Category: IT news

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A Canadian judge appeared skeptical of arguments made by prosecutors, questioning the validity of the case in the United States against Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is facing possible extradition on several charges. Committal hearings in Meng’s case are expected to finish soon as two years of legal wrangling come to a close.

The Canadian government’s case, as laid out in the record of the case provided by the United States as justification for her arrest and extradition, is that Meng lied to HSBC about Huawei’s ownership of an Iran-based subsidiary called Skycom, causing the bank to commit fraud and unknowingly break U.S. sanctions.

Meng’s defense lawyers have argued that HSBC was not misled, and was in fact fully aware that Skycom – a business which Reuters reported was breaking U.S. sanction laws against Iran – was a subsidiary of Huawei, rather than a local partner as had been previously stated.

Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes at times appeared skeptical of the validity of the United States’ claim.

“Isn’t it unusual that one would see a fraud case with no actual harm, many years later, and one in which the alleged victim – a large institution – appears to have numerous people within the institution who had all the facts that are now said to have been misrepresented?” Holmes asked.

“The law is quite clear about that,” Canadian prosecutor Robert Frater responded. “You yourself said that people within the institution may know, they may even be participants. It doesn’t mean there is no fraud.”

Holmes then said: “I’m simply suggesting that it may be unusual to have both of those features – no actual loss, and arguably, fairly extensive knowledge within the institution about the true state of affairs.”

Meng was arrested at Vancouver International Airport in December 2018 on a U.S. warrant, for allegedly misleading HSBC bank about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran and potentially causing it to break U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran.

Hearings are set to wrap up and Holmes will likely issue an order on whether or not to extradite in the autumn, before Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti makes the final call. Both Holmes’ and Lametti’s decisions can be appealed, which legal experts say means the case could drag on for years.

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Administrative sources of Apple said that iPhone users’ entire photo libraries will be checked for known child abuse images if they are stored in the online iCloud service.

The disclosure came in a series of media briefings in which Apple is seeking to dispel alarm over its announcement last week that it will scan users’ phones, tablets and computers for millions of illegal pictures.

While Google, Microsoft and other technology platforms check uploaded photos or emailed attachments against a database of identifiers provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other clearing houses, security experts faulted Apple’s plan as more invasive.

In a posting to its website on Sunday, Apple said it would fight any such attempts, which can occur in secret courts.

“We have faced demands to build and deploy government-mandated changes that degrade the privacy of users before, and have steadfastly refused those demands,” Apple wrote. “We will continue to refuse them in the future.”

In the briefing on Monday, Apple officials said the company’s system, which will roll out this fall with the release of its iOS 15 operating system, will check existing files on a user’s device if users have those photos synched to the company’s storage servers.

Julie Cordua, chief executive of Thorn, a group that has developed technology to help law enforcement officials detect sex trafficking, said about half of child sexual abuse material is formatted as video.

Apple’s system does not check videos before they are uploaded to the company’s cloud, but the company said it plans to expand its system in unspecified ways in the future.

Apple has come under international pressure for the low numbers of its reports of abuse material compared with other providers. Some European jurisdictions are debating legislation to hold platforms more accountable for the spread of such material.

Company executives argued on Monday that on-device checks preserve privacy more than running checks on Apple’s cloud storage directly. Among other things, the architecture of the new system does not tell Apple anything about a user’s content unless a threshold number of images has been surpassed, which then triggers a human review.

The executives acknowledged that a user could be implicated by malicious actors who win control of a device and remotely install known child abuse material. But they said they expected any such attacks to be very rare and that in any case a review would then look for other signs of criminal hacking.

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan witnessed a detailed demonstration of a new locally-made electronic voting machine (EVM). Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz along with the officials of his ministry gave a detailed briefing to PM Imran Khan about the working of the electronic voting machine (EVM).

Shibli Faraz said there is no need for internet connectivity for the EVMs, the software used is in the machine is of international standard, he added.

On the occasion, PM Imran Khan witnessed a detailed demonstration of the EVM and also cast his vote. The premier also congratulated Shibli Faraz and his team for producing such EVMs.

Earlier in the month of June, Prime Minister Imran Khan had reiterated the incumbent government’s resolve to ensure transparency in the electoral process in the country.

The premier also instructed that the process of electoral reforms, electronic voting and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis be completed at the earliest.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) We’re excited to announce that 10Pearls is expanding its nearshore presence through the strategic acquisition of Proximity, a nearshore software development outsourcing company based in Costa Rica.
Proximity will further expand 10Pearls’ digital product innovation and technology acceleration services in a time when the need for companies to adapt and transform digitally has never been  more critical.

