Microsoft Appoints Country Manager for Pakistan

Amir Rao has been appointed as the Country Manager for Microsoft Pakistan. The appointment came into effect in January, 2013 and under this capacity, he will be responsible for managing Microsoft’s operations and driving future growth while building sustainable partnerships with the local IT sector in addition to introducing the latest Microsoft innovations to Pakistan.

Amir joins Microsoft with 13 years of Sales Leadership and Management experience in the field of Telecommunications across Pakistan, Middle East and Africa. Prior to his current role, he has spent eight years as Motorola’s country manager in Pakistan and then took regional responsibilities in the company. He was also head of business development at Nokia Siemens Network in Africa. Earlier to that he was with Huawei Technologies as general manager Sales and Marketing for Pakistan. Amir is well versed with Pakistan’s business and socio-political landscape.

Speaking on this triumphant occasion, Amir Rao, country manager, Microsoft Pakistan said: “I’m very excited to join Microsoft and look forward to bringing value to the Pakistan Subsidiary in particular and the company. I attribute the achievements in my career to date to my core values of compassion, commitment to success and integrity and believe that through Microsoft this role offers me an opportunity to contribute towards the sociopolitical development in Pakistan, by enabling lives and helping people realize their true potential.”

He graduated in 1999 from G.I.K Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology, Pakistan with a Bachelor degree in Business Science, and has since completed an accelerated Development Program from the London Business School.

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Nokia Lumia 720 Accentuates the Man of Steel Experience

Nokia and Warner Bros. Pictures have teamed up for a global co-marketing partnership with this summer’s eagerly anticipated, Man of Steel from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. The association is aimed at bringing the Superman franchise even closer to movie enthusiasts through exclusive Man of Steel content, including merchandise.

Like the Man of Steel, the Nokia Lumia 720 boasts its own remarkable powers with an award-winning unibody design, the high-end camera and next generation imaging software delivering high-quality low light images and clearer, sharper video.

Superman fans have even more to celebrate with the partnership bringing a collection of exciting content. These include an immersive Man of Steel app, exclusive to Nokia Lumia Windows 8 smartphones, and the chance to win tickets to the Global and European Premieres.

“Nokia’s exclusive app and content for Zack Snyder’s fresh take on a loved classic provides fans around the world with the perfect opportunity to connect with The Man of Steel through Nokia Lumia- the perfect smartphone for powerful imaging and entertainment,” said Arif Shafique, country general manager, Nokia Pakistan & Afghanistan.

Through the partnership, Superman fans will have access to

• Official Man of Steel Hub: Nokia consumers can visit www.Nokia.com/ManofSteel for a collection of exclusive content including: digital comics, video content, and images.  The site will also host a photography challenge, giving fans the chance to win tickets to the film’s world premiere in New York, along with limited edition, official memorabilia
• Man of Steel Mobile Application: Fans can bring Superman to life with the official Man of Steel app, exclusive to Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8. With an interactive challenge, mobile personalization content, official Superman Digital Comics from DC Comics. Download the app at Nokia.com/Man of Steel
• Man of Steel Limited Edition Accessories: Fans will have the chance to get their hands on limited edition Fatboy charging pad pillows and phone covers for the and Lumia 720

For more information on what’s happening, please visit: www.nokia.com/manofsteel

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Launch of "Get Wateen" app

Wateen yet again incarnates the values by introducing a creative and innovative way to provide customer convenience. In the today’s of sociotainment everybody is online - whether it’s on desktops, laptops, in the air, in a coffee shop, or on a smart phone; people are using the Internet now more than ever. If a business isn’t selling its products and services online, they are missing out on large customer base in existence.

In line with Wateen's essence of leading the digital revolution in the country, they are ecstatic to announce launch of their “Get Wateen” Facebook app. With more than 7 million Pakistani’s using the social media network, this app makes buying an internet connection as simple as 1,2,3. You just have to visit facebook.com/WateenTelecomLtd and go to the app section. You can click the doors to surf through all the available WiMAX packages & choose the internet package that best suits every individual’s internet needs. If you aren’t already a Facebook fan of Wateen, you are encouraged to do so immediately and share it with your family and friends to keep abreast of the latest happenings in the technology world and specifically for Wateen.

