Category: Business

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator and a part of the VEON Group, bagged 7 awards at the Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Benchmarks (GDEIB) Awards 2023.

The company received the ‘Best Practices’ award for its visionary efforts in implementing DEI as a strategy when it comes to learning and development, communications, community integration, government relations and philanthropy initiatives. Jazz believes in cultivating trust, and acceptance to promote and contribute to creating an inclusive world.

“Inclusivity has always been at the heart of all our policies and being recognised for our holistic D&I initiatives towards empowering the workplace renews our vigour as we move forward in our journey towards promoting diversity and inclusion at Jazz,” said Sanam Sheikh, Chief People Officer, Jazz.

The GDEIB are the standards for organizations around the world to help these companies determine strategy and measure progress in managing diversity and fostering inclusion. Jazz has always valued and upheld diversity and has strived to position ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ DEI as a strategic asset to excel in the market. This has helped Jazz create a better workplace which thrives on sustainability.

Jazz is also the signatory to the global Women’s Empowerment Principles, a set of Principles offering guidance to businesses on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) China Mobile, Parent company of Pakistan’s leading telecommunications network, Zong 4G, promoted its first digital payments solution ‘PayMax,’ during an exclusive product showcasing event at Zong HQ in Islamabad. This strategic venture aims to empower the people of Pakistan with a financial solution that is secure, unique and ensures inclusion in the unbanked sector of Pakistan.

China Mobile Pakistan (CMPAK) and Electronic Commerce Company Limited (ECCL), a 100% owned subsidiary of CMPAK ventured into the market of Digital Financial Services after getting the Electronic Money Institution (EMI) License in Pakistan from SBP in March 2022.

After acquiring the license, CMPAK ECCL went on to launch its commercial digital payments solution under the brand name “PayMax” which furthers CMPAK’s vision and drive of a more digitally and financially inclusive Pakistan.

Speaking at the occasion, CEO CMPAK & Zong4G, said, “Our mission is ‘to provide a trustworthy digital payments system through collaborative ecosystem for cashless payments.” He concluded by wishing PayMax success in the future.

As a developing country, a significant segment of the economy in Pakistan is still undocumented and operating through traditional transaction channels which rely heavily on the use of cash, limiting business opportunities and growth severely.  With over 60% of the adult population being unbanked, Paymax aims at providing seamless digital payment solutions to them.

A robust digital payments solution makes financial management a lot easier, that too with added security.  PayMax – a Digital Wallet Account also plans to partner with financial institutions and solution providers from across the sectors to offer innovative financial products that solve consumer pain points, such as Nano Loans, Handset Financing, Cross Border Payments, Insurance, Channel Interoperability, and Merchant Financing.

Intending to provide a solution that empowers and enables every Pakistani across the country, with PayMax you can register your mobile account by providing a simple KYC, you can carry out Cash Deposits & Cash Withdrawals, transfer money to or from any bank or wallet in Pakistan, pay more than 1700+ online Billers with this number rapidly growing.

Adding on, CEO ECCL, Syed Naveed Akhtar, said, “Our objective is to turn PayMax into a financially sustainable organization by gaining customers’ trust through offering best value use cases, convenience, reliability & great customer experience. Our target market and focus in the first phase are approximately 34 million Zong 4G tech savvy super data users followed by the rest of the potential digital payment customer base in the country.”

PayMax is determined to become one of the leading digital payment solutions providers in the Digital Financial Services Industry, utilizing CMPAK – Zong4G’s 45 million subscribers base and an agent network of more than 43,000 BVS retailers all across Pakistan.

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Telecom Egypt, the first integrated operator of communications and information technology services in Egypt, in cooperation with Huawei Technologies, the leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, announced the implementation of the first eco-friendly, integrated solution to provide mobile networks via utilizing environmentally friendly tower made of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP), with wireless availability.

