Here is what Mobilink says announcing this:

Mobilink yet again pioneered in providing its customers with maximum convenience whether in Pakistan or abroad. Mobilink introduces “International Jazz Load” in collaboration with ezetop.

[via Website]

No doubt that the feature where the customer will receive top from their colleagues from abroad is a value addition and convenience . But as we look at the coverage map of ezetop on their website they had earlier shown and still show Ufone, Warid and Zong along with Mobilik being the operators this international top-up feature is available on.

Ufone: http://www.ufone.com/mobpro_intlre.aspx

Zong: http://www.zong.com.pk/packages_recharge_options_intTopPop.html?node=7_2

Warid: http://www.waridtel.com/consumer/product/int-topup/index.php

Even Mobilink: http://www.mobilinkgsm.com/jazz/ezetop.php

Revamping the same old feature, can Mobilink still call itself pioneer for international load?

Nevertheless to send JAZZ Load to Pakistan, just go to any of the ezetop affiliated retailer/money exchange near you OR visit www.ezetop.com and recharge JAZZ balance for anyone in Pakistan by following few simple steps mentioned below:

Through Retailer/Money Exchange:

• Go to any ezetop affiliated retailer/money exchange
• Request the agent/retailer to send top-up to any JAZZ Number in Pakistan
• Inform the agent/retailer of the amount and JAZZ Number
• Pay cash to agent/retailer

Through Website:

• Visit www.ezetop.com
• Register with ezetop website
• Select Pakistan as country and JAZZ as operator
• Enter the JAZZ Number and select the amount to top-up
• Enter the credit/debit card information and complete the transaction

There are many ways to promote dual SIM phones, this is just not the one which we appreciate. The phone could be a nice one, but people are staying away from Samsung products because of these kind of ads. Other companies should learn a lesson from this: people are watching and they have a voice now.  What about you: what is your take on this?

Soon after the flood, Google crisis response team setup a portal to help with Pakistan flood relief. Google also contributed $250K for the relief.

http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/pakistan_floods.html

Here’s Google’s statement:

We’ve created a crisis response page (Urdu) that hosts a variety of tools and compiles information about the disaster, including the latest news from local media sources, any available satellite imagery of the affected areas, and ways to donate to verified NGOs supporting the relief effort. It can also be accessed from the Google.com.pk homepage.

For those concerned about loved ones, the Pakistan Person Finder Tool can be used to submit or search for information about individuals who may have been affected. Similarly, the Pakistan Resource Finder Tool helps disseminate updated information about health facility services, including doctors, equipment and beds available, which may change rapidly during the disaster. These tools are available in English and Urdu. We encourage organizations and media sites to embed the gadgets on their sites and help spread the word. (Instructions on embedding are listed below.)

In addition, we’ve made an initial monetary donation of $250,000 to immediately aid in relief efforts. We are continuing to explore what tools and imagery we can provide that will be helpful and will be posting updates to the Pakistan disaster response page.

It is ironic that Etisalat has been “nominated” for best brand while they have huge issues with their employees.

A shortage of electronics parts is curbing sales at telecommunications-equipment makers, forcing them to scramble for supplies as manufacturers that slashed production fail to restore capacity fast enough.

Telecom-gear firms say they are hunting for new suppliers, paying higher prices for components and rushing deliveries by plane. Parts suppliers are hiring more workers, deferring plans to shut factories and rationing parts to their best customers—but demand still outstrips supply.

The problem stems from the recession, when electronics-component manufacturers scaled back production. That created fewer parts to sell to companies, such as Alcatel-Lucent SA and Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson, that make network equipment for wireless carriers.

In recent months, demand for that equipment has accelerated, as wireless carriers need it to increase their network capacity. The proliferation of smartphones is taxing wireless carriers’ existing networks, and the shortages are mainly of basic parts used in equipment to build and upgrade network capacity.

In April, Ericsson said first-quarter sales, which fell 9%, were “impacted by tight industry component supply conditions.” Equipment-supply constraints have hurt AT&T Inc.’s ability to improve its wireless network; the firm recently said it doesn’t expect those constraints to ease until the end of summer.

Shortages aren’t limited to network-equipment parts. Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam said in May that a shortage of screens produced by Samsung Electronics Co. is hurting sales of its HTC Droid Incredible phone. More recently, he said he expects the company will be able to meet demand for the phone within the next 30 to 60 days as shortages get corrected.

