Technology – Page 131 – Pakistan Tech News

Supersecure and Falcon-i sign an agreement for Fully Managed SOC As-a-Service (SOC365®)

KARACHI, January 31: Supersecure the Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) and Falcon-i, the leading vehicle-tracking company of Pakistan have signed an agreement for Fully Managed SOC As-a-Service (SOC365®) to monitor, detect, report, and remediate the security issues at Falcon-i.

The solution will help Falcon-i to not only comply with local and international compliance regulations but will also harden their security posture against the ever changing cyber threat landscape.

This agreement will allow Supersecure to implement its premium managed security services offering called SOC365®, a turnkey SOC along with the most advance threat detection and response capabilities at Falcon-i Pvt Ltd. to make sure their business operations remain protected and continue to provide services to their customers without interruptions.

SOC365® provides full spectrum visibility of the security health status of on-prem, remote and cloud assets with real-time monitoring and alerting by human expertise around the clock 24x7x365.
SOC365® combines people, process, and technology to bring operational and cost efficiency for the organizations. It includes the deployment of XDR based Next Generation SIEM Platform, breach detection capabilities, a vulnerability management platform, environment hardening with security policies based on NIST Cybersecurity Framework and CIS20 Controls.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior management from Falcon-i and Supersecure. Supersecure was represented by their Chairman, Mr. Shams ul Arfeen, CEO Mr. Jamal Nasir, Business Head, Mr. Sohail Hyder and VP Sales Mr. Hassan Jafri. Falcon-i was represented by their CEO Mr. Saad Salman, COO Mr. Ebrahim Tiwana, VP Technology & Innovation Mr. Ahmed Faraz and Country Head Sales Mr. Naveed Aijaz.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Saad Salman, CEO, Falcon-i Pvt. Ltd. acknowledged the product effectiveness and said, “After rigorous technical evaluations we have selected Supersecure as our MSSP and opted to their SOC365® services for both security monitoring and regulatory compliance. It is a highly effective solution and provides extremely valuable insight on the digital assets deployed by the company. The solution will highly facilitate Falcon-i to become one of the first company within tracking and fleet management segment to be fully complaint to the regulations issued by PTA. We are extremely happy with the advance on boarding and managed services provided by SuperSecure.”

Mr. Jamal Nasir, CEO Supersecure thanked Falcon-i and commented at the occasion,” We are committed to deliver innovative next-generation IT security solutions and services that helps our valued clients protect their network against the constantly evolving and sophisticated cyber threat landscape. It is a great opportunity to deliver critical information security services to one of the fastest growing IT and Tracking Company in Pakistan.”

realme GT Master Edition – A Display that Keeps You Glued to Your Phone

Gaming on the 120Hz Ultra-smooth AMOLED Display coupled with the GT Mode is a worthwhile experience

Nowadays, we interact with our phone more than we interact with other humans. We’re immersed into the screens watching our favourite shows, scouring through our social media feeds or delving into high-speed gaming.

As much time is spent on the phones, its display should be something extraordinary. The realme GT Master Edition is one such smartphone that encapsulates your view and grips you with its outstanding display and GT Mode. Here’s how:

120Hz Ultra-smooth Super AMOLED Display

The realme GT Master Edition comes with a 120Hz Ultra-smooth Super AMOLED display – and boy is it good! The 6.43 inches big display supports 120Hz refresh rate, providing an ultra-smooth gaming and media viewing experience. With a refresh rate this high, gaming and media graphics flow smoothly without any glitch.

The super crisp and clear AMOLED display with 1080×2400 pixels resolution emits rich colours in their natural splendor as in the real world and provide ultra-smooth scrolling in every frame. Its peak brightness stands at 1000nits, which helps people see everything sharp and crisp even under dazzling sunlight. It has a DC dimming feature as well for comfortable viewing vis-à-vis the ambient light.

The phone’s screen-to-body ratio stands at nearly 92 percent which is very impressive and the In-display fingerprint is safe and fast for convenient usage. For the bigger screen size, crisp resolution and brightness adaptability, the realme GT Master Edition’s Master Display goes easy on eyes during extended usage.

Improved Touch Control for Competitive Gaming

The display has 360Hz touch sampling rate that gives unprecedented control to the user. The improved touch control and responsiveness comes in handy while playing competitive gaming where one off touch can mean game over for you.

GT Mode – Blazing Fast Performance

Think about the fastest things in the world… Usain Bolt? Cheetah? Super Mario or a Jet? Nah! The realme GT Master Edition trumps all with its GT Mode that unleashes peak CPU performance and lightning fast speed when activated. The GT Mode is the ultimate weapon in realme GT Master Edition’s performance arsenal to unlock the fiercest mode in gaming or wherever the need emerges.

