Mastercard partners with Ravi Urban Development Authority to build cashless economic zone

 

Collaboration will simplify everyday payments for RUDA residents and drive transformation across Pakistan

KARACHI, DEC 16: Mastercard has signed a strategic partnership with the Pakistan’s Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) to transform the community into a cashless economic zone and drive digital transformation in the country. 

The collaboration will see Mastercard deploy its smart city solutions in the urban development project to enable residents, merchants and authorities to connect simply and seamlessly through digital channels. Citizens will be able to make everyday payments as well as pay for bills and utility services through automated portals. 

Through the partnership, RUDA will achieve efficiencies across its various processes including fee collection and other administrative services. RUDA intends to develop urban areas of the province into sustainable, livable and well-managed engines of economic growth. Mastercard will support RUDA in achieving this vision and establish a cashless framework within the community’s blueprint. 

Commenting on the partnership, Khalid Elgibali, Division President, Middle East & North Africa, Mastercard, said: “As Pakistan embraces the power of digital payments, Mastercard is committed to driving digital transformation in the country through our strategic public-private-partnerships. 

We are working with the government across various sectors to digitize the nation’s economic infrastructure and offer citizens and communities a seamless smart city experience. The collaboration with RUDA is a milestone moment in this journey as we look to power a fully cashless community that offers convenience, simplicity and security.” 

The Chief Executive Officer of RUDA, Mr. Imran Amin said: “Mastercard has a stellar track record of powering cashless communities in several economic hubs around the world. 

We value the expertise that they will bring as we look to power RUDA with the flexibility and safety of smart economic solutions. The collaboration is a testament to Pakistan’s progress as a developing digital hub in the Middle East and North Africa region.” 

The collaboration is the latest in a series of strategic partnerships that have cemented Mastercard’s role as a key enabler of digitization across Pakistan.

Earlier this year, Mastercard announced its partnership with Special Technology Zone to develop the country’s first cash-free zones and advance the country’s technology sector.

------------------------------------------

Zong partners with Smart Future Technologies as their connectivity partner

ISLAMABAD, DEC 15: Pakistan’s cellular and digital services leader, Zong 4G, has partnered with the leading IT support and managed services provider, Smart Future Technologies Pvt. Ltd., as their connectivity partner. 

Zong is one of the leading operator to provide such customized solutions to corporates of all domains and sizes in the industry. The partnership with Smart Future Technologies is in line with Zong’s efforts to help businesses digitalize and streamline their everyday operations for optimal productivity.

Commenting on the partnership, Zong’s official spokesperson said, “Connectivity drives us forward and as the widest 4G network of the country, our mission at Zong has always been to provide the best services to our customers all over Pakistan. 

We welcome Smart Technology Solutions on board and are confident that they will immediately feel the immense difference between their old systems and our tailored connectivity solutions that make everyday communications as seamless for them as they can get.”

“We’re pleased to have partnered with Zong 4G which is Pakistan’s leading digital services provider, and hope that this partnership will reflect positively on our productivity,” said Brigadier (Retired) Arshad Kayani, Smart Future Technologies.

“Our decision to choose Zong 4G’s business solutions to meet our everyday connectivity needs was based on Zong’s extensive data network coverage, speed, and unmatched corporate services and solutions. 

Smart Future Technologies is one of the first companies in Pakistan to use Zong’s One-Net IoT Platform to offer Industrial 4.0 Artificial Intelligence based solution commercially, which will broaden Zong’s B2B offering. We’re confident that it will prove to be a long and enduring association,” he further added.

In a bid to create a digital ecosystem for its corporate customers, Zong 4G is working closely with corporate clientele across the country and is introducing customized solutions to disrupt everyday mundane processes, and innovative approaches to tackle both simple and complex problem statements.

Through these technologically advanced business solutions, Zong 4G aspires to reinvent how businesses operate, having an overall impact on the corporate ecosystem in Pakistan. 

Its unparalleled technological advancement and unprecedented telecommunications experience have acted as a major benefactor in developing these wide-ranging business solutions.

--------------------------------------------

How to keep your phone charged and useful in an emergency

 

Washington, DEC 12: A smartphone can be a lifeline in an emergency, connecting you instantly to assistance and real-time resources.

If you’re preparing for or in the midst of an emergency, here are some of the best ways you can get your phone in the best shape to help you.

Make your battery last:

Assume your electricity can go out at any time and plan accordingly. Charge your phone and any additional devices ahead of time, leaving them plugged in until the last minute. Also charge any back-up batteries and laptops, then make sure all charging cords are collected in one place to take with you.

If the power is out, or if you’re no longer in a place with a power outlet, you’ll need to make any charges last as long as possible. To do that, follow these instructions:

• Turn on low power mode on your phone if it’s an option. On iPhones, go to Settings, Battery, and toggle on Low Power Mode so it’s green. On many Android phones, you can swipe down from top of the screen to see your notifications, and swipe down one more time to find a shortcut to the phone’s battery saver mode. Meanwhile, some recent Samsung phones offer even more aggressive ways to preserve battery life – go to Settings, then Battery and Device Care, Battery, and finally Power Saving mode to tweak these options as needed.
• Avoid draining activities. Don’t use your phone as a wi-fi hotspot for other people, don’t watch streaming videos and close any apps running in the background that might be using location. Turn off notifications you don’t need. If you’re in a safe place, you can turn off GPS to stretch the battery life.
• Wi-fi is less draining than cellular connections, so use it whenever possible. If you don’t need to be in immediate contact with anyone, you can even turn on Airplane mode for maximum power saving. Unless you’re planning on leaving your phone off for a long period of time, it’s better not to turn it off completely.
• Turn off Background App Refresh on iPhones. Go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh. If you have an Android phone, search in your settings for a feature called Data Saver and turn it on – it will prevent all apps except the ones you’ve selected from sending or receiving data in the background.
• Avoid phone calls, and especially video calls, in favour of texts when possible.
• Turn down your screen’s brightness.

