Technology – Page 135 – Pakistan Tech News

Supernet Ltd obtains SBP contract worth Rs100mn

Telecard Limited’s 100% owned subsidiary, Supernet Limited (“Supernet”), has been awarded a contract by the State Bank of Pakistan (“SBP”) in IT and Cyber Security domain worth close to PKR 100 million according to a filing at the PSX. This contract involves supply, installation, maintenance and technical support of Next Generation Intrusion Detection and Protection Systems (“IDPS”) to secure SBP Infrastructure from Advance Persistent Threats (“APT”).

This IDPS solution will provide SBP with state-of-the-art deduction of vulnerable exploits and unidentified treats originating against any targeted system, applications or hardware. In addition, the IDPS will provide remedial measures, as and when any malicious behavior is detected. This solution will operate by scanning all network traffic on SBP’s gateways detecting and protecting against threats like DoS, DDoS, Worms and viruses, additionally, creating a 2nd layer of defense to SBP’s security framework.

It may be relevant to point out that the SBP has maintained the highest possible standards for vendor selection, amidst stiff technical evaluative process and Supernet’s emergence as successful bidder is a testament that it has the capability and capacity to undertake this project, paving the way for similar contracts in this sensitive cybersecurity domain within the financial sector.

MMBL Partners with VRG to equip non-smartphone customers with self-service banking Via the USSD channel

Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has signed an agreement with Virtual Remittance Gateway (VRG), a veteran mobile financial services platform for banking customers, and Pakistan’s only commercial licensed Third-Party Service Provider (TPSP). Under this partnership, MMBL’s non-smartphone users will be able to use their bank accounts via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Channels. USSD is a widely accepted channel by customers for buying mobile bundles and checking prepaid balance amounts.

VRG, through its technical expertise, has embarked on enabling MMBL’s USSD channels, allowing MMBLs customers to use banking services 24/7 on their phones, that do not have 3G, 4G, WiFi, or Internet connections. With the help of USSD Channels, MMBL’s non-smartphone users will be able to check their bank balance, bank statement, transfer funds, pay utility bills, and recharge their mobile phone accounts without data or internet connection. The initiative will initially be piloted for a month’s period, followed by a commercial launch in January 2022.

Sharing his thoughts about the partnership, Ghazanfar Azzam, President & CEO MMBL said, “We are committed to expanding our financial services to a wider pool of customers by targeting the underserved segments of the society. Over the years, MMBL has successfully been able to reach millions of customers across Pakistan through its wide array of innovative products and services specifically tailored to promote financial inclusion for all. With VRG’s partnership, MMBL plans to revolutionize Pakistan’s banking sector by bridging the financial gap and eradicating all barriers to access digital financial services.”

Chief Finance & Digital Officer MMBL, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr said, “MMBL is dedicated to uplift the unbanked and underserved segments, particularly SMEs and women-led businesses, by providing them access to financial services through its expansive digital financial ecosystem. Through this partnership, we strive to accelerate further growth by merging USSD Channels with our tailored products and services that will not only enable individuals at a wider scale but will give them a chance to contribute positively to Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem as well.”

Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Salman Ali, CEO VRG said, “Customer centricity is at the heart of banking and this collaboration is a significant step towards digital banking making its impact bigger on customer experience across business segments. Providing Unified USSD service to access banking will not only enhance the customer experience but also augment MMBL’s digital footprint to reach customers who were previously out of the digital banking net.”

Mobilink Microfinance Bank is committed to leading digital banking initiatives across the country. The bank is promoting financial inclusion by providing innovative, convenient, and accessible digital financial solutions to the masses.

Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan installs 30th water filtration in Pakistan

Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Limited (CCI Pakistan) installed a state-of-the-art water filtration plant for the residents of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under its flagship CSR project- PAANI. The plant is situated close to the location of CCI Pakistan’s 7^th production plant which is currently being constructed in Haripur district. The inauguration CCI’s 30^th water filtration plant in Pakistan was virtually marked during a special ceremony hosted at the office of Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs, in Islamabad on December 6, 2021. Also present at the ceremony were senior officials from CCI including Mr. Ahmet Kursad Ertin, General Manager at CCI Pakistan, Mr. Servet Yildirim, Group PAC Director at CCI, and other senior officials.

