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 connectivity, 1GB of internal memory which in the case of it not being enough, is aided by a microSD memory card slot.

Sony Ericsson K770 Size Dimensions 105 x 47 x 14.5 mm, Weight 95g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 1.9 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic (72 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 256 MB card included, 16 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, 3G Yes, 384 kbps Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video, LED flash, Java MIDP 2.0 RDS FM radio, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, TrackID music recognition, T9, Image viewer, Picture editor, Picture blogging, Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/dial Stopwatch Battery Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to 10h Sony Ericsson K770 is tri-band GSM/GPRS phone, is also 3G enabled and comes with a 3.2MP camera with autofocus. The phone sports a 1.9-inch 262k color TFT display with a resolution of 240x320 QVGA. K770 will be equipped with Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support. The phone will also support FM with TrackID support. The Sony Ericsson K770 will be available from autumn 2007

Taiwan's electronics maker HTC CEO Peter Chou displays his company's smart phone HT1100 for Japanese mobile communication giant NTT DoCoMo in Tokyo. NTT DoCoMo introduces two compact smart phone on its line up.

Sony Ericsson K530

Sony Ericsson W960

Size Dimensions 102 x 46 x 14 mm, Weight 92g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels, 2 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 16 MB shared memory Data GPRS Yes, HSCSD Yes, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video; secondary videocall camera, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, FM radio with RDS, TrackID music recognition T9, Picture blogging, Picture editor, Organiser, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 395h, Talk time Up to 9h

Size Dimensions 109 x 55 x 16 mm, Weight 119g Display Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches Handwriting recognition Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC, Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall Call records, Practically unlimited, 8 GB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 Features OS Symbian OS v9.1, UIQ 3.0, Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video(QVGA 15fps), flash; secondary VGA videocall camera Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS, Walkman Touch player TrackID music recognition, T9, Image viewer, Picture/document editor Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 370h, Talk time Up to 9h

The K530 is a 3G cameraphone that works in tandem with the HGE-100 GPS Enabler, giving you maps and directions wherever you are. It's the first Sony Ericsson phone to rock the GPS, which is pretty hot. Other specs include a 2MP camera, MemoryStick Micro slot, and 2-inch TFT screen.

Unlike its predecessor, the updated W960 features a 3.2megapixel camera. Other features include a 2.6-inch touchscreen display, 8GB of built-in memory, Bluetooth 2.0, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The phone supports video playback at 30 frames per second, which is the same as TV. You can hook up to the web using the 3G network or a WiFi access point

51

Informative

Motorola RAZR2 V9

Motorola W395

Size Dimensions 103 x 53 x 13.3 mm, Weight 125g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches, Second external 256K colors, 2 inches display (240 x 320 pixels) with contextual touch interaction Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 45 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 12, 3G HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, Video calling and download Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+ player, T9, Organizer, Calculator Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 260h, Talk time Up to 3h 30 min

Size Dimensions 99 x 45 x 18.1 mm, Weight 97g Display Type TFT, 65K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels, Second external mono display (96 x 80 pixels) Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3, AAC Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 5 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+ player, iTAP 6.3, Organizer, Calculator, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 200h, Talk time Up to 8h 30 min

Motorola RAZR2 V9 defines the next trend in 3G. At 2.0-inches, the RAZR2 V9 boasts the largest external screen in its class. Additionally, consumers can share their video instantaneously with the 'See What I See' capability, where customers can stream live video footage to another user while a call is in progress. HSDPA technology lets users connect to the Internet at 3.6 Mbps and the 2.0-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom ensures consumers get the best shot.

W395 comes with a 1.3MP camera, with video and music playback, all the messaging goodies, and of course, blue tooth. It also has an extended battery life than the other series. Phone is integrated with Motorola's AJAR software framework for increased functionality

LG KU990 Viewty Size Dimensions 103.5 x 54.4 x 14.8 mm, Weight 112g Display Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, Size 240 x 400 pixels, 3 inches Flash UI Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 100 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps Bluetooth Yes, v1.2 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 5 MP, 2592?1944 pixels, autofocus, video(VGA 30fps, QVGA up to 120fps), strobe flash; secondary VGA videocall camera, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/MPEG4/WMV/AAC/DivX player, FM radio, Organiser Voice memo, Built-in handsfree A professional-level high feature camera phone, boasting a 5.1megapixel camera with manual focus and image stabilizer features. The Viewty takes high quality photographs with endless possibilities to allow users to enhance their images through the extensive editing features of the phone.

A model displays compact smart phone of Japan's mobile communication giant NTT DoCoMo "F1100" (L), produced by Japanese electronics giant Fujitsu, and "HT1100", produced by Taiwan's electrinocs maker HTC at a press preview in Tokyo.

LG KE500

LG KG280

Size Dimensions 97 x 47 x 14.9 mm, Weight 90g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC, AAC+ Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 60 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash, Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio MP3/eAAC+/WMA/MPEG4 player, T9, Organiser, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 230h, Talk time Up to 3h

Size Dimensions 95 x 46 x 17.1 mm, Weight 83g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels, Touch-sensitive navigation keys with backlights Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels) Memory 8 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, USB Yes Features Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, Organiser, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 200h, Talk time Up to 3h

The LG KE500 is a triband slider phone comes with 2.0 megapixel camera and flash. Other features includes a media player, FM-Radio, 64MB internal memory, MicroSD expansion slot, USB, Bluetooth and documents viewing capabilities

52

LG KG280 is a tri-band GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 slider phone that will come in two colors - black and wine red and have 262K color screen, PC Sync via USB or Bluetooth, 3 hrs of talk and 200 hrs of standby time.

Informative

NEXT Buddy x-103 Rs. 2,400

FM- Radio Color Display Built-in MP3 & MP4 Polyphonic Ring Tones T-9 Dictionary Language English & Arabic Standby Bettery Time =60 to 70 Hrs. Charging Time = 1.30 hrs. to 2 Hrs. Call Time = 150 to 180 MTS

Samsung C130 Rs. 2,800 Size Dimensions 102.4 x 45.4 x 14.8 mm, Weight 75g Display Type CSTN, 65K colors, Size 128 x 128 pixels, 1.5 inch Ringtones Type Polyphonic (16 channels) Memory Phonebook 500 entries 1.8 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 8 (4+1 slots), 32 - 40 kbps Features Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Colors Orange, Pink, Silver, Blue, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, Organiser, To Do list Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 445h, Talk time Up to 5h 20 min Samsung's SGH-C130 is a dual-band GPRS Class 8 mobile phone offering incredible value. A perfect balance of function and style, the SGH-C130 carries only the basic features you want and need. At 102.4x45.4x14.8 mm, the SGH-C130 is extremely portable, including SMS/EMS/MMS, WAP 1.2, JAVAenabled games. All in all, Samsung's SGH-C130 mobile phone offers exceptional value for users who know what they want. Design: Features: Performance:

7.7 7.1 7.2

Jacobita Alonzo holds a cell phone up to a microphone so activist Emma Lozano, head of the immigration rights group Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, who is currently in California, can speak to demonstrators about immigration activist Elvira Arellano's arrest at a rally in Chicago.

Motorola W208 Rs. 3,150 LG KG270 Rs. 2,200 Size Dimensions 98 x 45 x 12.9 mm, Weight 60g Display Type TFT, 65K colors, Size 128 x 128 pixels Ringtones Type Polyphonic (16 channels) Memory Phonebook 300 entries Features Java, FM radio, T9, Organiser, Calculator Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 250h, Talk time Up to 3 A great entry level phone that's packed with value, including a color screen and FM radio, also comes pretty in Pink. Built in handsfree will double your joy of listening music. Design: Features: Performance:

7.8 7.4 7.4

Size Dimensions 108 x 44 x 14.9 mm, 65 cc, Weight 78g Display Type TFT, 65K colors, Size 128 x 128 pixels, 28 x 28 mm Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels) Memory Phonebook 200 numbers Features FM radio, iTap (T9), Organizer, Calculator, Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 300h, Talk time Up to 7h 50 min Motorola's color initiative offering contrasting schemes in new and unique colors continues with the W208, which is available in Fire Red/Black Slate and Silver Sail/Black Slate. The handset is less than 15mm thick and features a stereo FM radio, alarm clock/stop watch, currency converter/calculator, 200 entry internal phone book, office quality speakerphone, zoom font, 3 pre-loaded games, and 32 channel polyphonic ring tones. Design: Features: Performance:

7.2 7.3 7.4

53

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Informative

Nokia 3110 Classic Rs. 7,900 Size Dimensions 108.5 x 45.7 x 15.6 mm, 72 cc, Weight 87g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels 5-way navigation key Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC Memory Phonebook Photocall, Card slot, microSD (TransFlash) 9 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, v2.0 miniUSB Features Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video(QCIF) Push to talk, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/MP4/AAC/AAC+/H.264/WMA media player FM stereo radio, T9, Calendar, Calculator, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo, Voice command Battery Stand-by Up to 370h, Talk time Up to 4h

LG KG320 Rs. 8,400 Size Dimensions 96 x 46 x 9.9 mm, Weight 70g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels) Memory Phonebook 1000 entries, 128 MB shared memory Data GPRS Yes, Bluetooth Yes, USB Yes, Features Camera 1.3 MP, 1280x960 pixels, video, flash Java MIDP 2.0, MP3 player, T9, Organiser The LG KG320 forms the bar-style entry into LG's Black Label series of slim and sleek mobile phones. This candy bar style phone is equipped with a 1.3 megapixel camera, along with 128MB of onboard memory, making it a real beauty with brains. The KG320 is a triband (GSM 900/1800/1900MHz) phone, and features GPRS connectivity.

With the Nokia 3110 Classic, consumers can listen to their favorite music at any time thanks to flight mode. A convenient USB port and Bluetooth support also makes it quick and easy to transfer songs, images or calendar events directly from a PC to the phone. A range of enhancements also gives users the choice of customizing the 3110. With its bright 2.2-inch color display, consumers can easily view and control call functions while the separate input device provides controls over volume adjustment and accepting or ending calls. Design: Features: Performance:

Design: Features: Performance:

8.0 7.9 8.0

7.8 7.8 7.9

A woman uses her mobile phone while walking past traditional phones during a communication and broadcast exhibition in Singapore. Advertisers are finding new ways to put their sales pitches in the pockets of cell phone users _ through video and music pumped to your handsets. As mobile networks become faster and phones smarter, analysts say the time is ripe for advertising on mobile phones to finally take off.

Sony Ericsson W300 Rs. 8,600 TREND Smarty T100 Rs. 2,400 1.5 inch CSTN 65K color screen Weight: 60gm Screen: 1.5 inch CSTN 65K Colour Screen Colour: Black Metallic Hands Free Flight Mode System: Dual Band GSM 900/1800 MHZ Talk Time: Up to 2-3 Hours Standby Time: Up to 160 hours Built in MP4 Player Built in MP3 Player Melody Composer Fun and Games

Users, who like to carry a spick and span mobile set, can now choose T100 as their mobile companion. People who are not so much attracted towards devices that are technically complex now simplify their mobile communication, Smarty T100 not only possess MP4 Player and MP3 Player but also features like group messaging, flight mode and melody composer. It provides complete music mania to its user. Be smart in selecting a product that is smart in its style and efficient in its performance.

Size Dimensions 90 x 47 x 24 mm, Weight 94g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels Second external mono display (101 x 80 pixels) Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC Memory Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 256 MB card included, 20 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps 3G No, Bluetooth Yes, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels (interpolated to 1.3 MP), video(QCIF), Java MIDP 2.0 Media player, T9, FM radio with RDS Image viewer, Picture editor, Organiser RSS reader, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Exchangeable Style-Up covers Battery Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to 9h The Sony Ericsson W300i Walkman phone, which supports both MP3 and AAC music files, offers a great sound experience with up to 30 hours of music listening. The user experience is enhanced by direct music keys, shuffle function, as well as an in-built FM radio with RDS and flight mode. Disc2Phone software supplied with the W300i, allows users to easily transfer their favorite CDs and enjoy them anywhere, anytime without missing a call. Design: Features: Performance:

7.8 7.8 7.9

55

54

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Informative

Sony Ericsson K550 Rs. 11,500

Motorola SLVR L7e Rs. 7,900

Size Dimensions 102 x 46 x 14 mm, Weight 85g Display Type TFD, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels, 1.9 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3 Memory Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 64 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps HSCSD Yes, EDGE Yes, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 2 MP, 1632x1224 pixels, autofocus, video(QCIF), flash, Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, TrackID music recognition, T9, Adobe Photoshop Album Picture blogging, Organiser, Built-in handsfree Voice memo/dial Battery Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 7h

Size Dimensions 113 x 49 x 11.5 mm, 59 cc, Weight 96g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels, 9 lines, 30 x 37 mm Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 20 MB internal user memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP USB Yes, miniUSB Features Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video (QCIF) Push to talk, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+/MPEG4 player, T9, Calendar, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 6h 40 min

Design: Features: Performance:

8.1 8.0 8.1

The Motorola SLVR L7e upgrades the L7 by incorporating a rich entertainment experience. Built-in features include an integrated MP3 / AAC music player coupled with Stereo Bluetooth technology to allow users to enjoy handsfree music. Complemented by a 1.3megapixel camera, consumers can capture images with 8x zoom and full screen video capture and playback. Design: Features: Performance:

8.1 7.7 7.5

Gloria LaRiva with the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five talks on her cell phone outside the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta after a hearing for the Cuban Five. Defense attorneys representing five men convicted of spying for Fidel Castro's communist government asked federal appeals judges for a new trial, saying the so called "Cuban Five" were victims of a flawed and heavily politicized trial.

