Friday, January 28, 2011

PTA Launches Online Complaint Management System: ProPakistani

PTA Launches Online Complaint Management System: ProPakistani

Link to Pro Pakistani

PTA Launches Online Complaint Management System

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST


PTA Launches Online Complaint Management System is a post from: ProPakistani

photo 280111 thumb PTA Launches Online Complaint Management SystemPakistan Telecommunication Authority, in collaboration with cellular companies, has launched "Online Complaint Management System", to help customers seek timely resolution of their complaints.

PTA's Online Complaint Management System was inagurated by Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, Federal Minister for Information Technology at PTA headquarters today.

Online Complaint Management System will enable telecom consumers to lodge their complaints regarding telecom services online and to have prompt response on them. This system is integrated with operators and the telecom Authority. 

Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammad Yaseen, Member Finance, Syed Nasrul Karim Ghaznavi, and Member Technical, Dr. Khawar Siddique Khokhar, were also present during the ceremony.

How To lodge an Online Complaint with PTA?

complaints PTA Launches Online Complaint Management SystemOpen www.pta.gov.pk – You will find a link named as "Complaints" on the right-most slot in the top menu.

Click on "Complaints" to find out ways to make a complaint for any telecom service.

  • For online complaint registration click here
  • Fill the complaint form with all the required details and press submit.

Note: PTA requires you to register a complaint with your respective service provider prior to registering a complaint with PTA. This online form will require you to have Operator Reference Number. If you don't have it then better provide date & time of making contact with the operator for further perusal of matter.

Complaint JPEG thumb PTA Launches Online Complaint Management System

The Minister, on the occasion, said that PTA is doing a good job by addressing the grievances and complaints of consumers of the telecom sector and it is ensuring the provision of quality services. The launch of 'Online Complaint Management System' would prove to be a significant step towards the achievement of these objectives, he added.

The Minister said, "Government is there to provide policy guidelines and directions, it is the responsibility of the institution to deliver to the public in line with the policy guidelines". He also discussed with the Secretary IT and chairman PTA the plan and scope of starting training programs in IT sector for educated youth of the country to enable them to get jobs in local and international markets.

On this occasion, Chairman PTA briefed the Minister on Pakistan telecom sector development.

The Chairman said that PTA has encouraged development of local contents and created awareness on it.  It has introduced Information Rabta Portal to facilitate internet users to get information on Pakistan.  He said PTA organized Consumer Forums at different cities to seek views of consumers on telecom services.  PTA also introduced new system to block unwanted calls/SMS.

Related posts:

Copyright © 2010 ProPakistani.PK

The MNP Game; Has Fair Play Disappeared?

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 12:44 AM PST


The MNP Game; Has Fair Play Disappeared? is a post from: ProPakistani

mobile shop The MNP Game; Has Fair Play Disappeared?It is quite hard for the 100 million plus cellular subscribers in Pakistan to not know what Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is. But for those who don't, watch some cable television and be enlightened by the cellular operators across the border.

India, in 2010, finally pushed through the MNP feature among their 500 plus million cellular subscribers, energizing the competition in the market. Each operator in the country has spent the last quarter incorporating the technical and marketing strategies needed to deal with the porting of numbers among the industry players.

Portability of numbers has always brought about a high degree of relevance to the retention of customers, as changing your contact details remained the largest hindrance to a customer moving from an unsatisfied operator.

For the Pakistan industry, MNP was introduced in 2007 with great fanfare and at a significant cost to the cellular operators, with estimates from industry insiders pointing to the $100 million mark.

And while we all applauded this step, the failure to follow-up with standardized and reliant processes meant a nightmare experience for many who decided to make a transition to greener pastures.

There are countless stories of consumers being pinged and ponged between the offices of their current operator and the prospective one, as the information of the steps to port only trickled down to the frontline forces of the cellular operators.

More recently, the porting process has become a laborious and delayed task, where a consumer could end up without any services while the operators sort out when and how they wish to complete the requested process.

In fact, a 15-day delay is often the stated norm by service centers for all operators when approached with a number porting request, displaying a lack of empathy for the consumer. What beggars understanding is how the operators concluded a 4 day maximum timeline for the porting process, when establishing the Pakistan Mobile Number Database (Guarantee) Limited, also known as PMD.

