ITV

Tag: PTCL

  • Netflix ties up with PTCL as Amazon woos India

    Netflix ties up with PTCL as Amazon woos India

    MUMBAI: As the world’s leading video-streaming network Netflix and e-commerce giant Amazon take different routes to reach out to the Indian audience while they expand globally, the former is partnering with a top-ranking company in India’s neighbourhood Pakistan, thus strengthening its hold in the sub-continent.

    While Amazon is relying on going local with its video streaming service, Netflix is depending on its global programming.Amazon meantime has commissioned “Baahubali: The Lost Legends,” a new animated series in India based on a local blockbuster movie.

    Pakistani telco PTCL has signed a partnership agreement with Netflix. The two companies will use their respective resources for a symbiotic relationship, maximising the viewing experience and penetration of Netflix services in the Islamic state. This pact will serve as the way forward for both Netflix and PTCL to provide digital content. PTCL will promote and aid original Netflix content in Pakistan.

    Amazon Studios chief Roy Price frequents India scouting for locally appealing programming for Amazon’s forthcoming video service.

    Though Netflix made its India debut around 10 months ago, it makes content-buying decisions out of Los Angeles, even for regional shows, to ensure they have global appeal. For example, the deal with Indian producer Phantom Films for its new Indian original series, based on the internationally acclaimed Mumbai crime novel “Sacred Games.”

    In Pakistan however PTCL became the only service provider with advanced caching servers and technical pairing with Netflix to offer the superior viewing experience since Netflix’s global launch in January 2016. The Netflix Pakistan website says users can start using services starting $7.99 a month, with a free month offer.

    Netflix made the announcement during a keynote by Co-founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings: “Today you are witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network.” Members with a streaming-only plan will be able to watch instantly through the Netflix service. The movies and TV shows that are available to stream may vary by location, and will change from time to time.

    India, Nigeria, Russia and Saudi Arabia were among the major countries where the service was launched, Hastings said at a Consumer Electronics Show keynote in Las Vegas.

    The company recently said it was exploring options for providing its services in China. The company said in July that plans to enter China in 2016 could be delayed. However, Netflix added simplified and traditional Chinese to the 17 languages it already supports.

    PTCL’s chief commercial officer Adnan Shahid described digital entertainment as PTCL’s “key priority”. Netflix, which has expanded into some 190 countries following a near-global launch in January, doesn’t believe in a physical presence in every market.

    Amazon has been selective internationally, pushing Prime Video into some European markets, Japan, and now India. Its bet is that homegrown programming will win over Indian audiences, a strategy analysts say could also help increase Amazon shoppers’ loyalty.

    Netflix is generally reviewed as a stand-alone streaming business, with 87 million subscribers, while Amazon’s video operations are part of the giant’s much larger e-commerce business, with 60 million global Prime members, according to Morgan Stanley estimates.

  • Netflix ties up with PTCL as Amazon woos India

    Netflix ties up with PTCL as Amazon woos India

    MUMBAI: As the world’s leading video-streaming network Netflix and e-commerce giant Amazon take different routes to reach out to the Indian audience while they expand globally, the former is partnering with a top-ranking company in India’s neighbourhood Pakistan, thus strengthening its hold in the sub-continent.

    While Amazon is relying on going local with its video streaming service, Netflix is depending on its global programming.Amazon meantime has commissioned “Baahubali: The Lost Legends,” a new animated series in India based on a local blockbuster movie.

    Pakistani telco PTCL has signed a partnership agreement with Netflix. The two companies will use their respective resources for a symbiotic relationship, maximising the viewing experience and penetration of Netflix services in the Islamic state. This pact will serve as the way forward for both Netflix and PTCL to provide digital content. PTCL will promote and aid original Netflix content in Pakistan.

    Amazon Studios chief Roy Price frequents India scouting for locally appealing programming for Amazon’s forthcoming video service.

    Though Netflix made its India debut around 10 months ago, it makes content-buying decisions out of Los Angeles, even for regional shows, to ensure they have global appeal. For example, the deal with Indian producer Phantom Films for its new Indian original series, based on the internationally acclaimed Mumbai crime novel “Sacred Games.”

    In Pakistan however PTCL became the only service provider with advanced caching servers and technical pairing with Netflix to offer the superior viewing experience since Netflix’s global launch in January 2016. The Netflix Pakistan website says users can start using services starting $7.99 a month, with a free month offer.

    Netflix made the announcement during a keynote by Co-founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings: “Today you are witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network.” Members with a streaming-only plan will be able to watch instantly through the Netflix service. The movies and TV shows that are available to stream may vary by location, and will change from time to time.

    India, Nigeria, Russia and Saudi Arabia were among the major countries where the service was launched, Hastings said at a Consumer Electronics Show keynote in Las Vegas.