Samsung X520 Rs. 10,300 TREND T 300 Rs. 9,999 Size 240 * 320 QVGA 2.4' LCD, 98g weight Display 3.2 Mega Pixels camera, Auto Focus (AF) Ring tones Type polyphonic 64 Polyphonic chord ring tones, MP3 music playback, built in various equalizers, support various playback mode MP4 support MIDI and MP3 music support Memory T-Flash card, 256 MB T-Flash Card Free 87 MB user free internal memory Data Java, FM radio with recording option Bluetooth, WAP 2.0, T.V Out, Loudspeaker USB Support Features SMS, picture editor, hands free, PC Syn, Email, TV output lines Battery Talk time 2-3 hours, Standby time 90-130 hours

Size Dimensions 89 x 42 x 18 mm, Weight 80g Display Type TFT, 65K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels, 1.9 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels) Memory Phonebook 1000 entries, Photo call, 2.8 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes Features Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels, Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio T9, Organizer, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Battery Stand-by Up to 310h, Talk time Up to 6h 20 min The SGH-X520 takes all the features of a VGA camera phone and puts them into a chic, smartly designed package with the extra seduction of color. All the excitement of a camera phone, with startlingly elegant lines in an exceptional array of attractive shades. Slim and narrow for the pocket or purse, camera-ready for all snap-opportunities, and all the ease and portability you'll need. Design: Features: Performance:

8.1 7.6 7.6

55

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Informative

Sony Ericsson W850 Rs. 19,700 Size Dimensions 98 x 47 x 21 mm, Weight 116g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 30x40 mm Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC Memory Card slot Memory Stick Duo Pro, 16 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF), flash; secondary video call camera, TrackID music recognition Walkman 2.0 music player, 3G video call, Java MIDP 2.0 T9, FM radio with RDS, Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 7h The Sony Ericsson W850i has been uniquely combined with a full horizontal mode camera experience, the W850i lights up the control keys in rhythm with the music. Simplifying navigation through music genres, playlists, individual songs, or music albums, a TrackID feature powered by Gracenote Mobile MusicID, can record a few seconds of a song, either via the microphone or the in built FM radio. With one click, the clip is sent to the Gracenote worldwide music database which will identify the track and relay the information back to the phone. Design: Features: Performance:

Motorola A1200 Rs. 16,200 Size Dimensions 95.7 x 51.7 x 21.5 mm, Weight 122g Display Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 36 x 48 mm, Handwriting and speech recognition Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 Memory Phonebook Advanced, Photo call, Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 8 MB user memory 3.5 MB phonebook memory, Intel XScale 312MHz processor Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, miniUSB Features OS Linux, Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF), Java MIDP 2.0, Stereo FM radio MP3/MP4/AAC+ player, PIM functions, Picsel document viewer, Photo editor, Voice dial/memo Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 200h, Talk time Up to 4h Motorola A1200 PDA Smart Phone comes with an ultra cool transparent cover as a protection for the 2.4" 262K vivid color touch-screen display. Three stunning colors are available catering for different personalities. Support RealPlayer for music and full screen video entertainments along with Business card reader for easy input of business contact Design: Features: Performance:

8.3 8.2 8.2

8.4 8.1 8.1

Nokia N91 Rs. 23,700 Size Dimensions 113.1 x 55.2 x 22 mm, Weight 164g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 208 pixels, 35 x 41 mm, 5-way configurable navigation key Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, True Tones 3.5 mm audio output jack Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall, 4GB/8GB microdrive for music, MMS, ringtones, images, video, applications Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth Yes, v1.2 (A2DP 8 GB version only), USB Yes, v2.0, miniUSB Features OS Symbian OS v9.1, Series 60 UI 3rd Edition, Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, Java MIDP 2.0 MP3/AAC player, Stereo FM Radio, T9, Voice command/memo, PIM including calendar, to-do list Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 190h, Talk time Up to 4h

LG KE970 Shine Rs. 18,000 Size Dimensions 99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm, Weight 119g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches, Mirror effect screen, full metal body Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 50 MB internal memory, 300 text messages Data GPRS Yes, EDGE Yes, Bluetooth Yes, v1.2 with A2DP USB Yes Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, autofocus, video(QCIF), flash, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC++/3GP/MPEG4 player, T9, Organiser Voice memo, Document viewer (.ppt, .doc, .pdf, .xls, .txt) Battery Stand-by Up to 280h, Talk time Up to 3h

With room for up to 3000 songs on the 4 GB hard disk, the Nokia N91 delivers a premier music experience. The N91 also contains the latest multimedia and smartphone technologies, including a 2megapixel camera, email support, a full web browser and video sharing. With multiple connectivity options, such as WCDMA, WLAN and Bluetooth, the Nokia N91 allows users to find and enjoy music when and where you want.

Encased in a full-metal body, the slider phone offers users amazing looks and a high technical specification including expandable memory (microSD card) and an auto-focus camera by Schneider Kreuznach. The LG Shine is also equipped with a comprehensive media player with multi-codec support (MP3, WAV and AAC++) and real spectrum display. Shine supports GPRS and EDGE network compatibility, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

Design: Features: Performance:

Design: Features: Performance:

8.1 8.3 8.2

8.5 7.8 7.9

56

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Informative

Nokia 8600 Luna Rs. 43,000 Size Dimensions 107 x 45 x 15.9 mm, 70 cc, Weight 143g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3 Memory 128 MB internal user memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, microUSB Features Colors Black Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF), Stainless steel body, Smoked glass sliding cover, FM radio, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+ player, T9, Calendar, Calculator, Currency converter Built-in handsfree Battery Stand-by Up to 240h, Talk time Up to 3h 40 min Crafted from chrome, stainless steel and titanium, the Nokia 8600 Luna melds nearly opaque smoked glass with unique, gentle keypad that illuminates and pulsates from beneath the glass case while the phone awaits a call. Nokia's first use of a single micro-USB port not only allows for a streamlined design free of extraneous indentations, it allows owners to streamline common activities - like charging, audio and data connectivity - into a single connection. Quad-band GSM support also allows owners to easily stay connected while they are on the road, while the large, bright display is perfect for sharing images captured with the 2.0-megapixel camera. Design: Features: Performance:

Size Dimensions 103.5 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm, Weight 81g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 34 x 44 mm Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 60 MB embedded memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video, flash, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/eACC/WMA player FM radio, T9, Yahoo search, Organizer, Business card recognition, Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), Voice memo, Built-in handsfree, TV out Battery Stand-by Up to 250h, Talk time Up to 3h 30 min Samsung's SGH-U600 set a world record for thinnest slider handset on the market, a record that Samsung itself had set. The Samsung U600 is part of the premium Ultra Edition range, at 10.9mm slim the U600 truly is a feat of mobile engineering. The perfect combination of style and functionality. This sleek, inspirational mobile is equipped with a 3.2 Megapixel camera, auto focus and an amazingly high quality 262K colour screen. Design: Features: Performance:

8.3 8.1 8.0

8.2 7.4 7.6

Sony Ericsson K790 Rs. 16,600

Size Dimensions 105 x 47 x 22 mm, Weight 115g Display Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches Ringtones Type Polyphonic (72 channels), MP3 Memory Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 64 MB internal memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, v2.0 Features Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video(QCIF), xenon flash, Java MIDP 2.0 RDS FM radio, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, T9 Image viewer, Picture editor, Picture blogging Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/dial Battery Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 7h The Sony Ericsson K790a Cyber-Shot digital camera phone is a small and sophisticated feature-packed 3G phone. Integrating a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, image and video stabilizer and built-in Xenon flash, the K790a is ready for any moment, anytime. BestPic technology lets users capture several images in quick succession with one press of the camera key. Pick the best. Delete the rest. Design: Features: Performance:

Samsung U600 Rs. 17,200

7.9 7.9 8.0

Nokia E65 Rs. 22,700 Size Dimensions 105 x 49 x 15.5 mm, 74 cc, Weight 115g Display Type TFT, 16M colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3 Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall Card slot microSD (TransFlash), hotswap, buy memory, 50 MB shared memory Data GPRS Class 32, HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 32, 296 / 177.6 kbits, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, VoIP over WLAN, Bluetooth Yes, v1.2, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, Pop-Port Features OS Symbian OS 9.1, Series 60 UI, Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(CIF), Java MIDP 2.0, Push to talk, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, Office applications, T9, Voice command/memo, PIM including calendar, to-do list and printing Integrated handsfree, Battery Stand-by Up to 265h, Talk time Up to 6h The Nokia E65 has been designed for easy access to the most frequently used applications from the One Touch keys on the front cover. Users can make conference calls, access their contacts database, mute and unmute calls, and access an application of choice through 'My Own' key with just one push of a button. Furthermore, the E65 can be integrated with leading corporate telephony systems - with Nokia Intellisync Call Connect for Cisco, Nokia Intellisync Call Connect for Alcatel and Avaya one-X Mobile Edition for Nokia solutions. The E65 also supports the most used corporate and consumer email solutions. Design: Features: Performance:

8.3 8.2 8.1

57

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Forming part of the Ultra Edition II lineup of Samsung handsets, the Samsung SGH-U600 (also known as the Ultra Edition 10.9) is a slim and shiny slider phone. The Samsung U600 is a pretty decent handset underneath, but to be honest the first thing you'll notce about the SGH-U600 is its looks. Available in four colors - platinum metal, sapphire blue, garnet red and copper gold - the U600 combined KRZR style glossiness with a fairly standard Samsung layout. There are also some hidden soft keys behind the SGH-U600's glossy surface. It's a pretty well specified phone - the Samsung U600 has a 2.2" 240x320 pixel display, a 3.2 megapixel camera, microSD expandable memory (with 60MB available internally), a multimedia player capable of playing back MP3, AAC and WMA formats, a web browser and email client plus assorted messaging enhancements. It's not a 3G phone, but the SGH-U600 does support quadband GSM, GPRS and EDGE. Overall the U600 measures 103.2 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm, but Samsung have not specified how much it weighs. This is certainly an elegant looking device, although many people will prefer using a handset with a proper keypad, and to be honest, you're not exactly stuck for choice when it comes to Samsung sliders.


First we saw the "Walkman" range of Sony Ericsson phones and now Sony Ericsson present the "Cybershot" range, using another Sony sub-brand to apply to this new range of 3.2 megapixel camera phones. The main feature with the K790 is the camera - a 3.2 megapixel unit with autofocus, an image stabilizer, Xenon flash and Bluetooth printing. There's a neat feature called "BestPic", which takes 9 pictures at once so you can choose the best one. Go beyond the camera, and this is a pretty typical high-end camera phone, with a 240x320 pixel display in 262,000 colors, Bluetooth, expandable memory on Memory Stick Micro cards, an FM radio, WAP 2.0 browser, email client, MP3 player, QuickShare plus an RSS news reader (Mobile Gazette also carries an RSS feed). Talktime on GSM is 7 hours with 14 days standby. The K790 is available 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM configuration for the Americas, a K790c 900/1800/1900 MHz model for mainland China, plus a K790i 900/1800/1900 model for the rest of the world. It's all very well branding a phone with "Cybershot". However, the Sony Ericsson K750's 2 megapixel camera is widely regarded as being one of the best around, so the 3.2 megapixel unit in the K790 looks very promising indeed.


Informative

Sony Ericsson announced the K770i Cyber-shot phone, an all in-one digital camera, photo album and phone. At just 14.5 mm slim and finished in a Truffle Brown color, the K770i can take photos comparable to a standalone digital camera. By sliding open the lens cover, users are ready to snap photos. Once in camera mode the 1.9-inch screen becomes the viewfinder, and the Cyber-shot based menu becomes visible displaying eight lit icons across the keypad. These serve as 1-click shortcuts to each of the camera's key functions, such as picture size and photo light. Also able to capture video, the camera comes with a powerful photo light for indoor photo-taking and filming. For spontaneous snapshots with poor light conditions, a Photo fix option offers PC-free photo editing on the phone. A slide show feature lets users show photos to people who are around, while options to post pictures to a 'blogsite' or online gallery are also included. 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus delivers picture quality that is good enough to print photos out at upto A4 size (297 mm x 210 mm). Supporting Memory Stick Micro (M2), the K770i comes with a 256 MB memory card that lets consumers store up to 200 photos of the best quality. Peruse the photo album whilst listening to favorite music tracks on the in-built media player. Or tune in to the FM radio with RDS that seeks out clear reception on-the-move. Users who invest in a Stereo Bluetooth Headset will be able to stream music wirelessly from the phone and enjoy songs handsfree. The Stereo Bluetooth Headset HBH-DS200 can be auto-paired with the K770i and offers up to 6 hours of talktime or music listening time.


Nokia has announced the 6555, a new 3G mobile phone that pairs original design and quality workmanship with outstanding features. The Nokia 6555 is the first WCDMA phone with a smooth-back fold design with recessed hinge creating a seamless line when open. With a gentle curve ensuring a smooth and ergonomic user experience, the Nokia 6555 is an accessible option for discerning consumers. Adding to its attraction, the Nokia 6555 features a QVGA 16 million color internal display - twice as many colors as the human eye can see - for a brilliant, crisp resolution on a large 240 x 320 px screen, making it perfect for viewing photos and videos. The camera featuring a 6x zoom gives even greater versatility and full screen portrait viewfinder so users can be sure they get the right picture every time. The self-portrait function on the camera and video sharing ability ensures that special moments are easily shared with family and friends. From the thin, narrow form factor with smooth lines to the 30 MB user memory (with capacity for microSD expandable memory) and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the Nokia 6555 sets the standard in its class. The Nokia 6555 will be available within the next month, no words yet on pricing.


59

Informative

Live from London at Nokia's 'Go Play' event, Nokia announced an update to its flagship multimedia computer, the N95 8GB. A boost in on board storage to 8GB, though at the lament of a memory card slot, is not the only new feature for the device, however. Clad in a graceful new black color scheme, the Nokia N95 8GB boasts an impressive 2.8" display, up from the original N95's 2.6" though still only at the same QVGA (240x320 pixel) resolution. The display is one of the largest to feature on a device in this class, and provides an even nicer viewfinder for the builtin 5MP auto focus camera that can record VGA resolution video at 30fps. Apart from these updates, other features of the Nokia N95 8GB are identical to its predecessor. A wealth of acronyms can be associated with the device, such as GPS navigation capability, 802.11 WLAN connectivity, and 3G HSDPA wireless data. The same dual-sliding mechanism is featured, though the media playback keys are slightly more pronounced, making them far easier to locate and press. Bluetooth and a miniUSB port are also present for close range communications, and a forward-facing VGA resolution camera provides for video calling capabilities. A 3.5mm headset jack and TV-out capability make enjoying your media easy. The Nokia N95 8GB carries a recommended retail price of approximately Rs. 50,000 and will begin shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.


Music and entertainment are the big focuses these days and the new N81 handset addresses both of these with aplomb. Designed to complement Nokia's new Ovi online portal that rolls a music store and the N-Gage gaming platform together, the Nokia N81 and N81 8GB include a bunch of multimedia functions in a touchy slider design. Both models of the Nokia N81 include dedicated music buttons on the bottom and gaming keys on either side of the ear speaker. The N81 phones are designed to be used in a landscape orientation when used for gaming. The music and gaming keys also selectively light up when needed, ensuring that they don't get in the way when they are not required. A 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth v2.0 with the A2DP stereo headset profile mean you can use your favorite headphones to keep everything discrete, while a 3D multimedia menu provides a fun way to access your content. The devices are pre-configured for the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, meaning you are ready to play straight out of the box. The polished face of each Nokia N81 model hides a lot of non-music and game related smarts as well. The handsets run Nokia's S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 smartphone operating system with a full complement of PIM services. The N81 phones are also compatible with high-speed 3G UMTS networks, and also provide 802.11b/g WLAN connectivity for when you are in range of an access point. About the only place where the two N81 variants differ is in internal storage and expansion slots. The regular N81 has a built-in miroSD memory card expansion slot, while the N81 8GB has, not surprisingly, 8GB of internal storage but no expansion card slot. Nokia expects the N81 and N81 8GB to ship during Q4 this year. The N81 is expected to go on sale for Rs. 32,000, while the N81 8GB should retail for Rs. 38,000.