You can get your hands on the realme GT Master Edition with all its amazing features all for PKR 66,999/-. Now that’s a huge steal when such features come at such a price – trumping not just the fastest things in the world but also its competitors.

Etisalat crowned as the strongest telecom brand in the world

Etisalat becomes the first brand from the MEA region to achieve this global recognition by Brand Finance among 500 global brands
With a telecom portfolio brand value of over USD 12.5 billion, Etisalat has also retained its position as both MEA’s most valuable telecom portfolio as well as strongest brand across all categories

Group CEO Hatem Dowidar is ranked in the Elite List of Brand Guardians globally, jumping 4 places compared to last year’s ranking

Islamabad – January 27, 2022: Etisalat has been ranked as the world’s strongest telecom brand and is the first in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to achieve this milestone recognition by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation authority.

With a telecom portfolio of well over US$ 12.5 billion, Etisalat not only retained its AAA brand rating but also its position in MEA as the strongest brand across all categories and the most valuable brand portfolio.

Committed to customer value creation

Eng. Hatem Dowidar, CEO, Etisalat Group, said: “To be recognised as the world’s strongest telecom brand and as the most valuable telecom brand portfolio in MEA underline the success of our strategic initiatives to build a robust telecom infrastructure that creates added value for our customers wherever we serve. With our relentless focus on being customer-centric, we continue to push our horizons by investing in next generation technology that enhance our service offering and help shape the digital future.”

He added: “In this digital-first era, our focus is to be agile to meet the evolving requirements of our customers and deliver relevant and flexible services. Since our inception in 1976, we have been led by a vision to create a world-class telecom infrastructure that is central to economic progress.”

Astute brand leadership

Brand Finance also named Eng. Hatem Dowidar to the Elite List of Brand Guardians globally, jumping 4 places compared to last year’s ranking. This recognises the ground-breaking initiatives that he launched since he joined Etisalat in September 2015, which played a key role in propelling Etisalat’s business growth. Assuming the role of Group CEO in 2020, he stewarded the company’s growth through the fast-changing telecom and technology landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic. His astute brand stewardship served as the foundation for enhancing Etisalat’s brand reputation as well as employee engagement.

David Haigh, Chairman and CEO, Brand Finance, said: “Guided by the vision to ‘drive the digital future to empower societies’, Etisalat is the world’s strongest telecoms brand of 2022, as well as retaining its status as the strongest brand in the Middle East and Africa for the second consecutive year. Etisalat’s brand focuses on togetherness and plays its part by providing a first-class telecoms infrastructure across its footprint. Exceptional rollout of 5G technology has also meant that the Etisalat Group’s portfolio of brands is the most valuable amongst telecoms organisations in the Middle East.”

Attributing the success to his team at Etisalat, Dowidar added: “Our significant brand value growth is the result of the contributions and dedication of our employees across all the markets where we operate. Alongside our partners, they are the cornerstones of our efforts to be a digital-first company that is future-ready, while upholding our vision to empower societies, and turn challenges into opportunities.”

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Path-breaking achievements

Etisalat’s robust fibre-optic infrastructure enhances the customer experiences across all business operations. Etisalat raised the benchmark as the world’s fastest network by delivering the best 5G experience at Expo 2020 Dubai as its official telecommunication and digital services partner, surpassing the expectations of millions of visitors. Etisalat has built a dedicated network for Expo 2020, which is the first 5G commercial site in MENA with more than 8,000 Wi-Fi access points, 8,500 mobile access points, and 700 km of fibre-optic cable.

Etisalat has leveraged its 46 years of telecoms experience and its investment in telecom infrastructure to enable the progress of the people and business alike, in addition to supporting vital sectors such as healthcare and education, especially following the pandemic.

Empowering the digital future

As the telecom sector continues to evolve at breakneck speed, Dowidar is focused on strengthening Etisalat’s strategic role in empowering the communities it serves in global markets. “Our proven ability to deliver seamless connectivity is our differentiating strength. We are fully equipped to unlock the potential of digital technologies to drive digital transformation at all levels – from government to business to individuals. Our recognition as the world’s leading telecom brand further fuels our ambition to expand to new geographies and build innovative partnerships, underpinning Etisalat as a brand that makes a positive difference.”

Etisalat’s digital arm has already made great strides in its digital B2B services, particularly in cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud connectivity. Help Ag, Etisalat Enterprise Digital’s cybersecurity arm, protects customers against identity theft and serve as an effective digital transformation vehicle.