This water filtration plant has most modern ultrafiltration water treatment technology which has the capacity to supply up to 2,000 litres per hour of safe and clean drinking water at no cost to the local population. Following this new addition, CCI has now installed a total of 30 water filtration plants across Pakistan. CCI Pakistan’s flagship project PAANI is now serving over 1 million people across the country every day with clean drinking water, including in the areas of Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Layyah, Tharparkar, Rawalpindi, and now in Haripur – protecting them from harmful waterborne diseases.

These waterborne diseases including typhoid, intestinal worms, diarrhoea, and gastroenteritis are very common and rampant across Pakistan. According to WWF, 20-40% of total hospital beds in Pakistan are mostly occupied by patients suffering from water borne diseases.

While commenting on this achievement, Ahmet Kursad Ertin, General Manager at CCI Pakistan said, “Owing to the lack of facilities in underprivileged communities of Pakistan, access to clean drinking water has always remained a priority for our sustainability interventions. Through our CSR project ‘PAANI’, CCI Pakistan remains committed in promoting access to safe and clean drinking water to the underprivileged communities of Pakistan. This filtration plant will not only provide safe and clean drinking water to thousands of families but will also protect them against harmful waterborne diseases.”

CCI is a multinational beverage company operating in 11 countries with 29 production plants. CCI Pakistan, a subsidiary of CCI, produces, distributes and sells sparkling and still beverages of The Coca-Cola Company in Pakistan. It currently serves a consumer base of 208 million with 6 productions plants and a workforce of 2,500 employees across Pakistan.

Make -in -Pakistan Policy is working

A meeting was presided over by Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment to examine progress made towards export of locally-manufactured mobile phones from Pakistan under the Make-in-Pakistan policy.

At the outset, the Advisor was informed that in Pakistan, about 80 to 85% of the market is for phones priced at $200 or below. He was informed that as a result of Mobile Phone Manufacturing Policy, which contains duty incentives for enhancing mobile phone assembling in Pakistan, the majority of phones cheaper than $200, are now assembled in Pakistan. He was also informed that this was complemented by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)’s Device Identification and Registration System (DIRBS) which has curbed the smuggling of mobile phones.

He was further informed that in terms of market shares, the Chinese manufacturers control about half of the market as they were quick to utilise the incentives offered by the government and hence have the “First-Mover’s advantage” in the market. These assemblers are importing mobiles in Semi Knocked-Down (SKD) condition which are then assembled in Pakistan. This is not only saving foreign exchange but also boosting industrial activity and creating employment. He was further informed that Samsung has also recently started assembling mobile phones in Pakistan.

The Advisor was informed that the success of the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Policy was also evident from the import figures during the first five months of the current Financial Year (FY) as compared to the same period in the previous FY. The import of manufactured or Completely Built Units (CBU) is on the decline while that of mobile phone components (CKD) is on the rise. During July-November 2021, the import of CBU decreased by 73% to USD 179 million as compared to USD 661 million during the same period last year. This saved USD 410 million in foreign exchange. In contrast, the import of mobile phone components for local assembly increased by 407% to USD 674 million from USD 133 million last year.

Mr. Dawood said that all over the world, smartphones have now become a necessity as many SMEs now run their businesses on mobile phones. At the start of this government, Pakistan was a net importer of mobile phones but the situation has now been reversed and jobs are also being created in this sector. He said, “Our vision is to make Pakistan a hub of mobile phone manufacturing and export. The export of mobile phones will soon start that will earn foreign exchange for the country”.

UNDP and National Incubation Center Lahore host Innovators in Plastic Waste Recycling at SolutionsFest 2.0

The National Incubation Center Lahore (NICL) at LUMS collaborated with the Innovation-Acceleration Lab at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan to host SolutionsFest 2.0: Reimagining our Relationship with Plastics in Pakistan. This three-day event, which aimed to discuss, strategize and create solutions for plastic pollution, was held from November 29 to December 1 at NICL.

SolutionsFest2.0 brought together people at the heart of the design process and curated a community-led problem-solving engagement opportunity to address the issue of plastic waste management in Pakistan. During the event, plastic problem solvers explored materials, tested connectivity, worked with tools and mechanics, created structures, and improved on iterations by focusing on and responding to the problem of plastic waste generation and on creating a system for a circular economy.

