Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Receiving Calls from Pakistan to Dubai CHEAPLY

Receiving Calls from Pakistan to Dubai CHEAPLY


Many ask me to sell them a Pakistan DID number so that they can use it in Dubai.

I ask them the first thing, why do u need it for, do u want to save money ?

If yes, then there is NO REASON to buy a Pakistani number to save money , but use a USA number.

WHY? Because now it is cheaper to call a USA Number from Pakistan then any other number inside Pakistan.

If you call from Pakistan to USA This is what you Pay.

World Call - 85 Paisa Per min, 24 hrs a day.
Mobilink - 2.20 Rupees
Ufone - 2rupees
PTCL - 1Rupees from midnight to Morning - 2 Rupees Other time.


If you call a Land line in Pakistan, This is what You pay


World Call - 75 Paisa Per HALF min, 24 hrs a day.
Mobilink - 3.50 Rupees Per Min
Ufone - 3.5 rupees Per Min
PTCL - 3 Rupees for 5 mins



PLUS you end up paying a high per month rental to own a Pakistani Number and the quality is not as good
as compared to your USA Number.

How to get a USA Number to work in Dubai ?

Well this is what you need.

1. Google Talk www.google.com/talk Download and install it

2. VirtualPhoneline.com - Signup for a FREE Trial Number

2a. Set your RING TO Address as your Google talk ID which is the same as your Google email ie yourname@gmail.com

If you like the service Get the USA number permanently for $15 a year , Enjoy !!!

Now when you call this USA number, it will ring on your Google talk, now this Google talk can be in Dubai.(UAE) or anywhere else in the world,
and you can enjoy LOW RATES to USA from anywhere in the world, and the call then comes back to you on your Google talk


If you want something that works without a computer, then you can check out www.super-phone.com

Enjoy !!
 

Blogged with Flock

Friday, November 30, 2007

Nation Wide Calls in Pakistan are now FREE

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has introduced a new package under which its subscribers will be able to make free Long Distance Nationwide calls.
The call can made to all PTCL landline and wireless phone numbers for a modest fee of Rs. 199(3.2$us) per month under the facility called "Pakistan Package."
According to the Company sources here Friday, all of its customers will initially be provided this facility and if any customer do not wish to retain, it can de-activate the facility by simply calling the 1236 helpline 24 hours a day.
The customer can either speak with an operator or use the computerized system (IVR) and can also visit any customer care center or revenue office.
An official at PTCL said a fair usage policy will be in place and added a customer exceeding 5,000 nationwide minutes in any month will be charged Rs. 2 for each subsequent minute.

He said with the introduction of this new package, the green package will be discontinued as off December 1, 2007.
The official said this is a landmark change in the history of Pakistan's telecom industry.

"Now, businesses, private entrepreneurs, students and residential users can stay in constant touch with anyone, anywhere in the country, as often as they want," he said.
He said the availability and affordability of mass communication are vital for a nation's progress and added PTCL has a renewed commitment to provide efficient and state of the art telecom services for its customers.
The official said along with the local call promotion of Rs. 3.99 per hour, the Pakistan Package represents the beginning of a new vision and a new era of customer service.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

How a cheaper rate to call Pakistan would help.

I met Baqai Sahib, in The Pakistan Ministry of Telecom, in Bangkok, It was a strange meetup, I did not know him Physically before that :)

I just walked up in the conference and said Hello to 3 Desi looking gentlemen and one turned out to be Baqai Sahib.

He asked me to write a small paper on the below, So I did and sent it to him, Since then I guess MUCH has changed already.


Saturday, September 23, 2006

How a cheaper rate to call Pakistan would help.


Letting the FREE MARKET decides the rate to call Pakistan.

Back ground:

Communication of any kind is a MAJOR Key towards having a better relation ship. Be it a business or a personal relationship.

To develop these relation ships government opens embassies around the world, attend meetings , seminars does road show’s all to BRIDGE The wide gap between nations and worlds which we have created for our selves within our so called boundaries.

Countries try hard, and compete with each other to get the most business out of the other party, and we end up buying items from companies and countries with whom we have BETTER communications with, not necessarily with who better provides the services.


So the key lay’s in communications with our partners, with our relatives with our possible clients in order to grow our economic needs.

These are the processes of a business transaction

Introduce
Educate
Meet
Close the deal.

Be it any business these 4 rules remain the same.

Pakistan is gifted in many ways, how ever the infrastructure does not allow us to fully utilize all our resources, be it our travel in the northern region of Pakistan, Be it Oil in Indian Ocean or be it Gold in Sandak, all are very infrastructure dependant businesses.

One thing we have with us is our HUMAN RESOURCE which has on its own with the help of the govt grown and with the legacy of English, speak English.