It is often judged as unfair to compare the local results against international practices, but the telecommunication industry is a globalized sector that feeds off implementations in various environments across the world. So, with Ireland having a 2-hour porting process timeline and France having 30-day, Pakistani operators went from the top end of the scale to the median, for the best case scenarios.

Then there is the usage of ported numbers which leaves an odd taste for every user. Call someone who has had their number migrated and you are greeted with this loud shrill. The operators feel that the best way to let their users know that their friend has moved off the network is by giving your eardrum the worst wake-up call ever. Why not have the friend hear the shrill each time they call their former network, or maybe a hissing sound for betrayal or a wailing tone for the sadness of loss of revenue.

On the numbers front, the PMD has made no updates to reveal the effect for each cellular operator. While Telenor was proud to announce its 1 millionth MNP customer around March 2010, there was no statement on how many left it for one of the other 4 service providers.

The only data which ends up being reported is the Net Additions made by the operator, which is a sum of many variables. Also, operators are not comfortable openly projecting the number of users leaving their network, and would normally place port-outs in the Churn category of their reports, which includes dormant subscribers and those that do not fulfill certain qualifying criteria to be a part of the overall subscriber base.

However, analysts estimate over 3 million consumers to have availed the MNP facility in Pakistan since its introduction.

While the largest operator is commonly thought to be the one at the losing end of MNP, this has not appeared to be the case in the local market, where Mobilink has retained its top spot. However, there has been jostling among all in terms of services and prices, allowing the consumers to reap some reward. But operators still remain the king makers, applying every tactic to delay and avoid processing port-out requests, as subscriber numbers is the top metric for the industry.

To describe fair play on the MNP stage, there are examples from the developed world, where consumers can negotiate certain benefits like free minutes or SMS or discounts on monthly fees, once they are eligible to port-out from their contracts with current operators. This allows for consumers to seek further value for their money. Unfortunately, that level of understanding is not held by the local consumer yet, and the operators continue to remain the directors of the industry and its evolution.

MNP was supposed to bring a focus on more than just price; it was supposed to introduce a new avenue of competition in quality of service. However, with a regulator driven by fees instead of public sentiment, this feature appears to have failed in creating a level platform of competition for the local market.

Related posts:

Copyright © 2010 ProPakistani.PK

HP Pavilion DV6 [Laptop Preview]

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 09:20 PM PST


HP Pavilion DV6 [Laptop Preview] is a post from: ProPakistani

Manufacturers: Hewlett-Packard

Class: Pavilion

Model: DV6-3190ee

Price: Rs.113,000 approx

clip image001 thumb3 HP Pavilion DV6 [Laptop Preview]

Specs Overview:

  • Operating System: Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-720QM 1.6 Ghz with Turbo boost upto 2.8 Ghz
  • RAM: 6 GB DDR3
  • Hard Drive: 640 GB @ 5400 RPM
  • Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon 5650 Graphics card (1 GB)
  • Battery: 6 cell Lithium-Ion
  • Display: 15.6" Diagonal HD Display
  • DVD-ROM: Blu-ray DVD R/W with Double layer Support and Light Scribe
  • Webcam: HP TrueVision Webcam with MIC (VGA)
  • Wireless: Wireless Network Card 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth: HP Bluetooth
  • Finger Print Reader: Yes
  • Card Reader: 5 in 1
  • Available in Pakistan: Galaxy.pk

clip image0029 HP Pavilion DV6 [Laptop Preview]

High performance:

This is some thing I shouldn't even be writing because of it being so obvious. This system is the single most powerful system that you can find in the market. A high end graphics card with an i7 processor and 6 Gigs of RAM is the most any one can ask for.

Just a look at the specs tells you why the price is so insanely high for a laptop available in the local market.

Load to carry:

The foremost negative point of the system is that it is not too mobile. 15.6" screen along with all the other specs make the system heavy.

HP has further more contributed to the problem by using some heavy metallic structure in most pavilions' designs. It weighs around 2.6Kgs which is a little too much to carry if you have additional bag or briefcase to carry.

clip image0041 HP Pavilion DV6 [Laptop Preview]

Win 7 Issues:

Although not strictly related to this laptop, Win 7 is having issues running on Pavilions. Most of the people that have bought pavilions would know that the battery acts weird in Win 7. Most of users will start to get 'Replace the battery error' within 3 to 4 months of purchase.

I tried searching on the internet and there were all sorts of speculations. Some believe HP is placing low quality batteries in the laptops while others believe that Win 7 has some software glitch that is damaging batteries.

