PTA Organized an Event to Celebrate 100 Million Cellular Subscriptions: ProPakistani

PTA Organized an Event to Celebrate 100 Million Cellular Subscriptions
Warid Shuffles its Management; What’s on the Cards?
Become a Star With Jazz Jazba
Zong’s M9 Receives Extraordinary Response
Letter to the Editor: Does Telenor Even Remember that Once it had a Persona Blog?
Marketing Strategies For Digital Media
Abdur Rauf Chaudhry Deputed as Secretary IT
R&D Funds of Telecom Operators Reach Rs. 40 billion
How Mobile Phones Can be Best Used by Household Ladies?

PTA Organized an Event to Celebrate 100 Million Cellular Subscriptions

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 08:15 AM PST

PTA Organized an Event to Celebrate 100 Million Cellular Subscriptions is a post from: ProPakistani

As per PTA, the cellular mobile Industry of Pakistan achieved 100 million subscription mark in year 2010.

In order to commemorate this landmark achievement, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) organized 100 million cellular subscription celebration event at Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).

During this landmark ceremony Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, was the Chief guest.

Federal Minister for Information Technology & Telecom, Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali, Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen, Federal Ministers, Federal Secretaries, Representatives from Awan-e-Sadar, Prime Minister Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regulatory Authorities, IT & telecom industry experts, CEOs of telecom companies, and media representatives attended the event.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on the occasion said the government was committed to facilitate development of communication infrastructure in the country through a well defined regulatory policy and legislative framework.

Prime Minister said:

“Our telecom policy is characterized by a mix of public-private partnership and policy of deregulation. Critical reforms have been introduced in this sector under the umbrella of National ICT Research & Development Fund and Universal Service Fund.

I am sure that with sustained policy focus and dedication of IT professionals, the government would continue to achieve successes in this sector. The success of cellular mobile industry has become an exemplary model of coordinated efforts between the government, the industry and the policy makers.

I understand that more than 61% of population and over 92% of land area is now covered by cellular services. It is an ample justification of the fact that cellular mobile revolution has taken over the whole country connecting millions of people, thousands of job opportunities and adding billions of rupees to the national exchequer”, said the Prime Minister, Syed Yusaf Raza Gillani.

The competition in the cellular market has reached its apex as operators are introducing new services, bringing tariffs down and improving customer services. Government's pro-industry reforms and investor-friendly policies have made Pakistan a lucrative investment attraction for the global community.

The telecom industry is flourishing due to the presence of renowned multinationals in the sector ensuring a respectable share of telecom in the total FDI of the country, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister said the most impressive aspect of cellular revolution is the macro- and micro- effects on the nation's economy. Telecom is one of the most thriving sectors in the economic growth, which brought over US 11 billion dollars of investment during the last five years, he said adding at the international level, Pakistan is a respected and recognized polity in the telecom circles, being awarded with highest honors by renowned telecom institutions like ITU, GSMA, SAMENA.

He said the stakeholders must not forget the aspirations and expectations of the consumers, who have made this achievement possible by putting their money, time and trust in these services and their providers.

Better quality of service, fair tariffs, amiable customer and innovative value added services can turn these 100 million subscribers into 100 million opportunities for stakeholders to venture into new paradigms and explore new possibilities, he added.

He expressed the hope that the upcoming 3G licensing would inculcate a new incentive for operators and consumers alike.

"I expect that the relevant quarters would speed up the necessary procedures in this regard."He congratulated all the stakeholders who truly collaborated and coordinated their efforts for the success of telecom industry in Pakistan.

"I am sure that telecom industry of Pakistan will continue to achieve prestige and honour in the future too," the Prime Minister said.

Minister for Information Technology, Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali said

Telecom sector has significant contribution to the GDP and the future of Pakistan lies in this sector.Telecom sector has become biggest contributor to tax revenue of the country, the minister said, adding that the number of mobile users is more than the registered voters in Pakistan.

Earlier, Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammad Yaseen in his welcome address said:

Telecom sector in Pakistan is the biggest in SAARC region and attracted &6.3 billion investment out of total investment of &11 billion. He said this sector contributed $332 million revenue to the national exchequer during the last three year.

CEO of Mobilink, Rashid Khan said that telecom industry in Pakistan is a lucrative market for foreign investors. He said, in each minute 4,30,000 SMSs and 60,000 voice messages are sent through mobile phones.