This English Speaking very high IQ human resource is available INSIDE PAKISTAN and govt of Pakistan has a separate ministry, which tries hard to send these pupils’s and people over sea’s to bring in foreign exchange.


Now to do that, they have to bring in employers, then physically send them overseas costing a huge amount of money for every party evolved.

The new communications media the TELEPHONE allows us to do a LOT of business over the phone and eliminates the cost of transportation from one place to another.


Govt Of Pakistan took a very bold step and allowed dozens of telecom companies to come in and do business in Pakistan, and the we can now say that we have one of the cheapest telecom services in Pakistan, starting for 2.5$ a month for unlimited mobile to mobile phone calls, which are un heard and un imaginable in almost any part of the world.

These phone companies used the liberty provided to them and are now offering cheap international phone calls which is bringing business from all around the world and inside and over sea’s Pakistani closer and closer.

I Can boldly claim that Pakistani’s economy and nation will NEVER be the same again and will only see a very high growth rate because of this cheaper form of communication.

Now a person living in Ghotki, Sindh can do work for his uncle in London over the telephone and computer doing accounting or collections work, creating a BPO Industry that India has not seen before nor will it be able to see it.

The BPO Industry NO LONGER needs a cheap internet connection to make a bad quality phone call, as now they can get the same wholesale rate from the local telecom company.


The problem however now remains that the caller from outside Pakistan is still hesitant to call TO Pakistan and the BPO can still NOT receive the call from over sea’s using the pure telephone call and has to involve the internet to bring in the call.

If the free market rate is allowed, then the call TO Pakistan will raise and thus raising the business volume in general to Pakistan and raising the business volume.

With the technologies rising, I understand that the regulators in Pakistan can also see that there are disruptive technologies coming that will force the telecom companies to change.

The regulator should also realize the by adapting these disruptive technologies rather then fighting with them, it gives the country an EDGE over others who are trying to fight it.

This EDGE is what I call a gift from god to us, as for example if the call rate to Pakistan becomes sub 1 cent, then there will be a BPO and a CALL CENTER in every single educated house of Pakistan as we have soo many overseas Pakistani’s who would rather employ there family members in Pakistan and get away by paying only 200 pounds a month for the same job which they have to pay 2000 pounds a month, and the same 200 pounds a month in a small city is 24000 rupees a month and that salary is un heard of today, thus creating the MIDDLE CLASS which Pakistan so badly needs to drive its economy to the future.

At this point I would like to say that it will cost billions of rupees to create motor ways and high ways and roads, how ever there are today dozens of telecom companies ready to create the high speed freeways and motorways which we so badly need to do business in the next coming time.

In this new internet driven future, we will not need freeways and motorways as they are very rapidly being replaced with the Internet Super Highway.

IF we want our economy to prosper and our standards of living to be improved, we need a 10meg pipe of internet TODAY in every single educated and non educated home of Pakistan.

This 10meg does not have to be connected to the USA it has to be interconnected as MOST content will develop inside Pakistan.

Letter to Yousuf, MD Pseb

Dear Yousuf,

Here is a little feedback from my side.
BEfore any kind of training is provided, an aptitude test must be taken.
2. The best thing PSEB can do is not actually subsidize cost, but actually tell people what is needed in the market, by getting feedback by the industry.
3. IE on pseb web sites you should show, XX companies are seeking XX QTY employees knowing how to use PHP, or Ajax, or LInux or .net
This will show the industry TREND in Pakistan for the future programmers.
You can also show that X companies are seeking XX Qty of people wanting Y language or software, which can be very highly skilled, and in front of that, you can put, Click here to apply for this job, or click here if u want to have PSEB pay 10% of your fee.
4. The same figures should be published in JANG news paper so that the parents can be shown the direction.
5. PSEB Web site must become a portal that actually gives value to the member of pseb so that we can give you feedback and provide us tools, like the surveys you want us to do, put them online so you have
A. instant feedback.
B. Show the results to other members.
C. Give us compensiation points to give you feedbacks. Does not have to be monetory.


6. Till the above happens, I would like to to see some training programs in my related industry for www.freeswitch.org asterisk.org and freepbx.org trixbox.org

These are open source softwares that are changing the world of telecom in the world, and Pakistan has great potential now for leading the way in it.
7. The lab must be created in all cities with 1 or 2 seniour qualified engineers, who can assist not just the students, small enterprenueur, but even to larger software houses, who get stuck some time in small routes and sub routines of software code, these programmers, can be used as proxy for guiding each other software houses to each others or help us when we get stuck in some small software problems.
my 2 cents.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Mobile Number Portibility now in Pakistan

Finally on the 23rd of March they have opened up the Pakistan Number portability and what that means is that you can take your number from Mobilink to Any other provider like Ufone or Warid.

Amazingly the charge is only 200 rupees and it will take 4 days, I have not tried it yet, but I have asked our office to get one number transfered to see what time it takes.