Brand Finance is the world’s leading independent branded business valuation and strategy authority. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in the City of London, it aims to ‘bridge the gap between marketing and finance.’ Brand Finance evaluates over 5,000 brands across all sectors and geographies every year. The 500 most valuable brands are included in the Brand Finance Global 500 report.

Earlier, Brand Finance also declared PTCL, an Etisalat subsidiary and the leading telecom operator in Pakistan as the fastest growing brand in Pakistan at a special ceremony held in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress 2018.

Pandamart records milestone with 50th store opening in just one year

Pandamart, the country’s leading online groceries delivery platform has achieved a major milestone of establishing over 50 stores within just over a year since the first store was opened in Bahadurabad, Karachi in November 2020. The 50th store was opened in DHA Phase 8, Karachi on the eve of the new year, on December 31, 2021. This exponential growth means that a new store was opened practically every week of the past 12 months or so.

Online groceries shopping through pandamart is accessible on the foodpanda app.

Today, pandamart stores are spread across Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Hyderabad, with this countrywide network of stores catering to about 85 to 90 percent of the population within the cities covered.

There are now aggressive plans in place to further increase the number of stores and also expand into several other cities during this year. The present stores cover more than 350,000 square feet of floor space, stock more than 10,000 products of over 200 suppliers and vendors, employ over 1,250 people directly and create economic opportunities for the freelance rider community. .

Speaking about pandamart’s rapid growth, foodpanda’s CEO, Nauman Sikandar Mirza said, “Q-commerce is definitely the future and pandamart is pioneering this sector boldly as is obvious from the growth we have achieved in such a short time period. Our mission is to vigorously support the government’s goal of realizing a digital Pakistan and documenting the economy, while offering unprecedented convenience and benefits to the public through online groceries shopping that is available 20 hours out of 24 every single day.”

Benefits of online groceries shopping include convenience of ordering from home instead of physically visiting shops particularly important during the covid panedmic, extremely fast delivery, assured high quality of products, especially of perishables like fruits and vegetables, competitive prices, and particularly relevant during Covid times, the minimizing of human contact and avoidable movement of people.

Fly Emirates to Dubai together and save 25% on fares with brand-new offer

Emirates passengers returning to or visiting Dubai for the first time can enjoy this exclusive offer when booking together, for travel between now and April 30 2022

Emirates, The world’s largest international airline, has launched a new offer for passengers visiting Dubai with friends and family, when booking by February 6 2022.

Two or more passengers travelling to Dubai from January 24 2022 to April 30 2022 will have the opportunity to save 25% on fares when travelling together.

This special offer is valid for two or more travelers who book a return trip via emirates.com to Dubai in Economy or Business Class between January 24 2022 and February 6 2022 on the same booking reference. The offer is also available via travel and call center agents and Emirates Retail shops.

Read More: Emirates does it again, scaling up and circling around the Burj Khalifa to put Expo 2020 Dubai on top of the world’s travel agenda

Experience Dubai with Emirates

In addition to this exclusive new offer, there are plenty more ways to save on your Dubai getaway with Emirates and take advantage of its incredible winter sun, beaches, outdoor dining and events including:

Free Emirates Expo Pass: It’s an amazing time to travel to Dubai with the much-anticipated Expo 2020 mega event taking place until March 31 2022. Emirates customers visiting and travelling through Dubai anytime during the final two months of Expo 2020, will be eligible to receive a free Emirates Expo Pass for every flight ticket booked with the airline. For more information on this promotion, please visit the dedicated offer page.
My Emirates Pass – Expo Edition: Customers travelling to or via Dubai anytime until March 31 2022, get to explore the city for less with My Emirates Pass Expo 2020 Dubai. Enjoy exclusive discounts and benefits at over 500 retail, dining, and recreational attractions by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass.
Earn a Mile a Minute in Dubai: Emirates customers can earn 1 Skywards Mile for every 1 minute spent in Dubai until March 31 2022. Existing and new Emirates Skywards members who sign up for the program before March 31 2022, can benefit from the offer Mile A Minute, and will earn up to 5,000 Skywards Miles. The offer is applicable on all Emirates flight tickets purchased until March 31 2022, for travel during Expo 2020 Dubai. Emirates‑marketed, flydubai‑operated flights with an Emirates (EK) flight number are also included in the offer.

Visiting Dubai with friends & family

Whether seeking a city break, a beach getaway, a relaxing retreat or a unique desert experience, there is something for every traveller when visiting Dubai.

Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season, and visitors can choose from an array of hotels to stay at, to suit all budgets, as well as exciting entertainment, dining and shopping options for all ages. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences.

