JOVAGO LAUNCHES EXTRANET MOBILE APP FOR ALL HOTEL PARTNERS

–Pakistan’s No. 1 hotel booking website,  Jovago.com ,has launched Jovago Extranet App, a mobile application that aims at giving more flexibility and independence to hotel managers.

“Jovago wants to give the best international standards of the hotel industry and the latest technologies to all our Hotel partners, we want to democratize these new tools for all our partners and make their job easier ” said Paul Midy, CEO of Jovago.

The Android App will enable Hotel managers to confirm new reservations, see and search through all reservations, change rates for any time period and change room availability for any time period. They will also see customer reviews, confirm guest check in and get some unique stats about hotel performance, all this at their convenient time. This will create a better experience for both the hotel and the Jovago customer.

Jovago.com ensures that its inventory of 25,000 hotels in Africa and in Pakistan is accessible to customers online, by tapping on today's technology. For instance, with insightful data provided by the company, a hotel manager will easily know the pricing of his competitors, thus making informed decisions on how to remain competitive.

“Phone communication can be challenging in Pakistan. With the app, hotels can make fast and reliable changes exactly when they want to. Especially smaller hotels can now benefit from smart tools that were only available to larger hotel chains before,”says Eduard Meyjes, Global Head of Revenue Management, Jovago.

First feedbacks are positive: “The app is very user friendly, easy to access everything.  All the properties are linked in 1 App and It saves a lot of time as there are no more calls and sms confirmations.” said the manager of Lahore Palace Hotel.

Following the launch of the Extranet mobile application, Jovago.com is now working towards unveiling the Web version of the App, to further improve user experience for potential customers. As a leading online hotel-booking website, Jovago.com is simply a one-stop-shop for hotels when it comes to their online marketing and operations.  

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Mobilink Launches the ‘Guardian Watch’ for Kids

In line with its mission of providing innovative solutions to the needs of today’s consumers, Mobilink has introduced a state-of-the-art ‘Guardian Watch’ for kids. Designed to provide ease of mind to parents anxious about their kid’s whereabouts and safety,  the wearable watch acts as a real-time GPS tracker and a phone with a one button SOS call to predefined numbers.

All devices under the Mobilink wearable range are controlled through an app which allows for GPS location tracking, text messaging to the wearer, and voice calls. Apart from this, the app also allows multi-device setting; addition of more users and watches under a single app, and a server connectivity setting, which sets the upload interval for the watch to sync data on to Mobilink servers for safety reasons. 

Moreover, the ‘Guardian Watch’ is operated through the click of a button. The more advanced features have been moved into the accompanying Smartphone app for parents, which is used to geo-locate one or several kids, make secret auto-answer calls to the watch, generate voice and text messages to the watch, and also customize the watch’s settings i.e. contacts management and setting a silent time during which incoming calls are barred.

The watch allows parents to install up to 3 guardian numbers for SOS calling so that if first number is not reachable then the call is automatically diverted to the second guardian number, and then the third.

Talking about the ‘Guardian Watch’, Ali Khan, Head of Data and Devices - Mobilink said, “This watch is like our popular Guardian app, but just easier to use, and more unlikely to misplace than a mobile phone. It is a complete solution for parents concerned about their kids, who aren’t old enough to operate or carry cell phones.”

While elaborating on the idea behind this innovative offering, he further added, “The idea behind it is that kids today aren’t allowed to move and roam outside the boundary of their homes alone, something most of us have done throughout our youth. With this watch, we have provided a better option for parents looking to stay connected with their kids without inhibiting their freedom.”

The ‘Guardian Watch’ is available to pre-order from 22^nd March, 2016, for deliveries in near future. This wearable GPS tracker and phone comes with a master application, and a USB charger, while it requires a biometrically verified Mobilink SIM to operate.

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YahClick Launches Ka-band Satellite Broadband Services in Pakistan

YahClick — a UAE based satellite broadband internet company that has coverage in 28 countries — has announced that it will be offering its Ka-band satellite broadband services in Pakistan.

YahClick said that it has partnered with Super Net and Click Sat as its local partners for provision of satellite broadband services for Pakistani individual users and corporations.

Pakistani users can approach these local partners if they want to avail satellite broadband services.

YahClick — that has been operating in Pakistan with soft launch — has already grabbed couple of thousands of customers. Its satellite broadband services are being used at 154 ATMs for banks that are located at country’s most isolated locations.

What is Satellite Broadband Internet?

Unlike conventional internet means, satellite internet requires no cables, towers or fiber or any other form of network to operate.

You are suppose to have required ground equipment (dish and modem) and that’s it. You can go around almost anywhere — within 28 covered countries — to use the internet without the fear or running out of coverage, network breakage or any form of vandalism.

Satellite internet, due to its nature of communication, is more expensive than usual internet means. Its usually not meant for commoners and businesses working in remote and isolated locations — where there’s no other internet — tend to rely on satellite broadband.

Media houses, NGOs, banks operating in remote locations, drilling companies are few examples of potential satellite broadband customers.

Equipment Required to Operate Satellite Broadband

Primarily you will require following equipment to get satellite broadband access.

