Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Freelancer.com, the world’s largest crowdsourcing and outsourcing platform, with more than 7 million users, launches Freelancer.pk amidst the internet boom sweeping the nation. With Pakistan’s broadband users clocking in at a whopping 5 million, the launch will open doors to Pakistani’s self-employed professionals whose numbers have surged from 33.3% to 39.9% in the last 3 years – a sharp contrast to the dismal 0.2% growth experienced by the traditional employee sector in that time.

The presence of Freelancer.com in Pakistan is expected to provide alternative avenues for Pakistanis to raise their economic status quickly and easily by giving them access to jobs from around the world. Pakistan ranks third highest in terms of membership on Freelancer.com, with more than 240,000 users. Membership is made up of both freelancers and employers whose combined earnings amount to a staggering $13.5 million USD.

“Pakistan internet users showed double digit growth in the last five years,” observes Evan Tan, Freelancer.com’s Regional Director for Asia. “And with the rapid growth of self-employment in Pakistan, this is a great time for members of the site to take advantage of the ongoing digitization trend that has been changing the landscape of the global marketplace.”

Freelancer.com is positioned to aid in the continued upsurge of Pakistani self-employment via employers utilizing the site as a platform to outsource jobs to countries such as Kenya, Romania, India, Philippines, and even the United States.

Skilled Pakistani freelancers also benefit from the exposure to the international jobs market that Freelancer.com provides, making jobs from countries such as the United Kingdom, North America, Australia, and Canada available to them.

Savvy Freelancer.com users are able to parry their membership on the site from simply augmenting their income to serving as the main source of their livelihood. Syed Saqlain is one such member. In 2009 he left his job to open his own office in Karachi to become a full-time freelancer. Today, he has 4 employees working with him. “Now I have so many potential clients from all over the world and get many projects on a daily basis,” he says. “I feel proud to be a part of Freelancer.com!”

Due to his strong portfolio and glowing reviews, Syed is able to win 2 to 3 projects a day. He is only one of the growing number of people who have chosen to take advantage of the opportunities that Freelancer.com represents. With the launch of Freelancer.pk, the company looks forward to partnering with the nation’s people and aiding in Pakistan’s continued economic growth.

Can Pakistanis discover a way to earn money while finding freedom at the same time?

In the past 3 years (2009-2012), self-employed Pakistanis surged from 33.3% to 39.9% – this was faster than the employee category growth, which only grew from 35.8% to 36%. The growth of self-employment was joined by the rise of Internet, which has shown double-digit growth in the past five years.

With over 5 million broadband users in Pakistan, the Internet has truly revolutionized the way we all work – a report from Freelancer.com, the world’s largest online job marketplace, mentioned that Pakistani online workers have already earned over $13 million from the website. Pakistan is the third top country using the website, closely behind India and the United States.

With globalization presenting stiffer competition from other countries, how have Pakistani online workers overtaken other nations and achieved this competitive advantage? It just can’t be that we work cheaper due to our economic conditions. The underlying cause seems to be that all these online workers have finally found a way to prove that they’re as talented and determined as everybody else.

All evidence points to a huge increase in freelance work throughout the economy, and the world. The freelance model of business is growing in leaps and bounds and the Internet is delivering a dramatic shift to society by unsettling the global labor market.

Freelancers, as self-employed professionals, get a lot of benefits: one, hard work results into a more palpable income growth; two, they have flexible working hours; and three, they manage the amount of projects they take, which results into high-quality work and better reputation.

Today, the challenge to every Pakistani is to discover how their talent and determination can help them earn a stable income. By becoming self-employed freelancers, everyone will soon discover a way not just to earn money, but to find a path to freedom and self-empowerment.

Microsoft recently organized the Partners in Learning Global Forum 2012 in Prague to acknowledge the contribution of teachers in implementing technological resources in schools and class rooms from all over the world.

During the ceremony, held in the prestigious Prague Castle to mark the culmination of the 2012 Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum, Microsoft announced 21 winners, narrowed down from more than 250,000 teachers registered across national and regional forums throughout the year.

Munazza Riaz, teacher at Roots International School, Islamabad was recognized in the “Teacher as Innovator & Change Agent” Category for her innovative project “Aqua Crunch” that won the 1st place. The project was created for students of 8-10 years of age and raised awareness about conservation of water. It dealt with the issue “Why Water Conservation Needs to be Addressed When Water is 70% of Our Earth?” Global and national surveys using BING search engine guided students well about exactly where and how the problem needs to be looked at and how water can be conserved and recycled with less resources and low cost. Students worked in collaboration with government and non-government organizations to create awareness.