When we do the LNP (Local Number Portability) in the US with Global Crossing or any other carrier they take 2 to 4 weeks.

So All hats off finally to all the carriers and PTA.

Also I hope that the Local Number Portability will be available soon to take OLD PTCL Numbers to Go or World call or wise versa.

Monday, April 02, 2007

PakistanFax.com Now in Alpha

Today we have finally been able to receive faxes to email on the Pakistani Phone numbers on the service PakistanFax.com

The First Fax was sent to me by Tariq Mustafa and Second by Ali Valika


PakistanFax.com will allow users to get a Pakistan Number from over 40 Cities in Pakistan and receive the fax via email anywhere in the world.

This means that as long as you can access your email you can also access your fax.

You do not require a fax machine for this and the fax comes on our web site and also as an attachment to your email.

For a free signup and trial visit www.PakistanFax.com

Saturday, March 31, 2007

PTCL 33 Paisa a Min Call to USA - China - UK

I got a big grin smile today when i saw the ad in dawn about the NEW PTCL Offer today, of 33 paisa a min to call the US , UK, China, and HK and 10 other countries.

That means they are charging 99 paisa a min and that is 1.5 cents a min to call.

The cost to call these countries is anywhere from 1 to 1.5 cents a min, so now finally they are giving almost the cost rate and playing in the QUANTITY game FINALLY.

The quality on the PTCL line is still better then any other carrier as I think they are still using there old bilateral connections and not as much of the new world's KACHRA carriers.


Well I am glad to see all this happening, it is Great for Pakistan and Beat's any VOIP rate of Skype (which is 2 cents a min + 3 cents connection fee) and others.

I now strongly recommend all the international callers to USE ptcl at these rates so that Mobilink and other carriers can IMPROVE there call quality and PTCL can increase there international circuits as now when i call i get congestion in there international trunks.


My 2 cents.

Rehan

Sunday, October 22, 2006

An email in 1997

This is an email i received from an Indian guy:

I AM HAPPY TO SAY I HAVE RECIVED A WIDE SUPORT ALREADY.PLEASE FWD THIS TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE . BOTH PAKISTANIS AND INDIANS ALIKE. PLEASE REMEBER THE SUCCESS OUR MISSION DEPENDS ON MAXIMUM SUPPORT FROM ALL QUARTERS.IF POSSIBLE SEND THE SAME MAIL TO ALL MEDIA GROUPS

RESPECTED SIR

NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE SOUTH ASIAN NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST THEN YOU. YOU ARE THE

FOLKS WHO INFORM THE WORLD.

OUR LEADERS WILL TELL ANY LIE TO CREATE A MAKE BELIEVE WORLD FOR THEIR

VESTED INTERESTS. A WORLD THAT WILL TEACH US TO HATE, DISTRUST AND

DISRESPECT EACH OTHER. THIS IS MOST EVIDENT BY THE VOLUMINOUS VENOM THAT

IS BEING HEAPED AGAINST EACH OTHER BY THE FANATIC INDIANS AND PAKISTANIS

ALIKE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS. WE ARE INVENTING NEW WAYS TO DESTROY EACH

OTHER. THAT TOO AT THE COST OF SEVERAL NEEDY INNOCENTS, WHILE OUR LEADERS

TAKE SHELTER IN AIRCONDITONED NUKE PROOF CHAMBERS.

INDIA'S REAL ENEMY IS NOT PAKISTAN AND PAKISTAN'S ENEMY IS NOT INDIA.

WE THE PEOPLE ARE OUR OWN BIGGEST ENEMIES. WE NEED TO STOP ANHILATING

OURSELVES. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS EGO-GRATIFYING EXALTATIONS AND

JINGOISTIC NATIONALISM.

YOU GUYS ARE THE MEDIA. YOU CAN MAKE A VOICE HEARD BY ONE AND ALL.

THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE A ZEALOUS MINORITY DECIDING WHAT IS RIGHT

FOR MAJORITIES.IF THE RIGHT CONCERNS AND DESIRES ARE VOICED, THEN FOR SURE

OUR LEADERS HAVE TO FOLLOW SUIT.

I AM AN INDIAN .I HAVE NOTHING AGAINS TTHE PAKISTANIS AND I WANT TO

START AN INDO-PAK FRIENDSHIP COUNCIL. THOSE INTERESTED MAY CONTACT ME,

VAMSI AYYAGARI AT VAM420@HOTMAIL.COM. IN THE INTERNET, THERE ARE A FEW WHO

WILL PAY HEED. BUT IF YOU FOLKS DESIRE, THERE WILL BE MILLIONS WHO CAN BE

REACHED. AND WE CAN GIVE REAL PEACE AN EVERLASTING CHANCE.

