DevNext

Final Year Project (FYP)

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:50:00 +0000

From time to time, I receive emails and concerns of students regarding Final Year Project (FYP). And we even get request for organizing events on FYP. At the start of the year, it’s mostly NEDians that ping us and in summer, students from FAST-NUCES, University of Karachi, Bahria University send us their queries.

And mostly these queries are related to

What we should do in the FYP
Can you give us any idea?
What if we want to participate in Imagine Cup?
We want to do something good in FYP.
Tell us the technology on which we develop Final Year Project

So I thought maybe its good time to write a detail post on blog about what I feel about FYP and answer to some of the common concerns student raise.

Why Final Year Project Matters?

I always emphasize on the importance of Final Year Project (FYP) and we can say it’s one of the most important aspects of your degree. It is the point where you can apply knowledge or what you have been learning in the past few years. It is the point that creates an ordinary graduate vs. an entrepreneur. It is the point that creates meaning of your degree and your existence as an engineer. It is the way of getting exposure and experience of what real world problems are, if done properly. It will inevitably be used as a gateway to industry and to discriminate YOU among your peers.

What you can do in FYP?

Final year project usually span across 6 months to 1 year. I recommend you to take it seriously and do something hard, so don’t do just simple websites or simple ABC management system. Do something which you are passionate about and that makes you exciting, don’t get afraid, and accept big challenges. Utilize technology and go beyond what was not achievable before time.

Make a meaning: Try to solve real life issues, it might be big or small, but at the end of the project it must contribute in some manner to the society. Also, don’t delay it till the end of semester/year to work on FYP because in that case it will be nearly a piece of garbage not creating any meaning.

Continue Reading it on Adil’s Blog

Happy Birthday DevNext

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Today it has been three years from the start of DevNext...I would like to congratulate all the people who belong to DevNext...the founder Ali Raza Shaikh, User Group Leader Adil Ahmed Mughal, all volunteers, speakers, participants and off course the sponsors!

Congratulations to all the members of DevNext and I hope that your interests and participations will lead DevNext ahead with similar zeal enthusiasm and success. Best of luck to DevNext and all the volunteers!

DevNext is a user group with the intention of providing a platform for the Next Generation Designers & Developers sharing and discussing knowledge regarding different tools and technologies. DevNext is abridging the gap between the students and Industry Professionals by conducting various Seminars, Workshop etc in different universities on the demand of students and for professionals as well. Its motive is to share knowledge and to learn from other’s experiences. DevNext has arranged many seminars in past on “New Emerging Technologies” & “Current Business Trends” and will also try to do the same way in the future as well. The basic motive is to create awareness among students & professionals.

Once again thank you for your time, attention and participation.

This post was contributed by Namrah Arif [DevNext Volunteer]

User Groups And DevNext

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:34:00 +0000

User groups started in the early days of mainframe computers, as a way to share sometimes hard-won knowledge and useful software, usually written by end users independently of the factory-supplied programming efforts. SHARE, a user group originated by aerospace industry corporate users of IBM mainframe computers, was founded in 1955 and is the oldest computer user group still active. DECUS, the DEC User's Society, was founded in 1961 and its descendant organization still operates. The Computer Measurement Group (CMG) was founded in 1974 by systems professionals with a common interest in (mainframe) capacity management, and continues today with a much broader mission. The first UNIX user's group organized in 1978. Users' groups began to proliferate with the microcomputer revolution of the late 1970s and early 1980s as hobbyists united to help each other with programming and configuration and use of hardware and software

Especially prior to the emergence of the World Wide Web, obtaining technical assistance with computers was often onerous, while computer clubs would gladly provide free technical support.

There are people out there in this world, and there are communities, societies, groups and common congregations at every geographically located place, and spot, where people try to find the notion full meaning of the word “innovate”. Where they try or expect at a time, when there is little much left, owning much to the constraints, the hard times of any troubled economy, when they realize the fact that something needs to be done, something needs to be acted on and emphasized, even though they don’t know how they can actually do it, or what rudimentarily defined obstacles, hindrances, and unknown issues can actually lie in their path. It was quoted once, when a small group of people believed in hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty as well:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek!”

In line with the thrust of some people’s faith and glory of their courage, they have certainly tried their best to play an effective and meaningful role in creating a knowledge based society in Pakistan.

In furtherance of these general objectives, they remain to maintain that focus upon acquisition and propagation of cutting edge science and technologies. Recognizing the fact that Information Technology is having a profound impact upon almost every aspect of human activity and changing the shape of our future.

If someone is a developer? designer? Student? Have a passion to learn something new? Interested in getting up-to-date, learning new technologies in your spare time. So here we are with a brand new community focusing Next Generation Designers and Developers called DevNext.

DevNext is a user group which has been created with the intention of providing a platform for the Next Generation Developers sharing and discussing knowledge regarding different tools and technologies. Their mission from inception has been to develop a peer group of developers, architects, and managers who are interested in learning, sharing and growing their knowledge and capabilities. The group’s vision is to provide members with a forum to hear top industry experts speak learn and teach others who are interested in the same technologies as you and are facing the same challenges.

