IT news – Page 22 – News Update Times

Celebrate New Year with Huawei’s Exclusive Offers

Posted on December 24, 2019April 22, 2021 by admin

Celebrate new year with Huawei’s exclusive offers

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The year 2019 is drawing to a close, Huawei is giving another reason to its consumers to have a loud party. The company is introducing a New Year offer on its hottest selling HUAWEI Y9 family that remained extremely popular throughout the second half of the year. People can now purchase the hot new favourite HUAWEI Y9s or the bestselling HUAWEI Y9 Prime 2019 and get a chance to win a HUAWEI Bluetooth Speaker. The offer just doesn’t end here as the purchase also brings exciting gift packages on HUAWEI Mobile Services such as free 50GB of HUAWEI Mobile Cloud storage for three months.

There’s more to the offer still as consumers can grab exclusive HUAWEI AppGallery vouchers for their favourite apps such as games and more. Since a New Year party needs a lot of music, a VIP subscription of HUAWEI Music is also on the cards for three-months to let you enjoy exclusive music, premium song quality and free downloads. And finally, for all Huawei fans buying any paid items inside HUAWEI Themes application lets you win up to USD 1000/-* and every paid item means one chance.

The New Year offer runs on the HUAWEI Y9 family bringing a HUAWEI Bluetooth Speaker & exclusive gift packages of HUAWEI Mobile Services absolutely free

If you are aiming to make more precious memories this year, be it with family, friends or even by yourself, you are going to need a powerful camera to make sure you save it all. This is where the HUAWEI Y9s’ 48MP Triple AI Camera setup comes useful. Thanks to its combination of a 48MP main lens, 8MP 120 degree Ultra-Wide Angle lens and 2MP Depth Camera, you are promised beautiful results no matter what the subject is.

The HUAWEI Y9s can take the load of many apps, thanks to 128GB of extendable storage (up to 512GB) and ensure the smoothest performance with the help of 6GB RAM and the Kirin 710F processor. Not only does the phone’s hardware allow you to download and store a lot of apps, but it also ensures that you enjoy doing it. With a 6.59 inch FHD+ screen that has no bezels at all, everything you do is a lot more fun and immersive. No matter what app you download, games you play, series you watch or even books you read on the HUAWEI Y9s, you are guaranteed one of the best experiences. Don’t worry about running out of charge either because with the HUAWEI Y9s’ Ultra Large Battery of 4000mAh, you can get powerful performance all-day long.

With the New Year right around the corner, now is a perfect time to get cracking on setting those resolutions, and with the HUAWEI Y9s or HUAWEI Y9 Prime 2019, you can stick to them properly this time plus you get to avail plenty of exclusive offers that are not to be missed!

The New Year offer runs from

Friday, 27 December, 2019 – Friday, 03 January, 2020.

Google today announced its annual Year in Search Pakistan

Posted on December 11, 2019April 22, 2021 by admin

The Year in Pakistan Search

Huawei’s successful Y Series latest entrant

Posted on December 8, 2019April 22, 2021 by admin

Huawei’s successful Y Series latest entrant – HUAWEI Y9s 2019 Goes on Sale

NUT Desk Reported on 7 Dec 2019 in Lahore: HUAWEI Y9s pre order is even more than Y9 prime. In just 5 days & continuing its relentless pursuit to becoming the number one smartphone maker in the world, Huawei’s successful Y Series’ latest entrant HUAWEI Y9s 2019 goes on sale at Huawei outlets nationwide and on its flagship store at Darak.pk. In response to the continued love and support received from the Pakistani market, Huawei has roadshows planned all across Pakistan to connect with its consumers and offer them an enjoyable experience.

The numbers speak volumes when it comes to the success of Huawei’s Y Series. With HUAWEI Y9 Prime 2019 becoming the best midrange in the market, HUAWEI Y9s makes the best even better thanks to the incredible features and flagship design it offers.