I own two pavilions, 1 of which has started giving me this error after just 3 months of usage. Both market giants are trying to avoid the blame and not taking responsibility for the problem.

Battery Life:

When you stack a system with all type of high tech stuff you can get your hands on, its battery should also be able to be powerful enough to keep it all running when there is no power source available.

HP, unfortunately, didn't think about this. Now when there is no light, the ATI graphics card usually 'turns off' to conserve energy. So if you are using some application that uses a lot of video memory, you either have to plug in or finish your work within 30 to 40 minutes.

If you turn on the graphics card without a source, there is good chance that the battery would drain within 40 to 50 minutes. HP should have used a 9 cell battery to support the power needs.

Keypad Problems:

Although comfortable, the key pad has some issues. The buttons on the pad are somewhat loose and if you use them very frequently, they would become extremely loose. Although they don't come out but still appear like they are broken. If you are deciding to play games, do remember to get a good mouse.

Official Rating: 4.6/5

Underline: The best system if you have the money.

Related posts:

Copyright © 2010 ProPakistani.PK

How to Make Better PowerPoint Presentations?

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 09:18 PM PST


How to Make Better PowerPoint Presentations? is a post from: ProPakistani

Whenever we need to make presentations, the software that immediately comes to mind is Microsoft PowerPoint. It's widely known as the simplest and most effective way of creating the best possible presentations, and it's one of that software's in which you can simply jump in and start using it.

Ironically enough, its ease of use is why people tend to end up with similar looking presentations. Most people never bother to explore the various tools provided to aid the process of creating a presentation.

Also, I've seen many users who take ages to format pictures in the slide and handle text instead of using inbuilt tools to simplify the process. So I'll give you a few tips and pointers to make your presentations more effective.

To make your presentation stand out, there is tons of stuff you can do.

- You have to be crystal clear when working with text. A chunk of text never looks good. It's better to make a few of points that capture the essence of what you are trying to convey, instead of page long lines.

- Make the important words bold. Type the quotations and sayings in italic. Convey the information as simply as possible, but at the same time it's important not to oversimplify. Find a middle ground.

- Just because its text, doesn't mean it has to be boring. Text slides can be made more interesting by putting in shapes and word art. I specially love the SmartArt feature which makes boring slides look visually appealing. Here's a slide I made up in a couple of minutes to illustrate this.

clip image002 thumb5 How to Make Better PowerPoint Presentations?

- Use visual representations of data where ever possible, it keeps the audience engaged. Use charts, pictures and graphs in the Insert option that PowerPoint provides.

For example if you are to explain the annual growth of a company, use a graph instead of giving the facts in text form.

clip image004 thumb1 How to Make Better PowerPoint Presentations?

- If there’s a lengthy point you have to make, find a relevant video and include it in the slides. Or, you can record a narration in your own voice while the salient features are given in form of points.

Using different mediums enhances the professional feel of a presentation.

-  Use the inbuilt themes to add a bit of flair. But don't use them with default settings, that just conveys the message that you couldn’t be bothered to spend time on the presentation.

Try playing with different colors, fonts and effects. If you want to go really unique, do a Google search for free PowerPoint themes.

clip image006 thumb How to Make Better PowerPoint Presentations?

- Animations and transitions on the slides look cool, but DONT overuse them. They can distract the audience. Personally, I use them sparingly on important slides.

- Use the layout option to accommodate text, video and images effectively in your slides, as per your slide needs.

clip image008 thumb How to Make Better PowerPoint Presentations?

- Always play your presentations full screen, when you're done, to know exactly what it will look like when you present it. It's important to get feedback too, show your work to family and friends and get impartial opinions on what looks good and what looks bad, then make relevant changes.

Don't be intimidated by the various options provided in PowerPoint. They're quite fun to explore and many times you’ll come across a short cut or find a better way to go about a particular task.

The newer versions of PowerPoint (2007 and above) are jam packed with additional features and provide more ease of use compared to earlier versions. So get a copy and start making those presentations!

Note: The author used Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 to illustrate the various points.

Related posts:

Copyright © 2010 ProPakistani.PK

How Non-Technical Pakistani Housewives Can Earn from Internet?

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 09:03 PM PST


How Non-Technical Pakistani Housewives Can Earn from Internet? is a post from: ProPakistani

There are many ladies who want to earn while being at home as they do not want to go out for work – either they have to look after their kids or family at home or they are simply not allowed to do so.