Through this cooperation, Telecom Egypt will become the first operator in Egypt and Africa to install this green tower which will serve as the optimum steel alternative, which causes high emissions of carbon dioxide. The tower is approximately 18m high, with a special camouflage fence made of environmentally friendly materials, supported by integrated wireless access solutions and a green solar energy system. The tower is characterized by its high resistance in severe environmental conditions, such as corrosion due to the exposure to chemicals and high temperatures.

The Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, Adel Hamed, said that the implementation of this type of mobile site in Egypt is unprecedented and has also underscored the efforts done by all those in charge of the project, and their capability of implementing the entire site in a timely manner and a systematic way, as per the best international quality standards that have to do with the green concept solutions.

Mr. Adel further explained that Telecom Egypt’s green external sites also depend on modern technologies for wireless access devices, such as the technology of antennas integrated with signal amplifiers, which contribute to reducing the energy consumption of one site by about 40%, if compared to traditional sites.

According to Mr. Adel, these modern technologies also contribute to improving the signal quality by about 20%, when compared to regular antennas, which will further result in reducing the number of stations to be installed, enhancing the preservation of the environment, and hence achieving the aimed-for sustainable development.

He also added that Telecom Egypt relies on state-of-the-art versions of operating software that support the latest features, pertinent to energy saving, such as the feature of turning off signal amplifiers for some frequencies during low load hours, which helps in reducing energy consumption by an average of 24%.

Jim Liu, CEO of Huawei Egypt confirmed that the company dedicated great attention to developing the infrastructure of Information and Communication Technology in Egypt which is why they have joined hands with Telecom Egypt, the leader in the telecommunications market in Egypt and the Middle East.

He added that Huawei is keen on harnessing all the necessary, innovative technologies to save energy to build a sustainable future, which certainly generates zero carbon emissions. He also pointed out that recent studies have shown that FRP poles produce 43% less carbon dioxide emissions, compared to steel, and reduce E2E energy consumption by nearly half for manufacturers and related transportation.

He also explained that energy solutions for green outdoor sites depend on passive cooling, which eliminates the need for air conditioning and thus leads to a 47% reduction in energy consumption compared to sites with indoor rooms for devices. He also clarified that the process depends on the integration of solar energy with the main electricity network, with relative dependence on green energy, namely the solar one, as the solar panels will provide about 2 kilowatts, which will lead to a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 20%.

It is worth mentioning that the goal of developing an environmentally friendly green site is to use smart materials instead of the traditional ones that were previously used in mobile terminals. For instance, reverting to FRP in manufacturing leads to minimizing steel sections up to 95%, which results in minimal pollution to the environment. Moreover, it is smarter to use integrated Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, which has bandwidth carrier dynamic shutdown and time domain deep code shutdown, which will reduce power consumption by about 24 % in a low traffic period.

Pakistan (Nut Desk)

Martin Dow Group, a Leading Multinational Healthcare Group in Pakistan received Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Benchmark Awards 2023 in 2 categories.

The company received ‘Best Practice’ award in WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION, FLEXIBILITY, & BENEFITS for demonstrating exemplary global practices in DEI whereas the organizations is also recognized as PROGRESSIVE in the category of COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS & PHILANTHROPY.

Shahrukh Masood, Group Director HR & Corporate Communications at Martin Dow while expressing elation on this recognition said ‘’ we are proud to be recognized by the global platform for our healthy work culture, CSR activities, and community engagement programs. These awards are in line with our values “We create opportunities for all our partners to flourish” and We are here to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve”.

He further said ‘’Martin Dow Group’s activities are aligned with the internal & external goals of GDEIB. We believe in healthy work culture in all our departments including flexing working hours, weekly work-from-home, health and fitness opportunities through gym and sports, opportunities for growth through capacity building programs, facilities for female employees such as Baby’s daycare, women leadership program, pay-con, health awareness sessions.’’

Martin Dow Group is constantly working on various philanthropic initiatives, helping differently abled citizens, improving socio-economic status, promoting mental wellness, promoting education, providing healthcare facilities, flood relief activities, supporting marginalized groups like deaf communities, and etc.