Solutions included a mobile app to facilitate door-to-door collection of recyclable plastics; prototypes of interlocking plastic bricks to enable low-cost housing for slums; upcycled, aesthetic furniture; another solution to turn non-recyclable plastics from waste to energy; and eco-friendly, low-cost, specialised shoes made of recycled material for children born with clubfoot. All prototypes were created at NICL’s state-of-the art, Makers Lab, which includes metal, CNC, PCB, wood, and 3D printing facilities for speedy, high quality hardware solutions.

Mr. Ehsan Gul, Head of Experimentation at UNDP Pakistan Innovation-Acceleration-Lab, stated, “We need to rapidly prototype and experiment to find solutions for fixing the rapidly increasing plastic waste management problem in Pakistan. Soutionsfest 2.0 provided an opportunity to bring sustainability enthusiasts, local recyclers, private sector partners, etc. together to catalyse ideation and invention. The National Incubation Center Lahore was a natural choice for us as a key partner, because of their mission to enable Pakistani problem-solvers and their all-inclusive space, which offers critical prototyping facilities and fosters an environment of innovation and problem solving.”

In his keynote address, Mr. Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan, appreciated the efforts of the participants and organisers, “We saw a myriad of good ideas today, quite a few ideas were both viable and scalable. In terms of plastic use, radical change is important, but so are small steps in the right direction; for sectors like healthcare plastic usage may be imperative, but for most other sectors it boils down to mere convenience and that is where we need to intervene and make a change.” He emphasised the importance of taking a collaborative approach, and involving stakeholders across the value chain, from consumers to multinational corporations to the government to create synergies and tangible impact.

The National Incubation Center Lahore is a springboard for venture incubation and corporate innovation through an intersection of applied research, industry and talent, to solve Pakistan’s biggest problems.

SolutionsFest 2.0 is part of a larger portfolio of the Innovation-Acceleration Lab, UNDP Pakistan. The Lab is a dedicated learning space to reimagine development solutions. The Lab, along with the country office, programmes and partners, explores and experiments new approaches, from ethnography to design, to find inclusive and human-centred approaches for meaningful change. In the last two years, the Innovation-Acceleration Lab has been exploring this issue with the learning question: how we can reimagine relationship with plastics in Pakistan.

Facebook launches flagship Rise in Pakistan to up-skill advertising agencies and marketing professionals

Facebook has launched its flagship skill development program ‘Rise’ in Pakistan to help advertising agencies and marketing professionals develop new and contemporary skills for professional success and fulfillment.

Initially launched in Brazil in 2020, Rise has now grown to 18 countries across 4 continents to supplement global efforts for economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic by empowering and up-skilling the advertising communities across these markets.

‘Rise’ was launched in Pakistan in an online ceremony led by Jordi Fornies, Director for Emerging Markets at Meta (formerly Facebook), with representatives from Pakistan’s advertising community, industry leaders, Facebook’s Authorized Sales Partner (ASP), students and faculty of leading universities, bloggers, and influencers in attendance.

Speaking at the launch, Reseller Partner Manager – Meta, Ali Khurshid Ahmed said, “Rise is created to help the advertising community in Pakistan to continue their journey of personal growth and professional development by developing new skills, hone old ones, or even completely pivot their careers. He said, Rise was designed to suit the needs of all levels of experience and the program is about celebrating the resilience of the members of the advertising community, besides providing them the spark to learn, grow and thrive in their personal as well as professional lives.”

The program will span over 2 months, where the participants will have access to free online content and development sessions, including free Blueprint training and certifications under mentorship of Meta experts. In addition, they will be able to develop necessary soft skills and have the opportunity to interact with successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders to receive inspiration and guidance for success.

A number of leading universities, industry experts, bloggers and digital influencers have endorsed the program as a valuable opportunity for advertising and marketing industry professionals for career development.

The program will especially benefit those who faced difficulties with regards to employment during the pandemic. Once skilled and motivated for success, they can re-enter the market with enhanced prospects for employability and career development. Rise is equally beneficial for new entrants as well as the more experienced professionals who want to refresh their knowledge and skill to stay relevant in the market.

For more information visit https://fb.me/fbrisepakistan

foodpanda and Ministry of Climate Change enter a strategic partnership to promote environmental sustainability

Ministry of Climate Change and foodpanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding, pledging to work towards preventing the adverse climatic effects due to environment degradation and collectively take-off development activities geared to address the challenges of climate change. A signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Climate Change whereby Malik Amin Aslam, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Joudat Ayaz, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Hassan Arshad, Head of Government and Public Relations at foodpanda along with other officials were present.

