HarmonyOS: Connecting to a Simpler Life

Huawei Wang Chenglu delivered a keynote speech at TEDxHouHai event Driven by Pressure

 

Dr. Wang Chenglu, Huawei Consumer BG Software Engineering Dept President and AI and All-scenario Intelligence Business Unit Director, delivered a speech themed Connecting to a Simpler Life at the TEDxHouHai event Driven by Pressure. During this speech, he pointed out that the mobile Internet industry, which is centered on smart phones, has entered a transitional period. He also discussed how the rapid development of IoT will present a historical opportunity for industry transformation. In addition, Dr. Wang called for collaboration between upstream and downstream players in order to build a prosperous new ecosystem and embrace the mobile Internet era together.

 

Technology changes lives and nurtures dreams

"Technology has the power to change the world. When I was little, my dream was to be able to watch movies at home, and this is now possible everywhere. The rapid development of the mobile Internet has given rise to cashless payments, online shopping, and ride-hailing, all of which have profoundly changed our lives," said Dr. Wang.

 

"But it is clear that the mobile Internet industry, which is centered on mobile phones, is under pressure." Dr. Wang went on to say, "Global smart phone shipments started to decline in 2018, and saw a year-on-year decrease of about 6% in 2020. In addition, the average time that consumers spend on their mobile phones each day has remained at between four and five hours since 2018, indicating that the industry has reached a critical juncture and must be transformed."

 

"What are the development opportunities for the next era? Our pursuit of technological innovation never ends. With users possessing more and more intelligent devices, we want to allow these devices to collaborate with each other more efficiently instead of running in isolation, just as humans can communicate with each other. The goal is to make ubiquitous connectivity a reality and transform multiple intelligent devices into ONE smart assistant."

 

"For example, after a smart watch detects that a user has fallen asleep, the lights in the room will automatically turn off and the air conditioner will automatically adjust the temperature to create a more comfortable sleeping environment. The experience will be just like having a dedicated helper at home. Exercise equipment connected to a wearable can serve as your personal trainer, providing scientific exercise tips and comprehensive data analyses in real time."

 

“However, as different devices run on different operating systems, it is difficult to connect them, let alone achieve intelligence. To realize a connected lifestyle, devices must communicate in one common language."

 

HarmonyOS lets devices communicate in one language

As a next-gen OS, HarmonyOS enables various intelligent devices to connect and collaborate in one language. HarmonyOS will allow more devices to connect and collaborate with each other than ever before, delivering a seamless, user-friendly experience across all devices.

 

HarmonyOS is also driving the intelligent upgrade of hardware manufacturers, and attracting more traffic to intelligent devices other than mobile phones. These actions are driving the intelligent and digital transformation of industries.

 

Dr. Wang said that Huawei aims to have HarmonyOS run on 300 million devices this year, and looks forward to working with industry partners to create a robust ecosystem around HarmonyOS. This will help more people realize their dreams through technology and bring consumers a simpler and better life.

Huawei releases its 2020 Annual Report

 

Huawei reaffirms commitment to creating greater value for customers and society in the face of adversity

 

Huawei released its 2020 Annual Report today. Growth slowed, but the company's business performance was largely in line with forecast. Huawei's sales revenue in 2020 rounded off at approximately US$136.7 billion, up 3.8% year-on-year, and its net profit reached US$9.9 billion, up 3.2% year-on-year.

 

Despite operational difficulties brought about by US sanctions in 2019 and 2020, Huawei has and will continue to invite KPMG to independently and objectively audit our financial statements. The document produced by KPMG is a standard unqualified audit opinion. No matter the circumstances, we will continue to embrace transparency by disclosing operational data to governments, customers, suppliers, employees, and partners.

 

In 2020, Huawei's carrier business continued to ensure the stable operations of more than 1,500 networks across more than 170 countries and regions, which helped support telework, online learning, and online shopping throughout COVID-19 lockdowns. Working together with carriers around the world, the company helped provide a superior connected experience and moved forward with more than 3,000 5G innovation projects in over 20 industries like coal mining, steel production, ports, and manufacturing.

