A never-ending journey to Singapore

It would be safe to assume that a journey from Karachi to Singapore would take around 6 hours, wouldn’t it? Normally that would be true but not if you book through Sultan’s travel agent.

We were put on a flight that took 15 hours to get to our destination. First we went to Dubai, transit time in Dubai was around 4 hours. The Emirates Business Class lounge was so chock-a-block that it was difficult finding a vacant chair. I eventually found one and parked myself there - but not for long. It was so clautrophobic because of the number of people that I decided to leave this elite lounge and go outside where there was more room to breathe.

Somehow - due to my ability to access the Net - I was able to get through that 4 hour transit only to find once I boarded the plane, that it was in fact headed for Colombo - something the travel agent had failed to mention. So off we went to Colombo, where we were in transit for just over an hour before we finally headed for Singapore.

By the time we finally got to Changi Airport, we were totally washed out. I was therefore not at all in a mood to be told when I got to Swissotel The Stamford Hotel that my booking was for the next day! Yikes! Would this nightmare journey never end? Got that sorted out after some irritation, some pleading and some yelling. That was not the end of it though. When the hotel tried to process my VISA Gold card, they were told to call the bank. The reason? The bank said that since I was trying to use the card in a city that was not my city of residence, they had to check whether it was really me! What amazing logic! When am I most likely to use my card? When I am travelling right? Sigh!

It’s all happening in Lahore right now!

The historic city of Lahore is buzzing with activity as artists from all over the world descend on the city from November 22nd to December 2, 2007 for the World Performing Arts Festival which has been organised by the Rafi Peer Theatre Group. This year the festival features more than 1000 performers hailing from 40 countries. Diverse music - World Music, African, Rock, Pop, Folk, Jazz, Sufi Soul, and Fusion will be played by talented musicians from all over the world. In addition, Dance, Theatre, Puppetry and Film will provide a rich cross cultural experience for Pakistani audiences as well as visitors to Pakistan.

This is certainly the time to find an excuse to fly to Lahore so that you take in at least a few of the performances :-). It is wonderful that this festival has taken place year after year in Lahore and that it has become an event that is a must-attend for those interested in the arts. Wish I could have been there.

It’s a deal!

Isn’t it wonderful that cell phones have cameras? How else would I have been able to capture the moment that Jawwad Ahmed Farid and Osama Hashmi shook hands on a deal for Alchemy Technologies to be the first customer for the award-winning CDF Snip collaboration software, while Qazi and Fawzia looked on.

Osama and Qazi had flown into Karachi to demonstrate their brand new product to the Alchemy team so that the team could jointly decide whether CDF Snip could assist in making them more productive. I sat in on the demonstration of the product, listened to the questions fired at Osama and Qazi by the development, domain and implementation teams and then I was a fly on the wall as the Alchemy team discussed internally how and if this product could make a difference to their work processes. It was an amazing 2 hours, at the end of which CDF Snip had their first customer!

What is CDF Snip? It is the first product developed by a small team at Islamabad-based CDF Software, and is, according to the company, the only documentation solution which allows you to keep the whole context surrounding a piece of information or documentation.

It stores the context of each document and piece of information and allows you to go back in time and see the evolution of information/document.

According to Osama Hashmi, all other collaboration and documentation solutions do not solve the complete problems faced by teams while sharing information and passing documents along. CDF Snip has a comprehensive set of features that address all problems which revolve around maintaining a piece of information or document in an organization. What I like most about it is that it is developed in Open Standards and works on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Good luck guys. The first customer is always the most difficult one to close. It should be easy going from now on

Jinnah on Press Freedom

Jinnah’s speech to the Calcutta session of the All-India Muslim League in December 1917 is still relevant:

“Instead of government meeting the complaints of the people, what do they do in the country? They want to muzzle you. They say we shall pass a Press Act. If you write anything, we will, they say, strangle you. They have passed the Seditious Meeting Act to stop meetings of the people. Is this really the method by which you can continue governing the people? Is it possible for any statute to destroy the soul of the people?”

On another occasion, he said opposing the Press Act:

“… I say, protect the innocent, protect those journalists who are doing their duty and who are serving both the public and the government by criticising the government freely, independently, honestly, which is an education for any government.”

Wake up call?

This is part of a post that I have extracted from a site which has been set up by LUMS students - http://tinyurl.com/26r7fx. It is called “The Emergency Times”. I am sharing it because it has renewed my hope in where this country is headed.