This self-service app also introduces a new“Check Internet Usage” feature, through which potential customers can analyze what they will predominantly use the internet for (whether its sending emails, streaming videos or songs) and they can calculate which package suits their needs the best. Once they’ve made their choice, they can use “Buy this Package” to instantly place an order online. Wateen Customer Care team will ensure that they are contacted and delivered with the best in class service, which is the hallmark at Wateen.

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Warid offers the lowest ever international call rates for USA, Canada & UK

Warid Telecom, the leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecom industry, now offers lowest ever international call rates for USA (landline and mobile), Canada (landline and mobile) and UK (landline) through its 111-LCR international calling service.

This latest offer allows Warid Prepaid and Glow customers to call their friends and family in USA, UK and Canada throughout the day for just 90 paisas+tax/minute. There are no hidden charges for this service and no subscription fee. All customers have to do is dial 111 before dialing the desired international number; for instance 111001XXXXXXXXXX for USA and Canada.

Warid has also recently launched another international calling offer for Bangladesh and India customized for Prepaid subscribers in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur regions. The 111-LCR international calling offer is yet another step by Warid Telecom to ensure loved ones around the world stay in touch at the most affordable rates and supreme voice quality.

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Wateen Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer

Muhammad Murtaza Raza, Chief Financial Officer, has decided to pursue his career interests elsewhere and 30th June 2013 will be his last working day at Wateen.

Mr. Faisal Masood Ali Khan is joining Wateen Telecom as the new Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

The Finance Department will continue to play its vital role in making Wateen Telecom Limited a strong and vibrant institution. Mr. Khan is a Chartered Accountant and has been associated with top professional service providers during his 25 years’ career.

He has previously been a partner in a big four accounting firms in Pakistan, where he managed provision of services to large multinational, national and other entities in different sectors. His special areas of interest and expertise include the telecom sector.

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Wateen Telecom is likely to reward its employees with yearly incentives after four years

Today 12^th June 2013 at 1100 hrs, the CEO, Mr. Naeem Zamindar will address all employees in a town-hall meeting at Liberty Castle Main Boulevard , Gulberg, Lahore (Adjacent to Lahore Center)

Arrangements are being made to relay his address to all employees from the town-hall in Lahore, real-time to all Wateen offices in Karachi and Islamabad.

All employees are participating in this event at their respective locations.

Wateen Telecom is likely to reward its employees with yearly incentives after a good break of four years. 

Sources tell that downsizing is also expected. 

If everything goes well and as per plan then bonuses will be rewarded to all permanent and contractual staff along with next month’s salaries.

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Warid Launch Business Center in Quetta

Warid Telecom, the leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecommunications industry, is announcing the reopening of its business center in the city of Quetta for its valued customers to expand its reach and enhance customer service experience.

The new Business Center was inaugurated by Mr. Raza Abbas, Head of Customer Services Operations and Mr. Amjad Khan, Regional Sales Head for South region.

The Business Center will be located at the Agha Siraj Complex on M.A. Jinnah Road in the heart of Quetta city. The timings of the center will remain the same as those of Warid Telecom Centers around the country, from 9 am to 6 pm daily and customers will have access to a full range of Sales and Customer Service facilities.

Commenting on the re-launch of the Business Center, Warid Telecom’s Head of Customer Services, Mr. Nauman Fakhar said, “Quetta is one of the largest cities in the country as well as being a provincial capital and as such is an important area for Warid’s future plans in the region. We intend to enhance our presence in the region in order to better serve the needs of our valued customers.”

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Warid launches the Unblock Me Service for Postpaid subscribers

Warid Telecom, the leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecommunications industry, has released another Industry First service: Unblock Me service for Warid Postpaid customers.

Unblock Me service provides all Warid Postpaid customenrs who are tired of getting their outgoing blocked every month and don’t have enough time to pay their bill the option of continue using their mobile phone without rushing to make the payment. With Unblock Me service, the customers can make calls even if their outgoing has been blocked. 