The HUAWEI Y9s packs powerful hardware that helps boost the overall user and gaming experience. At its heart, the HUAWEI Y9s packs Kirin 710F for powerful performance and power efficiency, supported by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Opening doors for all kinds of users to get the most out of their smartphone cameras, the HUAWEI Y9s’ intricate triple camera system consists of a 48MP main camera, an 8MP 120 degree Ultra-Wide Angle camera and a 2MP Depth sensor plus a 16MP pop-up selfie camera. Along with taking advantage of a powerful camera setup, the video recording experience is enhanced with the help of additional features and smart AI.

With a FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 and a 91% screen to body ratio, the HUAWEI Y9s enjoys maximized viewing area complete with rich color reproduction for an amazing viewing experience. This display design is complemented by the premium finish of the HUAWEI Y9s’ glass body, available in the popular Breathing Crystal or Midnight Black variants. The 3D Arc design also creates a natural and seamless transition from the back to the front, making the phone not only stunning to look at, but also comfortable to hold.

The HUAWEI Y9s is a lot more than just a powerful camera and a stunning display. It also delivers in terms of design, performance and battery life, making it easily one of the most exciting smartphone to launch this season. The smartphone has gone on sale for an amazing price tag of PKR 42,999/- and is available in two colours: Breathing Crystal – inspired by the breathtaking natural salt flats and Midnight Black.

About Huawei Consumer Business Group

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) is one of Huawei’s three business groups, providing a range of products including mobile phones, wearables, tablets and laptops. Huawei’s products and services are available in more than 170 countries, and are used by a third of the world’s population, ranking second in the world in mobile phone shipments at the end of March 2019.

Year-on-year growth was reflected in Huawei’s rise as a globally recognized premium brand. In 2019, Huawei has been ranked 47^th on BrandZ’s Most Valuable Global Brands list, 79^th on Forbes World’s Most Valuable Brands list and 25^th on the Brand Finance Global 500 Most Valuable Brands list. Among the Fortune 500, Huawei climbed up the list to the 72^nd place in 2018, up 11 places from the previous year.

“Artificial Intelligence can boost education efficiency”, Jibran Jamshad, Microsoft Country Education Lead for Pakistan

Posted on November 18, 2019 by admin

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) “The Middle East and Africa has reached a key chapter in its education story. Up until now, the conversation around education has revolved primarily around improving the standard of education across the region. But as digital transformation continues to sweep across the globe, there’s a unique window of opportunity to fast-forward to a completely revolutionised era of education.” These thoughts were expressed by Jibran Jamshad, Microsoft Country Education Lead for Pakistan.

He further explained that for years, the general level of education across the region has been improving at a steady pace. “According to the World Bank, the average level of schooling in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) has quadrupled since 1960, with the rate of illiteracy having almost halved. At the same time, statistics tell us that the region has made significant strides when it comes to school enrollment. But despite this progress, the general standard of education across the region still varies significantly, with many countries yet to attain the level of learning to which they aspire”, he added.

Research shows in many cases curriculums favour an approach to education based on rote learning, which means students are not always exposed to 21st century skills, such as working in teams, problem solving and innovation. Skill sets such as these are only going to become more important as automation begins to replace lower-skill jobs. Recent Microsoft research conducted in collaboration with McKinsey & Company’s Education Practice shows that by 2030, the fastest growing occupations will require higher-level cognitive skills in areas such as collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. Already as many as 30 to 40 percent of jobs in growth industries require soft skills.

Though the need for social-emotional skills is clear, teachers don’t always feel adequately equipped to teach these skills. And to build crucial cognitive, social and emotional skills, educators need training, technologies and time. Technology can play a critical role in helping to overcome these challenges – AI, in particular, has significant potential to increase the efficiency of education, whether by freeing up educators’ time or helping them develop a more student-centred approach to learning.

