Kraysis..an interesting startup out of LUMS

Created by lums MBAs (who are also BCS graduates of FAST) Kraysis is an interesting new idea to spring out in Lahore. Reliable and strict QA (quality assurance) is a problem for software companies worldwide.

In more developed markets, small to medium sized firms do a roaring business outsourcing experienced QA resources to SMB software companies, for whom it is impossible due to cost or market conditions to maintain a long term QA team in house. Think of it like a lawyer firm of sorts. You wouldnt hire a lawyer but you would rent his/her services out for 4 months if you needed to, wont you?

Inbox Pakistan to build 700,000 Laptops for AIOU

..and as promised here is the answer. Allama Iqbal Open University and Intel recently signed an agreement to equip AIOU students with 700,000 Intel-powered classmate personal computers by 2009. Inbox Pakistan is the Intel partner that will assemble and deliver these machines over a 3 year period. This by far is the largest local hardware project to be handled by any assembler. Inbox is already the top PC maker for Pakistan as per the IDC rankings, and this only solidifies its position and volumes.

Lets hope this works out. Its things like these that help rebuild that already-eroded hope I have that we will have computer-literate students someday sipping chai and coding/surfing/learning using technology. See below to see what this laptop looks like:

Classmate PC’s are Intel’s answer to MIT’s OLPC project. It is basically a celeron M processor laptop with a 1 or 2 GB flash drive.

The full story is here as per the APP:

http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7442&Itemid=2

Classmate PCs:

http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=48582 

Pakistani Company inks deal for 700,000 PCs with local University

And now you’re thinking…I must be kidding right? Find out tomorrow when I reveal who it is and what Intel and this company have done to close what is probably the largest single laptop/pc deal in Pakistani IT history!

SatNav ie GPS (finally) comes to Pakistan

Many have talked about it, but no one really put in the money and effort to build something like this. Now, thanks to Trakker , for a whopping 95,000 rupees (95k only baba only), you could get into the “techie cool” club of those few who have a somewhat working GPS based nav system in their cars, as opposed to those non-working japanese-error displaying screens that you might oddly think of as cool in your newly imported Vitz Will this really help me get from Golee Maar to my oddly located house, say in PECHS? well chances are it..might.

KASB Bank gets Misys rolling…

According to a Misys press release, KASB Bank has started brining the Misys core banking solution online at the branch level. KASB is the second major customer for Misys in Pakistan , the other one being Habib Bank. Misys implementations almost always have IBM on the hardware and sometimes services end due to the strong Misys/IBM partnership and KASB and Habib are no exception.Both have and will support strong IBM installbases to run the Misys solution. Its generally a good idea to do what KASB did..ie install a tried-and-successful core banking solution early on in their life (the bank has 35 branches).

…and we’re back!

things have been very busy in my neck of the woods…but here I am once again. Not one but two (oh chee wow) posts coming up to make up for my week long absence from the blogosphere…see below for new posts..

Online, collaborative whiteboards

Are you a local shop working on outsourced projects from the US? or just someone looking to have some fun with friends and family who are abroad? Remember the netmeeting whiteboard ? it used to be so much fun. It still exists, as a toned down feature in the new msn..but heres something cooler. The super-cool web based version of the collaborative whiteboard:

http://thinkature.com/

check it out. Think, draw, have fun, plan, conquer, whatever. But do check it out! I predict this will be as common and fun as meebo.com soon!

AMZ Dev team walks out…

Yup. Following some serious differences between the management and the dev team (no comment from me on who was right and who was not) , the Dev team lead for AMZ access’s BI product (Sapience) walked out and along with him several of his team members also resonated the move. I think now some of the team has returned to AMZ, but there is still alot of flux and the issue hasnt yet been settled. (not sure if the dev team lead returned). This is news from several industry veterans so far. Whoever personally prevails in this matter, AMZ loses..not good.

In terms of management, I cant comment on AMZ’s directly since I have not interacted with any of them, but most people should look to the way Techlogix treats its employees. I have yet to speak to a disgruntled or unhappy technologix employee. furthermore, and very important, Techlogix offers stock options..ie ownership options to its employees. Being even a part owner of something changes your entire outlook towards the “job”. Stock options, a norm in the US and now more so India, is a practice that our software firms can learn from and should follow. Software firm owners: If you’re building a firm, share it. Im sure it will hurt giving away parts of your beloved idea that has come oh so far, but you get back more than you give away, I assure you of that!

Promoting Pakistan in the Far-East

I will be in Thailand all week on a business trip promoting Pakistani technology and solutions. Wish me luck, also I have 2 posts I need to finish for your reading pleasure, will try and get those done in a day or two, as soon as I find another starbucks with a hotspot attached!