60

Informative

The Motorola FONE F3 (also known as the MOTOFONE) is a very slim bar format phone. There are two versions - the FONE F3 is a GSM handset, the F3c is a CDMA version for North America and other CDMA markets. We understand that the FONE is 9mm thick which makes it one of the slimmest handsets on the market, but the main point of interest with the MOTOFONE is the display. Motorola say that the "ClearVision" panel uses electrophoretic display (EPD) technology, which in effect is a type of digital ink. An EPD display consists of a number of particles (typically suspended in some sort of fluid) which have a light side and a dark size. An electric charge "flips" the particle over. It's rather like a microscopic reversi board, with dark and light sides to each particle. There are some major advantages that EPD displays have over more traditional panels such as TFT or OLED technologies. Firstly, the screen can be read even in direct sunlight as it behaves just like a printed piece of paper, and secondly the energy consumption of an EPD display is very low, and as electrophoretic displays are basically quite simple there's a potential for saving space and weight. Motorola have designed the phone to be durable and dust resistant, and also very easy to use with a simple interface and voice prompts, plus a "loud" setting for noisy environments. The MOTOFONE seems to be aimed at the lower end of the market - and also the FONE F3 comes with a variety of functions to help prepay/pay-as-you-go customers to keep track of charges. It's certainly an interesting handset when it comes to the display, and it might even mean a renaissance for monochrome displays as the electrophoretic display panel does have certain advantages over a traditional LCD.


Trend mobiles were the first in introducing the dual SIM mechanism, that allowed a person to hold two different SIMs in one mobile phone at one time in the face of a growing telecom industry and increasing Trend of multi company market. Entirely a local group, Trend mobiles is a sub-group of 4B Group, 4B Telecom and 4B Fertilizer as its main components. Trend is their brand which markets imported cell phones in the local market. It has now come up with the simplest and yet the most loaded of the mobile phones. Its called the T 786, Trend Perfect dual Sim. The features of T 786 are startling. Its basic edge is that a user can retain different network operators Sim`s in the cell phone and can receive calls in both at the same time. It is a complete multi media cell phone with 1.3mega pixel camera, which has an audio and video recorders and players as well. The USB Data cable allows the user a unique facility of `Plug N Play`. Attach the cable with your computer and view what you have recorded. There is no need of any software or driver installment unlike other cell phones. A Riddle- Free and consumer Friendly cell phone, it is also totally software Friendly for the users. No pains but all the gains. Trend mobiles offer an unmatched Deluxe Package along with the set which includes a free-of-cost 256 MB memory card, USB port, 2 extra batteries and an In-Car charger (that would cost you around one thousand in the market) along with 2 extra batteries and a Trendy pouch to carry your cell phone in style. The mobile phone holds another edge to other cell phones in the market. It is the only cell phone in the market that has a warranty of thirteen months. It has the style, it has the looks and it has all that you require in a cell phone to begin with.
61

Informative

Nokia has announced the new 5610 XpressMusic feature phone. This S40 device sports a sleek slider design that matches gloss black surfaces with aluminum highlighting on its sides. The device supports quad-band GSM as well as dual-band UMTS (2100MHz and 850Mhz), meaning that it should work pretty much anywhere in the world. Not only that, but its 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera will let you take high quality snapshots of your travels. When it comes to letting you enjoy all of the photos and music that can be packed into 4GB microSD card (not included), the 5610 XpressMusic has you covered. Your photos will look great on the 2.2", 16 million color QVGA (240x320 pixel) display. Music can be enjoyed through wired or wireless stereo headphones thanks to built-in Bluetooth A2DP support. Sadly, though, the 5610 XpressMusic lacks the 3.5mm headphone jack that its slimmer brother, the 5310, offers. 5610 is a novel slider control for selecting music. It is also one of the devices that are compatible with the newly announced Nokia Music Store, though it only supports side-loading of music from a desktop computer. Nokia expects the 5610 XpressMusic to go on sale in the last quarter of this year. It should retail for around Rs. 25,000.


Sony Ericsson has announced the release of the S500, a device derived largely from the W580 Walkman handset that was launched earlier this year. This 94g (3.3oz) handset sports design flourishes such themes that change between night and day, weekday and weekend, or as the seasons pass. The quad-band GSM/EDGE S500 offers a sharp 262k color, QVGA resolution display to view photos shot with its built-in 2 megapixel camera. Photos, music, and video clips can be stored in the internal 12MB of memory, or on a Memory Stick Micro card - not included. The S500 does ship with wired stereo headphones and the Disc2Phone software, and is compatible with Bluetooth A2DP wireless headphones as well. The 14mm thick S500 will be available in either green or yellow when it starts shipping in Q2 of this year, some time before its expected North American debut in Q3. No pricing information has been provided at this time.


62

Informative

BlackBerry Curve 8300 is the QWERTY keyboard equipped cousin of the Pearl 8100 but steps the multimedia features up a notch. Gone is the 1.3 megapixel camera of the Pearl; the BlackBerry Curve sports the manufacturer's first 2.0 megapixel sensor paired with a large QVGA (320x240 pixel) resolution display. An overhauled media player allows keyword searching for the music you want with A2DP stereo Bluetooth 2.0 and a 3.5mm headphone jack both available to connect your listening device of choice. RIM has collaborated with Sonic to bundle Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry with the Curve 8300, an application based on the awardwinning Roxio Easy Media Creator 9. A microSD memory card slot is thankfully available to store all your media and files. All these multimedia features are on top of the regular BlackBerry PIM functionality and the well-known push email support. New to the BlackBerry Curve 8300 is a 'high-performance' web browser for viewing full HTML pages and RSS news feeds, and speaker independent voice activated dialing and speakerphone functionality make an appearance on the quad-band GSM device.


BlackBerry 8800 takes many styling cues from the consumer orientated Pearl. The 8800 is notable for also including a microSD memory card slot and media player, which do not normally make an appearance in RIM's enterprise lineup. As stylish as it is powerful, the BlackBerry 8800 smartphone is designed to let you do your best work from wherever you choose. It gives you phone, email, organizer, web browsing and instant messaging. And then it goes a step further, providing GPS for enhanced access to location-based applications and services including the preloaded BlackBerry Maps application. The trackball, a feature carried over from the Pearl, makes navigating the user interface through the QVGA resolution light sensing display easy. Bluetooth functionality is available, as is USB connectivity. The 8800 can use MP3 format ringtones and speakerphone functionality complements. The full push email support seen on all BlackBerry devices. 8800 is equipped with a media player for your video clips, music and a high-capacity battery to allow you to make the most of it all. Sleek and performance-driven, it's the stylish way to get things done. The BlackBerry 8800 is quad-band GSM compatible, perfect for travelers and carries.


63

Pictorial

Taiwanese airforce officers stand behind a US-made F-16 fighter model during the aerospace and defense technology exhibition at the World Trade Center in Taipei. Some 602 booths from sixty-three companies took part in the four-day exhibition.

An employee of Japanese electronics giant Sony, displays a new portable DVD player "DVP-FX860DT", equipped with a high-resolution 8-inch swivel and flip multi-angle LCD display which can also display digital broadcasting, at the company's headquarters in Tokyo.

A shopkeeper shows a Batman series toy - 'J5115 Magna Fight Armor Flying Fox batman' made by US toy giant Mattel in New Delhi. In a second worldwide recall announced within a span of two weeks, Mattel Toys is recalling 18.6 million made-in-China products around the world.

Visitors play at an exhibition stand at the Games Convention 2007, Europe's leading fair for computer games, in the eastern German city of Leipzig.

64

A visitor takes a picture of a model of the Airbus A380 displayed at an expo center near the Hong Kong international airport during the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Conference in Hong Kong.

A Sharp employee demonstrates how to send an e-mail with a touch screen durin g the unveiling of Japan's electronics giant Sharp new LCD technology.

A Toshiba HD-DVD disc player is seen at a Ken Crane's Big Screen Headquarters store in Buena Park, Calif.,

Pictorial

A model holds a glass panel encasing a 29 millimeter (1.1 inches) thick prototype TV that Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. unveiled in Tokyo. Sharp said the prototype TV is the thinnest, lightest and lowest energy-consuming liquid crystal display in the world.

Nokia’s top-of-the-line N95, in New York, costs $750, and packs a highresolution camera, Wi-Fi antenna and a satellite GPS receiver.

This image made available by NASA, shows Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin using a computer on the international space station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station.

A woman poses with a mobile phone that can receive television programmes at the consumer electronics fair 'IFA 2007' held in Berlin, Germany.

Visitors are standing in front of flat screens at an exhibition stand of the IFA 2007 consumer electronics fair held in Berlin, Germany.

Fair hostess Swetlana presents a strass-covered USB-stick by Philips. The stick can also be used as a piece of jewellery, at the IFA trade fair during the consumer electronics fair IFA 2007’ held in Berlin, Germany.

A model presents a heart shaped one gigabyte memory stick decorated with imitated diamonds made by Philips before the official opening of the consumer electronics fair 'IFA 2007' held in Berlin, Germany.

66

Pictorial

A woman looks at a range of the lastest cell phones during a show at Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corporation, (HTC) during the company's 10th anniversary ceremony in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. HTC is set to launch more than ten smartphone handsets using wireless chips from Qualcomm.

A mobile phone battery of type BL-5C made by Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is pictured in the western German city of Hanover. Nokia, the world's leading maker of mobile phones, would offer free-of-charge replacements for some of its Nokia BL-5C batteries after around 100 incidents of overheating were reported globally.

A Dhruv Helicopter of India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) (C) lifts off in front of a group of photographers at The HAL helicopter division in Bangalore. India has carried out the first flight of a weaponised combat helicopter it is developing to equip its armed forces as well as potential overseas customers including Turkey.

Hewlett Packard laptop with Windows Vista running is on display at Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif.

Models display Japanese electronics Sanyo's portable heaters "eneloop anka" (R) and "eneloop kairo" (L) in Toyko. The hand warmer powered by Li-ion batteries provides 39 degree Celsius of heat for 7 hours for as three hours charging time while the portable warmer performs 40 degree Celsius for 10 hours on a 3.5 hours charging time.

A man and a child walk past a Chinese-made motorcycle dealer in Caracas, Venezuela. For years, China's booming economy touched daily life in the West, most visibly through the "made-in-China" label on everything from clothes to computers.

A Taiwanese soldier operates a locally made 155mm self-propelled howitzer during the aerospace and defense technology exhibition at the World Trade Center in Taipei. Some 602 booths from sixty-three companies took part in the four-day exhibition.

Hewlett Packard computers on display at Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif.

67

Pictorial

EMC Corp. President Joe Tucci speaks at a press conference in New Delhi, India. EMC Corp. can't celebrate too long after spinning off a 10 percent stake of its VMware Inc. software unit to Google Inc.

Japan's Osaka University researcher Kazuhiro Taniguchi displays a prototype device on a bow of his glasses to operate digital music player or other electronic devices on movements of his temples at his laboratory at the Osaka University in Osaka, western Japan.

Microsoft Corporation CEO Steve Ballmer (L) and John Chambers (R), chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, attend a discussion panel in New York. Ballmer and Chambers spoke on the future of technology and their plans to strengthen their collaboration.

EMC Corp. shows a manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland. EMC Corp. can't celebrate too long after spinning off a 10 percent stake of its VMware Inc. software unit to Google Inc.

Sharp Corp. President Mikio Katayama speaks during a press conference in Tokyo in which a 29 millimeter (1.1 inches) thick prototype TV the thinnest of the world was introduced. President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay, Meg Whitman, left, stands with Niklas Zennstrom, CEO and Co founder of Skype, the global Internet communications company, in central London.

68

Accenture's Chief Technology Architect Paul Daugherty speaks during a presentation in Bangalore, India. Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company which serves more than 325 global clients through its operations in different Indian cities.

The Roomba vacuum cleaner by iRobot Corp. is seen in Boston. Nearly five years after rolling onto the market, the Roomba vacuum cleaner has undergone a ground-up redesign that has endowed the otherwise-brainy robot with the smarts to overcome rug tassels and electrical cords.

Telecom

Flare Report

Armed with a soldering iron and a large supply of energy drinks, a slim, curly haired teenager has developed a way to make the iPhone, arguably the gadget of the year, available to a much wider audience eorge Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J., spent his last summer before college figuring out how to "unlock" the iPhone, freeing it from being restricted to a single carrier, AT&T Inc. The procedure, which the 17-year-old posted on his blog, raises the possibility of a cottage industry springing up to buy iPhones, unlocking them and then selling them to people who don't want AT&T service or can't get it, particularly overseas. The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is currently sold only in the U.S. Hotz placed the T-Mobile SIM card, then connected to T-Mobile's network and placed calls using the T-Mobile account. T-Mobile is the only major U.S. carrier apart from AT&T that is compatible with the iPhone's cellular technology, but smaller carriers also use the technology, known as GSM. In Europe and Asia, GSM is the dominant network technology.

G

Hotz spent about 500 hours on the project since the iPhone went on sale. First unlocked iPhone is up for sale on eBay, where the high bid was at $12,600 The hack is complicated and requires skill with both soldering and software, and missteps may result in the iPhone becoming useless, so few people will be able to follow the instructions. "But that's the simplest I could make them," Hotz said. Technology blog Engadget reported successfully unlocking an iPhone using a different

70

method that required no tinkering with the hardware. The software was supplied by an anonymous group of hackers that apparently plans to charge for it. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel and Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said their companies had no comment on Hotz' exploit. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him. Apple shares rose $4.23, or 3.2 percent, to close at $135.30. AT&T shares gained 26 cents, or 0.7 percent, to close at $40.36. The iPhone has already been made to work on overseas networks using another method, which involves copying information from the SIM chip, or Subscriber Identity Module. The SIM-chip method does not involve any soldering, but does require special equipment, and it doesn't unlock the phone - each new SIM chip has to be reprogrammed for use on a particular iPhone. Both hacks leave intact the iPhone's many functions, including a built-in camera and the ability to access Wi-Fi networks. The only thing that won't work is the "visual voicemail" feature, which lists voice messages as if they were incoming e-mail. Since the details of both hacks are public, Apple may be able to modify the iPhone production line to make new phones invulnerable. Analysts said it's unlikely Apple would overhaul the iPhone's wiring to thwart the new hack because the difficulty of the procedure is likely to keep it confined to hardcore hobbyists. Apple has said it plans to introduce the phone in Europe this year, but it hasn't set a date or identified carriers. There is apparently no U.S. law against unlocking cell phones. Last year, the Library of Congress specifically excluded cell-phone unlocking from coverage under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Among other things, the law has been used to prosecute people who modify game consoles to play a wider variety of games. Hotz collaborated online with a large number of people to develop the unlocking process. Of smaller core group, two were in

A woman demonstrates how to apply electro-acupuncture during the Food, Medical and Health Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Around 680 exhibitors from mainland China, Taiwan, Switzerland, Russia and Poland amongst others participated in the five-day event that drew tens of thousands of visitors.