I KNOW YOU MAY SEE NO NEED IN PUBLISHING OR ANNOUNCING THIS IN ALL THE

MEDIA YOU CONTROL OR INFLUENCE. AFTER ALL THE FACT REMAINS I AM NO ONE

GREAT. BUT I AM JUST A CRAZED CITIZEN AND AN INDIAN WHO THINKS THERE IS NO

NEED FOR EVERYONE IN THE WORLD TO DELIBERATELY TELL OURSELVES TO HATE EACH

OTHER. THE PROBLEM WITH OUR NATIONS LIES NOT SO MUCH IN THE FACT THAT THEY

CAN BE SOLVED AS WE LACK THE WILL TO SOLVE THEM.

IF YOU CAN BE KIND ENOUGH TO PUT THIS ON EVERY MEDIA (TV, YOUR TELECASTS

AND INTERNET) I WILL BE GRATEFULL TO YOU.

IT IS UPTO TO YOU TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU AS A RESPONSIBLE MEDIA WANT TO

MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

SINCERLY AND WITH A LOT OF HOPE - '

VAMSI MOHAN AYYAGARI

VAM420@HOTMAIL.COM

Friday, October 20, 2006

Do you need more accountants or programmers?


In a traditional form of business, when the business increase, we tend to increase the number of accountants, and other staff.


What our companies need to think of is the next generation adaptation of computers.


What I mean by that is that most of the businesses are now using excel, and ms word to run there business.


Some others are using peach tree, quick books, act, and other soft wares like this, however only .10 % of the people use Programmers to customize there own needs as per there needs.


I firmly belive after my experience, that as businesses grow, they must start a software department, that does not maintain a network, but actually makes software that is carved around there own needs.


If you talk to any business, all they want is there accounts software made, they do not really care about anything else, and many I would say 20% actually buy software to manage accounts, but the accountants are still there to do the data entry.


Be it reconciliation of accounts, be it other needs like that, but what they do not do is get TAYLOR made software according to there needs.


I think for any business to grow they must hire a full time programmer and a web designer, who will maintain there online shop and make there running cost lower and lower.


AS time will pass, we will see banks offering secure feeds to integrate into our billing software, to manage the accounts system, we will see all the companies offering there data to others, so that the data can be matched, we will see the government offering web services to integrate the billing systems in to it.


Its only a matter of time, when all the world will be so deeply wired that we will not really need to do multiple data entry, and the seller and buyer’s systems will talk to each other seamlessly without the need of entry by multiple party.


As internet penetrates and web applications become more available, we will see the servers in our offices disappear, we will see local applications disappear, and web applications coming alive.


Imagine a world without hotmail and yahoomail , almost every single internet user in the world uses or has a web mail account.


This is how our accounting, billing and other software’s will be, u will not be able to imagine anything without an online software.


If your company does not have anything to do with internet today, have your programs made using the web applications locally, you can run them from ANY PC, without installing any software and a really low cost pii can be then used as a dumb terminal with a internet explorer or firefox installed , and your software will run at the same speed as a visual basic client software, but u wont have to install anything and u wont have to worry about viruses or anything on your pc.


Once your business expand, u can take the same software and move your server into a data center or connect it to the internet, and wala, your customers can now access there invoices via the web.


Then will come web services where your server and your client’s server will talk to each other and share the invoices, and data with each other to collaborate and u will not need to make entries.


And then we will see the Government offering web services to send all your tax returns and sales tax information online instantly, and ur tax will be paid on the spot.



All this is not a fiction, it is a reality, and many of the leading companies in the world are now going towards that.


If you think u can get away with it, that’s not true, sooner or later u have to do it, so why not start today ? invest a small money on hiring a programmer, who works closely with you accountant and with you and start developing your in house applications.


Start with free open source software’s like sugar CRM for ur sales management , trixbox for your pbx, tikiwiki for your inhouse filing, mambo for your web site, and other gazillion software out there which u can transform to be used for your own use.



Have an EDGE on your competition, reduce ur cost, be more efficient.


Remember Information is power.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Pakistan Telecom and ICT Facts

Population of the Country: 150+ Million People ( 9 times the size of Australia, 50 times larger then UAE, Singapore And Hong Kong)

Names of International Banks: Standard Chartered, HSBC, CITIBANK, over 24 more international banks.

Mobile Operators: GSM Operators 7 (Telenor, Orascom, Etisalat) CDMA 5 in service, 13 more coming.

Cost of a Call: Pay 2.5$us a month for unlimited calls from Mobile to Mobile
Cost of International Call: Same as calling a local number inside Pakistan 2-5 Cents a min.

Number of Telephones: 40 Million (Growing 24% a year)

Broadband Cost: 128k Connection 1000 rs a month (18$)

Number of Email Users: 15 Million +

Average IT Person Salary: 100$ to 1000$+ a month