PTCL will invest Rs. 100 billion in Pakistan in next five years, said Mr. Walid Irshaid in an interview with Business Recorder. He said that source of funding can be debt to equity combination, while the investment will be focused on variety of areas with in the company including expansion.

Mr. Irshaid said that PTCL was a state run monopoly telephone company before privatization, while new management is trying to transit the organization to make it become “The Telecom company of Pakistan” with integrated solutions.

Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution banning the use of mobile phones in schools and colleges, which may result into a blanket ban of mobile phone devices in campuses throughout the province.
The resolution was moved by Raheela Khadim Hussain, a PML-N MPA from Lahore, and was passed unanimously in the House.

Provincial Assembly pressed Punjab Government to restrict girls and boys from using mobile phones in their schools and colleges.

Raheela Khadim Hussain maintained mobile phone is a necessity but students remain busy in texting their friends during classes and hence don’t concentrate on their studies.

National Database & Registration Authority, NADRA has developed an SMS service application to facilitate citizens to verify their vote registration and particulars in the voters’ list, Deputy Chairman NADRA, Tariq Malik stated this in a statement issued here today.

NADRA and ECP signed agreements with telecom companies to forge a partnership in order to launch this service.
“I congratulate Ufone, WARID and Telenor who stood up and offer their platforms for this national interest, and expect the companies who are sitting on fence to step up to the challenge and contribute on national cause” said Tariq Malik.

He added that this service would be initiated soon after the publication of Preliminary (ghair hatmi) electoral rolls (PER) for public display.

Microsoft has aggressive plans for tapping the business potential in Pakistan with its important geo strategic location, growing population and extraordinary number of students.

This was said by Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft North Africa, East Mediterranean and Pakistan at the launch of Customer Immersion Experience (CIE) lab on Wednesday.

He said the Microsoft has designed a CIE with the investment of nearly one million dollar for facilitating emerging number of IT companies, small entrepreneurs and students of different fields.

The CIE will provide them hand-on experience to test drive Microsoft products for choosing best suited solutions for their business model, which will enhance the working performance of their commercial activities but it will also save the cost of their operations substantially.

Teradata announced that nominations for the 10th Annual National IT Excellence Awards are being accepted until January 6th, 2012. The awards program, sponsored by Teradata, was designed to acknowledge outstanding achievements by individuals in the Pakistan information technology (IT) community. Winners will be recognized at a gala event to be held in March 2012.

“We look forward to recognizing those individuals that have had the greatest impact on the Pakistan IT community – we are looking for the best-of- the-best,” said Khuram Rahat, M.D. Teradata Pakistan. “The program has grown ever since we launched it in 1997, as part of Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee, which recognize professionals in the IT industry.”