In order to keep up with their image of providing a solution to the needs of their customers and keeping their comfort in mind, Unblock Me is an addition to services like Advance Balance and Balance Transfer, allowing Warid customers to keep on using their services without any hindrance.

To restore your number just dial *147*1#. An SMS will be received by the customer notifying that their outgoing capability has been restored for a limited time period. Only customers who haven’t reached 100% of their limit are able to use this service. Dialling *147*1# is free of cost though service charges of Rs.5.00+tax apply for each request sent.

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Wateen completes Allied Bank Limited's network infrastructure roll out

Wateen has completed the roll out of Allied Bank Limited (ABL) for their branch office Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity and to upgrade its branch network infrastructure for over 550 branches nationwide.

This historic agreement with Wateen was done in 2011 to provide branch connectivity to ABL nationwide. As part of the upgrade, Wateen is providing WiMAX and optical fibre connectivity to ABL branches and core data centres in Lahore; this will ultimately help the bank enhance the customer experience to an optimum level.

Wateen was selected after an intensive vendor selection process and found to be the best suited to provide state-of-the-art technical services and after-sales support to the bank. Naeem Zamindar, Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are extremely proud of the fact that ABL has chosen us to partner with them on the provision of Networking solutions, enabling the bank to better serve its customers though a safer network environment. The deal also demonstrates Wateen’s ability to provide tailor-made solutions to serve our customers’ needs.”

Mr Mujahid Ali, ABL CIO, said, “In terms of deployment and turn-around, Wateen Telecom has proved to be a trusted partner. Wateen has provided Metro Fiber/WiMax connectivity to ABL in far flung areas where no other provider has reached in terms of Network Infrastructure.”

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Warid Brings Muft Hafta 500 free on-net Minutes and SMS to any network

Warid Telecom, leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecom industry, now offers its Glow and prepaid subscribers 500 free on-net minutes and 500 SMS to any network through its ‘Muft Hafta’ offer. To avail this offer subscribers need to “SMS or Call 3733” from their Warid numbers.

Through the ‘Muft Hafta’ offer, for every 4 weeks of usage, customer will receive one free week every month for six months. To enjoy this exciting offer, customers simply have to activate their new Warid SIM before 15th June or re-activate their Warid SIM not in use since 20th April.

Subscribers will receive their free minutes during the fifth week after they have used their Warid connection for the previous four weeks.  The number of minutes offered to the client will amount to 25 percent of the minutes they would have used in the first four weeks. For example if a subscriber has consumed 100 minutes during four weeks they will be given 25 free minutes during the fifth week.

The upfront free 500 on-net minutes and SMS to any network have a validity of 3 days.

For more information visit: http://www.waridtel.com/prepaid/muft_hafta_offer-new.php

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Warid Telecom Payment Gateway MOU signed between Warid Telecom, Meezan Bank and Monet

Warid Telecom, a leader in innovation in the Pakistan telecom industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Monet and Meezan Bank for rollout of the Warid Telecom Payment Gatewayfor Meezan Bank’s branchless banking services, with Monet as the technology partner for the venture. Through this memorandum, Warid Telecom and Bank Alfalah have been joined by Meezan Bank as founding members to create the Mobile Money Network which would be subject to SBP approvals under the branchless banking regulations.

The MoU was jointly signed by Warid Telecom’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh,Meezan Bank’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Ariful Islam, and Monet’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ali Abbas Sikander.

Mr. Muneer Farooqui, CEO of Warid Telecom said “Warid is excited to play its role in the development of a first-of-its-kind financial eco-system with partner banks for our customers and distribution networks. The Warid Payment Gateway is the first step to create a bridge between distribution networks and banks with an independent PSP like Monet”.

Sharing his views on the occasion, Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh CCO of Warid Telecom said “cellular technology holds the key to development and growth of the economy in developing nations, since their reach is un-matched in terms of connectivity. The Warid Payment Gateway has the potential to revolutionize the way small & large businesses transact on a daily basis in Pakistan with the ultimate beneficiaries being Pakistani citizens, whether it is a cattle farmer selling his products to a multinational dairy on a daily basis, a small business owner making routine payments to suppliers, or a large financial institution making B2B payments.”