Global DEI Benchmarks Awards gives an opportunity to organizations to present their diversity, equity, and inclusion accomplishments with a focus on a social and economic impact on all stakeholders. Martin Dow Group will continue to further lead in its work practices and create opportunities for all our partners to flourish.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Photography is a passion that is wildly pursued in Pakistan. In recent times, smartphones have proved themselves a very worthy device for photography. Recent advancements in technology and lenses have made smartphones capable of making professional cameras like the DSLRs a run for their money.

DSLRs provide just one feature: professional-grade pictures of the highest quality. Smartphones, like TECNO Camon 19 Pro, offer quality that can rival the best DSLRs at a fraction of the price. This has made the Camon 19 Pro a favorite among photographers who want to pursue their passion without putting a strain on their bank accounts.

Camon 19 Pro offers a highly advanced camera unit, as it offers multiple sets of camera lenses for different shots. Not only this, but the 19 Pro also has intelligent AI tools and a potent processor, which helps the camera unit take perfect pictures.

The Camon 19 Pro is the first device in the market which offers RGBW (G+P) lens, which it developed with Samsung. This means the device can also show the deepest blacks and the lightest whites. Lowlight photography has also been greatly improved due to the improved lens. This can be seen in the Super Night mood as the phone plays with exposure to produce excellent results.

This device has a whole array of cameras, making it suitable for professional photographers and amateurs. There is a specialized 64 MP primary camera with a 0.8-micrometer pixel size! Moreover, a dedicated 50MP portrait lens, coupled with another 2MP Bokeh lens, produces dramatic portrait pictures with the right colors and depth.

If you are a fan of selfies, then do not worry; there is an advanced 32MP selfie camera in the Camon 19 Pro for vlogging and photography!

These features sound great on paper, but several local photographers, including Ilyaas Allaah Buksh, Ans Shah, and Omar Rehman, put the Camon 19 Pro to the test to see how it performed.

Ilyaas Allaah Buksh is known to capture the raw essence of Balochistan – his home. He has been promoting the Balochi Culture for a long time through beautiful and impactful pictures. Ilyaas Allaah Buksh used the Camon 19 Pro and was astounded by the results produced by the camera unit. Safe to say, he was more than impressed with the Camon 19 Pro.

Ans Shah is another up-and-coming photographer known to tell stories using pictures. All of his pictures have unique and captivating stories behind them. The pictures are as beautiful as the stories. Ans Shah has also used the Camon 19 Pro and has spoken very highly of the device, just like Omar Rehman. Omar Rehman is another photographer known for his magic with the lens. These photographers were very impressed by the camera abilities of the Camon 19 Pro.

TECNO Pakistan CEO Kelvin Zeng spoke highly about the abilities of this device when he said, “The Camon 19 Pro is the perfect phone for photographer and videography as it provides cutting edge technology in its camera unit. This phone will help many photographers to continue their passion without spending large amounts of money on professional equipment. “

Thus we can conclude that the TECNO Camon 19 Pro passed the tests posed by these professionals. You can get your hands on this device for PKR 49,999 in Pakistan’s offline and online markets!

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), also known as Central Business District (CBD Punjab), has closed Kalma Chowk Underpass for all types of traffic. The step to close the underpass is taken as the construction of CBD Punjab Boulevard and Kalma Chowk Underpass remodelling has entered the next phase. The authority has closed one lane of the underpass for the traffic coming from Barket Market and going towards Liberty Market. The technical team of CBD Punjab has issued a comprehensive traffic diversion plan with the cooperation of City Traffic Police (CTP) Lahore. According to the traffic diversion plan road connecting Saint Marry Park and Center Point is open for traffic. The traffic coming from Barket Market and going towards Liberty Market will take left towards Muslim Town and will take a U-turn and reach Liberty Market through Gaddafi Stadium. Similarly, traffic coming from Model Town for Liberty Market will also go straight to Muslim Town, take a U-Turn and reach the Liberty Market through the stadium, commuters coming from Firdaus Market, going towards Liberty Market or Main Boulevard, Gulberg, will use Hussain Chowk. The authority and CTP Lahore have requested the daily commuters to plan their commute accordingly to avoid any inconvenienc.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Bank Alfalah, one of the largest commercial banks in Pakistan, with the purpose of empowering people so that they shape their own path in life despite all odds, has spent PKR 308 million for flood-impacted communities.  When floods hit significant parts of the country, Bank Alfalah came to the forefront with a determination to help rebuild affected areas and formulated a two-phase plan of redeveloping communities in a sustainable, equitable and financially inclusive way.