This historical event will long be remembered not only by the regulator but also by the Government of Pakistan without who's fair and friendly policies it could not have been possible to achieve 100 million subscription mark. During the ceremony Pakistan Post representative presented a commemorative stamp to the Prime Minister of Pakistan which has been issued on this occasion.

History of Cellular Telephony in Pakistan:

Pakistan telecom industry was growing at an astounding pace after the deregulation of the sector. The mobile sector growth has been extraordinary and this sector has become a model for other countries across the world.

A number of factors have played role in it including investor friendly government policies and healthy competition introduced by the Government which has encouraged operators to an extra mile for making a strong subscriber base. The predictions, estimates and forecasts made for Pakistan mobile industry proved to be counterfactual and the subscriber base proceeded with growth higher than the forecasted one.

Mobile services in Pakistan started in 1995 and three operators Instaphone, Paktel and Mobilink were providing services to only 68,038 subscribers on exorbitant rates. In order to give choice to the people of Pakistan, Ufone a subsidiary of PTCL was given license to operate mobile services in year 2000.

With the consent of the Government the Regulator implemented the Calling Party Pays Regime in 2001 which gave boost to the subscriber base and it crossed 1 million in 2002. (1.7 million Subscribers in 2002).

In 2003 deregulation was introduced in the mobile sector of Pakistan through Mobile Cellular Policy. Telenor & Warid were awarded two new mobile licenses in 2004 against the price of 291 million dollar each and they started their operations in 2005. There was competition with 6 operators which gave boost to mobile subscribers base and it crossed 12 million in 2005.

Telecom Industry showed signs of maturity with competition in 2007 and operators were providing services to 68 million subscribers. In year 2009 subscribers crossed figure of 95 million. In June 2010 mobile subscribers reached 99.4 million.

PTA says that it will continue to ensure provision of best telecom services to the citizens of Pakistan. Its main objective is to make the telecom sector an even stronger and vital asset to national economy. PTA hopes to continue its efforts in this direction.

Warid Shuffles its Management; What’s on the Cards?

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 06:30 AM PST

Warid Shuffles its Management; What’s on the Cards? is a post from: ProPakistani

warid new logo Warid Shuffles its Management; Whats on the Cards?

Warid secured over 17 million subscribers and a network covering 6800 destination, 550 cities throughout Pakistan. In terms of subscriber base Warid is Pakistan's fourth largest cellular operator but in terms of service excellence, Warid is Pakistan's unrivaled cellular service provider.

Company began 2010 embroiled in news of a takeover by a competing cellular company. A year later, it still remains embroiled in the same news with a different company now being named as the likely acquirer.

The rumors of its biggest shareholder, the Abu Dhabi Group, planning to exit the Pakistani landscape moved to substantiate the takeover news, only for the Arab owners to publicly refute all such matters.

The daily business for Warid and its consumers continues unabated. The musically-entwined adverts featuring the nation's top acting talents, strumming their best poses to send a message of some great deal that the company is offering.

But the periodic results are speaking volumes of a company trying to re-gather an understanding of the market and its focus. Among all cellular companies in Pakistan, Warid and Ufone were the only ones to show a negative trend in subscriber numbers, as per the PTA report for 2009-10 FY. According to inside reports, Warid has lost over a million subscribers in the last year, including corporate clientele.

While this churn of users is not an identifier of the network quality, it is a serious consideration of the business model that has been implemented. When Warid launched 6 years ago, it used the holding group's Bank Alfalah network to push sales of its postpaid segment. Relationship officers, whose primarily role was to find lucrative accounts for the bank, were being forced to get customers to sign on to postpaid connections with Warid.

If analyzed, there are two sides to look at here; the utilization of established means of consumer reach allowed for a quick access to prospective clientele but the lack of long term vision in the sales model meant a lack of vision of addressing the market needs.

Enter 2011, and the Abu Dhabi Group's management has just played a fresh round of musical chairs. With the departure of some top executives, the head of the group has sent Mr. Zouhair Khaliq as the Executive Director on the boards of its telecom and broadband operations; Warid and Wateen. Mr. Naeem Zamindar and Mr. Muneer Farroqui retain their roles as CEO of Wateen and Warid respectively.

However, what has sent minds in overdrive across the industry is the one fact shared by all three operational heads; all were executives of another cellular company in the not too distant past, one which is being talked of becoming the acquirer of Warid.

Most industry analysts see the shuffle as a means of easing the acquisition process; placing individuals who are familiar with the system and personnel of the prospective new owner.