George Hotz, 17, holds an iPhone that he has unlocked and is using on T-Mobile's network in New York. Hotz has broken the lock that ties Apple's iPhone to AT&T's wireless network, freeing the most hyped cell phone ever for use on the networks of other carriers, including overseas ones.

Russia. "Then there are two guys who I think are somewhere U.S.-side," Hotz said. He knows them only by their online handles. Hotz himself spent about 500 hours on the project since the iPhone went on sale. He has put the unlocked iPhone up for sale on eBay, where the high bid was at $12,600. The model, with 4 gigabytes of memory, sells for $499 new. "Some of my friends think I wasted my summer but I think it was worth it," he told The Record of Bergen County, which reported Hotz's hack. Hotz plans to major in neuroscience or "hacking the brain" as he puts it at the Rochester Institute of Technology.


Children play the computer game "Special Force 2" during its introduction to the media in the Beirut suburbs. Raid Israel to capture soldiers, battle tanks in the valleys of south Lebanon and launch Katyusha rockets at Israeli towns -- the new Hezbollah computer game puts players on the frontline of war with the Jewish state.

Informative

Compaq Presario C567TU Rs.42,000/Processor Type RAM
Hard Drive
Display
Multimedia
Graphic Accelerator
Optical Drive
Wired and Wireless Communication
Operating System
Battery



Intel Celeron 1.86 Ghz 512MB DDR2 SD RAM 80 GB 15.4 high defination bright view wide screen display PCMCI Card slot Intel Graphic media Accelator 950 256MB Combo Drive Wireless Lan 802.11 D/G DOS 6 Cell Lithium Battery

HP Compaq 6710 US 1.8C2D 512MB Rs.54,500/














CPU Memory Memory Max Hard Disk Modem type Modem Speed Wireless Optical Drive Battery Weight O/S FireWire ports USB Ports

Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83Ghz 512 MB 1GB , 2GB 120Gb Fax / modem 56kbps 802.11b/g Super Drive Lithium-Ion 2kg Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 1 x FireWire 400 4 x USB 2.0

Dell Inspiron 6400 Core Duo 1.73GHZ Rs.50,700/-

Processor Type RAM
Hard Drive
Display
Multimedia
Graphic Accelerator
Optical Drive
Wired and Wireless Communication
Operating System
Dimensions



72

IIntel Core Duo 1.73Ghz 512MB 80 GB 15.4 inch WSXGA Stereo Speakers Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 DVD-RW 10/100 LAN, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth DOS 356 x 265.5 x 38.7 mm

Informative

Toshiba Satellite A200-1CR


















Rs.63,500/-

Processor Type Processor Speed RAM

Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Processor T2080 1.73 GHz 1.73 GHz, 533MHz standard : 1,024 (512 + 512) MB maximum expandability : 2,048 MB technology : DDR2 RAM (667 MHz) Hard Drive 120 GB Display 15.4 " Toshiba TruBrite® WXGA TFT display Graphic Accelerator Hybrid Graphics System lets toggle between NVidia GeForce Go 7400 (up to 335 MB shared) and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (224 MB shared) Optical Drive DVD+/-RW SuperMulti with Double Layer Fixed Wireless Communication Compliancy : Wi-Fi® Network Support : 802.11b/g integrated Wireless Technology : Wireless LAN Wireless Technology : Bluetooth® Wired Communication topology : international V.92 modem speed : 56 Kbps data and 14.4 Kbps fax topology : Ethernet LAN speed : 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Operating System Windows Vista® Home Basic Edition Dimensions 362 x 267.8 x 33.5 (front) / 39.3 (rear) mm

Acer Aspire 5720-301G16 Rs.69,000/










Processor Operating System Ram Display Graphic Card Hard Drive Primary CD/DVD Drive Communication Extra Features

Intel® Centrino 2 Duo T7300 2.0 GHz 4MB L2 Cache MS VISTA Home Premium 1024MB (2*512) DDR2 15.4" WXGA Crystal Bright 128MB GeForce Go 7600 160GB SATA HDD DVD Super Multi Double Layer 802.11abg Wireless LAN,Bluetooth,Gigabit LAN 6 cell battery, Crystal Eye Camera,Dolby Digital Sound,Acer Carry Bag,56k Modem

IBM Lenovo 3000 N-100 Rs.58,500/










Processor Type Processor Speed RAM Hard Drive Display Graphic Accelerator Optical Drive Wired & Wireless Communication Operating System

Intel® Centrino® Duo mobile technology featuring Intel® Core™ Duo processor T5500 1.66 GHz,2 MB Cache 667 MHz FSB 1 GB DDR2, maximum expandability: 4 GB DDR2 60 GB 5400 rpm, Serial ATA 15.4 inches WXGA Vibrant View TFT LCD Glossy (1280x800) (Silver) Intel® 950GM Express chipset, up to 256 MB DVD Super Multi (Double Layer) Drive Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG / GigaBit Intel Lan Card / 56k Modem (V.92 ready) Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

ECHNOTEL (PVT) LTD. We are the Reason of Communication

For online shopping www.technotel.com.pk [email protected]

CORPORATE HEAD OFFICE 37-17-B1, Main College Road, Township, Lahore 54770, Pakistan. UAN: 92-42-111-367-367 Fax: 92-42-5126119 Cell: 0301-0321-0333-8447333

73

Pictorial

A model poses with Canon's new digital SLR camera 40D with a during an unveiling in Tokyo. 10.1 million effective pixels CMOS sensor.

Japanese actress Yukie Nakama poses with Matsushita Electronics’ known as Panasonic, new "Nano-Care" series hair dryer, EH5442 during its press preview in Tokyo.

Japanese actor Ken Watanabe poses with Canon's new digital SLR camera 40D during an unveiling in Tokyo.

A fair hostess shows Nikon's new D3 digital SLR camera at the IFA trade fair during the fair at Berlin's ICC exhibition center. The IFA, one of the world's largest consumer electronics trade shows, takes place until.

A man plays a video racing game at the stand of the Intel company during the consumer electronics fair 'IFA 2007' in Berlin, Germany. About 1,170 exhibitors from 32 countries presented their latest products.

74

Space shuttle Endeavour astronauts (L-R) Dave Williams, Rick Mastracchio, Tracy Caldwell, Alvin Drew Jr., Commander Scott Kelly and Pilot Charles Hobaugh pose on the tarmac after returning to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Internet

Naeem Shahzad

World Wide Web is loaded with tons of information available on any topic one can imagine. Pulling the right information, which is required, may be a trivial task. Though today's state-of-art search engines greatly aid in doing so, however, it's necessary for a user to learn some techniques of optimized searching. This article sheds light on basic mechanism of search engines as well as discusses in detail the techniques of effective search he revolutionary development of Internet has really changed the way people do their work and business. Internet has created new ways of sharing information and communication. It offers various tools and possibilities e.g., websites, emails, e-conferencing, real time chat sessions, virtual networks, searchable online databases etc. The good thing about Web is that it contains hundreds of millions of web pages that have information on variety of topics. But the thing, which might not be good, is that these pages are not at a unified known place but are stored at different servers at diversified locations not known to the user. Since earlier days of the Internet, web searching has been very popular and core tool for getting the required information out of the piles of data worldwide. Latest development of search technologies has promised the delivery of information to the requesting user based on underlying sophisticated search technology. However the issue of 'information overload' still exists. By having so much information available that the user either cannot assimilate it all or feels too overwhelmed to take any of it, may find it impossible to extract the information he is looking for. However, knowing the working of search engines and the techniques of optimized searching can greatly benefit the users in their search.

T

How do search engines work? Typically a search engine provides a text field and a search button, other options like quick links etc are also provided. Search terms, in the form of plain text, can be entered

76

into text field and by hitting the search button the results can be obtained immediately. The term "search engine" is often used generically to describe both crawler-based search engines and human-powered directories that work differently while searching the data. As majority of the engines today are crawler-based therefore these are focused here. Crawler-based search engines have three major elements.

es through the millions of pages in the index to find matches to a search and rank them in order of their relevancy. The software has several parts, typically including the user interface through which a user submits his search terms, the "query engine" that build the query based on these arguments, evaluates queries and matches them to relevant documents and the results formatter which returns the human

The Spider The spider or a crawler visits a web page and traverses other pages that are followed by the links within the page, by crawling through these links just as a spider crawls through its web. The spider makes repetitive visits to the site to look for changes. Primary function of the spider is visiting the page and rendering the results to the index where information related to the page is saved. The Index The pages found by the spider are passed to the Index where a huge catalog of these pages is maintained and pages are ranked for priority in response to the search terms. This book is updated when the actual page gets changed. The search engine might store the word, the URL containing the word and weightage assigned to each entry based on the position and frequency of appearance of the word within the page. The Software Search engine software is the third part of a search engine. This is a program that travers-

readable formatted results to the user. The relevancy of the documents to be returned is based on the Page Ranking. PageRank (PR) is system for ranking web pages. A page with a higher PR is deemed more important and is more likely to be listed above a page with a lower PR. The PR is decided based on certain factors like popularity of the page, appearance of search words near the top of the document, in sub-headings, in links, in the meta tags or in the title of the page, near each other and in the same order as the query and vote" by all the other pages on the Web, about how important a page is. A link to a page counts as a vote of support. Google can match multi-word phrases and sentences, and proximity of the search terms to one another on the page. Search engines have different Page Ranking algorithms for assigning weight to the words in the index. That's why search for the same word on different search engines will produce different results. Optimizing the search After knowing about search engines and their operations, let's now learn the techniques that are useful for effective searching. You must get proficient with two kinds of techniques in general. These are

Internet (i) (ii)

building the search terms and using the special features.

Using these methods can make the search process easy and fruitful. The techniques presented here apply equally to all popular search engines today, however, specific proprietary syntax may vary. Building the search terms Be Specific By default a search engine produces results with pages that contain any of the given words. It means you must either be prepared to face an immense volume of 'raw information' or must give specific search terms that limit the returned contents only to the topic relevant. It can be made possible through careful selection of search words, usage of explicit terms instead of general and avoidance of ambiguous words. Google automatically excludes some words from the search terms like 'where', 'how', 'and' etc. Such words have no impact on the search. Therefore there is no need to include these words in your search. Be Exclusive Choose only those phrases that explicitly describe the domain of your topic. The search terms must be exhaustive of those words that are relevant to the similar or broader spectrum. For example, you are looking for the scholarships offered at Universities in the UK this year. Entering "scholarships offered at UK Universities" as search terms will return a lot of general information about universities scholarships, but those scholarships, which are currently available, will be missing. Try "UK universities scholarships available 2007" and more focused results will appear. Search Engine Math Learning search engine mathematics will greatly help in being specific and exclusive. Searching by supplying merely a string of words may produce too many off-target results however, a little math is involved in searching

operations and users must know it for getting better-focused results. It is used for adding, subtracting and multiplying the search words to be included in the results. AND, Using "+" symbol to necessarily include all words: To find the pages by matching all the supplied words (not only any of them), use + symbol among the words which works like key work "AND". For example to view pages containing both 'Microsoft Windows' the search string will be "Microsoft + Windows". NOT, Using "-" symbol to necessarily exclude specific words: Some it is desirable to find the pages that have some words but not other words. - symbol is used to necessarily exclude the word following it. Suppose you love riding the camel, try searching by omitting riding horses, bicycle and motorcycle by using the flowing search string: Riding camel -horses -cycle Multiplication, Using phrase to include all words in given order: + symbol returns pages that contain all words but not necessarily in the given order. For example Microsoft may be in first paragraph and windows may be in another paragraph. Your requirement may be to search a phrase as it is supplied. Look at the example below how quoted string is used for this purpose: "how to use Microsoft excel" This search will return the pages that exactly contain the above phrase with the given words located after one by one as per order of their appearance. OR, Match any: At least one of the terms joined by "OR" must appear in the pages. By default most of the search engines perform searching by matching any of the supplied words in any order. Some engines may provide menus to specify the 'Match Any' operation. Site Search: Another powerful feature available is to control what sites are included or excluded from a search. For example host:mars.jpl.nasa.gov mission mars tells AltaVista to list pages with the words "mission" and "mars" that are within the NASA's Mars Exploration web site. You can even combine other commands, such as those described already. For instance host:mars.jpl.nasa.gov - "mission Jupiter" to exclude mission Jupiter. Some search engines also offer friendly user interface to offer the above functionality. Using the special features The search categories Various search websites like Google, Wikipedia etc also offer different categories to search exactly in the targeted content type you are looking for. For example by selecting the appropriate category including Web pages,

Google Turns 10

This photo received shows Google Inc. CoFounder and President, Sergy Brin (R) and Co-Founder & President, Larry Page. Born 10 years ago, the Google Internet search engine has grown into the electronic center of human knowledge by indexing billions of web pages as well as images, books and videos. September 15 marks the 10th anniversary of the registration of the Google.com domain name. Maybe it's a premature soiree. There wasn't a lot to Google.com on Sept. 15, 1997. The search engine launched shortly afterward, the company wasn't incorporated until a year later, and the much-ballyhooed IPO didn't come for another seven years. However, that humble domain name obviously marked the start of something great. In just 10 years, Google has become the global leader in online advertising, and a menace to any company trying to matter in the search space. This company generated $3.1 billion in profit last year, on a robust $10.6 billion in revenue. Google is a part of any Internet user's life. Even if you've entirely

Images, Videos, Research, Qotations, Species etc. Advanced search It includes the options for limiting the searched contents on basis of Language, File Format, date etc. for example to search the recent jobs in Islamabad you may want to select the date option as 'past 3 months' in Advanced Search link at Google. Definitions Google offers a feature for getting the definitions of terms and phrases. In the text area, enter the term to be defined, preceded by the command argument 'define:" (word define followed by a colon) e.g., Define: opera will return several definitions of opera along with the definition of related phrases. Other search resources Besides regular search engines, there are some other sources that can surprisingly serve your purpose of getting the desired information from Web. www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia is a multilingual web based free encyclopedia that has over 2 millions of articles covering almost each subject area. It's an excellent, easy and economical source of learning and research. With each article the associated sub articles and additional information is provided. webopedia.com Webopedia is computer and Internet technology definitions. Another site for this purpose is www.webmonkey.com. www.howstuffworks.com Another amazing resource, howstuffworks.com, is unique of its kind in that it contains explanation of how world works. The mechanisms and modalities of Natural and Social sciences are covered, but there is much more on this website. www.dictionary.com Online dictionary. Forums & Groups Forums and Groups are the communities that have gathered online having related interests. Thousands of groups and thousands of discussion topics exist in various websites including Google, Yahoo and specialized forums like Java, Oracle etc.


avoided the Google.com landing page over the years -- and if you are, not used to of Google, even then you've probably come across Google's network of content-targeted ads, which wallpaper the Web via its Google AdSense program. If not, there's a YouTube video with your name on it. Google doesn't have to turn 10 to earn respect, though. It was just seven when Microsoft huddled its key executives in a summit simply titled "The Google Challenge," to address the one company the House of Gates fears more than any software or PC maker.


