News Update Times

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Karandaaz Pakistan is strengthening renewable energy sector by helping more businesses find access to capital through green financing schemes. Karandaaz, as part of its Green Investments portfolio, recently entered into a partnership with Reon Energy Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dawood Lawrencepur Limited. Under this partnership, Karandaaz has extended a financing facility of PKR 500M to bridge finance the working capital requirements of REON Energy and enhance its capacity to undertake large-scale capital projects in C&I sector.

Reon Energy, established in 2015, is Pakistan’s leading solar and storage solutions specialist with deep domain expertise in project development, financial advisory, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), and asset performance management. The PKR 500M facility from Karandaaz will be utilized by Reon to make payments for purchase and installation of imported and local solar equipment including panels, inverters, batteries and other related products for onward installation at specific projects. This Karandaaz financing facility will enable the execution of about 25 MW of solar projects per annum.

Talking about the significance of a shift to a greener energy mix, Mr. Waqas ul Hasan, CEO Karandaaz said, “Climate change induced shocks can be disastrous for any efforts geared towards Pakistan’s sustainable economic growth. Similarly, it is imperative that Pakistan’s demand and supply gap for energy is bridged to have a sustained and resilient progress. Pakistan has the potential to save up to 10-15% of primary energy supply through energy efficiency and conservation[1]. Businesses must adopt resource efficiency and rely on green-energy sources because such steps will not only help Pakistan have a greener mix of energy but will also reduce financial and environmental costs for the country. To achieve all this, it is imperative that green energy solutions are easily and competitively available for businesses and the financial system is geared up to aid such adoption. Karandaaz is promoting access to the right mix of financial and physical resources for businesses offering renewable energy solutions and incentivizing businesses that have the foresight to want to adopt green energy solutions. Partnerships such as the one between Karandaaz and Reon will demonstrate to the formal financial sector that there are commercial and environmental dividends to be reaped by investing in green businesses.”

Talking about Karandaaz’s partnership with Reon Energy, Mr. Navid Goraya, Chief Investment Officer Karandaaz said, “Our partnership with Reon is part of the efforts we are making to bridge financing gap and liquidity shortfalls common to EPC businesses in the green energy segment. Financing from formal channels for businesses offering green solutions remains diminutive in Pakistan. After analyzing the reasons behind it, Karandaaz offered a tailored financing product to Reon because banks traditionally are reluctant to offer financing solutions to EPC firms or for a renewable energy solution being installed at an SME. In such cases, neither the EPC nor the SME has collateral to offer and solar panels, for example, are rarely accepted as collateral by banks. Karandaaz is open to offering more of such innovative financing solutions for similar EPC contractors to help them meet their capital and liquidity needs so that they can offer affordable solutions to their customers.” 

Mr. Mujtaba Haider Khan, CEO Reon said, “Securing project financing from local or international sources can prove to be a critical step in the creation and growth of the renewable energy sector. This partnership with Karandaaz will not only help in diversifying the country’s energy supply and reduce dependence on imported fuels, but also foster economic development and jobs particularly in the renewable energy sector.” Reon is committed to a sustainable energy future to enable economic growth and greater wellbeing.

Energy lies at the heart of both the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Experts believe that ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all will open a new world of opportunities for billions of people through new economic opportunities and jobs, empowered women, children and youth, better education and health, more sustainable, equitable and inclusive communities, and greater protections from, and resilience to, climate change.

[1] https://neeca.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/NEECA%20Strategic%20Plan%202020-23%20Final%2028%20October%202020(1).pdf

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL) came into an MOU with WAADA, to promote Takaful products through the digital medium. WAADA and PQFTL aim to make Takaful products, affordable, and accessible for the major part of the population currently not being served.

Mr. Azeem Iqbal Pirani (CEO, PQFTL), Mr. Ishaq Kothawala (CEO, WAADA) and Mr. Zeeshan Haider (Head of Alternate distribution & Banca Takaful), signed the MOU along with senior officials of both companies.

On the occasion, Mr. Azeem Iqbal Pirani (CEO, PQFTL) said “We are delighted to sign MOU with WAADA as this will benefit customers from choosing Shariah-compliant Takaful products with ease and upon competitive rates. The world is moving towards digital medium and partnership with WAADA will further enhance our reach and help us spread awareness about Takaful products.”  

Ishaq Kothawala (CEO, WAADA) said, “Waada aims to make insurance and Takaful a simple product, affordable and accessible for the major part of the population currently not being served.” He further said that he is quite hopeful that this new strategic partnership will bring fruitful results in near future.

How Huawei keeps driving key innovations in the smartphone industry with the release of its trendy flagship HUAWEI nova 9

 The new phone boasts a 120Hz Curved Display, 50MP Ultra Vision Camera, 66W HUAWEI

Huawei has always surprised tech enthusiasts with hardware and software innovations that are leaps and bounds ahead of other players in the industry. While some brands limit their latest and greatest features only to their high-end flagships, Huawei makes some of those features accessible even in mid-range phones. This is why the mid-range nova series is one of the company’s most popular smartphone series and accounts for 190 million Huawei nova users worldwide.