On the other side, a positive outlook is being encouraged with the sense that the new management is being placed to return the company to greener pastures with a better market understanding and without the need for ownership change.

How the 'Life' of Warid's Network changes with new management? Let's wait and watch!

Become a Star With Jazz Jazba

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 04:43 AM PST

Become a Star With Jazz Jazba is a post from: ProPakistani

By Zulfiqar Bhutti

Becoming a star has never been so easy! Now you can become a star too with Jazz Jazba's Star of 2011, a new exciting feature that puts the spotlight directly on you for the entire world to see.

The feature is the latest in the series offered by Mobilink's youth package Jazz Jazba and is quickly garnering nationwide praise for the ingenious way it is impacting the young generation of Pakistan.

Tell the World Your New Year 'Such Resolution'.

The response to the Star of 2011 feature has been absolutely amazing. People are lining up to become the stars of the New Year. All you need is a new year's resolution. Just follow the instructions below.

Visit the Jazz Jazba Star of 2011 home page
Write your 'Such Resolution' in the given space
Type in your name, address and contact information
Upload your picture through the link provided
Click on Submit

And that's it! It's just that simple.

Shortly after submission, your picture will be uploaded on Jazz Jazba's homepage and Facebook page sporting your new year's resolution thereby officially making you a Star of 2011.

This is a great way to demonstrate your passion for the things you value the most. Whether it's your never ending love for Pakistan or something you want to change from within, Mobilink is giving you the perfect platform to show the world you mean business. This is your opportunity to sparkle like a star.

Get involved and express yourself!

Zong’s M9 Receives Extraordinary Response

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 04:08 AM PST

Zong’s M9 Receives Extraordinary Response is a post from: ProPakistani

Zong received an astounding response to their brand new package "M9".

The service gives its subscribers the flexibility to design their own package. M9 is offering wide range of M9 plans allowing its user to pick one of them with as low as 0.90 paisa/minute.

You can check complete details of M9 Package here

Be it a voice savvy user, a text fanatic or someone with combination usage, each M9 plan offers unique benefits to its subscribers. These benefits are refreshed every month along with free minutes which the users receive everyday based on their last day's usage.

Because of this, M9 customers need not to wait for promotions like putting their SIMs back and getting mere and conditional free minutes or balance.

Internet users are the main invitees for this package as they will be able to choose their call rates, free benefits, product bundles, voice & VAS add-ons with just one click. Web, WAP & USSD menu will be used to select the right package as per need.

"We have approached the local market; segmenting down to the low income users and ensuring that the packages we promote provide the most benefit to our subscribers said Salman Wassay, Head of Marketing, ZONG". M9 brings a link between the needs and affordability of the masses who are already burdened with daily expenses of survival, he further added.

Existing customers of other packages of ZONG will be allowed to migrate to M9 package as well. Users of other operators will be able to switch to ZONG by dialing 0314-3334455 only. Telecom specialists suggest that the freedom to choose one's own plan is the reason behind the success of M9 as the market is becoming more segmented day by day and users are now keener on getting services which are customized according to their needs.

In few days facebook fan page of the brand has garnered more than 17,000 fans. The official website of M9 has also received more than 10,00,000 hits in less than 10 days.

ZONG, an international brand of China Mobile, which entered Pakistan's telecom industry a few years back, has spread its coverage across the country. It is interesting to note that Zong has the largest subscriber base of data/ mobile internet customers compared to any other cellular operator in the country.

Letter to the Editor: Does Telenor Even Remember that Once it had a Persona Blog?

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 03:06 AM PST

Letter to the Editor: Does Telenor Even Remember that Once it had a Persona Blog? is a post from: ProPakistani

Dear ProPakistani,

It has been more than a month now that I am trying to visit the Telenor Persona blog but every time I open http://www.telenor.com.pk/personablog/, I get the same HTTP 500 Internal Server Error.

What is this? Are Telenor people even aware this fact? Do they know anything about what is going with their blog and if not then somebody better tell them that it is too long for their website to be inaccessible.

What kind a blog is it if people can't access it and can't read or leave any comment on it?

Probably, these Telenor guys have forgotten that they even had a blog to maintain. This is actually what happens when you put too much in your plate.

They should only have as many websites and blogs that they can manage easily, otherwise it will leave all their customers as disgruntled and annoyed as I am right now.

have always been very fond of Telenor Weblounge and Djuice website, but I have to say this is by far the biggest disappointment for me!

From an annoyed Djuice blogger!