Earlier in August 2022, Bank Alfalah’s Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, and the Board of Directors had graciously approved USD 10 million (PKR 2 Billion) to help with the extensive relief and rebuilding efforts.

In the first phase, the Bank partnered with reliable and trusted non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across Pakistan to rescue the flood-impacted people from hard-hit geographical locations.  The second phase is dedicated to rehabilitating and rebuilding the communities.

In 2022, over PKR 300 million were disbursed for immediate relief and rescue. In pursuant to the financial support, the Bank’s vast network of colleagues working in over 850 branches are volunteering to ensure transparency and provide assistance across the inundated areas.

By joining forces with its trusted partners, the Bank has provided 1.5 million meals, serving 280,000 households. As part of immediate rescue and relief, 94 medical camps were set up to provide urgent care to 27,500 patients with an epidemic of water-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, cholera and typhoid. Furthermore, those in flood-hit locations were provided with 1,100 tents for immediate shelter.

The quantum of Bank Alfalah’s response comprises 21 leading NGOs with a vast network across Pakistan. Together with its partners, the Bank provided relief and rehabilitation in 95 locations, including the remote areas of such as Dadu, Sibbi, Usta Muhammad, Kachi, Rajan Pur, Rojhan, Badin, Bala Nari, Chitral, Qilla Saifullah, Shadadkot and various locations across Pakistan.

Commenting on the magnitude of the Bank’s strategic two-phased program with its partners, Atif Bajwa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank Alfalah, said: “With the gracious support of the Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, and the Board of Directors, we are working with the most reliable and trusted names in Pakistan to extend support to the most vulnerable communities who have been impacted by floods this year. It is imperative that we intensify our joint efforts and reach more communities in the rebuilding phase with a medium to a long-term plan to help the affected areas.

He further said that, in a disaster of unprecedented proportions, it only makes sense that all of us come together to provide continuous support to those impacted through our collective contribution.”

 As the efforts are entering the rehabilitation and rebuilding phase, the Bank is working with its partners to provide clean drinking water. It has distributed about 5000 water filters serving around 35,000 households. Furthermore, with the fast-approaching winter, Banks is also getting distributed various kinds of winter kits, including pillows, shawls, blankets and jackets. So far, 9,670 kits have been provided to the most deserving, which has helped around 16,500 additional households.

A key pillar of rehabilitation is developing sustainable solutions for an inclusive future. Hence, the education of children and their healthcare are the key focus areas of this phase. The Bank has partnered with ChildLife Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation and Al-Khidmat Foundation to ensure quality healthcare to prevent child mortality in rural areas. The Bank is also supporting The Citizens Foundation to secure the future of flood-affected children by supporting their primary education.

Lastly, the Bank and Shahid Afridi Foundation have come together to build climate-resilient, low-cost homes to ensure a sustainable future. The Bank is also creating income opportunities for those affected to find a sustainable livelihood. Financial inclusion programs are being designed to facilitate farmers and provide them access to microfinance to get back on track and rebuild their lives.

 

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) In a New Year letter circulated to Huawei 195,000 employees globally, Huawei Rotating Chairman Eric Xu said that the company expects to round off the year with a slight rise in total revenue of 636.9 billion yuan over last year total revenues of 636.8 billion yuan, which is in line with forecast.

The senior Huawei executive said: “in 2022, we successfully pulled ourselves out of crisis mode. US restrictions are now our new normal, and we’re back to business as usual. It’s been all hands-on deck for the past year, with every single member of the Huawei team working hard to navigate challenges and improve the quality of our operations”. 