77

Internet

Sana Khan

Many people believe that getting listed in a major search engine like Yahoo!, Google, or MSN is almost as good as getting your business advertised in a major paper. You see that for getting listed in a search engine, even a major search engine, will not accomplish much unless you get placed in the top few listings on a number of specific keywords that you target his article will give you a good idea for economical search engine optimization, getting found in your town (local search engine positioning), and offer a bunch of tips for the Google search engine, Yahoo search, and other small business web site search engine positioning.

T

Rule #1: Give visitors the information they're looking for The single most important thing is to provide high-quality content on your pages, especially your homepage. Pages with useful content will attract many visitors and entice webmasters to link to your site. In creating a helpful, information-rich site, write pages that clearly and accurately describe your topic. Think about the words users would type to find your pages and include those words on your site. Rule #2: Make sure that other sites link to yours

assessment, interpreting a link from page A to page B as a vote by page A for page B. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important." Don't fall for page linking scams. Only natural links are useful for the indexing and ranking of your site. All the major search engines have algorithms that can distinguish natural links from unnatural links. Natural links to your site develop as part of the dynamic nature of the web when other sites find your content valuable and think it would be helpful for their visitors. Unnatural links, such as doorway pages, to your site are placed there specifically to make your site look more popular to search engines. Rule #3: Make your site easily accessible Build your site with a logical link structure. Every page should be reachable from at least one static text link. Static links are URL's that do not contain special characters, such as

Avoid search engine optimization companies that claim to "guarantee" high ranking for your site in search results. Honest search engine optimization firms can improve your site's flow and content, but beware of others who may employ deceptive tactics in an attempt to fool search engines

78

Links help crawlers find your site and can give your site greater visibility in search results. When returning results for a search, search engines combine PageRank (their view of a page's importance) with sophisticated textmatching techniques to display pages that are both important and relevant to each search. Search engines count the number of votes a page receives as part of its PageRank

www.example.com. URLs that contain "?" are called dynamic URLs. Dynamic URLs are created by server-side scripting languages, such as php, asp, jsp, perl, and cgi. The portion of the URL appearing after "?" is the page's query string parameter and is the part of the URL that changes. Even if your web site depends on dynamic links you may be able to create static copies of

dynamic pages. If you create static copies, don't forget to add your dynamic pages to your robots.txt file to prevent search engines from treating them as duplicates. Rule #4: Things to Avoid Don't try and fool search engines by filling your page with lists of keywords, attempting to "cloak" pages, or putting up "crawler only" pages. If your site contains pages, links, or text that you don't intend visitors to see, the major search engines consider those links and pages deceptive and may ignore your site. Many people believe that getting listed in a major search engine like Yahoo!, Google, or MSN is almost as good as getting your business advertised in a major newspaper. You see, getting listed in a search engine, even a major search engine, won't do squat unless you get placed in the top few listings on a number of specific keywords that you target. Avoid search engine optimization companies that claim to "guarantee" high ranking for your site in search results. Honest search engine optimization firms can improve your site's flow and content, but beware of others who may employ deceptive tactics in an attempt to fool search engines. Be careful; if your domain is affiliated with one of these deceptive services, it could end up banned. The best advice is to keep your web site simple. Many web sites are loaded with images. Don't use images to display important names, content, or links. Crawlers do not recognize text contained in graphics. Use ALT attributes if the main content and keywords on your page can't be formatted in regular HTML. Don't create multiple copies of a page under different URLs. Many sites offer text-only or printer-friendly versions of pages that contain the same content as the corresponding graphic-rich pages. To ensure that your preferred page is included in search results, you'll need to block duplicates from search engine spiders using a robots.txt file.


Joke

Wedding Colors

John Abraham John Abraham was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up toward heaven, he said "Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up bad things." Miraculously, a parking place appeared. John looked up again and said, "Never mind. I found one." --------------------------------------------------------------Software engineers and Beggars A railway station beggar meets another beggar. A software engineer meets another software engineer. Both of them ask the same question to each other. What is the question? "So, which platform are you working on?" ---------------------------------------------------------------

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?" "Because white is the color of happiness and today is the happiest day of her life." Her mother tried to explain, keeping it simple. The child thought about this for a moment,then said, " So, why is the groom wearing black?" --------------------------------------------------------------Teacher to Sardar " Where were U born? Sardar : In Tiruvanantapuram. Teacher : Spell it? Sardar : (after thinking) I think I was born in GOA. --------------------------------------------------------------Real Smartness Isn't our Principal a dummy, said a boy to a girl. Do you know who I am? asked the girl. No. I'm the principal's daughter. And do you know who I am? asked the boy. No, she replied. Thank God. --------------------------------------------------------------A disappointed salesman A disappointed salesman of Coca Cola returns from his Middle East assignment. A friend asked, "Why weren't you successful

with the Arabs?" The salesman explained, "When I got posted in the Middle East, I was very confident that I will makes a good sales pitch as Cola is virtually unknown there. But, I had a problem I didn't know to speak Arabic. So, I planned to convey the message through 3 posters... First poster, a man crawling through the hot desert sand... Totally exhausted and panting. Second poster, the man is drinking our Cola and Third, our man is now totally refreshed. Then these posters were pasted all over the place" "That should have worked," said the friend. The salesman replied, "Well, not only did I not speak Arabic, I also didn't realise that Arabs Read from Right to Left..." --------------------------------------------------------------Holding The Baby A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver said: Thats the ugliest baby I have ever seen. In a huff, the woman slammed her fare into the fare box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus. The man seated next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong. The bus driver insulted me, she fumed. The man sympathized and said Why, he is a public servant and should not say things to insult passengers. You are right, she said. I think I will go back up there and give him a piece of my mind. Thats a good idea, the man said. Here, let me hold your monkey. ---------------------------------------------------------------

79

IT

Shahid Zahid

Introduced only 3 years ago, iSCSI-SAN is now being used by more open system IT operations than FC-SAN which started shipping in 1998, but there is more data stored on Fibre Channel (FC). There is hardly any application that is excluded from iSCSI storage; database, email, web applications and Microsoft Exchange are among the most popular. This article briefly explores the details of iSCSI to help readers understand the technology here has been much discussion (and a good dose of confusion) about the term "iSCSI" over the last years. This relatively new protocol for storage technology offers many compelling benefits, including solid performance and the ability to inexpensively create a Storage Area Network (SAN) using standard Ethernet components. But what exactly is iSCSI? Perhaps it is helpful to first touch briefly on what is iSCSI is not. It is not Networked Attached Storage (NAS). It does not require Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) disks. It is not a filesharing protocol like those used by Mac and Windows servers. It is not Internet Fiber Channel Protocol (iFCP), a protocol used to connect Fiber Channel (FC) SAN islands across long distances. Nor is it Fiber Channel over Internet Protocol (FCIP), a tunneling protocol used to extend or connect FC networks. iSCSI is extremely close to the FC Protocol, which is designed for large data transfers with low overhead and low latency. For those already familiar with FC, iSCSI can be loosely generalized as "Fiber Channel over Ethernet". By definition, Internet SCSI or SCSI over IP (iSCSI) is a storage networking standard that enables the transport of block I/O data over an IP network iSCSI replaces SCSI's direct-attached cabling architecture with a network fabric. Essentially, the protocol works by encapsulating SCSI commands into packets and transporting them via Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). In other words, an Ethernet network now has the potential to become a SAN and as a direct result of this ubiquitous, standardized Ethernet infrastructure come many interesting features and benefits that would otherwise be impossible. Some might argue that simplicity is a key advantage of using iSCSI over FC to deploy a SAN. The reason: An iSCSI SAN doesn't necessarily require the specialized hardware knowledge that is perceived to be a prerequisite with FC. There is already an inherent level of familiarity with the various Ethernet networking components. Therefore, a company lacking a dedicated staff of storage network engineers

in additional savings. Performance is of highest importance when the storage network is expected to stream large amounts of audio or video. iSCSI can excel here, whereas the extreme throughput demands would usually relegate NAS and client/server to push/pull.

T

Benefits of iSCSI The throughput levels achieved over a welltuned Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) iSCSI SAN are surprising. This is especially apparent when compared to the performance of common filesharing protocols over a similar network. The client/server and NAS protocols used for basic file sharing rarely match the efficiency of a block-level protocol such as iSCSI or FC. It is important to understand that those file-level protocols are better for users or applications that need to access a particular file, whereas block-level protocols are optimal for users or applications that constantly need the faster access to data. In general, the protocol is a key reason as pure "wire speed" is almost never achieved. The constraint is not the available bandwidth (1Gb/s in this case). It is the overhead of the protocol being used. By employing a more efficient protocol, one can more fully use the bandwidth of the pipe. Conversely, if the pipe is the bottleneck, then a more efficient protocol won't help much. Another significant benefit over FC is that an iSCSI SAN is capable of natively spanning great distances. It is common for networked storage to be located a fair distance from its consumers. It could be located down the hall or locked away in some data center. iSCSI is certainly comfortable within the local network. But the task of securely extending storage - particularly SAN storage - can become complicated outside the immediate confines of a campus. iSCSI makes this much easier. Not only can a Virtual Private Network (VPN) be used to securely extend an iSCSI SAN over a Wide Area Network (WAN), but also iSCSI supports the Challenge/Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP). CHAP is an advanced authentication mechanism that can

Concerns on security and performance that initially hindered iSCSI SAN implementations no longer constitute an obstacle.100-Megabit IP networks gave way to 1 Gb in 2005 and 2006, and 10-Gb networks will prevail in 2007 and 2008

80

should feel more adept at maintaining and troubleshooting an iSCSI SAN. Where does it Fit? Although iSCSI can certainly be complementary to many other storage technologies, it is especially well-suited for a large portion of the middle market - that is, the mass of users who:
Need considerably more throughput than NAS or client/server can provide.
Desire the benefits of a SAN.
Have determined FC, somewhat excessive for their needs. The price and performance of iSCSI implementations for audio and video applications can vary widely. In a comparison of similar FC components, one can expect to save between 40 percent to 60 percent with iSCSI. It may be possible to use existing Network Interface Cards (NICs), switches, etc. which would result

IT help ensure that a user or server has the valid credentials to connect to a particular resource on a SAN. VPN and CHAP can be used together or independently, depending on the desired level of security. A few applications for an iSCSI Storage WAN (SWAN) are:
Remote mirroring.
Offsite archive/backup.
Disaster recovery.
Content delivery. iSCSI's compatibility with existing software applications is practically guaranteed. This is

Special cabling is not required other than that which is necessary for GbE. High-quality Category 5e cable is recommended. Although it is usually more expensive, plenum-rated cable should be used when safety regulations or compliance codes dictate. A manage Layer 3 Ethernet switch is sufficient for the majority of iSCSI SANs. The configuration of the switch itself is of paramount importance. There can be thousands of settings in a high-quality GbE switch. As with most things, reading the manual and learning the "ins and outs" of the device can be the difference between unparalleled

Recently conducted end-user survey revealed that 37% of the 5,000 surveyed sites have implemented an iSCSI SAN, compared to less than 20% a year ago. This important market penetration involves all business tiers, challenging the early belief that iSCSI would more specifically attract small and medium sites because iSCSI storage is presented to the OS as though it is attached locally, rather than presenting it as a network share. And because iSCSI storage is seen at the block-level, it is possible to use an operating system's native file system on those devices. Some applications simply will not run on storage that is presented as a network share. This is not a problem in an iSCSI environment. Hardware Requirements At the basic hardware level, there are no special networking components required. However, it is doubtful that much will be gained by using anything less than high-quality GbE components. Beginning from within the computer itself and working towards the physical storage, the first component to consider is the network interface. The integrated GbE NIC found in most computers is usually sufficient for SAN connectivity. If performance becomes a problem, consider upgrading the NIC. The alternative is to use a TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) on the NIC or Host Bus Adaptor (HBA). This deals with the additional TCP flow, thus reducing the possibility of the host's CPU becoming an I/O bottleneck. There is heated debate as to the optimum solution. One side favors the concept of the TOE; the other believes the cost of a TOE should simply be applied towards a faster CPU.