Travelling with Emirates

Keeping the health and wellbeing of its passengers as top priority, Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey. The airline has also been building on its contactless technology offering and has scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers even more opportunities to utilize the IATA Travel Pass.

Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveler needs during a dynamic time. The airline has taken its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, its covid-19 medical travel insurance, and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status.

Customers are encouraged to check their latest government travel guidelines and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors and residents returning to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/pk/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/

Meta says its new AI supercomputer will be world’s fastest

Facebook’s parent, Meta’s research teams built a new AI supercomputer that can work the fastest in the world

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc said on Monday that its research team has built a new artificial intelligence supercomputer that it thinks will be the fastest in the world when completed in mid-2022.

Meta said in a blog post that its new AI Research SuperCluster (RSC) would help the company build better AI models that can learn from trillions of examples, work across hundreds of languages, and analyze text, images and video together to determine if content was harmful.

“This research will not only help keep people safe on our services today, but also in the future, as we build for the metaverse,” the company said in a blog post.

The social media company changed its name in October to Meta to reflect its focus on the metaverse, which it thinks will be the successor to the mobile internet.

The metaverse, a broad term which has generated a lot of Silicon Valley buzz in recent months, refers to the idea of shared virtual environments which people can access through different devices and where they can work, play and socialize.

“The experiences we’re building for the metaverse require enormous compute power (quintillions of operations/second!) and RSC will enable new AI models that can learn from trillions of examples, understand hundreds of languages, and more,” Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

Meta said it believed the RSC was currently among the fastest AI supercomputers running. A Meta spokesperson said the company had partnered with teams from Nvidia Corp, Pure Storage Inc and Penguin Computing Inc to build the supercomputer.

Emirates does it again, scaling up and circling around the Burj Khalifa to put Expo 2020 Dubai on top of the world’s travel agenda

Keeping with Dubai’s ‘nothing is impossible’ spirit, Emirates is soaring up and around the Burj Khalifa for another edition of its viral ad campaign, this time taking it one spectacular step further with the masterful addition of the iconic Expo 2020 Dubai A380. Emirates hit the global headlines and social media feeds of millions in August 2021 when it took its brand message to new heights atop the Burj Khalifa.

This time, the brave stuntwoman is standing at the pinnacle of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar once again, holding up message boards with an invitation to visit the world’s greatest show, Expo 2020 Dubai, on the iconic Emirates A380. She then gestures to her ‘friend’, the eye- catching Emirates A380 wearing the Expo 2020 Dubai livery, which gracefully soars in the background as she stands firmly on the spire of the world’s tallest building. The ad also features dynamic aerial views of Dubai and its iconic skyline, and culminates in a flypast over the impressive Al Wasl dome at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Click here to watch the behind the scenes video and what went into making the ad.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Now at the halfway mark of its six-month run, the excitement and momentum around Expo 2020 Dubai remain strong. Our latest campaign boldly carries the Expo message and invites people to come and experience what is truly the world’s greatest show. There is nowhere else right now that offers the raft of attractions, top-class entertainment and music, riveting sports, vibrant country and themed pavilions, a thriving culinary scene and much more – all in one place. Dubai and the Expo are already top attractions and our aim is to give global travellers even more reasons to choose Emirates and Dubai for their upcoming winter and spring holidays.”

While the ad looked like it was shot effortlessly, the whole project involved in-depth planning and meticulous execution involving stakeholders across Dubai’s aviation eco-system, with a strong focus on safety at every juncture when conducting the low flying maneuvers.

The carefully choreographed flypast involved the A380 flying at a low altitude of only 2,700 feet, the exact height of Burj Khalifa by Emaar. The aircraft also flew at a very low speed of 145 knots. To put that into perspective, the average cruising speed of an A380 is around 480 knots. The low speed ensured the aircraft could efficiently and continuously circle around the Burj Khalifa and achieve a tight radius without drifting away. In total, the Emirates A380 circled the Burj Khalifa 11 times to get a right selection of shots for the ad.

The aircraft also appeared as if it was flying very close to the stuntwoman as she was standing on the Burj, when in fact it was over a half a mile away.

The new global multi-channel campaign will run in 12 languages, debuting across 19 countries covering TV, cinema, digital and social media platforms. The ad is part of a wider USD $20 million commitment Emirates has made to help create awareness, generate excitement and ultimately drive more visits to Dubai and Expo 2020 Dubai.