Mr. Suhail Jan, VP Sales & Distribution of Warid Telecom said “once again technology has linked people closer to convenience and we are proud to be a part of the first such collaboration given our celebrated history of industry firsts. The features of this type of service will allow us to leverage our experienced distribution channels to benefit all local stakeholders; from telecoms to partner banks, to customers, retailers and the government, and be able to provide the public with secure and expedient financial freedom.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ariful Islam said “Meezan Bank envisions becoming the leading Islamic bank in the world and recognizes the power of innovation in drivinglong-term growth.  This initiative will enhance collaboration between banks, mobile operators, merchants and distribution networks and will bridge the financial services divide between banked and unbanked customers.”
Arshad Majeed, Group Head Operations of Meezan Bank said “At Meezan Bank we understand that branchless banking will be a critical platform in providing access to financial services in Pakistan. This arrangement will extend benefits of Shariah-compliant branchless banking to millions of Pakistanis.”

Ali Abbas Sikander, CEO of Monet said “We are building an interoperable and collaborative eco-system which benefits all the stakeholders of the financial services in Pakistan to extend outreach to large financially excluded segments. The power of collaboration would allow Financial Institutions to look beyond technology, and focus on utilizing its benefits to offer products that give them access to new customers with a branchless advantage. Monet technology developed in partnership with Fundamo, Access Group, TPS and IBM is robust, secure and scalable to service large branchless banking deployments. The same has been approved by SBP for its existing deployments.”

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Pakistani Students Gear Up for Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2013

Thirteen student teams from Pakistan’s top universities are preparing ultra energy-efficient vehicles for Shell’s annual super-mileage competition, the Eco-marathon. The competition will be held from July 4-7, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where over 1,000 students from 16 countries in Asia and the Middle East will come together for the fourth time on the Formula One circuit at Sepang.
 
To showcase the progress the teams have made on their vehicles before the competition, Shell Pakistan Limited is organising a launch event at NUST campus in Rawalpindi. Participating teams will test their cars on May 18, 2013 under the supervision of technical and safety experts, and will take the track on May 19, 2013.

In an effort to motivate the students to go beyond the competition, Shell Pakistan will be giving out special awards to Pakistan teams during the launch event. Awards will be given to teams who have built their vehicles around Shell’s high safety standards, have turned innovative ideas into reality and which have kept achieving a sustainable future of energy in mind. A panel of judges from academia, industry and the government will be viewing the vehicles at the launch event and awarding the best performers in these categories. The event will be followed by a press conference and award ceremony.
 
“Shell Eco-marathon brings together young and brilliant minds, who will be this country’s future leaders,” said Omar Sheikh, Chairman of Shell companies in Pakistan. Shell Eco-marathon provides a platform for students to push the boundaries of fuel-efficiency that are part of Shell’s innovative approach to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future.
 
Using the experience gained at Eco-marathon events over the last 4 years, students from Pakistan continue to develop fuel-efficient vehicles that could one day be part of the solution to global energy challenges.

About Shell Eco-marathon

The Eco-marathon is a super-mileage challenge, created by Shell, designed to inspire student innovation and develop future technologies that represent game-changing fuel efficiency and transportation performance. Participants are challenged to design, build, and test vehicles to go the farthest distance using the least amount of energy. This year, about 150 student teams from 16 countries all over Asia will hit the tracks of the Sepang International Circuit with their “Prototype” and “Urban Concept” category vehicles.

 The Prototype category invites student teams to enter futuristic cars – streamlined vehicles focused on maximising fuel-efficiency through innovative design elements, such as drag reduction. The UrbanConcept category focuses on more “roadworthy” fuel-efficient vehicles.  Aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers, these vehicles are closer in appearance to the higher-mileage cars seen on roads today.

 For both Prototype and UrbanConcept categories, teams may enter vehicles using any of the following eight energy types: hydrogen (fuel cell), solar, battery electric, gasoline, diesel, Shell Gas to Liquids (GTL), Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and Ethanol E100.