    The company recently said it was exploring options for providing its services in China. The company said in July that plans to enter China in 2016 could be delayed. However, Netflix added simplified and traditional Chinese to the 17 languages it already supports.

    PTCL’s chief commercial officer Adnan Shahid described digital entertainment as PTCL’s “key priority”. Netflix, which has expanded into some 190 countries following a near-global launch in January, doesn’t believe in a physical presence in every market.

    Amazon has been selective internationally, pushing Prime Video into some European markets, Japan, and now India. Its bet is that homegrown programming will win over Indian audiences, a strategy analysts say could also help increase Amazon shoppers’ loyalty.

    Netflix is generally reviewed as a stand-alone streaming business, with 87 million subscribers, while Amazon’s video operations are part of the giant’s much larger e-commerce business, with 60 million global Prime members, according to Morgan Stanley estimates.

  • Pak govt not interested in giving access to YouTube: Lahore HC

    Pak govt not interested in giving access to YouTube: Lahore HC

    NEW DELHI: The Lahore High Court has observed that it appears that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is least interested in drafting a mechanism that could open (unblock) YouTube in Pakistan.

     

    The observation was made earlier this month in ‘Pakistan Internet Freedom’ (Bytes for All Vs Federation of Pakistan).

     

    However, the Deputy Attorney General informed court that Google did not respond to the request and seemingly has no interest in this case and so did not appear in court. Earlier, it was learnt that a legal representative of Google was going to appear before the court.

     

    Bytes for All, the petitioner of the case, informed that PTA was misleading the court and that it had the mechanism to filter the unwanted blasphemous and anti-social content on internet.

     

    “While PTA has the technical capacity to block individual URLs to keep the rest of the platform accessible, they had been denying their ability to do so”, the petitioner argued.

     

    A filtering solution is already in practice at Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) who hired the technology from a Canadian firm Netsweeper.

     

    According to the petitioner, Netsweeper technology is being implemented in Pakistan on PTCL for purposes of political and social filtering, including websites of secessionist movements, sensitive religious topics, and independent media.

     

    Several times, the Pakistan government and its regulatory bodies have announced that they lack a technical capability to block specific URLs in Pakistan and for that they require filtering software. Other than this, government representatives have been demanding Google to open its office in Pakistan so that legal affairs could be controlled in a better way.

     

    An official of the ISP while commenting on the situation said, “It is very easy to provide complete access to YouTube archive and filter the unwanted content at the same time. If government is seriously willing to resolve the issue, ISPs can install the filtering software on their end. This will ensure filtered access to entire YouTube”.

     

    Meanwhile even as PTA had claimed last year that that it had blocked the access to the videos on YouTube that are anti-Islamic, many leading Pakistani ISPs are still making it possible for people to access those videos (without even using any proxy) which are actually the trailers of the movie titled Innocence of Muslims.

     

  • IPTV version launched by PTCL in Pakistan

    IPTV version launched by PTCL in Pakistan

    NEW DELHI: A new website mytv.com.pk has been launched in Pakistan akin to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) which has a number of movies and TV shows for grown ups and a complete entertainment package that includes kids corner as well.

    The entertainment portal has been launched by the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) for its web customer.

    Other items in its entertainment package include updates of important events in Pakistan, fashion news, horoscope, sports, books, culinary and general news. Users of any broadband service can utilize this entertainment service though it is paid content.

    Users are required to SMS MYTV from a Ufone number to 9479 which will give a passkey to enter at the site to watch the video.

  • JWT to acquire stake in Pakistan-based digital agency

    JWT to acquire stake in Pakistan-based digital agency

    MUMBAI: JWT has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Pakistan-based digital agency, Converge Technologies, as part of its strategy to add depth and breadth to its Asian digital offerings.

    The global agency has not announced how much stake it will hold and at what price. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals.

    Founded in 2007, Converge Technologies is based in Karachi and handles clients like Unilever, PTCL, Mobilink, HP, Bank Alfalah, Nokia and Pakistan State Oil.

    JWT Pakistan CEO Mansoor Karim Shaikh said, “This partnership will put both Converge and JWT Pakistan in a position to leverage each other’s strengths and scale up our integrated offering for our clients.”

    Converge offers services including digital media strategy, social media planning and management, platform, content, technology enablement, game and app development, mobility campaign planning and execution.

    JWT Asia Pacific has moved aggressively into the digital space over the last year, expanding both organically and through acquisitions.

    JWT signed an agreement in 2011 to acquire A4A, a digital and social media marketing company in China. On 12 March XM Asia, a JWT company, acquired Indonesia-based digital agency Magnivate.

    “As one of the ‘Next 11‘ growth economies, Pakistan is a very strategic market for JWT. This deal adds yet more momentum to our regional digital growth strategy. We will continue to add depth and breadth to our Asian digital offerings over the coming month,” JWT Asia Pacific President Michael Maedel said.