DevNext is, was and always will be a significant part of some people’s life, work and struggle!.DevNext User Group is supported by many organizations around the world like Microsoft, Adobe, INETA, Culminis, Wiley, Apress, .Net University, Re-Sharper, Peach Pit and many more. It’s all about sharing “a piece of information, knowledge and for one’s knowing, that what is right and what is not. It’s about sharing to those people, that who themselves are willing enough to make a difference in other’s people life and work and also willing to stand up for the right and justified cause.

I think that DevNext can be more precisely be described as a galactic community of life's beings, independent of age, race or societal orientation, which strives across borders for freedom of information. In common with other user groups devoted to a broad range of products or technologies, the user group provides education, networking, and leadership opportunities for its members. They were interested in maintaining a regular, open forum for people to get together to work on knowledge sharing and making technology exploration more accessible to everyone. In general, the group stands up for more transparency in between student bodies, freedom of information and a human right to communication. Supporting the principles of the technology ethic, the group also supports for free access to knowledge and technological infrastructure for everybody. The group is more widely known for its public demonstrations, such as seminars, open house sessions, discussion talks and forum meetings. It has evolved into a forum for exchanging technical information about programming languages, operating systems, database systems, and user experiences for enterprise users of small, medium, and large-scale software technologies such as WPF, the .NET enigma, e-banking solutions, and many other emerging names in the technology domain paradigm. The members of this group exist to give and share support and advice in between them. Many have regular meetings often with a presentation on a certain topic and most have regular email communication in between times. The community members typically meet once per month in facilities freely provided by universities, colleges, community centers. Members are encouraged to give presentations on personal projects as well as anything they are interested in or would like to contribute.

Contributor:

This article is written by Usman who is an active DevNext member and working as a Sr. Software Engineer at TPS Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd.

Eid Mubarak

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Image Source : http://naveedafsar1983.deviantart.com/art/Eid-Mubarak-72462829

EID-UL-FITR is celebrated on the first day of Shaw'waal, at the completion of Ramadan. Shaw'waal is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. The Eid-al-Fitr is a very joyous day; it is a true Thanksgiving Day for the believing men and women. On this day Muslims show their real joy for the health, strength and the opportunities of life, which Allah (God) has given to them to fulfill their obligation of fasting and other good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan.

Vacancies @ Wavetec

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Wavetec (Pvt) Limited (www.wavetec.com) is currently seeking potential candidates for the following vacancies, based in their Karachi office. Interested candidates may send their resumes to jobs@wavetec.com and ensure the vacancy applied for is mentioned in the subject line (with DevNext name). Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

1. Technical Writer

Summary of Job Profile:

Technical writer will be responsible for designing, creating, maintaining, and updating technical documentation, including installation guides, user guides, troubleshooting guides, feature lists, tutorials, configuration documents and end-user manuals.

Responsibilities

Create, draft, edit and publish documents designed to explain how to use the components in the system for Operations department and Sales department and distributors.
Review, revise and publish existing documentation based on new versions.
Research and consult with technical staff to ensure accuracy of documentation.
Maintain new and existing documentation for continued relevance and accuracy.
Ensure both new and existing documentation meet consistent, established standards for accuracy, presentation quality, grammar and composition.
Write other overview and introductory documents for various components if required

Academic & experience requirements:

BS/ BE (Computer Science)
Minimum of 1-2 years of similar experience or in a similar role
Ability of attention to details
Possess sound oral and written communication skills

2. Quality Assurance Lead

Summary of Job Profile:

The incumbent will be responsible for quality evaluation and will be expected to report bugs and non-conforming elements of the assigned software projects within a specified time frame.

Responsibilities

Ensure the quality of various software that are released by the Company, pertaining to the respective product division.
Assign tasks to the respective QC engineers keeping in view the priority of the software as set by the Product Manager.
Ensure that work plans of QC engineers are created and maintained Perform Quality Assurance tests using the test automation tools.
Ensure that the team is kept well aware of new tools and technologies in QC process.
Monitoring of assigned tasks.
Hands on experience of using bug tracking and test automation tools is a must.
Good skills on SQL queries would be a definite plus.

Education & Experience:

Minimum of 2-3 Years’ experience of QC lead.
BS / MS in Computer Engineering/Science
Requires a demonstrated knowledge in IT implementation projects and in Project Management/Administration.
Requires a good understanding of software Quality Assurance (QA) practices and methodologies, Quality Management/Testing tools.
Requires demonstrated ability to plan, deliver, execute and report QA testing activities and processes.
Requires a good understanding and working knowledge of software development life cycle and project management life cycle.
Requires strong leadership skills to effectively lead and facilitate teams.

3. Senior Software Engineer/ Team Lead

Summary of Job Profile:

The incumbent will be responsible for the timely completion and delivery of software projects in compliance with the Product Road Map as defined by the Product Manager.

