Evey chick has it’s day — an organic message
In NY – my mother-in-law serves me an organic egg laid by cage free chicks. This what the insert says:
“My name is Heather Fedbetter and I want to thank you for giving my sisters and me a wonderful home. When you support the Egg Innovations Brand, you are supporting a company that:
– Will Not Market any Caged Eggs under our Brand – We are the Cage Free Company!
– They do not feed me or any of my sisters Drugs, Antibiotics, or Animal by-products because when you are fedbetter, you feel better.
They give us a home on Family Farms not Factory Farms because YOU have a choice.
If you get a chance to visit our Website, I would love to show you around our site and let you see why I have found my home at Egg Innovations.
Have an EGGScellent Day!
Heather Fedbetter
P@SHA Success Story: Maison Consulting & Solutions provides CRM solution to KASB
Maison Consulting & Solutions is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that specializes in integrating Microsoft Dynamics solutions. In a series of consulting sessions, the organization introduced KASB Bank to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0—management software that helps bring together all areas of a business. Mujtaba Habib, VP of IT, says: ―We looked at implementing a Siebel solution or other locally developed technologies, but our colleagues at Maison Consulting & Solutions showed us how Microsoft Dynamics CRM could resolve our problems more cost effectively.
Maison Consulting & Solutions developed a collections management module on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which merges collections activities with sales activities. For example, calls from customers with defaulted loans are automatically routed to the collections management department.
The partner also developed a Microsoft .NET– based solution, which integrates with certified technology that extracts information from core banking. Sultan Hamdani, Senior Consultant and Chief Operating Officer, Maison Consulting & Solutions, says: ―Any user of Microsoft Dynamics CRM with authorized access can provide account balances or carry out funds transfers and bill payments in real time, over the telephone.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM was easily customized to support a complaints management system that routes and escalates calls automatically. It works with Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007, which triggers workflows and tracks complaints, and the bank’s call centre solution, which automates the distribution of calls between agents who can process requests such as pay orders and debit card replacements. Munawar Jaffrani, Executive Vice President and Head of Service Quality and Remote Banking, KASB Bank, says: ―The integration capabilities available in Microsoft Dynamics CRM have made it easy for us to create end- to-end automation in the contact centre.
The complete case study is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/CaseStudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?casestudyid=4000004824
On leaders and on milking their memories dry…
“Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
This is my definition of a leader – one that deserves my tears but will not make me cry.
Over the weekend, sitting in Karachi, I was utterly disappointed and amazed at the time, resources, and energy spent on remembering some of our deceased leaders (this time it was ZAB but there are many others that certain sections of our society remember throughout the year).
I was appalled by the non-objectivity of the media. Appalled that even the top anchors/hosts did not provide an objective and neutral picture of ZAB political career. Showing the good, the bad, and the ugly (or any objective combination).
It seems like the human species just cannot come out of its human mode – of creating heroes and gods. We create them and then we milk their memories dry.
Were they really leaders? Were they objective and professional? Did they leave behind exemplary institutions? Did they stick it out through thick and thin? Do they mostly escape to greener (Middle East) or whiter (Europe/USA) pastures when the going got tough? Do they mostly only come back when there is potential for high office?
Does a population owe a political leader anything? After all it is called “civil service.” Individuals enter into this profession out of their own choice and will.
CIO-P@SHA Campus Conversations at NED University
The IT eco system comes together once again. This time the industry, academics, students, and media came together at NED University, Karachi. The panel that faced 90 NED students at the CIS Lecture Hall included:
- Yusuf Jan, Chairman P@SHA
- Ashraf Kapadia, CEO Systems Ltd
- Kashif Aziz, Head of Technology Services at Central Depository Company of Pakistan
- Imran Daudi, IS Manager at Engro Corp
- Shoaib Shakoor, TRG Tech
- Saadi Rauf, NED Alumni
Get full details atRabia Garib’s post: http://ciopakistan.com/2010/03/campus-conversations-goes-to-ned
Where the mughals once ruled..
I came back with mixed feelings from my recent trip to India. I was part happy and part sad. After visiting the forts, mausoleums, and the mosques I can vividly imagine the grandness of those days and the might of the mughals.
From Fatehpur Sikri to Agra to Delhi, the mughal landmarks were massive, amazing, romantic, and sometimes fierce. The precision, size, and the brute strength of these structures makes you feel small
But besides the usual tourist traffic I was pleased to see other royals enjoying some of these mughal sites – and these royals included lots of parrots (and other birds), a puppy, and a family of monkeys!
In some ways, the Taj, Humayun’s Tomb, and the Forts are bird sanctuaries now. And one can enjoy watching these birds just as the mughals did centuries ago. Not to mention a very princely pup languishing in the gardens.