Microsoft’s research shows technology can free up as much as 30 percent of teachers’ time, making it easier for them to respond to individual and group needs. And the same study shows students who receive personalised instruction perform better than 98 percent of traditionally taught students. AI-enabled tools are also far more easily accessible than educators might realise. Those found in Microsoft Office 365, for example, are available in programmes such as Word, OneNote and PowerPoint, meaning they are free and easy to use.

Immersive Reader, for example, helps students with learning differences such as Dyslexia build reading confidence. Students can use features like Line Focus, which reduces visual crowding and highlights text to improve readability. On the more sophisticated end of the spectrum, AI can provide educators with greater insight as to how students are progressing so they can adjust their approach, supporting students’ individual needs.

Many schools have improved the academic interaction between students and educators through applications like OneNote and Teams. The tools not only promote better collaboration and productivity, but also enhanced interaction between the students and their teachers. The schools digital transformation has a strong impact on student performance, from day-to-day activities to official exams, completely transforming the entire learning journey. These technologies are particularly effective in breaking down the barriers in communication between students of different abilities. By drawing on AI, these tools can help ensure every student has a voice.

Even simple AI-enabled features like those found in Office 365 can help tertiary-level students with their academic pursuits. PowerPoint Editor, for example, draws on machine learning and natural language processing, enabling students to proof read their content more effectively. The tool even provides helpful suggestions as to how students should refine their style of writing.

This is a promising sign that we are moving in the right direction as incorporating technology in today’s classrooms can help catapult the region’s education sector into the digital era. And ultimately, empowering young people to become successful, capable, and active contributors to the digital economy will create prosperity.

Senate IT Committee Wish to Allow One Duty Free Mobile to Cost Nation Billions

Posted on October 30, 2019 by admin

A parliamentary panel recommended for restoring duty free mobile handset import under the baggage rule, as they feel its benefits are limited. However, little that they know that it’s wish will cost the Nation Billions of Rupees in taxes and at the same time negatively impact the genuine imports by people who pay these taxes.

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication met under the chairmanship of Rubina Khalid where Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) appraised it on reasons for withdrawal of customs duty exemption on the imported phone per calendar year under the personal baggage rules.

Member Customs FBR informed the committee that the duty free allowance on import of mobile phone brought by international passengers was withdrawn vide amending SRO689 (I) 2019 dated 29-6-2019. The said SRO was made effective from 1-7-2019. The reasons for withdrawal of duty free allowance were that the facility was being misused by smuggling mafia. Data of international arriving passengers were being stolen at airport and the passport numbers and flight data were being used to enter data details in the Mobile Device Registration Software then claimed exemption under the baggage allowance.

He further said that expensive mobile devices were mostly being registered using international passengers data mostly by travel agents. Furthermore the government desired that there should be uniformity in application of duty/taxes whether brought into Pakistan by passengers or locally procured therefore to avoid this anomaly the exemption was withdrawn, he added. FBR official said that around Rs 7 billion has been collected during this period from taxes on mobile imports.

However the committee expressed serious annoyance over FBR response, and claimed the Board took away the facility which has annoyed international passengers. Secretary MoITT said that if a sector can contribute to the national economy in services and exports, it is none other but IT sector. He said that if mobile manufacturing plants are not available, so it is not feasible to import mobile phones with such taxes and duties.

He said that the matter has been taken with Chairman FBR. He further said that provincial government especially Punjab and Sindh has imposed heavy taxes of 19 percent on services which is also affecting the entrepreneurs as well as overall IT sector.

Senator Faisal Javed and Shahzad Waseem said that mobile phones are not only for call, but for businesses as well. Javed said that after paying taxes, mobile phones become expensive in Pakistan and recommended for reviewing the taxation policy. Chairperson of the committee said that mobile handset sets prices should be at par with other countries and there should be uniform price mechanism.

Secretary MoITT pleaded before the committee that Chairman FBR may be called on to the next meeting on the matter. Senators from the government benches also opposed the government decision of imposing duty on import of even a single mobile phone handset without realizing the impact that it will have on the Government own policy of discouraging smuggling and tax evasion.