Eric Xu also highlighted that Huawei ICT infrastructure business maintained steady growth, and the decline in Huawei device business has abated. Huawei achieved rapid growth in digital power and Huawei Cloud, and took the competitiveness and user experience of our intelligent automotive components to new heights.

“The macro environment may be rife with uncertainty, but what we can be certain about is that digitalization and decarbonization are the way forward, and they’re where future opportunities lie. Faced with external volatility, we need to remain focused and stay true to our vision and mission. We need to double down on our commitment to building the foundations of the digital economy and to driving green and sustainable development. By doing this, we can create greater value for our customers, partners, and society at large”. Eric highlighted.

Eric also forecasted that 2023 will be the first year that Huawei returns to business as usual with external restrictions still in place. It will be a crucial year for Huawei, so the company need to actively drive progress, keep inspiring passion across the organization, and further hone the company capabilities. “We need to be proactive about improving the business environment and more effectively managing risks. This is the only way we can reach our business goals for 2023 and lay a solid foundation for Huawei’s continued survival and development”.

The letter specifies 4 priorities for the company sustainable survival. The first one is maintaining heavy investment in R&D. Eric said: “We need to make our products and solutions more competitive through innovation, reshaping architecture, and systems engineering design. We have to fully commit ourselves to future-oriented basic research and open innovation, and focus our limited resources on value-creating domains. In addition, we need to uphold open collaboration across the value chain to guarantee our supply continuity and resilience”.

The other 3 priorities are securing victory through quality, Commitment to progress and seizing opportunities to grow the harvest, and pressing ahead with transformation to inject vitality into the organization and motivate everyone to forge ahead

Huawei Datacom become leading Non-north American vendor to named in Gartner Magic Quardrant 2022 for best Enterprise wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure.

PAKISTAN (Muhammad Yasir) Huawei announced that it was named a Leader in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure, the only non-North American vendor positioned in the Leaders Quadrant. Huawei takes it as a milestone and believes it is yet another testament to the global recognition of Huawei’s full lineup of network Offerings. Huawei’s wide range of solutions include the Cloud Campus 3.0 Solution, Cloud Engine series switches, Air Engine Wi-Fi Access Points (APs), and i Master NCE automatic and intelligent network management platform.

As an excellent supplier in the global enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure market, Huawei has a host of strengths, including the comprehensive product portfolio, Artificial Intelligence (AI)- and Machine Learning (ML)-enabled network management platform, wireless-first support, and industry-leading “Ability to Execute” and “Completeness of Vision”.

Huawei has a holistic set of enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure offerings. Featured products and solutions include the end-to-end Cloud Campus Solution across LANs, WLANs, and WANs, feature-rich Cloud Engine series switches, award-winning Air Engine Wi-Fi APs, and field-proven iMaster NCE automatic and intelligent network management platform. To date, these products and solutions have served millions of customers worldwide across industries, gaining high praise in the process.

Huawei remains committed to the global enterprise market, and constantly innovates to set the benchmark for enterprise networks in terms of simplified network architecture, best-in-class hardware design, agile software delivery, and flexible business models.

More specifically, Huawei simplifies the campus network architecture from three layers to two with its solution consisting of the central switch and Remote Units (RUs). Keeping hardware innovation in mind,  Huawei has unveiled innovative third-generation Wi-Fi 6 smart antennas and a range of brand-new Cloud Engines witches and Air Engine APs. With regard to software innovation, Huawei stands out with the powerful iMaster NCE automatic and intelligent network management platform that underpins the industry’s first L3 autonomous driving network for campuses. When it comes to innovative business models, Huawei differentiates itself from other vendors by launching a leasable and salable cloud management platform model, as well as flexible deployment options, including on-premises, Huawei public cloud, and MSP-owned cloud.

To date, Huawei’s campus network offerings have been widely used by customers in over 170 countries and regions across sectors such as public service, education, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and energy, helping them build a solid digital bedrock for their digital transformation journey.

To learn more about Huawei’s Cloud Campus Solution, please visit: https://e.huawei.com/en/solutions/business-needs/enterprise-network/campus-network

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