QUOTE

For decades, generations have stood by as this nation was exploited, subverted, pillaged by its own leaders; Leaders who told us to sit quietly while they bled the very soil of this land. We yearned for justice, for peace, for development, for honesty and accountability, but received little. Over the years, many of us lost faith in our own identity – we were no longer ‘proud of being Pakistani’. Skepticism and cynicism became inherent Pakistani traits. Our culture, our traditions, we slowly lost touch with. Successive 14th August’s passed without a whimper; Pakistan, we felt, no longer belonged to any of us.

Today, at the most critical juncture that this country has seen in its turbulent history for decades, we have an opportunity – maybe our last – to change all of that. Today, we have the chance to salvage our country’s future, to save it from destruction, to save it from the very apathy that threatens to devour it whole.

Why are we protesting, people ask me? To usher in another corrupt politician? To open the doors for another dynastic arrangement that exploits whatever’s left of this tattered nation? What are we fighting for?

To them, I extend one simple answer; we are fighting for Pakistan.

We are fighting because soon, there might not be anything left to quarrel over. We are fighting for the country’s future, a future where people are socially and politically conscious, where injustice is not complacently tolerated, where the masses are empowered and equal. Where the most destitute denizens of society can seek the same justice as its rulers. Where corrupt politicians do not dare steal from the nations coffers. We are fighting for institutions that can ensure this, for institutions that prevent the abuse of despotic and political power, institutions that protect our rights. And unless that is ensured, none of Pakistan’s myriad of problems will be solved, however much our Messianic General wishes us to think so. And yes, make no mistake about it; we are fighting savage, unrestrained oppression.

Yes, the fight will be long and hard. Along the way, it will be beset with disappointment, with frustration and restlessness.

But, for once, I want being Pakistani to mean more for me than cheering a cricket match victory, or mindlessly waving a green flag on the 14th of August. I want to ‘be’ this country, to feel one with it, to be proud of it in all respects, to heal the wounds that decades of turmoil have wrought upon its crumbling visage. And, in these darkest of times, I pledge, as Allah is my witness, to do my utmost to make that happen.

And no, this fight does not end with the end of the emergency. This fight continues until we can truly claim to have made a difference. Until we have purged this country of all the anathemas that threaten its survival; from military rule, to corruption, to inequality, to intolerance, to terrorism, to socio-political apathy.

UNQUOTE

When young people - at LUMS, Karachi University, BNU, and at flash demos in different cities - decide that they have finally had enough, I see a ray of hope. Our apathy, which is responsible for the free hand politicians have always had in ruining this country, needs to end. We need to take ownership of this country and put it back on track.

Noise is difficult to define … and yet it is all around us

As my father and I set off on our regular visit to my mother’s grave on Sunday, the morning seemed nippy so I didn’t shut the car windows and turn on the airconditioning as I usually do. It was early morning and there wasn’t a lot of traffic but as rickshaws and motorbikes and suzukis went past us - most of which did not have silencers that worked - the noise started to invade my space and affect the peace and quiet that are a normal part of my Sunday morning.

That is when I started to think about the noise pollution that surrounds us - a lot of which we ‘get used to’ and therefore turn a deaf ear to. Little do we know that it may well be that we haven’t actually adjusted to the noise; that it is more than likely that our hearing has been affected by the constant noise that polutes our atmosphere.

So how would you define noise? Students of acoustics define noise as complex sound waves with irregular vibrations and no definite pitch. Engineers define noise as a signal that interferes with the detection of another signal. I would define it in two simple words - unwanted sound!

Can loud music, the sound of heavy traffic, machinery, tools, household equipment, toys, movie surround-sound, aeroplanes, loud conversation or the ring of an alarm clock be termed as noise? The answer to all these questions is a resounding yes! Any noise level over 80 decibels is potentially a danger to your hearing and to your psychological well-being. The impact varies depending on how loud the sound is and for what length of time you are exposed to it. Listening to music through headphones over a significant period of time, is considered to be one of the possible reasons for the loss of hearing in young adults. And let us not forget the screaming that one has to indulge in on a daily basis to get anything done right. The noise! The noise! The noise!