“The wave of digital transformation that has come in the pandemic’s wake has caused organizations to struggle with technical talent and building high-velocity teams. Given these unpredictable times, businesses are leaning on technology partners to tap into diverse talent, cultural alignment, and similar time zones to speed up digital transformation.“ – Imran Aftab, 10Pearls CEO  According to Proximity founder and CEO Adolfo Cruz-Luthmer, “Joining 10Pearls gives Proximity  the global platform to help businesses become more agile and productive, and ultimately  accelerate through digitalization.”

The acquisition also: 

 Strengthens 10Pearls’ global delivery capabilities, enhancing its nearshore services and  custom software application development, testing, and ongoing support for clients.
 Expands 10Pearls’ presence in Latin America, adding nearshore software development  operations in Costa Rica and Peru with resources from 8 countries in Latin America.
 Reinforces 10Pearls’ double bottom line focus by aligning with a company that shares similar values around social impact.
 Adds 120 skilled professionals to the 10Pearls team dedicated to delivering excellence for our clients, providing the resources and skillsets to scale larger projects quickly.
The addition of Proximity rides on the heels of the Likeable acquisition and brings the total headcount at 10Pearls to over 1,000 employees, a key milestone in our growth trajectory.

The momentum at 10Pearls is unbelievably strong. We expect it to continue as more of the world’s leading enterprises look to 10Pearls to help them solve their most pressing problems and capitalize on the unprecedented opportunity to transform their business. Stay tuned for what’s next.

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

With much anticipation and hype built around Windows 11 which arrives before the year end, come the refreshed versions of Microsoft Paint and Photos.

Initially spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has quietly posted pics of the two refreshed apps on stock photography website Unsplash.

As you might expect, the refresh updates the MS Paint app to better fit in with the overall Windows 11 design.

The old ribbon menu is bids its final goodbye once and for all and with it all our nostalgia with the app as it’s being replaced by a Fluent header.

In its revamped look, the MS Paint’s simplified toolbar has reportedly replaced the Undo and Redo buttons up at the top next to the File and View options.

Last, but not the least to be noted, the whole new packaging has rounded corners and WinUI controls as well. WinUI is a user interface layer that contains modern controls and styles for building Windows apps.

However, it doesn’t appear, not as yet anyway, that there are any additional functions and new tools. But whom are we kidding, MS Paint was never a full-featured graphics editor in the vein of Photoshop.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Huawei Pakistan organized the Pakistan Power ICT Summit with the aim to digitalize the power sector in Pakistan with modern practices and solutions that are used globally. The event was attended by Tariq Mahmood, CIO NTDC, Aamer Rashid, Additional DG, Muhammad Farooq Shaukat DG NTDC, Imtiaz Ahmed PITC CEO and Adnan Khadam PITC Company Secretary. From Huawei’s side, Mr. Shahzad Rasheed, CTO Huawei Pakistan and Tang Shuang, Director Power Sector were in attendance, along with representatives from LESCO, GEPCO, PESCO and TESCO.

The summit was a strategic platform that explored the use of innovative technologies to promote the digital journey of the power sector, designed with the objective to facilitate innovation, thereby future-proofing power institutions for the post-pandemic era.

CTO Huawei Pakistan, Mr. Shahzad Rasheed stated at the event, “Huawei being the leading solution and infrastructure provider is very interested in supporting the power sector whether it’s electricity production or distribution organizations. The potential to digitalize this sector is endless, and Huawei has the specific solutions just for that purpose.”

In today’s age, the power sector is facing rapid digitalization. The digital journey of the power sector has gained momentum and there is a huge demand to have meetings and communication facilities available anytime and anywhere. This, in turn, has also led to higher demands on the construction and maintenance of advanced power ICT infrastructure.

With leading power sector professionals in attendance, robust digital transformation best practices from both industry & technology perspective were discussed and demonstrated by Huawei’s full-scenario solutions in the power sector who were invite our customers to share their success stories.

Systems Limited secures a spot among the 1% global Microsoft Partners; bags the Microsoft Inner Circle for Business Applications 2021/2022 award

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Systems Limited, Pakistan’s leading information technology consulting and services company, has achieved the prestigious Microsoft Business Applications 2021/2022 Inner Circle award. Membership in this elite group is based on sales achievements that rank Systems Limited in the top echelon of Microsoft’s Business Applications global network of partners. Inner Circle members consist of the top 1% of Microsoft Partners that performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success.

2021/2022 Inner Circle members are invited to the Inner Circle Summit in March 2021 as well as virtual meetings between July 2021 and June 2022, where they will have a unique opportunity to share strategy and network with Microsoft senior leaders and fellow partners.