Senior official of Pakistan Air force also expressed reservations over the imposition of duties on mobile imports while saying that officials with phones for defense purposes have been asked for registration which they cannot and faced great difficulties. It is important to note that armed forces personal are not allowed to keep smartphones.

The committee was also briefed on the initiatives taken against those who were involved in misuses of data of Pakistani expatriates for registration of cell phones.

Chairman PTA said that around 54000 cases of misuse identity to avail FBR baggage rules for free registration of mobile devices were reported. PTA deletes the registered decie IMEI under misuse and sends them for de-listing /blocking in the system. Further PTA sends all logs, details to FBR /FIA for necessary legal action at their end. Genuine passengers are informed to register the device under FBR baggage rules.

FIA Cyber Wing Acting Director informed the committee that IBMS at air ports and travel agents were found involved in data theft. He further said that so far 7 dealers were identified involved in the matter, he added.

The committee recommended that NDMA, Pakistan Metrological Department and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) should jointly develop early warning strategy to cope with disasters situation. The committee said that all the resources are available to develop a joint mechanism, adding that they always failed to control disasters due to lack of coordination among the concerned departments.

Startup Grind Pakistan Conference 2019

Posted on October 26, 2019 by admin

Startup Grind Pakistan Conference 2019: Tech Innovation is the Future of Pakistan

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) This November, over 1500 founders, thought leaders and ecosystem enablers are all set to come together for the Startup Grind Pakistan Conference, the first-of-its-kind gathering in Pakistan based around stimulating conversations about technology and its role in innovation for Pakistan. Globally successful Pakistani entrepreneurs, innovators and technologists are participating in the conference to tell their stories, inspire young entrepreneurs and share how Pakistan as a country can emulate their achievements.

The very first edition of Startup Grind Pakistan Conference 2019 is happening on the 4th and 5th of November, with over 55 speakers and over a 100 mentors and industry experts from Pakistan and abroad. The speakers include Safwan Shah (Payactiv); Saad Bashir (City Of Seattle); Dr. Waheed Qureshi (Mesmer); Sabah Baxamoosa (Gsvlabs); Murtaza Ahmed (Softbank); Atif Awan (Indus Valley Capital/Ex Linkedin); Shoaib Makani (Keeptruckin); Melissa Sassi (IBM); Felipe Millan (Techstars/Sendgrid); Akif Malik (Podium VC); Mohammad Saleh (Startup Grind Jordan); Naheed Afzal (Tech London Advocates Pakistan); Mashhood Alam (SAP Ariba); Andrew Hyde (Solana/Techstars); Omar Chaudhary (Playermatch.Com); Bilal Ahmed (Sonasoft); Mudassir Azeemi (Wells Fargo); Adeel Raza (Minder / Mailmunch); Huma Hamid (Pakistani Women In Computing, Pwic); Sheba Najmi (Code For Pakistan/Linkedin); Majid Khan (Jabberwock Ventures); Jamaludin Bujang (Gobi Partners); Shane Shin (Shorooq Investments); Kunal Savjani (Shorooq Investments); Dr. Bernhard Klemen (Sarmayacar); Mostafa Kandil (SWVL); Faisal Aftab (Lakson Investments Venture Capital, LIVC); Kalsoom Lakhani (Invest2Innovate); Zouhair Khaliq (TeamUp); Yasser Bashir (Arbisoft); Ali Mukhtar (Fatima Ventures); Khurram Zafar (47 Ventures); Rabeel Warraich (Sarmayacar); Muneeb Maayr (Bykea); Faizan Aslam (Bookme.pk); Ingrid Johansson (Embassy Of Sweden – Islamabad); Sadia Khurram (Jazz); Bernhard Schlagheck (Embassy Of Germany – Islamabad); Nadeem Hussain (Planet N Group Of Companies); Sidra Iqbal (Aaj News); Misbah Naqvi (I2I Ventures); Hassan Saeed (Business Consultant); Zain Haider Awan (Re:Coded); Ahmed Khan (Cheetay Logistics Pvt. Ltd.); Umar Saif (Geo/Jang Media Group); Magnus Sparrholm (Talkpool) And Humayun Mazhar (Cresventures) to name a few.