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Warid launches its ‘Scrolex’ app for iPhone users

Warid Telecom, the leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecom industry has released the latest App for people using an Apple iPad. The application is called ‘Scrolex’ which is a word game to challenge and exercise your mind in a fun and easy way in order to improve your vocabulary and linguistic skills.

Scrolex causes word recognition centers in the right side of the brain to activate, thereby improving a player’s cognitive skills over time. Users are given the challenge of completing both vertical and horizontal grids to guess the correct word using the clues and make up a chain of words with increasing difficulty at every level.

This application is available exclusively for Apple iPads (iOS 5.0 and above)

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Glow by Warid Continues Supporting Young Leaders

Glow by Warid, Pakistan’s premier youth brand, continued its mission of engaging and enabling the youth of Pakistan by sponsoring the second Media Fest of Kinnaird College for women. The Media Fest was organized to allow students, aiming to major in media studies, to unleash their talent.

The two day fest was organized by the Kinnaird Media Society. Teams from Punjab University, Government College University, University of Engineering and Technology, FAST, SIMS, Beacon House School and Green School participated in the event. The short films competition was won by UET while Government College took home the winning prize in the print advertisement competition; WWF’s team was declared the runners-up.

Glow by Warid has always strived to provide a platform to Pakistan’s youth through which they can express their talent. Glow by Warid’s support in conducting this Media fest is yet another step towards enabling Pakistan’s youth, which was also appreciated by the Kinnaird Media Society.

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Warid Brings Mobile Internet Sharing Service

Warid Telecom, leading the way of innovation in Pakistan’s Telecom industry, has introduced another industry first with its latest mobile internet service for its valued clients, Mobile Internet Share. This service allows Warid Prepaid customers to gift mobile internet bundles to a friend or family member at astonishingly low rates. 

Customers will be able to purchase 10MB and 100MB buckets for Rs.30 and Rs 99.99 respectively by sending the mobile number and amount via SMS to 7777. To use Mobile Internet Share a customer will send XXMB in an SMS to 7777 (e.g. 100MB0321xxxxxxx).

This is another exciting offer from Warid in its continuing commitment to provide innovative services to its valued customers and reflects the company’s persistence in developing products that accurately reflect the needs of the market.

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KASB Bank Chooses Wateen for Connectivity of 55 Branches

It’s been an exciting start to the New Year and now we’re at the end of the first quarter of 2013 with a number of successes behind us and more in the future. In another major commercial deal for this year Wateen Telecom recently won another deal from KASB to connect 55 branches for them on top of the first phase of connecting 24 branches. With this award, Wateen is now providing connectivity to 79 out KASBs 104 branches around Pakistan. Wateen is also engaged in other dark fiber and Network management monitoring services projects with the bank and is working closely to provide highly effective and optimised solutions.

KASB is one of Pakistan’s leading investment and commercial banks with 30 years of experience in financial and investment markets. It is a significant achievement that a bank of KASBs quality continues to choose Wateen Telecom as its partner in the expansion, management and upgrading of its existing network and shows the trust that Wateen has built with its partners and customer by providing timely and efficient roll out of projects.

Wateen’s expansive fiber foot-print, which spans more than 13,000km across Pakistan, and its high quality standards through state of the art technology make it the preferred choice of large enterprises looking for a trusted and reliable partner.

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Local Hosted Content Shines in Internet Connectivity Crisis

This past week and the next two weeks was and will be a challenging time for users and providers alike who use the internet. Three international sea cables (SEMEWE4, IMEWE and EIG) that provide the majority of digital communication between Asia to Europe were cut. 

The two Pakistan international communication gateway companies that provide internet backhauling services to all the ISPs of Pakistan, PTCL and TWA, both depend on these cables for international communication and therefore internet bandwidth coming into Pakistan dropped to 40%. It is expected to take up to 3 weeks or more before the ships dispatched to fix the problems are able to get the cables operational again.