Lets see how they can earn while being at home, by just using the internet:

Freelance Writing:

Ladies can start writing online as freelance writer, they can not only write for various websites and blogs but also contribute their writings to magazines and newspapers of their interest that pay for the articles and feature stories.

They can compose or ask any one at home who can compose for them and e-mail their writings to the newspapers, magazines and websites.

Just to give you an idea, a 500 word blog is paid at Rs. 200 to Rs. 800, depending on the type and quality of content.

You can read some online books and materials about writing such as: Housewives and other work at home people wishing to add an extra income stream can visit http://www.elance.com (for Freelance) and reserve seats to get a chance to be included in the Jan 30th session.

Also check out WorldPL's page on faebook: http://www.facebook.com/WordPL

http://wordpl.net/ is another good website to learn the skill of getting freelance work.

You should check out for freelance writing, such as odesk, and web content writing jobs on rozee.pk and other job portal websites or in your newspapers and apply for the one that says 'work from home'.

There are many that you can try!

Do Business from Home:

If you are good at designing dresses, stitching or embroidery etc then you can start your business right away – make an online shop on http://www.myoffstreet.com or create a Facebook page.

Alternatively, if you know some of web development, you can have your own website for the purpose.

Upload the images of your dresses along with their prices and mention the sizes of dresses and your contact number so that people can place their orders. You can even sell your paintings and crafts etc. too via myoffstreet.com

Teach online:

If you are good at teaching you can provide tuition via internet. All you need to do is to make a webpage/blog or even Facebook page and a youtube account. Record and upload lectures and send the recorded lectures to those online students who pay you in advance for your lectures.

They can also ask someone at home to assist you in this. So grab your mic and start teaching online!

Start Cooking:

Yes! Ladies if you are good at cooking and love working in the kitchen then you can try preparing food at home and earn money.

People can order you via your website, blog, e-mail address or simply by calling.

Some ladies are doing this type of work on the internet – they have prepared a weekly menu and they provide food on order.

We have Sadia as an example in Pakistan, who wanted to take the hobby of cooking as a profession and with the support of her husband & kids, she started Sadia’s Kitchen. Her love for food and passion to learn & cook new recipes brought her into the kitchen business. Check her website here:

If you can not manage a blog or get a website you can simply make a page on Facebook – which is free of cost and easy to use! Almost every modern lady is on Facebook these days! You can also see Sadia's Kitchen Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SadiasKitchen for more ideas!

You can also watch these informative episodes of 'Ghar Ka Kharch' on CNBC Pakistan:

Make Money Online in Pakistan – Part 1 of 2

Make Money Online in Pakistan – Part 2 of 2

Watch this useful video: Working Online From Home

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7269242n

Related posts:

Copyright © 2010 ProPakistani.PK

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Jazz Brings International Direct Dialing Offer!

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 08:30 PM PST


Jazz Brings International Direct Dialing Offer! is a post from: ProPakistani

Jazz IDD offer thumb Jazz Brings International Direct Dialing Offer!Mobilink Jazz is now offering an exciting IDD offer for its customers. With the latest Jazz IDD offer, Jazz 24 Ghanta Offer customers will get 2 minutes free after every minute on calls made to USA (L+M), Canada (L+M) and UK (L).

For example, 1st minute will be charged and 2nd and 3rd will be free, 4th minute will be charged and 5th and 6th will be free and so on for the call duration.

Offer Details:

  • One Time subscription fee of Rs. 5 (exclusive of taxes)
  • Daily subscription fee of Rs. 2 (exclusive of taxes) which will be daily
    recursive
  • For the first minute, customer will be charged at Rs. 2.35 + tax / min
  • Offer available 24 hours a day
  • Premium Rate numbers of USA, Canada and UK will not be entertained
    through this promotion

Subscription Mechanics:

  • For customers not availing 24 Ghanta offer will have to send an SMS to 676. Charges will be Rs. 5+tax  – Dial *105*1#
  • For customers already availing 24 Ghanta offer will Dial *105*1#

Un-subscription Mechanics:

  • To unsubscribe from IDD offer, customer will have to dial *105*4#
  • To unsubscribe from 24 Ghanta package, customer will write UNSUB and
    send SMS to 676 (no charges for un-subscription)

Related posts:

Copyright © 2010 ProPakistani.PK

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Justin Bieber, Gold Price in India