“Pakistan has produced the minds behind some of the world’s leading tech companies including Afiniti ($1.6 billion AI startup), KeepTruckin ($1.25 billion startup), FireEye (world’s leading cyber security company), Cavium (sold for $6 billion) and many others. As a country, we need to celebrate these entrepreneurs as heroes and give them the platform to help Pakistan – Startup Grind is that platform, bringing back more than 55 globally successful Pakistani entrepreneurs, innovators and technologists from Silicon Valley and around the world”, states Arzish Azam, CEO Ejad Labs & Lead organizer of Startup Grind Pakistan Conference.

The current size of the IT industry of Pakistan is an estimated $2.6 billion, with its contribution to the GDP being 1.4%. Pakistan has the talent and immense potential to tap into increasing its IT exports and strengthen the industry further. The very first Startup Grind Pakistan Conference aims to start a conversation about the potential of tech innovation and increase the awareness of youth about using technology to take fuel economic growth in Pakistan. Be a part of the premiere Startup Grind Pakistan Conference and explore ways to contribute to Pakistan’s tech industry.

Regards,

YASIR

IT INDUSTRY

Posted on October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by admin

IT INDUSTRY TO QUOTE PRICES IN USD TO OVERCOME CURRENCY FLUCTUATION

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)Major players of the IT industry have decided to quote prices in US Dollars considering the recent economic shifts Pakistan has been going through. A letter is circulated and signed by top players of the IT infrastructure industry and they have disseminated the notification to their customers as well informing them about this change.

The step has been taken considering the recent economic conditions due to which the whole industry has suffered heavily on account of rupee devaluation. IT Infrastructure industry is an import based sector, hence heavily dependent on the imports and exchange rates. As all the players are importing their services and products in USD and being paid in PKR, they are facing huge losses because the exchange rate is fluctuating and the difference is getting wider. To mitigate huge losses, it seems logical that the IT industry quotes the prices in dollars.

All stakeholders have been informed via direct letters that the IT hardware and software infrastructure industry will quote prices of products only in US Dollars which will be payable in Pakistani Rupees using the interbank conversion rate as on the date of payment.

The letter has been signed by the respective CEOs of all the major IT infrastructure companies of the country. All the players who have signed up on the new arrangement approves that this is a necessary move considering the currency fluctuation and value of imports.

In order to develop and work towards a thriving tech based economy, it is extremely important that the tech companies are moving forward in a progressive manner. Pakistan is still lagging behind in terms of technological developments and it is imperative that a favorable business environment is created for the IT industry. Addressing the issues would not only help the IT infrastructure industry to remain sustainable, but would also enable the companies to provide uninterrupted services to the customers.

HUAWEI Developer Conference 2019:

Posted on August 16, 2019 by admin

HUAWEI Mobile Services breaks through 100 Million active users outside of China and announces developer projects that will support the further growth of HUAWEI’s partnership-ecosystem.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) HUAWEI held itsHUAWEI Developer Conference 2019in Dongguan, China. HDC 2019 featured a number of key announcements:HUAWEI Mobile Services now boasts over100 million users outside of China. In addition, anupdated developer engagement program named ‘Shining-Star’ will be launched along with HUAWEI DigiXLabs that offers open capabilities for development and testing. HUAWEI announced the global launch of HMS-Corewhich provides 14 kits for more than 910k global developers. Besides, a new content partnership for HUAWEI video is introduced at HDC 2019.

“Intelligent connections are the future. HUAWEI Mobile Services provides a global platform, connecting more than 910K global developers and 100 Million users outside of China”,said Jervis Su, Vice President of Mobile Services, Huawei Consumer Business Group.“These connections make a real difference. With the HUAWEI Mobile Services portfolio, we have been able to show that there is real demand for a more intelligent solution. We are very proud to be able to announce a number of milestone successes for our portfolio.”