success and miserable failure. iSCSI Details iSCSI works by encapsulating SCSI commands and transporting them via TCP/IP. On opposing ends of the network are the pillars of iSCSI: the initiator and the target. The initiator, which can be in the form of hardware or software, is installed on the host. The most basic responsibilities of the initiator are to establish a connection to an iSCSI target and start the transfer of information to and form it. Configuring the initiator so that it is capable of connecting to a given target is quite simple. Connection information can be made persistent so that the setup need only be done once per target. The iSCSI target's primary function is to respond to the requests started by the initiator. This task is accomplished by brokering the requests of the initiator to the physical storage. The iSCSI target most often takes the physical form of a storage appliance, although there are software-only products available as well. Regardless of the format, the iSCSI target acts as the bridge between the network and the disks - usually a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) of Serial ATA (SATA) drives. A common question is whether a separate network should be implemented for the iSCSI traffic. The correct answer to this question

requires close examination of the intended purpose and expected throughput of the iSCSI SAN. In small installation constrained by budget, there often is no choice but to use the existing infrastructure. If this is the case, it must be accepted that any IP-based solution could possibly suffer due to the existing traffic on the network. Therefore, an iSCSI SAN will still perform better than the available alternatives simply because of the efficiency of the iSCSI protocol. To guarantee the highest performance and stability, it is recommended to implement a dedicated IP infrastructure for the iSCSI SAN. A compromise between these two approaches is to implement a Virtual LAN (VLAN) to isolate the iSCSI traffic on an existing infrastructure. Implementation It is probable that corporate or small and medium enterprise users already have an assortment of storage and networking technologies in place. Some may be for back-office functions and some for media networks. When deployed correctly, iSCSI can be complementary to existing storage/networking systems. iSCSI need not be viewed as an either/or solution. Nowhere is this truer than with FC. Consider, for example, a FC/iSCSI hybrid SAN. This opens the door to tiered storage networking. Here, it is possible to extend FC only to those that need the highest performance, while routing the FC SAN over iSCSI to the remainder of users or servers. There are several bridging and routing devices available that are capable of extending iSCSI connectivity to various protocols. The demand for iSCSI is predicted to accelerate steadily over the next several years. It is hard to ignore the benefits for SAN, let alone one that is implemented on common network components. The fact is that iSCSI is firmly situated on top of the two most ubiquitous network standards: TCP/IP and Ethernet. Its value proposition becomes even more apparent with the realization that Ethernet economics now can be applied to an organization's SAN strategy. Some have even predicted that iSCSI signals the demise of the FC. The more likely outcome (near-term at least) is that iSCSI will find its way alongside many FC implementations. But perhaps nothing stands to solidify the position of iSCSI more than the mass adoption of 10GbE. With five times the bandwidth of most FC products sold today, 10GbE currently sits quietly in the background - an inevitable giant in waiting.
Shahid Zahid is a TV Broadcast & Satellite Communication Engineer with a National Broadcaster of Pakistan, ATV

Kuwait Telecom MTC Changes Brand N Name to Zain Kuwait's telecom giant MTC Group has begun operating under the new brand name Zain as part of its bid to climb into the top 10 of global telecom operators. "The move will bring all the company operations in 21 countries under one brand name. It is a part of our strategy to become one of the top 10 global companies," said the CEO and general manager for Kuwait, Barrak al-Sabeeh. The company's operations in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Sudan will immediately come under the new name, while its operations in 14 African countries, Iraq and Lebanon will change later. MTC in Saudi Arabia, slated to launch in early 2008, will operate as Zain. The company has been awarded the third mobile license in the oil-rich kingdom for 6.1 billion dollars. Sabeeh said that Zain headquarters will shortly be based in neighboring Dubai or Bahrain or in the Dutch city of Amsterdam. He said the company will continue to expand globally by chasing every investment opportunity. Currently, Zain is bidding for licenses in Qatar and Algeria.

The company's customer base increased 40 percent to 32.15 million on June 30, 2007 compared to 22.9 million subscribers a year ago. The group, in which the Kuwaiti government has a 24.6percent stake, saw its capitalization double to 28 billion dollars, after making a number of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions in the past few years.


81

National

Corporate Results: PICTL earns PTCL Announces cut in Rs.331.187 million Profit IDD Rates Pakistan International Container Terminal Limited (PICTL) has posted Rs 331.187 million as profit after tax in the 2007 financial year as compared to Rs 291.270 million earned in the corresponding period in 2006 financial year . The earning per share (basic) of the company increased to Rs 4.13 in the period under review against Rs 3.61 in the same period last year, while the earning per share diluted stood at Rs 3.63 in this period against Rs 3.10 previously. Informing the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), the PICTL said that the net turnover of the company increased to Rs 2,186.064 million in 2007 financial year against Rs 1,707.760 million in 2006 financial year. The company's profit before tax stood at Rs 520.118 million in this period against Rs 450.580 million previously. The board of directors of the company, in its meeting has recommended a cash dividend at 10 percent per annum against preference shares for the year. The board also recommended issuing bonus shares in the proportion of one ordinary share for every five ordinary shares, i.e 20 percent subject to increase in authorised capital in the forthcoming annual general meeting.


Ufone Expands Messaging Capacity Leading cellular operator Ufone is expanding its messaging capacity by 700 percent to handle very high volumes of messaging traffic and provide subscribers with a consistently high-quality messaging experience. Ufone's SMSC extension will provide the operator with a state-of-the-art messaging platform to meet the growing demand for SMS messaging among mobile phone users in Pakistan. Building on an already established relationship with Acision, a key messaging infrastructure provider, Ufone can rely on its high performance SMSC to scale ahead of growing demand and to bring continuous innovation, anticipating future messaging requirements.


People gathered outside burnt mobile shops after a fire that broke out in electronics market due to short circuit while improper wiring of electric wires are also seen in picture, in Karachi.

Motorola Launches Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

82

Motorola, Inc, a global leader in wireless communications, has launched the ROKR S9 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones in Pakistan, combining stylish design with cutting-edge bluetooth wireless technology, giving consumers in Pakistan an easy access to their favourite music on-the-go. It lets consumer stream music from their bluetooth-enabled stereo music phone or MP3 player, deliver non-stop music from each single change and features multi-function call, volume and track controls. The music mutes or pauses when calls come in and resumes once they have ended. "It is a compact, lightweight solution that allows consumers to take their calls and listen to their favourite music with them anywhere, anytime," said Sarim Alvi, Director Sales and Marketing, Mobile Devices, Motorola Pakistan. The ROKR S9 weighs barely an ounce and is designed with a comfortable behind-the-head style. It is also water and sweat resistant for longer endurance and available in Pakistan now.


Following the launch of its new corporate look and identity, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) now comes up with a great offer to make its consumers "feel the difference" in its real sense. The company has announced its new rates for International Direct Dialing (IDD) that enables the landline consumers to call a number of destinations world-wide just for Rs 2/- per minute. PTCL, after its acquisition by Etisalat, is going through a process of revamping and revolutionary steps are being taken to enhance its image as a customer-oriented service provider. With the introduction of revised IDD rates the customers will now be able to call 16 destinations world-wide including England, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Norway, Holland, Spain, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, USA, Canada, China and Hong Kong for as low as Rs 2/- per minute. It may also be noted here that International Direct Dialing service is activated by default on all landline numbers and international calls can be made from any landline number just by dialing the country code and required number with its prefixed city code. With these and a number of other upcoming initiatives PTCL expects to make telecommunication services more affordable and help its consumers enjoy maximum benefits of technology advancements. Steps are also being taken at administrative level and the customer services outlets are being improved as the centers of customers' convenience.


DIALLOG to Implement Oracle e-Business Suite DIALLOG, a major wireless local loop operator, and Inbox Business Technologies signed an agreement that will make DIALLOG the first wireless local loop operator in the country to implement the Oracle e- Business suite. DIALLOG CEO Artem Orange said this fully integrated business suite would empower DIALLOG with a robust set of business applications, which would better support our organisational goals, enhance our business processes and increase visibility in the business arena. The Oracle e-business suite, a product in Oracle's global applications portfolio, is a fully integrated and comprehensive suite of business applications for the enterprise and provides better business information for effective decision-making and optimal responsiveness. Senior Regional Director of Oracle South Asia Growth Economies (SAGE) Samina Rizwan said: "Oracle applications enhance operational efficiency as well as improve and streamline the decision-making process in telecom companies." She said that across Pakistan, businesses are applying similar cutting-edge Oracle applications and technology to manage their businesses in a better way.


Ravi motorcyclists are under production at the factory during the visit of Lahore Economic Journalists Association.

National

Wateen Provides Wimax Connectivity to 16 SIE Companies

Trafco Tracking, Warid Telecom Join Hands

Wateen Telecom has commenced provision of Wimax connectivity to Sundar Industrial Estate (SIE) and 16 companies have been facilitated with the connections. The companies including Qadcast (Pvt) Ltd, SVA Ruba, AL Wadood Associates, M.N. Fabric, Packsol, Nextec, Batala Textiles, Raja Automobile Engineers, Punjab Industrial Estate, Synergy Pharmaceuticals, STtiefel, AL-Fattah Glass Industries and ALQuraish Pet Bottles were provided with the facility.


Trafco Group Chairman Tahir Malik and Hamid Farooq, CEO, Warid Telecom shaking hands during the signing ceremony.

Warid Telecommunication will provide GPRS facility to the Trafco Tracking (Pvt) to help trace cars in case of their theft and snatching. WaridTel and Trafco Tracking (Pvt) Limited signed strategic partnership agreement in this regard at a ceremony. "We are going to be first to have this facility as the other tracking companies are using SMS system," Chairman Trafco Group of Companies Tahir Malik told. He hoped that the use of GPRS based system would help discourage the incidence of theft and snatching significantly.


Angry students breaking a telephone booth at Jinnah Hospital after a clash between two students organizations at Sindh Medical College (SMC) adjacent to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi.

Telenor Pakistan Launches Network Operations Center Telenor Pakistan has established a new, state-of-the-art Network Operations Center that will enable it to quickly pinpoint outages anywhere across their network in Pakistan. The new center will make alarm monitoring and supervision of the network easier, reducing network downtime and duration, resulting in more satisfied customers. Telenor Pakistan CEO Tore Johnsen, while inaugurating the new center said, "With the launch of more centralised, cuttingedge NOC operations we will be able to view the entire Telenor Pakistan network at a glance in one place. This will help us to locate and resolve faults quicker, resulting in fewer and shorter network outages. The purpose is to enable our customers to fully benefit from accessible and quality communication services in their daily lives." The center boasts the most advanced data handling equipment from Nokia Siemens Network and has huge LCD data walls from Barco, a world leader in display and large-screen visualisation solutions. Telenor Pakistan's Chief Technical Officer Peter Anthony Dindial and other Telenor Pakistan officials were also present on the occasion. Representatives from Nokia Siemens Network (NSN), Huawei and NEC also attended the event.


Secretary General Revenue Division/Chairman, CBR Mr. M. Abdullah Yusuf showing his card to the electronic machine to mark the launching of new computerized attandance in CBR headquarters, Islamabad.

President & CEO PTML, Mubashir Naqvi speakd during an agreement signing ceremony with Acision, at a local hotel. Managing Director for Acision in Asia Pacific, Boudewijn Pesch is also seen in the picture.

NADRA Among top 50 IT Companies of the World The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has been acclaimed, for the third consecutive year, as among top 50 IT companies of the world. The NADRA has been placed amongst the Top 50 e-Passport Technology Suppliers for the third consecutive year by one of the leading IT magazines entitled 'ID World' that highlights "Players of the auto ID industry". The NADRA is in its list of top 50 e-Passport technology suppliers that includes mostly the companies from the US and Europe. It is interesting to note that NADRA has not been associated with the issuance of driving licence but it won the Bangladesh Driver's License Project in February last year. Similarly, the Database Authority won the contract for Kenya Passport issuing system this year after eliminating six renowned firms from United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Germany and Israel. Keesing Journal of Documents & Identity, a world renowned bi-monthly magazine for developments in the security document industry, also commended NADRA's multi-biometric passport, an achievement that placed the organisation among the top 50 IT companies of the world. NADRA was established in 2000 to provide integrated homeland security solutions for Pakistan. NADRA has successfully issued 62 million MultiBiometric National ID Cards in the last five and a half years and over 4.3 million Multi-Biometric Electronic Passports, containing an RFID chip, facial and fingerprint images of the bearer, PKI and other security features compliant with ICAO standards, since October, 2004.


83

National

SBP Issues Guidelines for Telenor Named top Performing Mobile Operator on DJSI Islamic Microfinance Business The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued guidelines for Islamic microfinance business, aimed at broadening the coverage of microfinance products and services to low-income segments of the society in a Shariah compliant manner. The SBP circular said that Pakistan is among the few countries in the world which has a separate legal and regulatory framework for microfinance banks. The framework allows microfinance institutions and commercial banks to extend a range of microfinance services to poor and low-income people through various arrangements. It said that with the growing popularity of Islamic banking in the country, it was deemed necessary to provide options for provision of Islamic microfinance services by microfinance institutions and commercial banks as well as allowing full-fledged Islamic microfinance banks in the country. Consequently, the circular said, SBP has formulated guidelines for provision of Islamic microfinance products and services by financial institutions, which are attached as annexure to this circular. These guidelines stipulate four types of institutional arrangements for offering Islamic microfinance. A: Establishing Full Fledged Islamic Microfinance Banks (IMFBs). B: Islamic Microfinance Services by Full-fledged Islamic Banks. C: Islamic Microfinance Services by Conventional Banks and D: Islamic Microfinance Services by Conventional Microfinance Banks (MFBs). It must be taken into account that the criteria mentioned in these guidelines shall be in addition to the requirements already issued by SBP under respective category of financial institutions. These regulations and guidelines, by any means, are not replacing the regulations and guidelines already issued by SBP from time to time in this area, SBP said in the circular.


Telenor has been named the top performing mobile operator on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). The DJSI ranked the 14 leading mobile communications companies world-wide. "It is a great encouragement for us as we pursue our goal of empowering people in all our markets helping them get the full benefit of communications services in their daily lives," said President and CEO of Telenor, Jon Fredrik Baksaas. "Telenor achieved a particularly high score for social contribution. The DJSI recognised Telenor's continuous efforts to achieve digital inclusion and the positive impact our telecommunications services have on society," he added.


Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Coordinator General of Comstech Dr. Attaur Rehman attending the inaugural session of a week-long International Thematic Workshop on DNA/Emerging Vaccines and Production Challenges jointly organized by HEC and Comstech.

Motorola Unveils Ultimate Video Cell Phone Operators Told to Experience

Follow SOP in Issuing Sims

All mobile telephone operators have been asked to submit a report whether or not their system for issuing new SIMS is working according to the ministry's instructions and standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). SIM cannot be issued and mobile connection activated without production of the computerised national identity card by subscribers and signing of a contract agreement form provided by the company before becoming a family member of any mobile phone company. Operators are also bound to confirm and verify the antecedents of CNIC from NADRA data base within 15 working days. Senior officials of all mobile telephone operators, in a meeting held at PTA zonal office, have been instructed to ensure SOP implementation issued by the authority. They have also been directed to update their data base and confirm the antecedents of subscribers accordingly.


84

A woman taking the picture of collapsed Northern Bypass Bridge by its mobile phone while wreckage of bridge has not been lifted after 24 hours, in Karachi.