———————————————————

Letter written to ProPakistani reflect readers thoughts, feelings and experiences. ProPakistani may or may not, partially or fully, agree with content of these letters. ProPakistani bears no responsibility in any manner of the content produced in these letters/emails.

You can write to us by visiting this page or email us here: letters [a] propakistani.com (remove spaces and replace [a] with @ )

Marketing Strategies For Digital Media

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 01:44 AM PST

Marketing Strategies For Digital Media is a post from: ProPakistani

This is a Guest Post by Umair Mohsin, who has been into technology and marketing for over 10 years now. He's Director – Digital Marketing & Strategy for Media Idee Digital, with enterprise clients in Sweden, UK, Middle East and Pakistan.

Every year for the last five years digital pundits had been predicting dramatic change in our media consumption. They had foretold the convergence of digital and broadcast media, the erosion of mass audiences and the restructuring of the media and advertising industries. So far every year, leading industry practices had remained static, even stagnant, and the overall pattern of marketing spend had barely changed in all these years.

2011 however marks the event when the long-predicted future has finally arrived heralded by the ever increasing number of advertisers looking for digital solutions. The marketing spend on digital in Pakistan is reportedly crossing the $5 million mark, the setting up of 'digital agencies' by the dozen, established traditional agencies setting up 'interactive divisions', whilst prior tech companies proclaim themselves to be 'agencies' and both mainstream media companies and major marketers accepting the facts that the methods by which consumers absorb information and entertainment and the ways they perceive, retain, and engage with brands and brand messages have changed irrevocably, as evidenced in interviews in Nov-Dec, 2010 issue of Aurora, the leading trade magazine for the advertising industry.

Now enough consumers are spending enough time accessing information and entertainment via digital media platforms to have shifted the overall pattern of media use. This shift will increase substantially in 2013 as greater broadband penetration (4.13 Million connections estimated by PTA) and roughly 20% of all Pakistani households using broadband will make the internet more viable as an alternative entertainment platform as well.

Yet digital platforms continue to remain a mystery for most Pakistani marketers. This is because they transform the traditional marketing and media ecosystem into an intimate, immersive, accountable environment, in which consumers can interact with brands at every level of the purchase funnel.

This befuddles the mind as it is very different from the linear content and communication form developed for traditional marketing channels where the consumer is assumed to be the sheep or as politically correctly called 'captive viewer'.

The old media world was where information was controlled and limited by editorial through a centralized single channel distribution system. In today's multi-channel world of 'leaks', however it's not really surprising that these old forms of advertising should fail to translate well as consumers increasingly behave more like discerning critics who use the Internet to pick through and make their own sense of the swathes of information available. To survive in this new reality, thus requires a massive change in mindset.

The first thing to understand about digital marketing is that (surprisingly) it is not primarily about technology. It's about providing relevant & interesting value in the form of ideas and experiences that get people engaged, makes them want them to talk, provide real entertainment value, or render a useful service to the consumer rather than just another [empty] marketing slogan, dance or jingle.

These marketing ideas and experiences thus need to be crafted with the same discipline as the underlying product so that the two become virtually indistinguishable.

Secondly, to effectively engage consumers in the new digital space, marketers need to define more clearly the values that underlie each of their brands and to instill those values throughout the marketing program through integrated marketing. Marketing executives can start by asking the overarching question: What new capabilities and services will enhance the value of my product to my customers? The answer to which will thus develop an understanding of capabilities they should keep in-house (e.g., those that can achieve scale across the portfolio and that create essential advantage) and which should be outsourced to external marketing, media, and technology partners.

Thirdly, it helps to remember digital marketing's greatest selling point. Digital benefits marketers by furnishing a real time, direct, uninterrupted view of the consumer and a measurable, efficient read on the return marketers are generating on each marketing spend. This accountability and intimacy are particularly important now, when a cluttered and highly fragmented media environment has made "buying awareness" prohibitively expensive.

However it's one thing to collect digital information; it's quite another to draw intelligence from it. Leading marketers would be wise to build partnerships with their digital agencies to track ad placement, versioning and effectiveness as well as delve in social insights generated through 'listening' to the consumer.

To thus keep up with the times, the following are some recommendations for new digital marketers and traditional agencies:

Shift just 3% of your media spending and management attention to digital media and learn how to use those media to more effectively influence consumer purchase behavior. Especially learn to develop in formats which promote interaction with audiences.
Digital is not a silo. Combine "above-the-line" advertising and "below-the-line" marketing (promotions, sponsorships, events, public relations) in new two-way interactive campaigns. Touch-based technologies can really amp up any event.
Research through approaches and metrics that measure outcomes.