These milestone successes for HUAWEI Mobile Services for the first half of 2019 include:

In-App Purchase (IAP) is now available in more than 140 countries.
The HUAWEI AppGallerygenerates1 Billion+ apps downloads outside of China
Outside the Chinese market, over 280 Million Themes are being downloaded each year
HUAWEI Browser has reached 100% MoM growth since its launch outside of China in March 2019
HUAWEI Music isnowavailablein 35 countrieswithover 30 miliion
HUAWEI Assistant will start its global roll-out from 2019 with top partners.

‘Shining-Star’ Program and DigiXLab – investing in the future

In keeping the momentum of these results, Huawei announced a new developer engagement program, dubbed ‘Shining-Star’. The Project has invested 1 billion USD resources to provide comprehensive support for developers, and create a smart mobile service innovation ecosystem, helping partners to create digital innovation infull scenario, encouraging developers to access Huawei’s open capabilities and services, and promoting developers’ servicesin the marketing segment.

“Our ‘Shining-Star’ program is just one of many ways that HUAWEI is furthering innovation across the board” comments Alex Zhang, President of Mobile Services, HUAWEI Consumer Business Group. “We feel that many excellent and innovative ideas are lacking the means to show their true luster. With the new initiative, we hope to transform these specks of light to truly shining-stars. HUAWEI is determined to help developers reach their true potential. ‘Shining-Star’ program will complement our new HUAWEI DigiXLabs.”

The new HUAWEI DigiXLabs are going to open in 6 regions in 2019, thefirstonein MENA willbelocatedin Dubai, UAE. In these labs, developers and partners all across the world can test their service remotely, also they can find all resources they need to develop the apps and services of the future.The Labs are equipped with AR, VR, AI, CameraKit, Ability Gallery, HMS core and other open technological capabilities and offer a truly open space for innovative work.

The introduction of the HMS–core, a collection of HUAWEI developer kits support and augment functionality across devices. These kitswork together seamlessly to ensure that HUAWEI devices provide a great user experience right out of the box.The global launch of HMS-core means in the trend of full-scenario intelligent connect. This motivates huawei to continue boost innovation and bring open-capability to developers.

Strong partners, Better future

To engage with more partners and boost the partnership ecosystem, HUAWEI has partnered with the best content providers in the world to offer unique viewing experience to their users.

At the HUAWEI Developer conference,Rabih I. Khoury, Partner & Chief Exit OfficerofMiddle East Venture Partners(MEVP) has shared his keynote speech”Building the next generation of Technology Market Leaders in MENA” on “Bridging the world” sub-forum andmentioned “We at MEVP are keenoninvestingthebestproduct/servicetechnology ventures and will cooperate and partner with HUAWEI in developing the untapped potential of the MENA Technology Ecosystem.”

“BIGO has been benefiting from the cooperation with HUAWEI AppGallery which allows us to reach and serve high value users in a better way in the MENA region.We looks forward to cooperating with more growth services from HUAWEI. At the same time, BIGO is looking closely at the possibility of integrating HUAWEI’s advanced 5G tech with our broadcasting service to improve user experience.” said by SandeeLv, Senior MKT Director, BIGO Technology Pte. Ltd. during “BIGO-Broadcasting As a Service” keynoteandeeLv, Senior MKT Director, BIGO Technology Pte. Ltd.during ” BIGO-Broadcasting As a Service“ keynote.

BIGO has been benefiting from the cooperation with HUAWEI AppGallery which allows us to reach and serve high value users in a better way in the MENA region. We are looking forward to more growth services from HUAWEI. At the same time, BIGO is looking closely at the possibility of integrating HUAWEI’s advanced 5G tech with our broadcasting service to improve user experience, said by SandeeLv, Senior MKT Director, BIGO Technology Pte. Ltd. during “BIGO-Broadcasting As a Service” keynote.