 

Over the past year, Huawei's enterprise business stepped up efforts to develop innovative scenario-based solutions for different industries and create a digital ecosystem that thrives on joint creation and shared success. During the pandemic, Huawei provided technical expertise and solutions that were vital in the fight against the virus. One example is an AI-assisted diagnostic solution based on HUAWEI CLOUD that helped hospitals the world over reduce the burden on their medical infrastructure. Huawei also worked with partners to launch cloud-based online learning platforms for more than 50 million primary and secondary school students.

 

With the rollout of HarmonyOS and the Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) ecosystem, Huawei's consumer business moved forward with its Seamless AI Life strategy ("1 + 8 + N") to provide consumers with an intelligent experience across all devices and scenarios, focusing on smart office, fitness & health, smart home, easy travel, and entertainment.

 

"Over the past year we've held strong in the face of adversity," said Ken Hu, Huawei's Rotating Chairman. "We've kept innovating to create value for our customers, to help fight the pandemic, and to support both economic recovery and social progress around the world. We also took this opportunity to further enhance our operations, leading to a performance that was largely in line with forecast.

 

"We will continue to work closely with our customers and partners to support social progress, economic growth, and sustainable development."

 

All financial statements in the 2020 Annual Report were independently audited by KPMG, an international Big Four accounting firm. To download the 2020 Annual Report, visit https://www.huawei.com/en/annual-report/2020

CARFIRST EXPANDS ITS OPERATIONS TO PESHAWAR

 

 CarFirst recently launched its operations in Peshawar, opening their first center in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This much sought after move is expected to create sustainable jobs for the people of the city while facilitating customers in terms of fulfilling all of their needs pertaining to buying, selling, and exchanging cars.

 

While speaking about this development, Raja Murad Khan, CEO and Co-Founder CarFirst, said “CarFirst, has a progressive vision of growth and after recently launching in Multan, Sialkot and Gujranwala, we have come to Peshawar, thus opening our centre at Main University Road to cater to overwhelming demand and make it easier for the countless customers who drive to Islamabad to use our service. Peshawar has long been on the cards for CarFirst and we’re proud to finally bring our services to the cultural hub of KPK. The inhabitants of Peshawar will now be able to have their cars inspected, priced, and sold under one roof, all potentially within an hour through a meticulous and hassle-free experience.”

 

“CarFirst is geared towards simplifying the lives of its customers and continuously driving Pakistan's used car industry forward through innovation, while playing its role as Pakistan’s most trusted used car trading platform. The company is proud to be the driver of change by bringing forth transparency, regulation, instant payment, secure transfers, and hassle-free trading for Peshawar,” said Khan.

 

CarFirst now has 46 centres across Pakistan. Owing to its success, it has grown significantly since 2016 when there were just two employees and now it employs over 400 people in 10 cities across Pakistan.

 

CarFirst is Pakistan's most trusted used car trading platform that revolutionized the way used cars are traded in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, & Multan. It has solved the problems of the used car market by bringing in regulation, transparency, instant payment, secure transfers, and hassle-free trading. The fastest way to sell a car has now arrived in Peshawar, with potential sellers now able to sell their car in just 45 minutes.

ACCA empowering women in finance globally

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) publishes inspiring personal journeys of several women in finance from around the world in the new ‘Leading Inclusion: Simple Steps and Significant Leaps’ report.

 

Detailing a unique mix of experiences from ACCA’s members and future members, this latest report highlights the opportunities and obstacles they have faced in their pursuit of success. The individual stories shared highlight career milestones and offer food for thought with reflections on a range of topics from balancing family life to job promotions. Given the real threat of inequality in the profession, the stories from these women provide much needed career motivation to aspiring finance professionals everywhere.