At Alcatel-Lucent, CEO Ben Verwaayen said in a first-quarter earnings statement in May that the telecom-gear maker wasn’t able to “fully satisfy customer demand for our products due to tightening components availability.”

Nick DeTura, vice president for supply chain and logistics in the Americas for Alcatel, said he began to notice parts including integrated circuits, transistors and power supplies—which are used to make wireless base stations, routers and switches—becoming more scarce in the fourth quarter.

Now, Mr. DeTura said there is a 50% to 150% increase in the time it takes his suppliers to fill orders for certain components. He is looking for additional suppliers, offering to pay higher prices for components and having parts delivered to him by plane rather than ship, a move that can cost millions of dollars in extra charges over the course of a quarter, he said.

Alcatel is also creating “buffer stocks” of components that are still available, buying 1,000 units when it would normally buy 10, in case the shortage spreads. Alcatel has even redeployed some of its ow$n staffers to help suppliers identify ways to increase and accelerate output.

“We’re doing everything we can…to get as much as we can of the component-shortage problem rectified in the shortest period of time,” Mr. DeTura said.

Alcatel and Ericsson declined to identify which suppliers are struggling to meet demand. Several Chinese components makers shut factories in the recession and have been slow to restore capacity. More broadly, suppliers now are adding shifts and hiring workers, but analysts say it could be three to four months before they get backup to speed.

STMicroelectronics NV closed a Dallas factory that made analog chips in 2009 and cut capacity in half at a Phoenix factory. The company expects the Phoenix plant to close by the end of 2010, but it is now redeploying equipment to other locations in order to avoid losing capacity, said Alain Dutheil, chief operating officer, and has already redeployed the Dallas equipment.

Texas Instruments Inc., which makes analog chips, has moved aggressively to ramp capacity back up. During the downturn, it laid off workers and idled portions of some factories for several weeks in the first quarter of 2009 to slow production after orders dropped 42% in the last quarter of 2008, said Gregg Lowe, senior vice president of analog at TI.

But as demand for chips started to increase in the second quarter of 2009, TI began hiring 2,500 manufacturing workers and installing new factory equipment. TI says its capacity is now 20% higher than its predownturn peak.

In old days (say 15 years ago or earlier) these public relations tricks worked to some extent. These days, the information and reputation of brands is well known. You can’t expect these announcements to go well with public and consumers. With so much user generated content available about these brands, it is easy to see their real standing.

Etisalat and Ufone Teams – please spend your money on customer service. You are hurting your brand by participating in these gimmicks.

The PTCL administrators have decided to approach the district administration of Islamabad to arrest the leaders of the Workers Alliance to “protect its building and installations against any harm”.

The disturbance in routine operations of PTCL as a result of this strike have multiplied the customer grievances over the last 15 days and it still continues to do so. When I write this post, our poll results show more than 90% respondents affected. The majority are concerned over their DSL connections being either pending, slow or down.

The official statement on employees packages from PTCL is as follows:

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) after privatization is a privately run organization, which follows private sector practices for the betterment of its employees. The current announcement by the Government of Pakistan for the raise of salaries by 50% does not apply to PTCL.

However, keeping in mind the inflation and employees’ well being, PTCL has offered the most adequate compensation package for its employees with a raise of 30% on their running pay scale and 20% December and June performance based raise in terms of good conduct, punctuality and discharge of their normal duties.

It was further added that PTCL management has decided to allow the placement of all non-management regular employees in the next higher scale as per the channel of promotion on account of 12 years service. In addition to this Eid Bonus has been announced for all employees on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

It has been said that though it was not mandatory for PTCL to raise its employee’s salary but at PTCL employees are the most valued asset of the company and their well being and benefits have always been the top most priority.

There are still some elements that are propagating and instigating employees, exploiting and staging protests for their own vested interests, ignoring the collective larger interest of all employees.

These elements are completely oblivious to the tormented times our country and nation is going through and facing widespread devastation caused due to floods, which have also grossly effected PTCL’s operations also in turn compounds the problems of flood affectees. Rather they are taking advantage of the country and PTCL situation and have resorted to exploitative tactics to gain their own personal motives. And their apathetic behavior has actually brought forward their deceitful intentions towards their fellow colleagues, company and country at large.