Traditional advertising has lost its storytelling charm and evolved instead into predictable, often bland, and largely invisible dance based executions that are not memorable or inspiring.

Industry-wide, companies are making digital media a bigger priority in their brand strategies. It's not that digital alone will dominate over other mediums. Mass advertising will continue to perform a role in driving awareness, but increasingly as digital makes head-end marketers will prioritize towards channels that deliver accountability, relevance, and interactivity to fully capitalize on the online opportunity. The digital markets thus are only set to boom.

Abdur Rauf Chaudhry Deputed as Secretary IT

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 12:28 AM PST

Abdur Rauf Chaudhry Deputed as Secretary IT is a post from: ProPakistani

AbdurRaufChaudhry Abdur Rauf Chaudhry Deputed as Secretary IT Abdur Rauf Chaudhry has been given additional charge of secretary temporary in the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication recently. He will be serving as secretary IT to resolve the issues of USF and ICT R&D funds.

With the deputation of Rauf Chardhry, the MoITT has been made functional for the first time in the current setup having minister and secretary both have been assumed their offices.

Earlier, the MoITT was working whether without minister for two and half year or it has become secretary-less for nearly a month.

Sardar Aseff Ahmed assumed the charge of the ministry in December 2010 after his previous ministry (Education) was dissolved at federal level.

Abdur Rauf Churdhry, Secretary Cabinet Division, has been deputed as secretary IT for time being. He was also working as secretary with present minister in the Federal Ministry of Education previously.

Official sources said the secretary will be looking after IT issues while the rest of the telecom sector will be looked after by member telecom, Mushtaq Bhatti.

It seems that the government may not appoint a full-fledge secretary in the minister as IT and telecom has not been its priority, an official said on the condition of anonymity.

Unlike, the previous government paid much importance to the ministry, resulting the country witnessed immense growth in the IT and telecom sector till now, he remarked.

About Secretary IT

Mr. Chaudhry joined government service in 1974 through competitive examination conducted by Federal Public Service Commission and was placed in District Management Group (DMG).

In the Federal Government, Mr. Chaudhry has served as Secretary to Government of Pakistan for the Ministry of Housing and Works and the Ministry of Textile Industry in addition to his present assignment as Secretary Education. His other important assignments in the federal government include his serving as Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Secretariat as well as other ministries.

Born on 7th July 1951, Mr. Abdur Rauf Chaudhry has done his M.A in Economics from the University of Punjab as well as Masters in Development Studies from Vanderbilt University, USA. He also holds a diploma in Development Studies from University of Cambridge, UK. He has attended several courses in the realm of management studies, which include the course on Development and Administration at NIPA, Lahore, Advance Course in Management at Staff College, Lahore and a management course at Kennedy School of Government, Boston, USA.

Via Telecom Recorder

R&D Funds of Telecom Operators Reach Rs. 40 billion

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 11:59 PM PST

R&D Funds of Telecom Operators Reach Rs. 40 billion is a post from: ProPakistani

The telecom operators' funds for various research and developments (R&D) projects and schemes have reached Rs. 40 billion recently in the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, reported Daily Times citing unnamed sources.

The funds are utilized by Universal Service Funds (USF) and National ICT R&D funds for establishing basic infrastructure and service promotion of telephony and Internet services in rural under-served and un-served areas of the country.

Paper said that operators' contribution for USF-run projects have increased to Rs. 38 billion at the rate of 1.5 percent share of their yearly gross revenue whereas an amount of over Rs. 2 billion has been submitted in the ministry for ICT R&D projects at 0.5 percent of annual earnings.

USF has awarded Rs. 15.5 billion contract in different provinces to various telecom operators so far – however development work has stopped since last March 2010 on the directives of then minister-Incharge MoITT, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa.

The two organizations were dissolved by the ministry last year. Whereas, the ministry also had to remain nonfunctional due to absence of minister and secretary.

In such a chaotic situation, the telecom operators have asked the federal government to utilize the funds properly or they will stop paying their contribution to these organizations otherwise.

The operators made this demand to the federal government because they get penalized by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority if they don't pay their contribution to these organizations on time.

On the other hand, they had serious reservations over the issues of the MoITT. The minister and secretary have now been deputed recently in the ministry.

How Mobile Phones Can be Best Used by Household Ladies?