• Outdoor Satellite Dish (of 74cm or 98cm)
• Block Up Converter (BUC) fixed on the dish
• Indoor Modem (and a Wireless Switch for WiFi Coverage)
• And a laptop/desktop machine with Ethernet card (or WiFi if you have wireless switch installed)

Bigger dishes (98cm) are used for stronger signals at locations close to edge of coverage. Indoor modems also come with different number of ports.

Costs of Satellite Broadband Internet

Both YahClick partners in Pakistan are offering satellite equipment (dish antenna and modem) on rental as well as on full payment, making it more viable for users and businesses to use internet at remote locations.

While final and confirmed pricing can be obtained from respective YahClick partners, below is an estimate of what you should expect:

Equipment Cost 

• 74cm Dish with up to 3 Port Modem: Around Rs. 60,000
• 74cm Dish with up to 20 Port Modem: Around Rs. 75,000
• 98cm Dish with up to 3 Port Modem: Around Rs. 75,000
• 98cm Dish with up to 20 Port Modem: Around Rs. 90,000
• 120cm Dish with up to 20 Port Modem: Around Rs. 120,000

Satellite Bandwidth: 

Once you have the equipment, you can subscribe to various YahClick Satellite broadband plans available, which look like following:

Volume Based Packages:

• 2Mbps download / 256Kbps upload – 5GB monthly Limit: Rs. 9,000
• 2Mbps download / 256Kbps upload – 10GB monthly Limit: Rs. 16,000
• 5Mbps download / 768Kbps upload – 20GB monthly Limit: Rs. 29,000
• 5Mbps download / 1Mbps upload – 30GB monthly Limit: Rs. 43,000
• 7Mbps download / 1Mbps upload – 50GB monthly Limit: Rs. 75,000
• 7Mbps download / 1Mbps upload – 100GB monthly Limit: Rs. 150,000

These rates are for per month and excluding taxes

Unlimited Packages:

• 2Mbps download / 512Kbps upload – Unlimited: Rs. 170,000
• 5Mbps download / 1.5Mbps upload – Unlimited: Rs. 460,000
• 15Mbps download / 2.5Mbps upload – Unlimited: Rs. 730,000

These rates are for per month and excluding taxes

Equipment on Rental:

YahClick partners, as mentioned above, also offer satellite equipment on per month rental bases. Meaning that equipment (dish, modem and other items) will be rented out to you on monthly basis and you just have to pay the rent — for the equipment and the bandwidth — that will depend upon the broadband plan you will select.

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Zong Launches Roam Like Home Offer for Customers Travelling To Saudi Arabia

Zong has launched its "Roam Like Home" offer for Zong customers travelling to Saudi Arabia. This offer gives the lowest international roaming rates that are equivalent to rates offered to customers at home. These can be enjoyed while availing roaming on Saudi Arabia's Zain network.

This offer is valid for all Zong prepaid customers, and is automatically activated without any prior subscription charges. Customers only need to activate the International Roaming access level by dialing the 310 helpline or visiting a service center prior to their travel. Zong users will be charged on minimal rates of Rs 0.25/second (exclusive of taxes) for outgoing calls to both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

It needs to be noted that Zong's Roam Like Home rates are the lowest in comparison to both Pakistani operators and Saudi Arabian operators. This is a fairly welcome offer given that the holy month of Ramadan is just around the corner. In this regard, a large number of Pakistanis will be travelling to Saudi Arabia and will hence be able to remain connected to their friends and families at all times at the lowest rates possible.

In this regard, Mr Sajid Mehmood Chief Regulatory Officer (CRO) & Chief Admin Officer (CAO) Zong noted that

Zong has always been at the forefront in terms of facilitating its customers in international travel. Our Roam Like Home offer will in particular assist the vast number of Pakistanis planning Umrah this Ramadan, at rates that are the lowest in the market.

It is also important to note that Zong offers the lowest international rates amongst the industry of Rs 1.00/minute + tax for calling on both mobile and landline to 12 destinations, which include  USA, UK, Canada, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong and India.

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Mobilink Launches Mobitunes Mobile Application

Mobilink has launched its very own Mobitunes Mobile Application; the first of its kind initiative in the industry. The App allows subscribers to search, download, access and listen to a database consisting of over 150,000 Mobitunes and is available for download on all Android smartphones through the Google Play Store.  Mobitunes, a popular value added service of Mobilink, allows subscribers to greet incoming callers with the tune of their choice from over 150,000 Mobitunes available instead of the conventional ringing tone.

Speaking about this latest innovative offering, Wasif Mustafa, Head of Marketing, Mobilink commented, “Mobilink is focused to providing the best experience to customers by offering innovative and convenient solutions and packages. We believe in making our customers’ lives simpler by empowering them through cutting-edge technological solutions. The launch of Mobitunes App is yet another testament to our continued commitment of allowing greater freedom to our customers which allows them to choose the right Mobitune with just a touch of their finger.”

The latest mobile application shall allow customers to first listen to each Mobitune available before setting it up as their caller greeting tone. The Mobitunes Mobile Application has been custom designed to enrich the user’s experience and make it easy to choose a tune of their liking from the vast Mobitunes database which is categorized under Bollywood, Pakistani, Hollywood, and religious genres.