PTCL urges the employees to return back to their normal day to day duties in the interest of the company.

[via PR]

And this:

The Motorola Foundation is supporting CARE in Pakistan.

In response to the recent floods in Pakistan, the Motorola Foundation has donated US$50,000 to CARE (www.care.org) and pledged an additional US$50,000 to match Motorola employee donations to CARE.

“Our sympathies are extended to the people affected by these natural disasters” said Karen Tandy, senior vice president, public affairs, Motorola. “This donation is an example of Motorola’s continued commitment to humanitarian relief throughout the world.”

Other than the donation from Motorola Foundation, employees in Pakistan have also contributed meaningfully towards relief activities for flood survivors. Motorola Pakistan has supplied food and other staple items including medicines worth US$14,600 through rescue teams in different areas of Punjab and Khayber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

DTAC, mobile operator from Thailand, contributes to the Telenor relief efforts.

Telenor Group’s operating company DTAC Thailand handed over a cheque of Rs68 million to Telenor Pakistan here today as its contribution toward the ongoing flood relief efforts.

To announce the donation a press conference was organized by Telenor Pakistan at a local hotel. Present on the occasion from Telenor Pakistan were Aamir Ibrahim, Vice President Corporate Affairs & Chief Strategy Officer; and Affan Haider, Head of Corporate Communications & Responsibility. DTAC was represented by Thana Thienachariya, Chief, Corporate Affairs & Strategy; and Wansit Saiyawan, Department Head, Corporate Affairs, PR & Communication.

Addressing the press conference Thana Thienachariya said: “DTAC and its employees have a long tradition of reaching out to communities in their time of need. As soon as we learnt about the devastating floods in Pakistan and the widespread destruction they have caused, DTAC Management decided to commit funds toward Pakistan’s flood relief efforts. We also made a passionate appeal to our employees to donate generously. By contributing the equivalent of Rs68 million to the relief efforts we hope we are able to help in some small way toward lessening the loss and grief that the people of Pakistan are facing due to these destructive floods.”

Aamir Ibrahim thanked employees of DTAC and members of its Management for personally coming to Pakistan to hand over their donation. “Your contribution will help make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of flood affected people by helping rebuild their livelihoods and overcome their immediate difficulties,” he said. “Such generous donations help Telenor Pakistan reinforce its commitment to help the flood affected, especially through long-term sustainable rehabilitation projects that are in line with the local needs.”

[via PRs]

The latest easypaisa service can be availed by anyone with a valid CNIC irrespective of any mobile operator or bank affiliation through all Sales and Service Centres and Franchises of Telenor Pakistan and all branches of Tameer Microfinance Bank.

Vice President Financial Services Telenor Pakistan, Roar Bjaerum, announced the launch of ‘International Home Transfer’ service and shared, “Lack of financial infrastructure in many areas of Pakistan makes the process of receiving international remittances sent by loved ones abroad cumbersome. easypaisa International Home Transfer is meant to facilitate bridging this gap. At the same time, this service is part of our vision to offer wider range of financial services to increase financial inclusion in Pakistan.”

Speaking at the launch of International Home Transfer, the Chief Executive Officer Tameer Microfinance Bank, Nadeem Hussain said, “The regular stream of new additions in the easypaisa portfolio displays regulators confidence in the reliability and performance of the solution. This new service offers all the benefits of any conventional remittance service. We are making quick progress towards offering new services providing additional benefits to the customers.

The senders of funds from abroad can transfer the money through the wide network of Xpress agents present in more than 80 countries including United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom. A transaction ID will be generated on sending the amount which, along with the CNIC, are required to claim the funds through all Telenor Pakistan Sale & Service Centers, Franchises and Tameer Microfinance Bank outlets. International remittances can play a valuable role in providing foreign exchange, but more importantly, also offer significant potential to support incomes of poor and vulnerable groups. Tameer Bank has been given a member status of Pakistan Remittances Initiative (PRI). PRI is a joint initiative of State Bank of Pakistan, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Ministry of Finance aimed at increasing the inflow of remittances through legal channels. Keeping in mind the importance of international remittances to Pakistan’s economy, the International Home Transfer service is being offered without any charges.

Telenor Pakistan and Tameer Microfinance Bank’s easypaisa International Home Transfer Service will extend its relationships to more transfer agents in addition to Xpress Money in the future.

[via PR]