This event coupled with the recent global DDOS attack attributed to a company in Amsterdam which almost crippled the global internet puts a spotlight on the risks involved with internet companies that cater to Pakistan’s 30 million strong internet community but host all their content internationally.

Until recently, hosting internationally made sense – Pakistan’s internet community was not big enough to justify focus on the market, the datacenters and support facilities were not at international standards and costs were 3-5 times that available internationally. Therefore most content providers hosted their content abroad and many did not even bother to setup caching or backup-sites domestically.

However recently, as the broadband market developed in Pakistan to where according to PTA, over 2.2 million homes are connected to the internet by licensed operators, there has been major investment in improving data center facilities by most major licensed broadband operators In Pakistan. These new data centers can compete with any international facility and the costs are also comparable. For instance, managed datacenter services cost only 20-30% more than equivalent services acquired in California’s silicon valley, the global hub of all datacenters. Compare this slight cost to the advantages of hosting locally and it is hard not to see why it makes sense to host content locally if your business wholly or partially caters to the Pakistan internet community

“When you look at the high quality of datacenter facilities now available locally, and the recent decline in prices, factor in average internet connection latency reduced from above 300ms to sub 20ms, and add in the advantages of local access and support, the case for international and domestic content providers to host in Pakistan becomes too strong to ignore”, says Salman Ansari, President SAATC, one of Pakistan’s foremost IT and telecommunication consultants.

Zulfiqar Qazilbash, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Transworld Associates, one of Pakistan’s two tier 1 internet providers talks about why a company that provides internet backhauling services to most ISPs in Pakistan built a datacenter in their landing station. “The TWA Landing station is the defacto internet hub of Pakistan. It is the automatic peering point of all operators that use TWA bandwidth directly or indirectly and is peered with the other internet provider. The Tier 3 datacenter located inside the premises, provides unmatched value proposition to Pakistani operators who has collocation needs. For one thing, by collocating at the Landing Station, you have dramatically controlled your last mile vulnerability, since you are connected to the internet gateway note in the same building. Secondly, there is no better peering location both for international and domestic traffic. Thirdly, you get to leverage the infrastructure and engineering support that powers Pakistan’s internet. Who else can offer that?”

A case in point is the popular job portal, ROZEE.PK.  It is visited by over 60% of the country’s Internet users annually. To service its 16 Million annual unique visitors, it requires 45 fault tolerant load balanced servers. Previously, it used to collocate its entire server farm between Silicon Valley and Germany since datacenters in Pakistan were expensive and did not offer the required worry free support. “Transworld’s decision to provide datacenter services at their internet gateway node was a game changer for us”, says Monis Rahman, Chairman and CEO of ROZEE.PK. “The world class facility allowed us to lower latency by a factor of 10 and we have the ability to service our Pakistan clients even if there is a major internet crisis such as the one that occurred last week.  Our servers have stayed humming while providing a better usability experience to our customers”.

With local and international content providers that focus on Pakistan’s internet community now able to leverage advanced hosting platforms like the TWA Datacenter, it is hoped that more internet based applications and services will henceforth be available to the population. Internet can be a powerful and cost effective medium for solving the education, health, e-commerce, e-government and other problems of Pakistan.

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Wateen Organizes Creating Winning Teams Workshop

Wateen Telecom recently concluded a 2-Day comprehensive Training Workshop for managers on ‘Creating Winning Teams’- The Magic of 1 in Lahore. The main objective of this training was to develop an influential cadre in the management that is able to effectively achieve targets and bring about grassroots level change in the organisation. The initiative comes under the umbrella of Wateen’s values and was meant to inculcate those values in employees at every level.

The workshop was especially designed for the upper tier of the management (managers and above) so that they could manage and lead their teams in a more effective way. The training was divided into two main segments: Managing Self and Managing Others which were its key highlights. The training’s primary focus was to identify and develop their leadership, communication and team building skills through interactive feedback sessions in order to help managers develop a personal strategy that enhances their effectiveness and influence with others at work.

Wateen Telecom has developed a unique system of training and motivation designed to bring employees together by giving them a genuine stake in the company through their personal development and organizational capacity. It also focuses on bringing out the best in individuals so they can transform the environment around them and function better as a team.