Also HUAWEI Mobile Service steamis negotiatinga new cooperation agreement with WegoFlghts, Hotels &Travel Deals Booking App, to provide a better travel experienceto HUAWEI globalusers by intergratingWego“alltraveldeals search service” into HUAWEI Life Service. And the personalized Arabic newsreader NABD, ranked as the #1 Arabic news app across the MENA region, congregates reliable news sources from publisher partners and will delivers localised news contents to Huawei users based on their country and language by HUAWEI Assitant and HUAWEI Browser inthenearfuture.

Dell Technologies Symposium 2019

Posted on June 19, 2019 by admin

Dell Technologies Symposium 2019, Karachi In this picture, left to right 1) Mr. Naveed Khan Director Data Center Solutions, Asia Emerging Markets Dell Technologies 2) Mr. Naveed Siraj General Manager, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Dell Technologies 3) Mr. Anothai Wettayakorn, Vice President Asia Emerging Markets & South Asia Consumer Business, Dell Technologies 4) Mr. Chue Chee Wei, General Manager Asia Emerging Markets Channels, Dell Technologies 5) Ms. Arooj Minhas, Marketing Lead Pakistan & Afghanistan, Dell Technologies.

PTCL and LMKT-Operated NIC Peshawar Makes Its Mark at Pakistan Startup Cup 2018-19

Posted on June 17, 2019 by admin

Nano IT Solution and Arpus Technologies Secure Top Slots at Pakistan Startup Cup

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and LMKT (www.lmkt.com), a leading Pakistan-based technology services company, is pleased to announce that National Incubation Center Peshawar startups secured first and third positions in the Pakistan Startup Cup 2018-19, which is the nation’s biggest and most noteworthy startup competition. This is a major milestone for the LMKT- and PTCL-operated innovation platform, funded by Ignite (formerly known and ICT R&D Fund), in such a short span of time.

The Pakistan Startup Cup is organized by TiE Islamabad in Partnership with US State Department and Griffin Worx, USA (which was formerly known as Startup Cup LLC). Since its inception in 2013, the Cup has attracted the best startups from across the country.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training and His Excellency Paul W. Jones, Ambassador of United States of America to Pakistan were the guests of honor at the prize distribution ceremony. They showed great interest in the pitches of both the startups and appreciated them for their innovation. Nano IT Solutions, which creates immersive virtual reality experiences, took the top prize of one million Pakistani Rupees, while Arpus Technology, a startup that manufactures electro-surgical units secured the 3rd spot.

This is the first time in the five-year history of the competition that KP-based startups have gained top positions. This is especially remarkable as this year the nation’s largest startup competition attracted over 2000 applicants. Approximately, 180 startups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated in a series of workshops and pitches that were held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Faisalabad. The startups went through various stages to further qualify during a rigorous 10-month period. The top 3 finalists from six cities presented their pitches to an esteemed panel of judges that comprised top entrepreneurs and business leaders from Pakistan.

On the occasion, Moqeem ul Haque, Chief Commercial Officer, PTCL, said, “We are proud of the winners of Pakistan Startup Cup, Nano IT Solution and Arpus Technologies, who have shown excellence and potential to stand out as the leading startups amongst the pool of talent available. We also congratulate NIC Peshawar, with whom we have collaborated to provide a platform for empowering young entrepreneurs.”

“Today is the proud moment for NIC Peshawar and LMKT along with all our partners including PTCL, who believed in providing an enabling platform to shape tomorrow’s business leaders”, said Murtaza Zaidi, Director, NIC Peshawar. He added, “This is the first time that two Peshawar-based startups secured top positions in a nation-wide competition, which is testimony to the hard work and dedication of all the stakeholders of NIC Peshawar.”

PTCL and LMKT will continue to provide support to startups and realizes the importance of innovation, creativity and initiative for successful transformation of the economic landscape of Pakistan.

Category: IT news