Since Dubai reopened for business and tourism in July 2020, the airline has run close to 15 major global and regional brand and tactical campaigns across 25 countries, starting with its ‘Dubai is Open’ campaign; its partnership with celebrity powerhouse Chris Hemsworth promoting Expo 2020 Dubai’s endless possibilities ahead of the event’s opening date; both its “Emirates crew on Burj Khalifa” ads and its latest winter campaign highlighting the plethora of activities Dubai has to offer for travellers seeking to escape the cold. The airline has also promoted Expo 2020 Dubai through a number of global tactical campaigns, including complimentary day passes for every ticket booked, earning Skywards Miles for time spent in Dubai during the Expo period, early bird discounts, family and SME offers, amongst other special promotions.

Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai brings the world together, hosting spectacular events that have encouraged repeat visitation, as it provides a platform for collaboration, showcasing human advances and the latest in technology, culture, art music, gastronomy, sports and much more, in addition to over 190 country pavilions to see and experience.

Government launched a plan to regularize blockchain and cryptocurrency in Pakistan

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said the government had launched a plan to regularize blockchain and cryptocurrency in Pakistan. SBP, SECP and Finance Division are working for transparency and accountability. Blockchain technology pilot project will be launched in the universities under the Ministry of Science.

Addressing the Blockchain Summit, he said that the Ministry has taken important steps to move towards the use of technology. Developed EVMs and developed science innovation policy. Blockchain will become a 20 billion market by 2024.

He said that about 200 countries have somehow incorporated blockchain in their systems, banks can save 8 to 10 billion annually by using blockchain, using this technology can make voting transparent.

STZA announces Special Technology Zones in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa to boost Tech Ecosystem in Pakistan

Haripur, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa: Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) and Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF IAST) hosted a ceremony to officially announce the opening of Special Technology Zones (STZ) in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa on January 17th to boost Tech Ecosystem in Pakistan. The Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Imran Khan, also attended the ceremony at the Haripur-based PAF IAST campus, which was declared the first STZ in the province.

STZA awarded the first Zone Developer License in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa to PAF-IAST and the second License to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) for Pakistan Digital City in Haripur. Both the PAF-IAST and KPITB are committed to the development of knowledge ecosystems, which will enable youth employment, opportunity creation, and economic transformation through the technology sector. The STZs will open avenues for the youth, foster new high-tech skills, and create opportunities for employment, business, entrepreneurship and international investors.

Chairman STZA, Amer Hashmi, who is overseeing the Authority’s mandate towards technology-driven knowledge ecosystems, also spoke at the ceremony and stressed on the key role that universities can play for technology transfer. He reinforced the human potential that is unleashed when ecosystem players come together and work towards the shared goals of technology-led growth and economic development.

PAF-IAST has established their own Technology Park to encourage the commercialization of research and to attract foreign direct investment to Pakistan. The university aims to facilitate interaction between the university and industry, and particularly with technology and R&D led companies. The university also offers skill-based training in emerging fields of Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, and Biomedical Engineering.

KPITB, which was also awarded Zone Developer License, plans on establishing Digital City, for which the work is already initiated, to promote and jumpstart growth in the technology industry by bringing together various ecosystem players. KPITB intends to transfer the following technologies: i) High-tech manufacturing, ii) Quantum Computing, iii) Cybersecurity, iv) Artificial Intelligence, and v) Cyber Physical Systems.

Khyber Pukhtunkhwa is home to emerging technology companies and a burgeoning startup ecosystem. Hence, it offers promising opportunities for the youth in the technology sector. STZA is committed towards ensuring that the province continues to play a critical role in the technology-led growth of Pakistan.

PITB organizes a seminar to celebrate women’s contribution in Punjab’s Freelancing Fraternity

Lahore – Jan 13, 2022

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) organized a seminar to celebrate the success of women as part of Punjab’s freelancing fraternity. Organized by PITB’s Freelancing wing, the event was presided by DG e-Governance Sajid Latif.

Keynote speakers included MPA and Chairperson Standing Committee on Gender Mainstreaming and Women Development Punjab Uzma Kardar, President Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) Sam Ali Dada, Executive Director Homenet Pakistan Ume Laila Azhar, Inclusion and Social Impact Expert Gulalai Khan and Assistant Director Marketing & PR Superior Group Tabinda Islam.

Speaking at the occasion, DG e-Governance Sajid Latif stated that women make 54% of the total participation in PITB executed e-Rozgaar Program. Through freelancing programs like e-Rozgaar and National Freelance Training Program, women are becoming economically empowered. To date, e-Rozgaar Program has trained 20 thousand women, who have generated PKR 2 Billion and are significantly contributing to Pakistan’s economy.

Graduates from PITB’s e-Rozgaar Program and National Freelancing Training Program (NFTP) also shared their success stories and testimonial with the audience.

The Guests appreciated PITB’s role in youth empowerment through training in line with the vision of PM Imran Khan to put Pakistan on the global ICT landscape.