Motorola, Inc has unveiled ultimate video experience at IBC 2007. The live demonstrations are based on Motorola's breadth of gateways, set-top boxes and video solutions, showing experiences such as Follow Me TV(tm) (where content can be moved across multiple set-tops in the home) and on-demand services such as Time-Shifted TV (providing flexibility to pause, restart, fast forward and rewind the TV programme). Speaking at the convention, Joe Cozzolino, corporate vice president and general manager, Home and Networks Mobility EMEA, said: "European consumers recognise that the internet can deliver a video experience. Almost 50 percent of broadband users now watch content online and viewers are embracing the ability to personalise how they view TV and video. On-demand is now becoming common place in homes across the EMEA regions."


Two handicap baggers talking on the mobile phones while sitting on their push carts at roadside of Station Road.

International

Korek Telecom in Talks to buy Orascom Iraq Assets Kurdish operator Korek Telecom is in talks to buy the Iraqi assets of Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding, Korek's deputy chief executive officer stated in an interview. Korek paid $1.25 billion for one of three Iraqi mobile licences sold earlier this month at an auction in Jordan. "We are in negotiations with Orascom," Hameed Akrawi said. "We are interested in buying the assets and the customer base, but this will depend on the price," he said. Orascom set up Iraqna under licences sold in 2003 to it, Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co(MTC) and Asiacell, which was an affiliate of Kuwait's National Mobile Telecommunications Co. Orascom dropped out of the auction at the eleventh hour and said that it could sell its Iraqi operations. Kuwait's MTC and Asiacell won the other licences, leaving Korek as the only winner without a national network. Korek, which runs a network in Iraq's Kurdish northern region, is taking over Orascom's assets until the end of the year. Its rivals would be allowed to bid for Iraqna if a sale could not be agreed by then.


A woman demonstrates how to apply electro-acupuncture at the Food, Medical and Health Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Around 680 exhibitors from mainland China, Taiwan, Switzerland, Russia and Poland amongst others are participating in the five-day event.

Google and Yahoo Top Online Brands Google and Yahoo are the top online brand names for US consumers, with MySpace a strong contender among young Internet users, a survey showed. The survey by Jupiter Research showed Google was a favourite online brand for 36 percent of those surveyed, compared with 32 percent for Yahoo. But MySpace, the fast-growing social networking site, was cited as a favourite by 32 percent of those in the age group of 18 to 24. Among other key online brands, Amazon was cited by 20 percent of those surveyed, eBay by 18 percent, followed by Microsoft (11 percent), AOL (seven percent) and Apple (three percent).


Mobile Phones Eroding Landlines

A model displaying gambling chips at a gaming expo in Macau. The gambling chips are embedded with an electronic chip which displays the total amount bet on a screen (rear). The device is used to prevent fraudulent activities and chips being removed by gamers during a gambling session.

Sony Software Makes PCs Vulnerable Software included with high-end memory sticks sold by Sony Corp can make personal computers vulnerable to attack by computer hackers, according to researchers with two Internet security firms. Sony's MicroVault USB memory stick and fingerprint reader includes software that creates a hidden directory on the computer's hard drive, researchers with Finnish security software maker F-Secure Corp reported on the company's blog. Software that is installed on such hidden drives is not only invisible to the human eye; some types of computer security software are unable to detect viruses and other types of so-called malware, or malicious software, stored on them. F-Secure's blog posting said that it attempted to contact Sony before alerting the public about the software, but the company had not replied. Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa said that he could not immediately comment on the situation. Researchers with McAfee Inc have also confirmed the vulnerability described by F-Secure.


Mobile phone use is continuing to reduce the amount of time people spend using landlines, according to a report by the UK communications watchdog. For the first time calls from mobiles now account for more than a third of time spent on phone calls, Ofcom said. Mobile phone call minutes totalled 82 billion last year, in an overall total of 234 billion, BBC reported. The nine percent of UK households rely solely on mobile phones, compared with seven percent that only have a landline, the report added. "There are more households which are now mobile-only in terms of their phone. The first quarter of 2007 is the first time that has happened," said Ofcom spokesman Peter Phillips. Ofcom's report also showed a slight growth in the number of children using mobiles, with 53 percent of eight-to-15-year-olds using a handset in 2006 compared with 50 percent a year earlier. According to the report the average cost of all telecoms - including landlines, mobiles, texts and broadband - fell to 69.85 per month for residential customers in 2006, from 76.36 the previous year.


Pedestrians try to make phone calls from a booth and from mobile phones in the streets of Lima after an earthquake. Coastal Peru and the country's capital Lima were rocked by a strong and prolonged earthquake that the US Geological Survey measure at 7.5 on the Richter magnitude scale.

85

International

Dell Tops Estimates Dell Inc, the world's second-largest personal computer maker, said that its quarterly profit rose a higher-than-expected 46 percent as it benefited from lower component costs. But it also predicted a smaller second-half decline in the cost of components such as disk drives and microprocessors, crimping its profits. It also delayed resuming stock buybacks until after it files overdue financial reports with regulators in early November. Dell shares rose less than 1 percent in afterhours trading following the earnings report, having closed up 60 cents, or 2.2 percent, at $28.46. The stock is up 7 percent this year. Operating profit margin slipped to 6 percent from 6.5 percent in the last three months. But the margin gained nearly 2 percentage points from the year-earlier period, when growth was slowing and profit margins were shrinking.


Slovenia Accepts Bids For Telekom Amid European Commission Pressure Slovenia began accepting tenders for a 49.13 percent stake in the stateowned telecommunications operator Telekom, amid pressure from the European Commission. In an advertisement, published in the British business daily “Financial Times” as well as the Slovenian and European Union official bulletins, the government invited potential buyers to present non-binding bids until October 15. A commission will request binding offers from shortlisted bidders in a second phase of the process. The head of the economy ministry's electronic communications agency, Matjaz Jansa, has already said that between 10 and 15 investors had expressed interest in Telekom. "A valuation of the company, which currently has a market capitalisation of 3.1 billion euros (4.23 billion dollars), is to be completed by mid-September, and the first serious bidders would be known in early November, "Jansa said. The government, which along with a state-owned investment fund owns 74.13 percent of Telekom, plans to keep a holding of 25 percent plus one share, the level needed to block unwanted changes to the company's status. The announcement came after the European Commission called on Slovenia, a EU member since 2004, to speed up Telekom's privatisation.


Ericsson Eyes Higher China Margin In 2007 Telecoms equipment maker Ericsson is aiming to improve margins in China this year and expects to take GSM mobile networks market share from foreign rivals in the Asian nation. "China is neutral for the group in regard to margins. There is, of course, a fierce price pressure in China, but there are also huge benefits of scale," Mats Olsson, head of operations for Ericsson's biggest market, said in an interview. "Our ambition is to improve the margin this year from the previous year," he said. Ericsson's overall group operating margin in 2006 contracted to 20 percent from 21.8 percent in 2005. China accounted for 8 percent of group's net sales of a total 89.8 billion Swedish crowns ($13 billion) in the second quarter. "The company will also increase its market share in China at the expense of its foreign rivals, including Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent," the 52-year-old executive predicted. Olsson cited the company's latest public disclosure on market share, which said Ericsson had 35 percent of the GSM market in the nation of 1.3 billion people. Products and services for GSM account for more than 80 percent of Ericsson's business in China. GSM is the dominant second-generation mobile phone standard for most of the world. The other is CDMA. Ericsson also competes for GSM contracts in China with fast-growing homegrown telecoms gearmakers Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp.


Fair hostess Maura presents a wireless television by Korean electronics maker ToyTi at the IFA trade fair during the opening day at Berlin's ICC exhibition center.

Intel Upbeat on Growth in Asia Pacific

A man talks on his mobile phone in front of a SingTel sign at the telecommunication building in Singapore. Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) first quarter to June net profit rose an annual 10.4 percent, boosted by strong home and regional markets and exceeding expectations.

Ericsson wins Deutsche Telekom order

86

Swedish telecom equipment giant Ericsson said that it has won a six-year contract to operate and maintain Deutsche Telekom's microwave network in Germany. Ericsson spokeswoman Josephine Edwall said that contract was worth an average of about 800 million kronor per year, or up to 4.8 billion kronor (698 million dollars, 511 million euros) over six years. As part of the transaction, some 200 employees will be transferred from Deutsche Telekom's T-Com division to Ericsson. T-Com will also transfer its microwave assets and related operation activities to Ericsson.


Chip giant Intel Corp is optimistic about its growth in the Asia Pacific area for the rest of the year amid steady PC demand and a rollout of new products, a company executive said in a statement. In a fierce competition with smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc, the world's top chip maker has fought back with a slate of new chips and price cuts on older ones. After gaining market share from Intel in 2005 and most of 2006, AMD went through a dramatic downturn after Intel's fightback strategy. "We are not giving any forecasts for either Q3 or the second half but we do believe, that the product strength we have is very well received by customers," said John Antone, General Manager of Intel Asia-Pacific, excluding China and Japan. For new PCs, Intel and Microsoft have also joined forces to introduce the new ultra mobile PC platform. Many Asian PC makers have cranked out new models to test demand. New technology is also key to growth. Intel will begin using the advanced 45-nanometer process technology this year, which includes new materials that boost chip efficiency by cutting leakage of electrical current.


International

Sony Introduces First US Sony Ericsson's President Video Walkman Player Steps Down Consumer electronics maker Sony Corp said it introduced a new US version of its Sony Walkman that includes the ability to play digital video, the latest potential rival to Apple Inc's dominant iPod media player. The Japanese company, one of the world's biggest electronics makers, said its NWZ-A810 and NWZ-S610 series of Walkman digital music players would be available soon. The devices will support an open platform - which means they will play a variety of music formats such as MP3 and Microsoft Corp's WMA, providing more choices for downloading and managing music and video collections online. Sony added that it would pull the plug on its Connect Music Services, which distributes music in Sony's proprietary ATRAC audio format in North America and Europe. Sony claimed that the model's battery life allows up to eight hours of video playback for the NWZ-A810 series, which will sell for between $140 and $230. Battery life will be more than nine hours for the NWZ-S610 series, with prices ranging from $120 to $210.


Mobile handset maker Sony Ericsson has announced that its president, Miles Flint, would step down and would be succeeded by Sony Electronics USA Chairman Hideki "Dick" Komiyama as of November 1. Flint's resignation came as a surprise to analysts, who applauded his performance but highlighted the challenge his successor will face as the firm tries to stay profitable while stealing market share from entrenched rivals. "He has done a very good job because of the market share gains and the profitability that Sony Ericsson has achieved," said Kulbinder Garcha, analyst at Credit Suisse in London. Komiyama, Flint's successor, is also executive vice president of electronics marketing and sales strategies for Sony Corp, the Swedish-Japanese 5050 venture. Flint said in a statement that he wanted to develop new personal and business opportunities after nearly 17 years at Sony and Sony Ericsson. "I believe that, together, we have in place very firm foundations for the next phase of Sony Ericsson's growth, and I wish Dick Komiyama every success in his new role," Flint said. Flint joined Sony Ericsson from Sony Europe in June 2004. Under his leadership, the company rose to number four in the global mobile handset industry, Sony Ericsson said. In the second quarter, the firm reported a 55 percent jump in quarterly profits to 327 million euros ($446 million), although that missed market expectations.


Google Broadens Access to Agency News Google is giving readers of its Internet news service direct access to the original source of stories written by major world news agencies including AFP, the Internet search giant announced. "Google News users will be able to quickly and easily find original stories from news publishers and go directly to the original source, including stories from some of the top news agencies in the world," Google said in a statement announcing its deal with several top companies. Currently, stories by world agencies such as Agence FrancePresse and domestic wire services such as Britain's Press Association can often be found online on the websites of subscriber news organizations that reproduce them. Google's update to its news site will provide a page hosting just agency reports. Readers can compare a story in its original form with coverage by the subscriber sites, alongside any extra material the sites add to the story. By giving access to the original agency stories and showing alongside them links to content on the same topic from other web-based publishers, Google News says it will offer 'more perspectives from more journalists around the world'. AFP news stories are available online in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Arabic, on the respective Google language sites. The California based company operates free search services providing results in 35 languages.


IBM Buys Internet Conferencing Firm International Business Machines Corp said that it has bought privately held WebDialogs Inc, pitting the technology services titan against Cisco Systems Inc in the market for conferencing services over the Web. Web Dialogs, a company based in Billerica, Massachusetts with 500,000 customers, provides Internet services that let clients work together over the Web while they are connected through audio and sometimes video connections.


A man walks past flat screens at an exhibition stand of the IFA 2007 consumer electronics fair in Berlin.

Nigeria to Let Mobile Phone Users keep Numbers The Nigerian telecoms regulator is working on plans to allow mobile phone subscribers to keep the same number when they change networks in a bid to force providers to improve services, its top executive said in a statement. As things stand, Nigerians have to give up their numbers if they want to move to a new network, which discourages many subscribers from trying a different provider even when they face constant problems making or receiving calls. "We are planning for the future to allow number portability. The aims are to improve quality and competition," Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, said. Nigeria's booming mobile phone market has grown from scratch to over 30 million subscribers in six years, making it one of the fastest-growing in the world. It is seen as having potential for many more years of rapid growth as Nigeria is Africa's most populous country with 140 million people, the majority of whom do not have phones. Subscribers often have to dial several times before a call goes through. Sometimes no calls go through for hours. When they do connect, the lines are often so bad that callers cannot hear each other. Calls frequently cut off after a few seconds and text messages can be delayed by hours. The regulator's move will put pressure on Nigeria's biggest operator, South Africa's MTN, to improve its service and defend its 45 percent market share.


87

Press Releases

40 Cities to Get Broadband Internet in a Year inister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has said the government had prepared an elaborate programme to provide highspeed broadband Internet in more than 40 major urban centers within the next one year. "Our ministry has already prepared a comprehensive project which would be funded by the National ICT Research & Development Fund to extend always-on broadband Internet to major cities and towns within the next six to one year," he said in a keynote address to the 'InfoSec 2007 - 3rd International Information Security Conference. The minister said the Prevention of Cyber Crime Law 2007 was also aimed at addressing issues related to information security. He said the law had been drafted after consulting all the stakeholders and it was likely to be adopted soon either by an act of parliament or through a presidential ordinance. He said the cases failing under the ambit of the E-Crime Law would be tried under ICT tribunals for which judges would be trained and their capacity raised to the point where they could deal with complex information security issues. He said the process of capacity-building was also under way in the IT industry where more than 100 companies had been assisted in achieving ISO 9001 while more than 20 companies had been assisted in achieving various levels of CMMI. Awais said information Security was required to preserve the gains from automation and realizing this need the ministry of information technology and the PSEB launched a pilot initiative last year to help five

M

Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari speaks during a press conference at Ministry of Information Technology.

companies in achieving ISO 27001 which was world's de-facto and only auditable standard for information security. Following a positive response form the industry, the ministry had enhanced the scope of project. He said that PSEB had also funded training of certified information system security professionals for over 30 nominees of local IT companies. The PSEB will also train over 70 individuals as information security master implementers during the next six months which would help address the shortage of information security expertise in Pakistan.