Standard data charges for the use of the application will apply, while the subscriber will be charged PKR 9.55 (inclusive of tax) for each downloaded Mobitune. -PR 

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Kaymu.pk Launches #womentoday Campaign

The recent boom in Pakistan's ecommerce industry has effectively introduced the concept of entrepreneurship in the country. As a result we have seen an increase in the number of female entrepreneurs in the Pakistan. Now, Kaymu.pk, an online shopping community, is making an effort to further increase participation of women in Pakistan's ecommerce fold, as well as in the country's workforce as a whole.

Kaymu recently held an informative session, at their Karachi office, for budding female entrepreneurs to discuss the benefits of utilizing ecommerce platforms to increase their business outreach. Successful business women, who have been able to expand their business using Kaymu.pk, were also present at the event to share their experience with the attendees.

As part of their women empowerment initiative Kaymu also launched the #womentoday campaign on Twitter, where people are asked to express their thoughts on how women today are positively shaping the workforce in every industry of Pakistan's economy. If you want to share success stories of working women in Pakistan you can log on to Twitter and share your thoughts using #womentoday.

There is no doubt that we need to increase the participation of women in Pakistan's economy. Various United Nations (UN) reports suggest that only 3% of Pakistani women are part of the financial system, a figure that needs to rise drastically.

The growing ecommerce industry in Pakistan provides a great opportunity to include women in the country's workforce. Unofficial figures state that Pakistan's the annual ecommerce revenue stands at around $30million; industry experts are predicting that this figure has the potential to touch $600million by 2017. If we are looking to achieve this figure we need to encourage budding female entrepreneurs to enter Pakistan's ecommerce landscape.

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Sony Launches Xperia E4 Dual SIM for Rs. 16,000

Sony Mobile Communications recently introduced its new Xperia™ E4 Dual smartphone in Pakistan.

Sony Xperia E4 comes with a larger 5" display and a MediaTek chip on top of a 2300 mAh battery that can live for two long days.

Price of Xperia E4 in Pakistan is set at Rs. 16,000 with one year official warranty.

As mentioned above, Sony Xperia E4 Dual is loaded with 2300mAh battery that gives you up to two-days of battery life. If that isn't enough, activate Battery STAMINA Mode to optimize how your battery is used and Ultra STAMINA Mode to keep your phone running on its core functions for a week.

Along with stamina, you also get a 1.3 GHz Quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. There is 8GB of internal storage available for your favourite content too.

With a 5" qHD display and IPS for the best viewing angle, Xperia E4 offers quality entertainment, whilst Sony's superior speakers deliver clear audio experience and depth.

Sony's new app PartyShare lets everyone share their music through your phone via Wi-Fi Direct with everyone in the room; so you become your friends' personal DJ. You can also use PartyShare to collect and share pictures from that party.

PartyShare is preloaded on Xperia E4 Dual but available for download from Play Store from today for all Xperia products and Android smartphones on Kitkat or later Google OS version.

The 5MP rear camera, featuring HDR and a whole host of fun camera apps, will help you to create pictures to be proud of, including AR fun, Live on YouTube™, Portrait retouch, Sound photo, Timeshift burst, AR effect, Social live, Creative effect, and Sweep panorama.

A 2MP front camera lets you capture great quality selfies, and with a dedicated selfie app taking your images to a whole new level.

Available in classic black and white, the affordable Xperia E4 Dual retains the premium looks of Xperia products.

Xperia E4 Dual comes with customisable UI themes and matching cover accessories are available too so you can change your look, inside and out, to match your personal style.

Sony Xperia E4 Specifications

• CPU: Cortex A7
• Chipset: 1.3Ghz quad-core MediaTek MT6582
• OS: Customized Android 4.4.4 KitKat
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G
• Display:
  • 5" with qHD (540 x 960 pixels) resolution
  • IPS capacitive/scratch-resistant
• Memory:
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Internal: 8 GB
  • Card slot: expandable by 32 GB via microSD
• Camera:
  • Primary: 5 mp with LED Flash and 1080p video at 30fps
  • Secondary: 2 mp HD
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi Direct, Radio, GPS
• Battery: 2,300 mAh battery
• Price in Pakistan: Rs. 16,000

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Zong Launches Fast & Furious 7 Across Pakistan

Zong today launched Fast & Furious 7 in collaboration with Universal Studios. The launch of this highly awaited movie in Pakistan was preceded by Zong’s exclusive premiere in Cinepax Ocean Mall in Karachi yesterday. It was attended by a vast number of corporate guests, celebrities and socialites.

In this regard, Babar Bajwa Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Zong noted that,

As the most advanced telecom operator of Pakistan, we are highly committed to maintaining our reputation of innovative and cutting edge services. This partnership is hence a celebration of our exceptional 3G and 4G speed and quality.

This venture is a part of Zong’s internet campaign ‘The Fastest Gets Furious’ and will allow its customers to get a chance to win prizes by subscribing to Zong Internet Bundles.

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