Under the MoU, both the parties will be working together for launching and accelerating mitigation efforts to slow down increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Being an online food delivery provider, foodpanda will work with its partner restaurants to serve this objective which is in-line with their Sustainable Packaging Initiative, a campaign launched by foodpanda’s global parent Delivery Hero to promote the use of Earth-Friendly Packaging by the restaurants.

Also Read: Foodpanda Celebrates Successful Launch Of Pandafly At Dubai Expo

While sharing his views, Hassan Arshad, Head of Government and Public Relations at foodpanda, said, “Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to effects of climate change. By entering into this strategic partnership, foodpanda is demonstrating its commitment to climate action at a time when there is a great urgency to act.”

Malik Amin Aslam, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, showed keen interest on how foodpanda along with its partner restaurants and pandamart can inspire change by implementing eco-friendly packaging and support in reducing the use of polythene bags and non-degradable plastic items. He also encouraged that since the number of delivery riders have significantly gone up with the rise of e-commerce, the riders should move toward e-bikes to reduce the overall environmental footprint.

Joudat Ayaz, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate change while speaking at the occasion said, “This partnership is geared towards fostering a culture of environmental wellbeing, in line with Prime Minister’s Clean Green Pakistan Initiative. We would also like to aid in our efforts to promote tree plantation activities as this way we not only reduce impact from carbon emissions but can also help rebuild forests and communities, protect threatened and endangered biodiversity and conserve water.”

Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile data traffic increased almost 300-fold over 10 years

Special ten-year edition of Ericsson Mobility Report highlights 5.5 billion additional smartphone users since 2011
Mobile data traffic in Q3 2021 more than all mobile traffic generated up until the end of 2016
4.4 billion 5G subscriptions forecast for the end of 2027 – equaling around half of all mobile subscriptions at that time

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) global insights reveal an almost 300-fold increase in mobile data traffic since 2011 – the year in which Ericsson Mobility Report was first published. The findings, based on current and historical network data, are included in the special ten-year edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report November 2021. The report looks back at some of the key trends and events that have shaped the last decade, as well as revealing the latest forecasts toward 2027.

The premise that 5G will become the fastest deployed mobile generation to date has been enhanced with an updated estimate of close to 660 million 5G subscriptions by the end of this year. The increase is due to stronger than expected demand in China and North America, driven in part by decreasing prices of 5G devices. There was also a net addition of 98 million 5G subscriptions globally in Q3 2021, compared to 48 million new 4G subscriptions. At the end of 2021, it is estimated that 5G networks will cover more than two billion people.

According to the latest forecasts, 5G is on track to become the dominant mobile access technology, based on subscriptions globally, by 2027. 5G is also expected to account for around 50 percent of all mobile subscriptions worldwide – covering 75 percent of the world’s population and carrying 62 percent of the global smartphone traffic by 2027.

Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, says: “Mobile communication has had an incredible impact on society and business over the last ten years. When we look ahead to 2027, mobile networks will be more integral than ever to how we interact, live and work. Our latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows that the pace of change is accelerating, with technology playing a crucial role.”

Since 2011, the deployment of 4G LTE networks has been pivotal in generating 5.5 billion new smartphone connections worldwide, contributing to the market availability of more than 20,000 different 4G device models. This report indicates a much earlier technology lifecycle of 5G devices, with 5G handsets today accounting for 23 percent of global volumes, compared to 8 percent of 4G handsets at the corresponding point in its lifecycle.

This is helping to fuel an exponential growth of mobile data traffic. Mobile network data traffic was up 42 percent, year-on-year, in Q3 2021 accounting for approximately 78 exabytes (EB), including traffic generated by Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services. In Q3 alone, mobile data traffic was more than all mobile traffic ever generated up until the end of 2016. New forecasts reveal that total mobile network data traffic is likely to reach 370EB by the end of 2027.

The report also reveals that the nature of mobile connections is changing rapidly, contributing to the ongoing rise in mobile data traffic. Broadband IoT has now surpassed 2G/3G as the segment that connects the largest share of IoT applications. It is expected to account for 47 percent of all cellular IoT connections by the end of 2021, compared to 37 percent for 2G/3G and 16 percent for Massive IoT technologies (NB-IoT and Cat-M).