Saturday night, awards were presented to educators across six categories. All winners will be automatically included in the new Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Program, a one-year initiative created to recognize educators globally who are using technology to transform education. Expert Educators will become Microsoft’s partner in many of its education activities throughout the year, focused on ensuring learning outcomes and sharing of experiences with peers and policymakers on effective use of technology in education.

In return, members receive the inside track on the latest Microsoft thinking and technologies, as well as access to the latest and greatest software and products. In addition, Microsoft will ensure that this group is getting the professional and career development opportunities that will be long lasting and help them make a difference in their students’ lives

“I am delighted to win such a prestigious recognition among teachers from all around the world. Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum is playing an integral role in promoting technology in schools and making the learning process more interactive and fun for students.” said MunazzaRiaz.“I believe that with my induction in Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Program, I will be able to play my part in transforming the education scenario in Pakistan and bridging the gap between students and technology.”she added.

Participants were judged by an international panel of education professionals through rigorous scoring criteria which ensures that entries are reviewed in the most professional and fair way. Through virtual classroom tours and onsite interviews by judges, these teachers demonstrated innovative teaching practices, giving their students critical 21st century skills, such as collaboration, critical thinking and social responsibility, by leveraging effective and engaging technology resources. Teachers were recognized across the following categories:

1. Extended Learning Beyond the Classroom
2. Collaboration
3. Knowledge Building and Critical Thinking
4. Cutting-Edge Use of Technology for Learning
5. Educator as Innovator and Change Agent
6. Educators’ Choice

Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Usman Khan, Citizenship & Community Affairs Executive said’ “It gives me immense pleasure to congratulate Ms. MunazzaRiaz on this brilliant achievement. The award is a testimony of her dedication andthe work she does every day to enrich the educational experiences of her students. Through the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum, weaim to facilitate technology usage in classrooms whichopens a plethora of avenues for students of all ages and helps them realize their potential.

Nokia Pakistan recently conducted a Nokia Developers’ Workshop at University of Karachi in partnership with P@SHA, which aimed at providing students an insight into the world of mobile app development and the rise in demand of apps in the local market. The workshop focused on inculcating app development skills for the S40 Full Touch devices.

The training was imparted by Syed Faraz Ahmed, Senior Engagement Manager, Lakson Business Solutions. On the occasion of the successful completion of the workshop, Faraz said, “It was wonderful to interact with such enthusiastic students and share with them the S40 background and provide hands-on training on the SDK LWUIT 2.0 available to work on mobile apps for S40 Full Touch platform. The students clearly understood why it will be beneficial for them and their community to contribute towards content development and they all took keen interest in the workshop.”

Expressing her views, Rabia Azfar Nizami, Head DX, Near East, NOKIA said, “I appreciate the interest level of Karachi University’s UBIT students to learn and excel in their chosen field. Nokia has been organizing these kinds of workshops for developers in Pakistan since the past few years and this workshop was geared towards channelizing the strengths of these students and providing them a rich bundle of resources to develop more locally relevant mobile apps for Nokia devices which are most popular among the masses in our country. Recently, the Nokia App Store witnessed more than two million downloads of localized content and apps per week in Pakistan, which has given rise to the need for developers to make apps and generate revenue that cater to this segment of the market.”

The students were enthusiastic about learning hands on skills from a professional mentor and showed their interest towards the development of local content for the Nokia Store. At the workshop’s conclusion, certificates were distributed among all the participants.

Having been launched in February this year, Nokia Pakistan Facebook page beats all the other brands on Facebook to become the most liked brand in Pakistan with 1 million fans. This record achievement became possible in only a short span of 9 months. Nokia entered the Facebook with a clear strategy to share interesting information, engage consumers with the latest Nokia devices and to make Nokia experience more fun for everyone.

Soon after Nokia Facebook page was launched, it became the fastest growing brand on the social network. More than 6 million Pakistanis are currently using Facebook and one can safely infer that majority of them are Nokia users and fans. With its Facebook page, Nokia Pakistan aims to connect with its millions of fans in Pakistan on a more personal level. Nokia Pakistan has today become the most happening Facebook page with exciting games and activities that give everyone a chance to win and stay updated with the latest that Nokia has to offer on: http://www.facebook.com/NokiaPakistan.

“We are thoroughly pleased with the growing excitement around Nokia Pakistan on Facebook. For us, achieving 1 million fans of our Facebook page is a proof that Nokia continues to deliver an exceptional communications experience to consumers. It also reflects the fact that Nokia has been able to successfully connect with Nokia fans across Pakistan on a personal level,” said Haseeb Ihtisham, head of marketing, Nokia Near East.