Alternate billing..
Of the many reasons for power outage and shortage, one reason is that the KESC occasionally runs out of fuel because it has not paid the PSO.
Why can’t the PSO send us (the consumer) a separate bill for the fuel component of our electricity usage?
So take the funds away from the KESC and put them directly into the pocket of the key supplier of KESC. We have a happy and fully paid supplier and less funds in the hands of KESC!
Could we possibly change the whole mechanism of government tax levies and collections? Can we reduce the income tax rates while directly paying schools, hospitals, and private institutions behind other municipal services?
The P@SHA Secretariat..
Attending a PASHA CEC meeting. With Jehan Ara, Shahzad Shahid, Jawwad Farid, Sultan Hamdani and Syed Ahmed and Nadeem Malik on a conference bridge. Missed some of our colleagues who were travelling or busy (Arooj Khan, Zafar Khan, and Faisal Khan) this time. Reviewing what we did year to date and planned for the next quarter. Discussion topics included policy advocacy, events, workshops for member companies and their employees, industry promotion, opportunities for member companies, coordination with other organizations (private and public), secretariat, funding, etc.
At the PASHA Secretariat, its been a productive and hectic 1st quarter. From attending the Nasscom Leadership Summit in Mumbai to a tour of Lahore and Islamabad to meet up with PASHA colleagues; Brainstorming sessions with Zia Imran, MD, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB); Arranging diverse and value adding workshops – Google (Marketing your Technology Products & Services Online) by Badar Khushnood; Using Social Media to Market your Business by Shahjahan Chaudhry; Ultrabootstrapping by Naeem Zafar; Innovation Workshop by CSF & HEC and more. Not to mention Jehan’s E-Crime Bill Briefing of 80 Lawyers & 2 Judges in Lahore; Meeting with IBA and LUMS academic teams and the Campus Conversation held at FAST, Karachi in partnership with CIO.
PASHA supported other events such as Talent Management Forum (Nutshell Forum); Microsoft Web Days; CFO Conference (Terrabiz); Mobile Commerce (Total Communications); and, Automation of the Banking Sector (Systems Ltd).
At PASHA, we don’t dwell on what has been done – the best is yet to come! I can’t have asked for a better secretariat team to work with!
Elections and statistics
Statistics and Elections!
Why on earth do we hold elections? How much does it cost to hold elections? What other important projects can be accomplished with the same funds that we use in holding elections? (new hospitals, schools, rural uplift programs, etc)
It seems like election results can be predicted to a great degree of accuracy. All you need is a to conduct surveys on a representative population sample set and applying statistical models and analysis. The consequent results come with an acceptable and small margin of error which is much less than the margin of manipulation, outright rigging and cheating associated with the old way of elections.
I’d urge students/academics of political science, statistics, and technology to look into this and come up with a game changing solution. The solution should be non-intrusively disruptive! whatever the heck this means 🙂
Campus Conversations Goes to FAST!
The IT eco system comes together – industry, academics, students, and media.
Campus Conversations
[March 17, 2010: Karachi, Pakistan] The CIO-P@SHA Campus Conversationstook place at the main campus of FAST today. Attended by more than 80 students, the 2-hour session was the first of a nation-wide initiative to bridge the gap between the industry and the academia. The panelists from the industry were: Jehan Ara, President P@SHA; Ashar Zaidi, Country Manager Intel Pakistan; Yusuf Jan, Head of MIXIT Technologies; Rahim Lalani Head of TRG Tech; and Danish Nafay, Deputy Manager SBS at National Foods Limited.
From the academia side, the representatives included, Professor Zafar Nasir, Head of Department (CS), Dr. Zubair Sheikh, Director FAST Karachi Campus, Amna, Ravendar Laal, Taha Rafiq and Sohaib Qamar.
Read the full details at http://ciopakistan.com/2010/03/campus-conversations-goes-to-fast/
Environmental protection – location undisclosed!
I am sure you can feel the serenity and peace in the picture. This is somewhere near Islamabad – probably a 10 min drive out of Islamabad. I also got an opportunity to drive out to Barakahu and inwards to where Imran Khan’s villa is and then towards Simli lake and towards Chak Shahzad.
Location Undisclosed!
I had gone back after 10 to 15 years. Boy oh boy, was I disappointed. Construction and dwellings everywhere – from Imran’s hill, the valley seemed like a Mumbai dwelling! I had no heart to continue towards Muree – I could imagine the disappointments waiting for me up there.
I dread going back after 10 years to the location in the picture and seeing it being destroyed by the affluent looking for a villa/farm house in the hills!
Yusuf Jan 