Different ways to recharge your phone

Again, external batteries are the best to have. But in a pinch, you do have other options for recharging a device when the power is out.

• You can charge off a laptop if you have one. This is a good reason to charge your computers as well, even if you don’t plan on using them.
• If there’s a car available, you can connect through a USB port, whether it’s built in or through a lighter-port attachment. You can charge in many (but not all) cars by just turning them on to accessory mode – meaning you just turn the key once to fire up the radio but not the engine.

Contact for other assistance

Use your phone’s SOS service. Android and iOS both have built-in emergency options that will contact authorities. They also can be set up to send your current location to pre-chosen emergency contacts. It can vary depending on your device, so find out how it works ahead of time.

Share your location with friends

Your friends and family will want to know you are safe and your location in case you aren’t safe.

Send your location to everyone over text, so they’ll know where to look if you lose contact. If you are using a GPS location-sharing option, like the one in iPhone Messages, don’t just send your current spot one time. Select the option to share it indefinitely. You can turn this off later.

On an iPhone, you can also open the Find My app, select Friends and add people to share your location with. You can share your live location with others through Google Maps, though there are some limitations.

If you’re on social media and have service, drop a line to let people know you’re okay.

Get apps that work when cell service is spotty

If you’re struggling to find reliable internet and cellular connections, there are apps that could still help you stay in touch or give you helpful information. Download and set them up when you have plenty of bandwidth.

Zello: It’s a free messaging app for Android and iOS that lets people create and join group “channels” where they can send voice messages and images to many others at once. (Think of it as a free, smartphone-based walkie-talkie.) The app cannot be used at all if you don’t have an Internet connection.

Google Maps: Download the Google Maps information for surrounding areas in case you need to move fast and cell service isn’t available. Put in your main location, hit the three dots in the corner, select Download Offline Map. You can crop the exact area you think you’ll need.

----------------------------------

The Washington Post

-------------

Economist impact, mastercard study: A fertile ground for growth of super-Apps

 

KARACHI, Dec 11: From ride-hailing services to grocery delivery, and financial services such as buy-now-pay-later to microfinancing, super-apps development in Pakistan, Middle East and Africa is emerging fast as the region proves to be a potentially fertile ground for its growth.

In a study commissioned by Mastercard and carried out by Economist Impact titled ‘From online bazaar to one stop shop: The rise of super-apps in the Middle East and Africa’, the paper examines how population growth, digital access, connectivity, a diverse demographic, increasing trust, and affordability is contributing to the rapid progress of super-apps in the region.

The study also draws parallels between the ecosystems that drove the rapid rise of super-apps such as WeChat, Meituan or AliPay in China a decade ago to the Middle East and Africa region currently where the super-app model is showing early promise. Emerging players are seeking to emulate the Chinese-born concept and create regional success stories of their own.

While multi-function apps have been popular in Asia for some time, cut-through elsewhere in the world has been slower. Consumers in western and MEA including Pakistan markets have largely messaged, hailed taxis, summoned food and paid for things with different apps. But more recently firms including Spotify, Uber and Revolut have raced to bundle ever more features into their apps.

“With the Middle East and Africa region projected to become the most populous area in the world, with a forecast population of 3.4 billion by 2050, this expanded market presents a wealth of customer data, which regional players could leverage to add value for all stakeholders. 

Mastercard, with its digital-first approach, can be that single technology provider of choice to connect diverse players such as telcos, digital e-tailers and fintechs to become super-apps by providing technology solutions, platforms and propositions that enable a superior digital experience and drive greater inclusion for people across MEA,” said Ngozi Megwa, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships.

The report also threw the spotlight on governments’ role. As the biggest spenders in the region, government choices over which direction to orient industrial and data policies will be key. Beyond the policies of

individual governments, the harmonization of policies across the region

is expected be the core strategic choice that will determine the future

of super-apps.

While delving into the MEA region, the study found specific highlights that will enable the rapid growth of super-apps. Key findings include:

Locally active super-apps are proliferating across the region, but larger cross-regional players remain few, The prevalence of low-end mobile phones, as well as high internet costs, make super-apps an attractive product, Super-apps can be drivers for financial inclusion, The harmonization of national policies remains the biggest challenge to

the scaling-up of super-app presence.

--------------------------------

Intel to list shares of its self-driving-car unit Mobileye in 2022

 

WASHINGTON, DEC 7: Intel Corp said that it plans to take its self-driving car business, Mobileye, public in the United States in mid-2022 through an initial public offering of newly issued Mobileye stock.

Intel will remain the majority owner of Mobileye, which went public in 2014 and was acquired by Intel in 2017.

The technology giant currently owns 100 per cent of Mobileye shares and is expected to retain majority ownership following the completion of the initial public offering.

Intel has no intention of spinning off or otherwise divesting its majority ownership interest.

Chip producer, as majority shareholder, said it will continue to fully consolidate Mobileye. The transaction is not expected to have an impact on Intel’s 2021 financial targets.

--------------------------------------------

Courtesy Anews

------------------