He further added, “We all have a fundamental need to connect with the people and things that matter to us. People want to reach out to each other: talk, share, laugh, cry, gossip, anything. Information is shared, greetings are exchanged, messages of love are sent – but regardless of the content, connecting with other people is one of the key things that make us what we are. Nokia Pakistan has successfully translated the same level of connection on its Facebook page and developed a deeper bond with its valued fans in Pakistan.”

With so much buzz around it, Nokia Pakistan Facebook page has evidently become the iconic social media brand in Pakistan. With a wide variety of apps and activities in the pipeline coupled with the growth momentum, things are only going to change for the better for Nokia Pakistan Facebook page.

Bramerz Pakistan, in association with Google and Ufone, hosted a preview event to demonstrate and introduce the first online, Location-based Loyalty Service called “Olaround” that runs on mobile devices (smartphones) in Pakistan. The event was held on September 11 at Kohinoor Hall, Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore.

Bramerz – a Google certified digital agency, has developed the service, which is in the form of a mobile App called “Olaround”. It geo-maps connected merchants, providing all relevant information, including proximity with the user.

The platform is designed to add value and promote SMEs / businesses by making them attractive for consumers and merchants alike. It offers incentives delivered through a digital medium, with location-based check-ins that enable businesses to reward their most frequent/loyal customers – A facility which they have not been able to leverage so far. “Access to information in Pakistan is a huge issue. Businesses, especially SMEs have still not realized the potential of digital and this application is going to fill this gap by providing consumers on-the-go info on hundreds of businesses with the ability to gain rewards every time they transact at any of their Olaround powered favorite venues.” said Amer Sarfraz, VP & Partner of Business.

Already in the pre-launch stage, the project has incorporated more than 50 restaurants and cafes with over 120 locations in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. It promises a much wider scope of services in the near future.

The collaboration with Bramerz is part of Google’s global initiative; “Get Your Business Online” – which envisages providing free websites and domains to SMEs via local technology deployment partners. The service is initially limited to iPhone and Android devices, with the potential to serve other platforms in future.

Nokia has announced a one-of-its-kind event – The Nokia App Summit 2012 that will be held soon in Karachi to showcase its latest better, faster and smarter offerings along with a line-up of relevant app content developed by Pakistani developers that adds up to a mobility experience par excellence. The event will feature a unique mix of stalwarts from the local mobile and app developer communities, corporate sector and social development sector of Pakistan. The event will be held on July 16th and 17th, 2012 at Karachi Marriott Hotel and is being organized in collaboration with P@SHA, djuice, CIO Pakistan, The Express Tribune, Apna Karachi FM-107 and Brandsynario.com

The Nokia App Summit 2012 will comprise a conference, a developers’ workshop and an app exhibition; aiming to familiarize participants and visitors with Nokia’s latest offerings. The Conference will feature speaker sessions of leading protagonists from Pakistan’s technological, social and corporate sectors followed by panel discussions which will shed light upon the involvement of mobile technology in the fields of healthcare, education, advertising and app monetization. The panel discussions shall create awareness about the future of mobile technology in Pakistan and channelize local talent to explore new business opportunities. Similarly, the Developers’ Workshop will be offered to app developers and students from Pakistan to train them to develop apps for the touch devices – Asha series launched recently by Nokia. The App Exhibition shall promote local app content amongst visitors and give them an opportunity to discover the incredible local content available on the Nokia Store.

Speaking about the announcement, Rabia Nizami, Business Development Manager, DX, Nokia Near East said, “Pakistan is a hub of talent in the field of technology and Nokia views this repertoire of aptitude as a significant opportunity which can prove pivotal for the development of Pakistan’s mobile technology infrastructure in the future. The Nokia App Summit 2012 is the first step towards showcasing how exciting the future is likely to be for Nokia consumers as well as Pakistan’s app developer community.”

Limited seats are available for participation in Conference and can be availed by registering through the event secretariat. Developers’ Workshop is now closed for registration. Furthermore, no registration is required for participating in the App Exhibition; exhibition will be held on both days of the event from 2:00pm to 8:00pm, parallel to other event proceedings.

All relevant information about the event is available on event website: http://www.cvent.com/d/hcqzvx and event Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/416292051751022/.

For further queries, please contact the event secretariat via phone numbers 0336-2508227 and 021-34298862 or email at nokia.developers@ovi.com.