Commenting on the importance of the workshop, The Chief Transformation Officer, Asad Rezzvi said “we are an organization that highly value our employees and invest in them.  Business success only follows the cultural success of an organization, therefore it’s imperative to develop leaders in Wateen that inspire and lead with their performance.”

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Wateen and Nutshell successfully conclude South Asia Leadership Summit

Wateen Telecom successfully concluded its participation in the Nutshell Forum on Collaborating for Change, that was held in Karachi on the 2^nd and 3^rd of April 2013. Wateen Telecom was a gold sponsor for the event this year. The forum was a cross-border initiative to bring together the best corporate minds from across the sub-continent and breed a spirit of sharing and cooperation among them. The conference included keynote speeches by a number of prominent corporate executives from India and Pakistan including Wateen Telecom’s Chief Transformation Officer Asad Rezzvi. This Conference was directed by Dr. Upali Mahanama – Srilanka, Conference Director, and Author of Marketing Skills in Management.

More than 500 delegates attended the forum from different countries in the South Asian region and Wateen Telecom Chief Transformation Officer Asad Rezzvi represented Wateen as a panelist and a speaker at the event.

The forum opened with an address by Mohammad Azfar Ahsan, the CEO of the Nutshell forum and was followed by a number of addresses by prominent personalities including former Finance MinIster Shaukat Tareen who spoke about Collaborating for Change. He was followed by Rajeev Dubay, President of Mahindra & Mahindra who spoke about “Unleashing human potential”. A number of other speakers followed including Former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Atta ur Rahman, who spoke about “Unleashing your Creative Potential”, and Chairman Accenture India, Avinash Vashistha who spoke about “Imagineering the Future, Disruptive Innovation for Sensible Growth”.

Following the themes of unleashing the inner potential of people and organizations, Wateen Telecom’s Asad Rezzvi spoke about “The Challenge of Transformation – A Test of Leadership”. He shared his experience in transformation of Wateen Telecom and shed light on the challenges Wateen faced during the transformation. He also talked about the Human values in an organization and how one can achieve excellence in profitability.

The forum ended with an address by Chief Guest Dr. Adeebul Hasan Rizvi, Founder SIUT, whose topic was “Value of Leadership for Society”.

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Warid Offers Postpaid to Postpaid Balance Transfer Service

Warid Telecom, leading the way of innovation in Pakistan’s telecom industry, brings another fascinating service for its customers; “Postpaid To Postpaid Balance Transfer”. This service will allow Warid Telecom’s postpaid customers to share balance with each other. “Postpaid to Postpaid Balance Transfer” service is yet another industry first by Warid Telecom.

Through this service Warid Telecom’s postpaid customers can share their balance with other Warid postpaid customers by sending “BRecipient NumberTransfer Amount” to 2424. This service is in line with Warid Telecom’s focus to continuously provide innovative services for the convenience of its valued Customers.

Warid Telecom’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh commented on the new service saying, "Warid Telecom has one of the most loyal postpaid customer base in the Pakistan Telecom industry and we are always looking to facilitate these valued customers through innovative and convenient new services. The Post to Post service will provide our subscribers with a 360 degree solution to low balance and payment situations.”

Warid Telecom already provides its customers with Prepaid to Prepaid and Postpaid to Prepaid Balance Transfer services. The recent addition of Postpaid to Postpaid Balance Transfer is further evidence of Warid Telecom’s innovative and customer centric approach.

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Wateen Participates in First Ever PITB Information Security Conference

Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s leading converged communications provider, was recently invited to participate in the prestigious first ever Punjab Information Technology Board Information Security Conference. Wateen Telecom was represented at the event by its Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Faisal Sattar. The event aimed at creating awareness around information security and the challenges faced by organizations in the ever-evolving sphere of cyber security and business continuity.