Recently, the company launched another addition to the nova series, the new HUAWEI nova 9. Dubbed as the Trendy Flagship & Camera King, it was crafted keeping in mind young millennials. Young consumers like their phones to be well-designed as phones have become part of their everyday life. They even use their smart devices as a mean of self-expression, and Huawei understood that and kept it in mind when coming up with this trendy flagship. They even incorporated some features previously seen on flagships into this new mid-ranger.

 

HUAWEI nova 9 boasts a stunning new colourway called Color No. 9 created using their proprietary Starry Flash AG Glass process. The glass surface of the phones shows off purple and bluish hues from different angles. This glass panel responds to spotlights in such a way that it creates beautiful vivid and colourful patterns. Under normal lighting, the panel will appear like a gentle gradient. The camera design of the HUAWEI nova 9 is the stunning Star Orbit Ring design.

The phone has a 6.57-inch display that tapers on both sides like a waterfall giving the viewers an immersive experience. As it can render 1.07 billion colours, images are going to look vibrant. The display has a refresh rate of 120Hz[1] and a touch sampling rate of 300Hz. All of these together will make the content of the screen smooth and responsive. What is even more impressive is that for a phone with all these, it feels comfortable to hold with a thickness of just 7.77mm and a weight of 175g[2].

Another opportunity that Huawei taps on to is the recent boom in the content creation field. People are no longer just consumers of content. They are also content creators. So, the HUAWEI nova 9 is bringing a well-equipped camera to mid-range smartphone consumers, and that’s a huge plus.

The phone has an Ultra Vision AI Quad Camera system that consists of a 50 MP Ultra vision main camera, an 8MP Ultra-Wide angle camera, a 4cm macro camera[3], and a 2MP depth sensor. The 32MP front camera allows 4K selfie video. Also, HUAWEI nova 9’s 50MP main camera can produce better low-light pictures. The RYYB image sensor used in the primary camera can capture 40% more light than traditional RGGB sensors[4]. Another key camera feature is the Continuous Front/Rear Recording. This feature allows to switch between the front and rear cameras and fluidly capture the story within a single video file. Dual-View Video recording allows users to showcase their live reactions to events simultaneously using the front and rear cameras with no editing required.

Phones get more and more powerful, and people rely on their smartphones more than ever. So, there is a huge demand for smartphones with bigger batteries. The 4300 mAh battery[5] in HUAWEI nova 9 is a significant upgrade. It is also coupled with the 66W HUAWEI Supercharge[6], which enables the battery to fill up from empty to 100% in just 38 minutes. A quick 15 minutes of charging can bring the battery to 53%.

With the Distributed File System, the HUAWEI nova 9 can also function as a wirelessly connected external storage unit for the PC[7], meaning users can access the files they want more easily than ever before. This means when users are drafting an email on the PC, they can add smartphone files as an attachment or when they see an image they like when browsing the internet on the PC, they can save that image directly to the smartphone.

The innovative and secure AppGallery comes pre-installed on the HUAWEI nova 9. Users can search for and download a wide range of high-quality apps from it.

 

[1] Display supports a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. Display refresh rate may vary by app and game.

[2] Actual product dimensions and weight by vary by configuration, manufacturing process and measurement method. For reference only.

[3] 4 cm short shooting distance.

[4] Compared to the traditional RGGB colour filter array. Data comes from Huawei laboratory.

[5] Typical value.

[6] 66 W is the maximum charging power.

[7] The device needs to be logged into the same Huawei account, with Bluetooth and the “Multi-device file browsing” switch turned on. For more information on which device models and software version support this feature, please contact Huawei customer service.

 

 

Schneider Electric Evolves mySchneider IT Partner Program, Enabling Collaboration to Improve End Markets Experience.

• New mySchneider IT Partner Program accelerates partner growth and enables differentiated businesses for the long-term success.
• Evolution marks the company’s most significant IT partner program update simplifying and enhancing the overall partner experience.
• mySchneider Rewards returns allowing partners to earn points that can be redeemed for over 60,000 items, experiences, and merchandise.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Schneider Electric™, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced its new mySchneider IT Partner Program, which will provide a simplified, innovative and collaborative approach to enabling partner growth. This re-vamped program focuses on enabling diverse and evolving business models and allows partners to differentiate their business by becoming a strategic advisor and expert in their market across multiple IT competencies.

The IT channel landscape is constantly evolving. Building on the company’s award-winning channel history, Schneider Electric’s updated IT partner program accommodates this dynamic ecosystem by enabling partners to grow and differentiate their business for the long-term. The program focuses on unique specializations, giving partners the flexibility to certify in one or more based on their current capabilities and future aspirations.

This further differentiates partners and highlights the true value of a channel ecosystem by:

• Enabling the development of diverse business models.
• Simplifying and increasing transparency for requirements & benefits.
• Capturing new business through market recognition and competitive differentiation.
• Strengthening channel-centric practice.