UBL Fund Managers' Investment Center Launched BL Fund Managers, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Bank Limited has inaugurated its second Investment Center in Model Town Lahore. The grand inauguration ceremony, to celebrate the opening of the new Investment Center was conducted by Mir Muhammad Ali, CEO UBL Fund Managers. The Investment Center was launched after the great success of the first Investment Center situated in Gulberg, Lahore. UBL Fund Managers is the first Asset Management Company in Pakistan to introduce the concept of specialized investment centers. The idea behind these centers is to offer clients a relaxed and comfortable environment where they can meet with an experienced and friendly team of investment advisors and discuss their financial goals. This is the eighth UBL Funds Investment Center that has been launched in the last two years in Pakistan. These Investment Centers are currently present in six major cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Multan. Commenting on the inauguration, Mir Mohammad Ali, CEO UBL Fund Managers said "UBL Fund Mangers is proud to announce the launch of the new investment center in Model Town, Lahore. Investors can walk in these centers at any time to solicit investment guidance based on their return requirements and risk tolerance levels. Our presence in Model Town will provide easy access to the metropolis of this fast growing locality."

U

UBL Fund Managers' Investment Centers have also gained popularity amongst women investors who find it easy to visit these centers at their convenience to discuss their saving and investment plans with professionals who offer advice on investment management. UBL Fund Managers is currently managing assets of over Rs. 25 billion. The company announced a record bonus distribution of Rs. 2.4 billion for the year ended June 30, 2007 for its four open end mutual funds. UBL Fund Managers has been awarded a Management Quality Rating of AM2- by JCR-VIS Credit Rating Agency.


Intel and Provincial Ministry of Education Award Schools and Teachers ntel Pakistan Corporation in collaboration with the Provincial Ministry of Education organized an award ceremony to recognize the impressive performance of schools and teachers who played a significant role in encouraging student-learning via the integration of technology into their daily curriculum. Mr. Mian Imran Masud, Education Minister, Government of Punjab, was the chief guest at the occasion. Intel Education Awards, organized every year under the Intel Teach Program initiative are given to outstanding schools and teachers for demonstrating innovative use of technology to inculcate inquiry-based learning within students. A technology grant of Rs. 50,000 was awarded to Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa of Model Degree College for Women, for the most effective integration of technology, along with cash prizes of approximately Rs. 100,000 awarded to distinguished teachers. Mr. Imran Masud, while appreciating Intel Pakistan's role in empowering the Pakistani students with the necessary tools to meet the demands of the present, stated, "We are happy with this public private partnership with Intel in our joint effort to train teachers and improve education through the effective use of technology in classrooms. We

I 88

Seen in the picture is Mr. Ashar H. Zaidi, Country Manager Intel Corporation Pakistan (center) and Mr. Imran Masood, Education Minister Punjab (left) handing over an appreciation award to a teachers

are aggressively trying to bridge the digital divide in the province, and now collaboration with Intel, we have made great inroads towards meeting this objective."

Telecom Speaking at the occasion, Ashar H. Zaidi, Country Manager, Intel Pakistan Corporation stated, "In today's knowledge based economy, equipping students with 21st century skills has become absolutely imperative. Intel Education Awards is an undertaking to appreciate the determined efforts of teachers in grooming the future of today's youth."

The Intel Teach Program is designed to enable teachers to effectively use technology to enhance students 21st Century skills to prepare them for the knowledge economy. The program has spread to over 80 cities, towns and districts in Pakistan with more than 138,000 teachers have been trained.


Mobilink's BlackBerry Solutions to Empower Campus Life at LUMS obilink, the country's market leader in innovative mobile solutions, with a growing base of over 27 million customers countrywide and part of Orascom Telecom, has recently announced its collaboration with the country's top-most business school, the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to provide exclusive BlackBerry communications solutions to its campus life. Mobilink is offering unique communications solutions to the Lahore University of Management Sciences faculty and students, which will facilitate them in keeping in touch with their peers and teaching staff. Zouhair A. Khaliq, President & CEO, Mobilink while launching the service, said, "Our commitment to reshaping lives from all walks of life, is as steadfast and dynamic as our resolve to strengthen the bonds of our corporate social responsibility. We are very pleased with our partnership with LUMS and hope that our pioneering effort in creating Pakistan's first "mobile enabled education system" will give support to the educational sector in times to come." Dr. Syed Zahoor Hassan, Vice Chancellor LUMS appreciated the offer made to LUMS by Mobilink. He opined, "Exposure of faculty, staff, and students to an integrated wireless solution like BlackBerry would dovetail magnificently with a number of other IT initiatives that the university is undertaking. There is every reason to believe, that LUMS could collaborate with Mobilink in the development of applications for

M

Mobilink President Zouhair A Khaliq and LUMS VC Dr Syed Zahoor Hassan signing an agreement.

BlackBerry through the involvement of its Computer Science faculty and students." Both LUMS and Mobilink will harness their respective expertise in developing specialized campus applications that will give mobile access to the university's existing processes. On the other hand, students will be able to check their email and receive course notification's while out of classrooms or on the go, be it the playing field, the dining center or their hostels.


The Leading Global Companies turned to SAP AP is the world's leading provider of business software, exhibiting strong growth since inception in 1992. Today, more than 41,200 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP applications - from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize enterprises to suite offerings for global organizations. SAP industry solutions support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. Leading companies today are looking for a comprehensive and integrated trade management solution to adapt the application to meet the changing business and regulatory requirements and get the tools to succeed in the competitive global marketplace and SAP, with its broad based portfolios of trade & business solutions, caters to their needs. Here are the some success stories Microsoft, the leading supplier of operating systems for PCs, joined with SAP to improve efficiency and reduce risk of trade regulatory noncompliance. With exceptional global reach and a large portion of its business success riding on international trade, Microsoft wanted to adhere to the letter and the spirit of the law while maintaining efficiency and its renowned business agility, so it turned to SAP.

S

Ericsson, a world telecom leader in design of telecommunications solutions relied on the SAP NetWeaver® Master Data Management (SAP NetWeaver MDM) component to consolidate the global data of 130,000 vendors in company's service. SAP offered Ericsson a key software component in place to drive architecture forward toward 2010. It ensured 100% commitment to solution and much faster adaptation to applications. Whirlpool Corporation, the global manufacturer of household appliances turned to SAP NetWeaver® Platform to transform Product Data Exchange and Improve Business Processes. Global data synchronization is one manifestation of the complex problem of managing master data. The inability to effectively deliver a consistent view of critical data indirectly affects many other business processes, from purchasing, marketing and sales to human resource management, new product development and introduction and inventory management. Dave Cosgrove, Director of E-Business for North America says "Cleaning up our data and developing it in a new way that is consumer focused will help our retailers get our brand messaging out to the consumer more effectively than ever before."


Motorola's “Race to Recycle” Fund-Raising Program for Schools otorola, a global leader in wireless communications has announced the launch of the great 'Motochallenge' - the program for school children, and any individual, who would like to take up the challenge and make a difference in people's lives. The company has called all school to a "Race to Recycle" challenge, which is a FUN, first-of-its-kind fund-raising program for schools. With Motorola's help, schools can earn extra cash and do their part for the environment - getting old mobile phones out of closets and kitchen drawers and into the recycling bin - for a continued eco-friendly existence. The program is open to anyone. Anyone can do it, even if you're not part of a school organization. "It's a wonderful way of involving school children to understand the

M

challenges of keeping the environment friendly, and how the recycling of used mobile phones can actually make a difference in people's lives. Motorola continues to inspire people from all walks of live to a world of seamless mobility, in as much as in social responsibility," said Sarim Alvi, Director Sales & Marketing, Mobile Devices, Motorola Pakistan. Printable pre-paid postage shipping labels are available to you, your company, or organization for participation. A portion of the proceeds generated from contributed intact cell phones will be distributed to schools participating in the Race to RecycleTMprogram. Pre-paid postage packets are also included with many of Motorola's new mobile phone models, making it easy to place the old mobile in the envelope and drop the package in the mail for delivery to a recycling center.


89

Telecom

Flare Report

Nokia Debuts Music Store okia has unveiled new services and cell phones that customers can use to download music and play games, a bid by the world's largest mobile phone maker to challenge Apple's higher-end iPhone, as well as iTunes and the iPod. With millions of tracks from major artists, independent labels as well as local hits, the Nokia Music Store offers people the chance to enjoy music directly on their Nokia device or personal computer. With a single account, music lovers can access the Nokia Music Store via their desktop computer or directly from optimized Nokia devices beginning with the Nokia N81 and Nokia N95 8GB. Users can browse for new music, get recommendations or search for their favorite artists, songs or albums all from the palm of their hand. Consumers can add it to their wishlist to buy later or purchase it immediately for download to the device without having to download the same song again on the computer. They can also transfer purchased songs via the PC to compatible Nokia devices, including the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic and Nokia 5610 XpressMusic. In addition, the Nokia Music Store aims to

N

provide more locally relevant music than any other digital music store. If they want to see what others are enjoying, the Nokia Music Store provides a dynamic recommendations engine as well as genre-based instant playlists. Tracks are typically delivered in high quality 192 kbps audio in Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. Users can transfer purchased songs to a Nokia device using Windows Media Player or with the new Nokia Music PC client available later this year. The Nokia Music PC client enables reverse synchronization of playlists, ripping from a CD to the device and PC simultaneously, as well as auto-synchronization of purchased music and direct access to the Nokia Music Store. With the Nokia N81 and its integrated music player, users can create playlists and manage music collection, including editing song and artist information, as well as adding a choice of album artwork. "From the compact Nokia 5310 XpressMusic music phone to the fully-featured Nokia N81 multimedia computer, Nokia offers a range of entertainment-enabled devices for consumers who want their music, games and favourite media with them wherever they go," says Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President, Nokia. "We believe these full-featured, welldesigned devices will be very popular and will

help bring Nokia's Internet and music services to life." Each device offers dedicated music or gaming keys, expanded memory, large screens and extended battery performance to provide quick and easy access to entertainment content.


Linux to be Fastest-Growing Smartphone OS ver the next 5 years, Linux is expected to be the fastest growing Smartphone OS with a compound annual growth rate in excess of 75 percent. By 2012, a recent study forecasts the Linux-based OS to account for nearly 31 percent of all smart devices in the market - representing more than 331 million cumulative shipments over the same period. Research director states, "Serious initiatives from the likes of Intel and Access are gathering pace and momentum, whilst the carrier community continues to identify Linux as one of the few operating systems that it intends to support in its long-term plans." He adds, "Linux is benefiting from growing support in the handset OEM community, most notably Motorola, but also Nokia with less traditional types of devices aimed at mobile broadband applications." The rise of mobile broadband and the impact that this has upon device convergence and format plays into the hands of Linux.

O

The vertical and horizontal fragmentation that has plagued this market continues to be a concern. However, the recent patent infringement assertions from Microsoft - that Linux, in its generic form, infringes upon 235 of its patents - is an ongoing concern. Many Linux pundits point to this as being old hat, while others indicate that there is no smoke without fire.


Nokia and Microsoft to Deliver Windows Live Services okia and Microsoft have joined together to provide customers with a new suite of Windows Live services specifically designed for Nokia devices. Nokia customers in eleven countries with compatible S60 devices can download the new suite enabling access to Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Contacts and Windows Live Spaces. Starting next year, customers who purchase compatible Nokia Series 40 handsets will also have access to these popular Windows Live services. Nokia and Microsoft are providing customers with access to their world of online relationships, information and interests. By enabling access to Windows Live services on both the Nokia S60 and Series 40 platforms using standard web

N 90

services protocols mutual customers will have the power to sea, mlessly move between contacts, mail, messenger, phone calls, text messaging, camera, gallery and browsing all in an integrated way. Nokia customers who own the Nokia N73, N76, N80 Internet Edition, N93i, and the N95 multimedia computers can get the Windows Live services via the Download. Initially the service will be available as a free trial and then customers in select markets wishing to continue using the service may be asked to pay a monthly fee.


Special Edition

Zeeshan Pervez Akhtar, Managing Director, New Allied Mobile Communication

Mian Pervez Akhtar, CEO and Chairman, New Allied Industry (Pvt.) Ltd. Presenting LG Shine to Atif Aslam, Zeeshan Pervez Akhtar, Managing Director, New Allied Mobile Communication also seen in the picture

ew Allied Communication has launched the smart looking black label series, LG Shine, in Pakistan at PC Bhurbhan. In a booming market, where LG handsets are gaining tremendous response, New Allied Communication has come up with its aggressive strategy to increase its market share throughout the country. Ranging from low end to high end, LG has outshined in the market. Mr. KW Kim President LG Korea, was

N

KW Kim, President, LG Korea

Mian Pervez Akhtar, CEO and Chairman, New Allied Industry (Pvt.) Ltd. Presenting souvenir to Mr. KW Kim, President, LG Korea. KH Kim, Product Manager, LG is also seen in the picture

especially invited for the event. Mian Pervez Akhtar, CEO and Chairman New Allied industry (Pvt.) Limited, Mr. Zeeshan Pervez Akhtar, Managing Director New Allied Communication were also present at the ceremony. Mr. K.W. Kim, President of LG, attributed the company's impressive performance to LG's increasing support to channel partners in pushing retail sales. "Our spectacular growth is due to LG's relentless efforts to unearth customer insights and develop design-led products," he said. "In the past few months we have suc-

Cars awarded to best distributors, retailers, and other channel partners of New Allied Communication

cessfully launched truly inspiration products." Mr. Kim rated Pakistani as one of top growing market throughout the region. Mian Pervez Akhtar gave the first LG Shine phone to Atif Aslam, while a Toyota car was awarded to Mr. Naveed from Gaba Communication, Karachi, for outstanding sale performance during the previous year. Latter in the evening, Atif Aslam, Abrar-ulhaq, Fakhir and other leading pop singers colored the event with quality entertainment. „

Mian Pervez Akhtar, CEO and Chairman, New Allied Industry (Pvt.) Ltd. Awarding a Toyota Car to Mr. Naveed of Gaba Communication, Karachi, for achieving sales’ target

Special Edition