The conference brought together various stakeholders from the government, industry, and academia to share their knowledge and experience and debate how to effectively combat the latest threats to Information Security. A number of prominent CIOs, Information Security Heads, researchers and professors attended the event. This conference raised awareness about information security and increasing collaboration among universities, industries and government institutions to address this important issue. Dr. Umar Saif, Chairman PITB and Nahil Mahmood, Founder & President, Cloud Security Alliance Pakistan, were the people behind this one-of-a-kind event, which was held at the Arfa Technology Park Lahore.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Faisal Sattar said, “With the rise of ‘bring your own device’ and commercialization of IT, Information Security should be given paramount importance by any organization in order to ensure business continuity and negating the more obvious threats of reputational damage and competitive disadvantage. This initiative by PITB is an inception towards the massive transformation required for creating awareness in this region and we at Wateen are certainly evangelists for such enterprises.”

Wateen also provided live updates and notifications about the event on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for the blogging and online community.

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Glow by Warid partners with Pakwheels.com for Lahore Auto Show 2013

Glow by Warid, Pakistan’s premier youth brand, partnered with Pakwheels.com in orchestrating the 2013 Lahore Auto Show, which was held in Lahore at Liberty Market on 17th March 2013.

The event featured over 500 cars and was attended by automobile enthusiasts from across the country. The Auto Show aimed to promote the Pakistani car industry, while also providing young fans with an opportunity to see some amazing vehicles while also highlighted the dangers of street racing and reckless driving.

Representatives from Glow by Warid were present on hand to provide visitors with exciting opportunities to learn about and download the latest Warid applications at the APPs Lounge setup at the venue. Glow by Warid also provided the attendees with an opportunity to participate in activities and contests to win prizes such as mobile handsets.

The auto show was followed by an award ceremony and a captivating musical performance by Club Caramel. PakWheels.com along with TDCP organized the event under the auspices of the Government of Punjab and PHA, to enrich the Rang-e-Lahore celebrations.

Warid has a long-standing relationship with Pakwheels, having partnered with the digital brand on previous car shows. The telecom giant has also collaborated with Pakwheels on the creation of a unique mobile app to bring car buying and selling to all Android mobile phones using version 2.1 and above. Customers can buy and sell cars and view price information of popular car models in Pakistan. The PakWheels Android application allows users to quickly and easily search and locate used cars in their city and enable them to put their cars up for sale.

Warid’s involvement with auto enthusiast is also evident in the new Hari Bati app, which shows users street traffic information on a map-based interface. The app allows users to mark frequently visited routes and receive constant updates regarding the traffic situation directly on their handsets.

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Wateen Telecom Delivers Fiber Optic Network in Sindh

Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s leading converged communications company has been awarded a PKR 449 million project to develop an extensive optical fibre network in Sindh. The USF Sindh project entails the laying of over (1,037) km of an optical fibre network in Southern Telecom Region. An amount of PKR 449 Million will be provided by USF in the form of a subsidy; the rest of the cost will be borne by Wateen. 

The new optical fibre network will connect 17 unserved cities and towns.. Wateen has joined hands with the Universal Service Fund Company (USF Co.) to undertake this project of national importance, which will go a long way in bridging the digital divide in the country. The project, funded through a USF subsidy, will provide state of the art digital infrastructure in remote areas of Sindh, and could be further exploited to build IT, telecom, education, health and business services in these areas.

This protect has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on 23 February 2013, in Sanghar – Chak # 11 along with a number of telecommunications and health and education projects.

This new project is in line with Wateen Telecom’s commitment to lead the digital revolution in Pakistan. Wateen is already working with USF on four optical fibre projects in underserved areas of Balochistan and Sindh, with subsidies worth a total of PKR 3.7 billion. These existing projects entail optical fibre networks spanning over 4,563 km (in Sindh and Balochistan) 

Commenting on the project, Mr Zamindar said, “Wateen’s vision is to take Pakistan into the digital revolution of the 21st Century by offering complete communications and media solutions, including telephony, internet, data and TV/multimedia to the public at large, and to make Pakistan a regional communications hub, inter-connecting the East with the West and Central Asia with the Middle East, participation in USF regions aligns with Wateen’s vision of taking Pakistan into the digital broadband revolution of the 21st century while promoting education and literacy through these means.”

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