New forecasts reaffirm the rapid acceleration of massive IoT deployments in coming years, spanning use cases such as e-health wearables, logistical asset tracking, environmental monitoring and smart meters, and smart manufacturing tracking and monitoring devices. Massive IoT deployments are forecast to account for 51 percent of all cellular IoT connections by 2027.

In the same forecast period, FWA connections are forecast to grow almost threefold – from 88 million by the end of 2021, to around 230 million in 2027. Almost half of these connections are expected to be carried over 5G networks.

Female CEO from Pakistan secures global accolade in Tech Leadership at the 2021 Banking Tech Awards in London

Ammara Masood, CEO of NdcTech is the Winner for “Women in Tech” leadership category at the 2021 Global Banking Tech Awards hosted in London by Fintech Futures. This is truly a valuable recognition competing globally with the top tech leadership in the financial industry among other contenders. The award is an accolade for a leader making a significant impact in the banking/financial services industry and contributing towards the industry’s betterment.

Now in its 22nd year, the Banking Tech Awards recognizes excellence and innovation in the use of IT in financial services worldwide, and the people who make it happen. The Woman in Technology Leadership Award category lauds an outstanding woman for her distinguished leadership and inspiring work in her organization, and for making a positive impact on the wider banking/financial services industry.

Ammara, CEO of NdcTech commented

“I am delighted and truly humbled to receive such valuable recognition and acknowledgment by a prestigious global organization. I am grateful to Fintech Futures, to the judging panel, to my colleagues at Ndctech, and most of all to the clients who provided me the opportunity to make an impact in the industry. This award is for all women leaders who venture to make breakthroughs by showing their exceptional talent and vision. We don’t have enough women in leadership roles and I urge all organizations to advocate for women in such roles.”

NdcTech was nominated in two categories at the Banking Tech Awards, one being the “Tech Team of the Year” recognizing a team working in the banking/financial services space that has stood out for its teamwork, efficiency, collaborative spirit, and going above and beyond in achieving the goals and delivering value to the project/organization. In this category, NdcTech was recognized with Bank of Khyber as the finalist and won in the other award category for “Women in Tech” leadership Award.

Ammara is very well respected for her experience and impact in leading banks and developing digital strategies for Financial Institutions. She sits on several National, Industry, and Corporate Boards and in several steering and governing councils alongside board members and the top leadership of Banks and FI’s to progress their digitization strategy. Her success in almost all programs undertaken by Banks and FI’s makes her contribution very worthy and has been a factor in her personal as well as company’s success. This award is a prized acknowledgment of her skills, leadership, vision, inspiration, and dedication to the IT industry’s betterment.

Supernet and PAKSAT Sign Strategic Partnership for Proliferation of Satellite Communications systems

Supernet Limited (“Supernet”), Pakistan’s largest satellite communications systems integrator and service provider and PAKSAT International (“PAKSAT”), Pakistan’s national satellite operator have signed a strategic partnership to expand the existing relationship.

Through this partnership, Supernet will be able to provide national and international customers with seamless connectivity through Pakistan’s current and future national satellites and PAKSAT will be able to expand its technical and support services in Pakistan and the broader region. The partnership also includes exploring areas of cooperation and investment in the emerging technologies related to space and satellite communications.

Supernet has historically been a significant user of PAKSAT’s satellites, starting with Paksat 1 up till 2011 when the switchover to Paksat 1R took place. Supernet is currently utilizing Paksat 1R to support the connectivity requirements of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) through a C-band network. This agreement reinforces Supernet’s and PAKSAT’s pledge to empower each other for national satellite bandwidth requirements, deployment of the existing services of PAKSAT, provision of equipment, technical expertise as well as to collaborate in the upcoming new national satellite and strategic projects.

Sadaqat Liaquat – CEO PAKSAT, Muhammad Adnan Raza – Head of Marketing & Solutions PAKSAT, Shams ul Arfeen -CEO Supernet and Ali Akhtar – Head of BU, Telecoms and Defense Supernet, along with officials from both companies attended the signing ceremony.

Sadaqat Liaqat said, “Together Supernet and PAKSAT will be able to serve the under privileged areas of Pakistan via Satellite services for corporate and government sector. With the upcoming new satellite MM1, Pakistan’s data and video market will be transformed to the next level.”

Ali Akhtar stated, “This partnership continues to help Supernet in serving its customers through Pakistan-owned satellites. Supernet looks forward to effectively leveraging our multi-dimensional relationship with PAKSAT for the effective expansion of space-based technologies in Pakistan.”