Noise pollution not only causes hearing loss, it can also result in increased blood pressure, cardiovascular changes, respiratory problems, mood changes and disturbed sleep patterns. I wonder how many people notice that their voices get louder in response to the ambient sound, that irritation and anger become ‘normal reactions’ to a constant invasion of ones peace and tranquility by the loud sounds that are a part of our everyday lives.

It is imperative that we recognize this and start creating an awareness of the negative impact of noise on young children and also in adults in the workplace, in the home and in our every day environment.

I just remembered that my friend Vic wrote an article about sound solutions for people in his column Mumbai Mumbles that explores this topic in depth.

MITCEF BAP - an excellent initiative!

Attending the MITCEF BAP Final presentations at the Avari Hotel on November 6 was a very exhilirating experience. The five finalists – Alchemy, Autosoft, Sofizar, Softech and Tohfay – took 20 minutes each to tell us their stories, finally ending up with their strategies for accelerating the growth of their businesses over the next 5 years. The presentations were impressive and showed how much work and thought had gone into the process.

MITCEF’s Business Acceleration Program was launched in August with the objective of assisting IT and ITES companies in Pakistan to grow to the next level by providing expert coaching and mentoring.

Since most companies here are shy to share revenue statistics and strategies, it was not surprising that companies actually had to be cajoled into joining the Business Acceleration Program. A total of 20 companies from across Pakistan took part. All of them went through intense coaching and mentoring with local and foreign entrepreneurs. The process enabled them to look at weak areas, change strategy, re-construct business plans and review what they had done thus far and what the roadmap should be for the future.

The advice they received, the questions they were asked, the self-assessment that followed, and the lessons they learnt were all totally invaluable. Speaking to some of them over the last few weeks, I was able to see how much they had gained from the program. Ken Morse and Bill Aulet from the MIT Entrepreneurship Centre have been an integral part of this program, as have many entrepreneurs from within and outside Pakistan.

For details regarding the experience that Alchemy went through, read Jawwad’s blog. The event was also covered heavily in Green&White.

Dr. Zahir A. Syed, Syed Azhar Rizvi, Imran Sayeed and the entire MITCEF team need to be congratulated for coming up with an excellent program and for executing it beautifully. This will be run again early next year and I hope that those companies who had reservations about participating in this initial phase, will take advantage of it in 2008.

This year’s MITCEF BAP award distribution ceremony was followed by the announcement of the launch of the *Tech Angels Network (TAN) by Professor Ken Morse. This will mark the beginning of angel investment into Pakistan’s talented technology sector.

Many of us have always had great faith in the Pakistan IT industry and its
potential. The past couple of years have justified our faith as companies
like Scrybe, Amaana, Alchemy, PixSense, Mobile Complete, CDF, Orgoo etc have appeared on our landscape bringing forth technology innovation and
attracting investment. With programs such as the MITCEP BAP, the TiE Business Plan Competition and P@SHA’s continued efforts and commitment, our companies will continue to make a mark for themselves in local and international markets.

Sofizar, which was the formal winner of the MITCEF BAP, and their product TicketNest.com, has been covered beautifully by Osama Hashmi in this post.

Pakistan wins 2nd ODI in Mohali

We needed something to finally go our way, something that would allow us to cheer for a change. The Pakistan Cricket team provided us with this opportunity when they beat rivals India by 4 wickets in Chandigarh today. Thanks boys for putting a smile on the faces of millions.

Those who don’t follow Pak-India cricket will probably be saying “Big deal!” There is no way to explain to anyone from outside the subcontinent what role cricket plays in our lives. We live and breathe the sport and when we play each other, the importance of doing well becomes twice as important.

The game today was a real thriller, a heart stopper, first class entertainment with a very exciting finish. Tendulkar’s 99 and Younus’s match-winning 117 were matched by Harbajan and Afridi’s innings which were absolutely amazing and contributed to making the match truly enjoyable.

Congratulations Team Pakistan. Well done Team India. Thank you for a wonderful game of cricket. We look forward to the next 3 games. Win or lose, let us make them the thrillers that Pak-India matches always are.

Some television channels are back on the air!

I noticed just now that CNBC Pakistan, Business Plus, Indus News, BBC World, CNN and some others are back on air. Amongst the major ones that are still off air are DAWN News, Geo, Aaj Television and ARY. Has there been a deal, one wonders? If the media ban was lifted, then all of them would be back, wouldn’t they? Maybe one of the media guys can enlighten us.

First class IT infrastructure?