 

The report specially highlights the distinctive views of a professional around the world from Abu Dhabi to Zambia.  Each story shares personal reflections on topics from moving away from home and finding a mentor in the workplace to seeing the bigger picture around accountancy and finance.

 

Helen Brand OBE, chief executive of ACCA said: ‘The stories shared in this report provide inspiration for any finance professional looking to succeed, as the accounts encourage those already in the profession and help them be alive to the opportunities around them. No one is immune to struggles but through sharing experiences we can all learn from each other and approach circumstances more confidently. The pandemic has intensified the challenges that many people face with inequalities seemingly intensifying. So this is the time to tell our own stories, learn lessons from each other and all play our role in building a fairer profession for all.’

 

Report author, Clive Webb, ACCA head of business management said: ‘ACCA has had inclusion and access to all as a core value since it’s foundation in 1904. The Leading Inclusion: Simple Steps and Significant Leaps report discusses the relevance of this agenda to accountancy and finance professionals. Through presenting several stories from ACCA’s women members and future members from around the world, people see that what may, at times, seem unachievable can in fact be attained. This compilation of stories is truly a global testament to this.’

 

The women profiled and their headline stories are:

• Sombo Chunda – The girl who crossed the stream – Zambia but now residing in the US
• Rachael Agen Tegwi – Never stop dreaming - Cameroon
• Ta Thi Thuy Hang – The love of numbers – Vietnam
• Siti Fatimah – The one who always gives the answers – Malaysia
• Janice Wong – ‘I prefer creating money’ – HK SAR of China but worked in mainland China
• Dawn Williams – ‘Giving students work experience’ - Barbados
• Anastasia Chalkidou – ‘I’m wearing all my previous hats’ - Greece but worked in Belgium
• Eriona Bajrakurtaj – ‘My dream was to be a businesswoman’ - UK
• Geeta Degaonkar – ‘Don’t have a glass ceiling in your mind’ - India
• Looi Pui Mun – ‘It’s dangerous out there’ – Malaysia
• Christina Christoforou – ‘Not being pigeonholed’ - UK
• Ayesha Al Zaabi – ‘Accountants are funny!’ – Abu Dhabi

 

To read the full report, visit here: https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/professional-insights/global-profession/leading-inclusion-ssandsl.html

 

HUAWEI Y7a with 48MP camera, also offers ‘FREE’ head-phones & speakers

            

 

 

The global technology leader - Huawei is celebrating ‘Pakistan Resolution Day’ with a special gift-offer with one of its bestselling midrange device - HUAWEI Y7a. A set of HUAWEI speakers and bluetooth headphones is being gifted absolutely free to every customer who purchases this revolutionary smartphone from the company’s dealer’s network all over Pakistan. This offer is valid from 23^rd March till 31^st March 2021.

 

The Y7a device boasts a powerful 48MP A.I. camera, along with 4GB of RAM + 128GB internal Memory (ROM), energized by a robust 5000mAh battery that is enriched with the fastest 22.5W SuperCharge feature, A.I. power-saving technology and endurance for up to 23 hours of video-playback. This innovative device is renowned for its feature-rich performance to meet the multi-tasking needs of the younger customers, while enabling global interactions and managing the busiest lifestyles.

 

Its smart-camera enables the young photography enthusiasts to capture life’s most memorable moments with unmatched clarity and ease. It is the ideal digital companion to enhance the user’s outreach and access, to keep them engaged in exciting info-tainment from around the world. One can connect globally to express and share creativity through social media, the latest applications and much more.   

 

The phone’s captivating 6.67-inch Full HD display, offers an immersive viewing experience for thrilling gameplay and video playback. Plus, the side-mounted fingerprint power button promises complete security with convenient access, while its 3D Ergonomic design offers a firm and comfortable grip.

 

Running on the latest version of EMUI, this device has easy-to-use features that make life easier for everyone. HUAWEI Y7a comes pre-installed with AppGallery, containing a vast treasure of global and local apps for unmatched productivity. Its rich library of quality entertainment media on HUAWEI Video, HUAWEI Music and HUAWEI Reader, promises access to the latest content from top-providers, as it is being continuously added to these platforms. Users can also download and install ‘Petal Search’ - a gateway to more than a million apps and games.