“The mission of our partner program has become clear,” said Paul Tyrer, Global IT Channels VP at Schneider Electric.  “For more than ten years, members of our IT channel program have reaped strong benefits including discounts, tools and innovative offers from Schneider Electric and its flagship APC brand. Partners participating in the evolved program will stay agile amid today’s evolving market trends, and in turn, produce approximately eight times higher revenue,” he continued.

Availability of specializations will roll out over the next 12-18 months, through a phased approach including IT Solution Providers, Data Center Solution Providers and Software & Services Providers. The first specialization, IT Solution Provider, which is ideal for IT providers who are experts in IT infrastructure solutions within distributed IT environments, is available now.

Key features of the IT Solutions Provider Specialization include:

• Data Driven Program Dashboard: To support new value-based and data-centric requirements, the digital experience has been completely innovated so partners can see real-time business updates and data. This new program dashboard not only provides partners with transparency, but also identifies core focus areas, should partners choose to level-up in the program for greater competency or benefits. 

• Business-Specific Tools: Certified partners gain access to the tools needed in today’s environment, including the Local Edge Configurator, which has configured tens of thousands of solutions within the distributed IT space across the world. 
• Increased Profitability: IT solution providers will gain access to unique deal registration discounts that exceed normal discounts provided through Schneider Electric’s Edge Opportunity Registration (ORP) Program.
• mySchneider Rewards: With the return of one of Schneider Electric’s most popular rewards program, mySchneider Rewards, members of the partner account – including sales, engineers, services, and other functions – can earn points from various activities that can be redeemed for over 60,000 items, experiences, merchandise and more.
• Dedicated support and account coverage: Ongoing sales account coverage provides support to business building activities and pre- and post-sales support.

“Rapid digitization has transformed the way we are serving our customers. Now, more than ever before, we look to our partners for programs and platforms to reflect this transformation,” said Andreas Luckfiel, Manager, Business Development at Buyitdirect, who participated in the new program pilot. “The mySchneider IT Partner Program is easy to navigate, with a simplified structure which allows us to be more agile, relevant, profitable and future-ready.”

To learn more and join the mySchneider IT Partner Program, visit apc.com/partners.

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) On June 14, NEPRA conducted a public hearing over the petition submitted by K-Electric on Fuel Charges Adjustments (FCA) for April 2022 and Quarterly Adjustments for January to March 2022. KE had requested an increase of PKR 5.30 in power tariff on account of FCA for April. On the other hand, KE had requested an increase of PKR 3.89 rupees on account of Quarterly Adjustments. According to the spokesperson of the power utility, the Impact of quarterly adjustments is usually not passed to consumers under the uniform tariff policy applicable across the country. The major Impact on the monthly Fuel cost adjustment of April 2022 was due to an increase in the fuel price increase of Furnace Oil, RLNG, and CPPA-G. Between March 2022 and April 2022, the price of Furnace Oil and RLNG increased by 22%, while the power purchase price from CPPA-G increased by 17%. Per applicable tariff across the country, fuel adjustment is reviewed every month and is applicable on consumer bills for only one particular month. As per KE’s spokesperson, FCA is incurred by utilities due to global variation in fuel prices used to generate electricity and change in the generation mix. Consumers also receive a benefit when the cost of fuel decreases. Furthermore, These charges are applied after NEPRA’s scrutiny & public hearings, which are conducted independently for KE and state-owned entities (XWDISCOs). Alongside final approval on the cost to be charged to consumers, NEPRA also specifies the period during which these costs can be applied to consumer bills.

Pakistan (Nut Desk)

Pakistan is rich with human resource talent but it needs to be marketed well to reap the desired benefits for the country’s social-economic system, this was stated by Stephen Brobst, Global Chief Technology Officer Teradata.

Speaking to the audience at a conference “Leadership in the Digital Economy” here at the local hotel, he said he had been working in Pakistan’s market for the past many years and he found immense talent in the field of technology and business.

Pakistan should market itself in different markets because it is facing an issue of perception building in foreign countries, he said. Marketing does not need only for the business and IT and technology for many other fields including archaeological sites like Mohenjo-daro.

The talent is very much in Pakistan so we (Teradata) are operating in Pakistan, he added.

I have been working with nearly 14 universities for upgrading their curriculum and they are very aggressive in updating their academics related to technology, data analysis, and data science, CTO Teradata.

Speaking to CEOs and CXOs he said the disruption emerges after every 10 years in the world like the internet, financial crisis, and pandemic. Surprisingly, more winners come in disruption than in the status quo.

If companies are not failing, there is no disruption, learning, and no innovation. Disruption made people uncomfortable as if the stress builds on innovation during the Covid-19 times.

He suggested business leaders embrace the disruption and transform it for growth.

Companies need to decide if these are brittle or resilient. Brittle organizations do not have room for disruption. Resilient organizations are highly adaptive, designed to learn from failure, self-organizing structure, and communications, Stephen Brobst

The use of data is the best approach to adapt to the change however machine learning and AI can be utilized to use data analysis, Stephen Brobst

The collaboration is also very important in business in the world these days, Stephen Brobst concluded.