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 08:15 PM PST

How Mobile Phones Can be Best Used by Household Ladies? is a post from: ProPakistani

Mobile phones have become one of our basic need these days and its hard to be without carrying one in current age.

Working ladies keep mobile phones with them to keep their notes, maintain things to do, stay connected with their family and friends and to get reminded of their meetings etc., but household ladies too can make best out of a mobile phone, right?

A study suggests that cell phones are being used by every member of the family and do you know that according to a survey household ladies and children are highest users (in terms of activity) of mobile phones.

Through mobile phones house hold ladies can stay in touch with friends and family, moreover they can listen music and watch videos, which will make their staying at home less boring and more useful.

Here is how they can make best out of their mobile phones:

Cook Something New & Good: Ladies can make best out of a web-enabled mobile phone and benefit from the cooking shows available on websites like YouTube, while being in the kitchen. This is a nice way to surprise your family with delicious and mouth tempting food which is different from the traditional menu of the routine.

Photography: You can capture family functions by using your mobile's camera and share those with friends and family especially those living abroad, conveniently.

Calendar: Forgot your sister-in-law's birthday this time????? Ahh now you are in a mess! You see when one is married you have to remember events if you want to keep others happy. So how about keeping a record of everyone's birthdays, anniversaries and all such events on your mobile calendar to keep you reminding about these events.

SMS: Many times husbands are busy or driving and they can't receive the phone calls (for whatever reason), you can simply send them an SMS. This even helps, if you need something back at home and your partner has got this habit of forgetting things. You better SMS him by making a list of things to get on his way home.

This will save you money too, yea! If you call him and ask him to bring this and bring that it would cost you more than a simple SMS with the listed items to bring, while the chances of forgetting the lists over voice are pretty bright.

I know that all the ladies will agree with me here.

Communicate with Friends: If you live in a joint family then its uneasy to talk with friends properly on the land-line phone. But with the mobile-phone you can talk and SMS as much as you want, with out anyone interrupting you.

Socialize: Yes, socialize on Facebook, Twiter, Orkut and all these social networking sites and keep in touch with your friends on MSN and Yahoo! Messenger when you are feeling bored and done with the household chores.

Enjoy Music While Working: You can have your mobile's earphone or Bluetooth device attached next to your ear while doing the household work. Be it gardening or arranging the things and clearing up the mess at home – enjoy while you do it!

Loudspeakers are going to be good too, if you are home alone.

Get those Apps: There are so many health applications – Health apps – that you can get in your mobile and make best out of them. Count your calories, keep a record of your weight; if you are trying to shed some of those extra pounds – you can find many useful applications to help you maintain your diet and health.

Calculator: In my opinion, after voice and SMS the most important thing in a mobile phone is calculator. I am not that good at mathematics and I need to use one for simple additions too :)

There must be many house ladies who have to make their budget and running the house in a proper manner – calculator is going to be a great help in such a case. One can not carry a calculator while going out to market, so mobile calculator can help you check if the shopkeeper returned you the accurate amount or not.

Keep the Reminders: If your husband has some meetings or events to attend, you can help him remember all those by keeping reminders on your mobile phone – and remind him when you find him forgetting any task.

Believe me he will be happy to see that you are making good out of your mobile phone and not just making costly calls to your family and emptying his pocket ;)

Make Notes: Note down anything – it will save you a paper (which will protect the environment).

Phone Book: I have seen many house ladies who keep a diary in which they pen down the addresses and phone numbers. They consult these diaries whenever they need to make a phone call. It is seen that we ladies mostly overwrite and make it all messy when anyone changes their number – but if you make it a habit to save these contacts in the mobile's phone book then you can easily access them and edit them – Sounds easy and better!

Set the Alarm: Yes – you can set alarms with the reminders besides the usual wake-up alarms. They help remembering doctor's appointments, dinners, family functions and even time to remind your husband to collect the laundry or dress from the tailor. No?

Be careful: Before concluding, let me tell the household ladies that they should try to check their mobile phone's user manual and hold the mobile phone at a distance, as some mobile phones pose health related hazards.

According to a recent research, the use of handheld phones by pregnant women could make the child more likely to develop behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, and emotional and relationship difficulties.

The research revealed that pregnant women who used mobile phones were 54 percent more likely to report behavioral problems in their children than the pregnant women who didn't use mobile phones, and that the likelihood increases with the amount of potential exposure to the radiation.

These are what I can make out right now. Can you suggest more? If yes, then send in your comments.