We are told that this country has first class IT infrastructure, top notch human resource and good policies. Such a statement is usually followed up by a question: why are our IT exports not touching billions of dollars?

Let us forget the rest of the issues for the moment and talk about IT infrastructure. For the past 4 years I can’t remember how many times I have told anyone who will listen - the government, the media, builders, investors, - that we NEED top notch IT Parks which provide sufficient office space at a reasonable cost, clean and fast bandwidth, uninterrupted power supply, conference and exhibition facilities, showcasing areas, research, development and testing facilities, incubation facilities, recreation areas, with all connected services being available within the Park -, a professional and secure environment where young people (and some of the more experienced) can interact and work, sharing and creating knowledge. Has anyone listened? I don’t know. We keep hearing that all these parks are coming up but I have yet to see any land being identified in Karachi for the purpose - there ARE one or two towers that are being put up by the PITB in Lahore but again, they are buildings, not a complete environment - although it is a start. There is ’something’ coming up in Islamabad but what exactly and when, is something we will probably know one day.

In the meantime, our IT and ITES companies struggle with, amongst so many other challenges, the lack of infrastructure. I don’t know how many people are aware that there was a fire at Caesar Towers on Saturday. Caesar Towers is our National IT Park we are told. It is on Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi. One of the most pathetic buildings you have ever seen. It is perpetually in ‘construction’ mode and you would certainly never take a potential overseas customer there if you could avoid it. This building was provided fibre connectivity by PSEB some years ago and a large number of unsuspecting IT companies moved into the building - from software development companies, to content management companies to call centres. Over the years they have had a number of confrontations with the building managers/owners over various issues like connectivity, power problems, bad management, etc.

The fire on Saturday destroyed all the main power and internet cabling which will have to be totally replaced. A real disaster especially for companies that are providing 24×7 service to overseas customers. Some had contingency in place and I was impressed at the speed with which companies like Etilize set up in new premises almost overnight. But there are others who are still struggling. Some have moved to Korangi or to Tariq Centre - which is the newest PSEB-identified IT Park on Tariq Road. Some companies are working with skeleton staff with generators. P@SHA member companies have been generous and have offered temporary space to some of the affected companies, but office space is at a premium in this city and companies are already bursting at the seams themselves. It is a tragedy that an industry that has so much potential in terms of providing efficiency to other industries, in terms of increased export earnings, in terms of providing job opportunities to young people in this country, in terms of creating knowledge and innovation, should be neglected in this way.

I was hacked!

I feel invaded … and traumatised. My laptop is my personal domain. It contains notes to myself, music I like, business documents, personal mail, photos, etc. That someone else had access to all of this is the worst kind of invasion of privacy.

What am I talking about? Well I got up yesterday morning to find that I could not access my gmail and yahoo accounts. At first I assumed that perhaps there was a problem with those services or with my ISP. However, everything else seemed to be working. I could browse, I could use hotmail and ichat.

It was then that I decided to change my password on Yahoo and, after going through Yahoo’s security scenario, was able to access both Yahoo mail and Yahoo messenger.

That wasn’t so easy to do on GMail though. The message I got was that it would be done in 5 days. In this day and age?  Anyway, I was busy throughout the day because we had the P@SHA AGM yesterday. It was only when I logged on in the evening on Yahoo, that I discovered that I had been hacked! “Someone” sent me a message saying “I see you are back on Yahoo … do you want your gmail back?” I responded that I did and of course demanded to know who this person was.

Would you believe that I was told that he was an admirer? That he was very impressed with all that I had done at P@SHA and for the IT industry … and he just wanted to talk to me. Since I wouldn’t acknowledge messages from strangers, he had to get my attention somehow. I was naturally livid and told him that this was not the correct way of getting anyone’s attention. I asked him if he knew how much trouble and anguish he had caused. He apologised and gave me back my gmail account.

I don’t understand such behaviour at all. This “attack” motivated me to change my passwords, run Anti-spyware software and set up a Firewall. But do I feel safe? No. It is like the time someone took my mobile away from me at gunpoint. It took me forever to feel safe again. I eyed everyone I saw with suspicion and no longer felt like the carefree person I am.

I wish people who play such pranks could understand how much damage they cause emotionally. By invading my space, this person has made me feel unsafe and violated. I hope that if he really has an iota of respect and admiration for me, he will never pull this kind of stunt on anyone again.