 

In Pakistan, Huawei Y7a is available in three natural color variants: Midnight Black, Blush Gold and Crush Green, at a very attractive price of PKR 35,999/-, to promise great value for money.  For more information, please visit: https://consumer.huawei.com/pk/phones/y7a/

Infinix fans can now avail 12 GB free Zong 4G data on purchase of new smartphone

Infinix, the most premium smartphone brand in Pakistan,  has joined hands with Pakistan’s Largest Data Network, Zong 4G, to bring exciting Data Bundle offers for Infinix users in the country. In addition to this, Infinix and Zong customers will also get to enjoy 12GB free internet for 6 consecutive months with the purchase of any Infinix mobile phone – thereby giving the best 4G experience on the most innovative Infinix smartphones.

 

To avail of this exciting offer of 12 GB free 4G data for 6 months, customers who buy any Infinix phone can insert a Zong sim to activate the phone by just dialling *4114# to subscribe to the offer.

 

Talking about this partnership, CEO Infinix Pakistan –Joe Hu, added, “A growing number of Pakistani smartphone users are loving Infinix products. The partnership between Infinix and Zong is truly a remarkable development. As we join hands with Zong, we aim to introduce innovative products and services to improve the overall experience for people.”

 

Commenting on the partnership, Mr Wang Hua, Chairman & CEO Zong 4G said: “Being the largest network of Pakistan, we are at the forefront of developing the digital ecosystem in the country. In our pursuit of excellence, we are leading the digital innovation in the industry with our state-of-the-art services and solutions. This collaboration with Infinix will further our ambition of penetration of mobile connectivity in the masses and offer them seamless connectivity to enjoy the unmatched digital experience.”

 

Infinix has managed to achieve significant milestones by coming out as the leading smartphone brand in Pakistan. With constant evolution and adaption to the consumers’ needs, Infinix fulfils far beyond the expectations of the buyers with its trendy and power-packed devices and continues to bring exciting discounts for its consumers too.

ACCA, IFMP agree MoU, to promote investor awareness & financial literacy

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP). Both the organisations have decided to work together to promote investor awareness and financial literacy among students, professionals and small businesses.  

 

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Karachi, head of ACCA Pakistan, Sajjeed Aslam, shared:

 

‘Financial literacy is crucial for the sustainable growth of capital markets ecosystem. The limited levels of financial literacy and investor education, especially among SMEs and young entrepreneurs in Pakistan, is a significant factor in the equally low levels of successful access to external finance and absence of long-term financial planning.’

 

‘As part of our commitment to the community, we’re happy to be joining forces with IFMP to promote knowledge about the financial system, educate small businesses about different options to access finance and encourage their participation in retail financial markets, and help SMEs to scale up leveraging effective financial planning.’, he added.

 

Sharing the details of the MoU, Mobashar Sadik, CEO, IFMP, said:

 

‘IFMP in partnership with ACCA intends to promote the cause of financial education, not just for typical investors but also for the middle-income households. The rising complexity of financial markets means consumers have to choose between a variety of complex financial instruments for borrowing and saving. Individuals, when become financially educated, are more likely to save and to challenge financial service providers to develop products that truly respond to their needs, and that would have positive effects on both investment levels and economic growth. We are sure that this partnership will help us achieve this goal of empowering public through financial knowledge.’

ACCA has been actively supporting the financial literacy agenda in the country. Collaboration with Akhuwat to support micro-entrepreneurs with their cash flow management during the current pandemic, partnership with Jamapunji for financial literacy and investor education roadshows across Pakistan, promotion of gamified digital learning with NIBAF, joint session with State Bank on access to capital, and cooperation with Kamayi to deliver free-of-cost professional advice to small businesses are some of the recent examples of ACCA leading the financial literacy agenda in Pakistan.