This recognition of Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications coincided with Microsoft Inspire, the annual premier partner event, which took place July 14-15, 2021. Microsoft Inspire provides the Microsoft partner community with the opportunity to learn about the company’s road map for the upcoming year, establish connections, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations, and learn new skills.

“In a year of deep business transformation for every company and every industry on the planet, it is extremely rewarding to be able to recognize Microsoft Business Applications partners from every corner of the world that accelerated our joint customers’ digital transformation and drove unsurpassed customer success,” said Cecilia Flombaum, Microsoft Business Applications Ecosystem Lead. “Our Inner Circle members are chosen based on their business performance as well as capabilities as an organization, whether that’s creating IP, developing solutions, or having an industry-leading focus on digital transformation. Microsoft is honored to recognize Systems Limited for their achievements this past year, their dedication to our customers, and their innovation around the Microsoft Cloud.”

For over 44 years, Systems Limited has excelled in providing innovative solutions that have helped its clientele accelerate time to value, maximize competitive edge, and exceed customer expectations. By closely collaborating with the teams at Microsoft, Systems Limited maintains a strong understanding of the Microsoft platform to deliver exceptional technology solutions and services that enable its customers to unlock new opportunities for sustainable business growth. The company has a long list of accolades that back its impressive stature, including the 2018 Microsoft Country Partner of the Year award for Pakistan, Forbes Asia’s Best Under A Billion award 2020, and Pakistan’s Top IT Exporter award 2019, to name a few.

Systems Limited offers a robust set of technology implementation, training, and consultation services for midsize to large enterprises across the globe. The company leverages its full-spectrum specialization of Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft Power Platform to assist top global organizations across the Retail, CPG, Financial Services, and Telecommunication sectors, as well as government entities, to achieve faster time to market and maintain a strong long-term trajectory of success.

“We’re truly honored to receive this recognition by Microsoft. Not only has it elevated our stature as the leading technology company out of Pakistan, but also further solidified our commitment to continue to innovate and play our part in empowering businesses and society to effectively navigate this new era of change. We’ll continue to leverage the potential of technology and combine it with our ingenuity to create a meaningful impact for the future,” said Aezaz Hussain, Founder & Chairman of Systems Limited.

“This is an incredible achievement for Systems Limited to have earned its way to the Microsoft Business Applications 2021/2022 Inner Circle. Our inclusion in this top tier of technology organizations is a testament to our relentless hard work and commitment towards business excellence. This strategic platform upholds the sanctity of the business community striving to achieve technological brilliance for our joint customers. We wouldn’t have accomplished this without the collaborative efforts of our team, stakeholders, partners, clients, and Microsoft for believing in and recognizing our potential,” said Asif Peer, CEO & Managing Director of Systems Limited.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) With the aim to lead green powered digitized power in the country the ‘Huawei FusionSolar Club Pakistan’ was held at the Pearl Continental Hotel to aid the energy sector in the struggle against climate change and to develop sustainable development. Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi, Chairman National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Mr. Shah Jahan Mirza, CEO AEDB, Mr. Naeem Memon, Director Solar Alternate Energy Development Board, Ahmed Shahzeb Malik, Member Board of Directors Quaid-E-Azam Solar Pvt. Ltd and Sadaqat Ali Khan, Member Energy Planning and Division Board Energy Department attended the event. Also in attendance, Mr. Liwen, Managing Director, Lahore Regional Office Huawei.

Mr. Shah Jehan Mirza, Chairman AEDB mentioned during his speech, “The importance of RE (renewable energy) cannot be underestimated, the government of Pakistan has taken the right steps. For the next ten years, as it’ll be paradigm shift towards the energy sector.

Mr. Tauseef, Chairman NEPRA focused on the fact, “Prime Minister Imran Khan also wants Green Energy for Pakistan. NEPRA is working and upgrading on renewable energy (RE) and is prudent about regulatory framework. Digitalization is amazing but it has a lot of challenges too, which is why NEPRA recently had a meeting on cyber security standards with international experts.”

Mr. Liwen also added, “Many countries have committed to carbon neutralization at 2050, which is the future, it serves as a solution to customers and we will keep supporting Pakistan’s industry to improve digitalization. Today we are here to bring the latest innovation product FusionSolar to all of you.”

Globally, utilities are undergoing a cultural shift towards an information-based digital economy, moving away from the traditional business models that required heavy investment. Huawei FusionSolar Club Pakistan, partnered with Industry Stake Holders to create a platform for industry leaders to share the latest technologies, experiences and insights in regards to the digitalization of PV systems.