Responsibilities:

Incumbent must posses capabilities to create Architecture documents such as use cases, architecture diagrams.
Will be responsible for evaluating and adapting to new technologies and techniques using C#, ASP.NET,JAVA, SQL Server 2005 and above and Crystal reports.
Responsible for creating FS, prototypes, database and other design diagrams for the projects.
Getting the approval of design documents including the FS.
Setting and following up on the project plans for the projects approved by the Product Manager.
Must follow up on the work plans of the product development team.
Ensure that unit testing is conducted by the development team and also ensuring the completeness of work.
Code review of the development team on regular intervals.
Ensure project deadlines are met.
Create and maintain project documents, including the source code, database schemas and design documents on VSS server.
Prepare and update development standards and ensure that they are being followed by the members of the development team.
Provide guidance and training to development/project team members as needed.
Participate in project specific sponsor meetings

Education & Experience:

Minimum MS in Computer Engineering/Science
Minimum 4-5 years of Development and experience to lead a team of developers
Sound oral and written communication skills

Software Development Positions at TRG

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:53:00 +0000

trg tech is hiring world-class individuals for global technology initiatives. Become part of their team of brilliantly capable and highly responsible technologists.

Remember, to succeed at trg tech you must possess outstanding problem-solving ability, superb communication skills, a top-notch degree in a mathematical, computer science or engineering- related discipline and have a passion for creative software development.

If you can't resist a challenge and want to be a visionary, send your cover letter and CV to trgtech.khijobs@trgworld.com or trgtech.lhrjobs@trgworld.com with a subject line containing your full name and the position applied for.

trg tech | development engineering

Cutting-edge product development:

SATMAP: Intelligent call routing technology is the next revolution in routing standards after skills-based routing. SATMAP uses artificial neural network intelligence and multi-variable mapping to dramatically improve customer satisfaction and revenues while optimising costs for businesses.

RIM: Consumer loyalty is the missing link between having a commercial brand and maximising brand equity. RIM is a next generation consumer analytics technology that defines brand relationships by linking financial data, psychological variables and the influence of online social interactions to consumer purchasing behavior.

System Architect - Programme Architect (1 position)

Responsibilities:

Architect and implement complex n-tier applications
Oversee design, testing and delivery of critical projects
Execute advanced data modeling
Implement high performance web application and data warehousing design
Manage client relationships

Requirements:

Expertise in web, database and data warehouse architecture and implementation
Broad familiarity with system and system-of-systems architecture in information- intensive domains
Experience with Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs) and net-centric enterprises
Required proficiency in database and application development platforms such as SQL Server 2000/2005, .NET, C++
Strong background in strategy, planning and technology management
12+ years relevant experience

Data Warehouse Architects - Programme Architect, Principal (3 positions)

Responsibilities:

Architect and implement optimised and multi-tiered data warehouse-centric designs
Conduct logical data and system modeling
Deliver critical data and business intelligence architecture decisions
Develop comprehensive meta data strategy

Requirements:

Expert knowledge of data modeling tools and relational database design
Strong background in diverse data warehousing technologies
Expertise in SQL Server 2000/2005, MOLAP, ROLAP
Demonstrated ability to lead technology teams
7+ / 10+ years relevant experience

Database & Data Warehouse Developers - Senior (4 positions)

Responsibilities:

Design and implement optimised and multi-tiered data warehouse-centric models
Conduct complex data and business flow modeling
Deliver critical data and business intelligence reporting

Requirements:

In-depth experience building complex data abstraction layers
Expertise in SQL Server 2000/2005, XML, MOLAP, and ROLAP
SQL Server 2000/2005 certification is an advantage
5+ years relevant experience

Database & Data Warehouse Developers - Mid-Level (5 positions)

Responsibilities:

Implement optimised and multi-tiered data warehouse-centric models
Conduct data and business flow modeling
Deliver critical data and business intelligence reporting

Requirements:

Experience building data abstraction layers
Expertise in SQL Server 2000/2005, XML, MOLAP, and ROLAP
SQL Server 2000/2005 certification is an advantage
2+ years relevant experience

DBA – Database Administrators / SQL Server - Mid-Level (2 positions)

Responsibilities:

Administer SQL Server Production Databases
Maintain Production Database mirror environment; reporting; database versioning
Monitor performance and manage parameters to provide fast query responses to front end users
Ensure storage, archiving, backup and recovery, replication procedures function correctly
Maintain data standards, including adherence to PCI standards
Monitor table growth and usage patterns
Provide application tuning
Evaluate tools and make recommendations for system improvement

Requirements:

Experience in schema design, stored procedures, ASP, and Application- Software
Understanding of reporting database concepts
Understanding of database versioning
Understanding of data models
Experience with a major data-modeling tool such as Rational Rose
Knowledge of multi-tiered environments and UML
2+ years of relevant experience

DBA – Database Administrators / SQL Server - Principal & Senior (2 positions)

Responsibilities:

Enhance existing databases and database management systems or direct programmers and analysts to make changes
Ownership of logical & physical data models, enterprise data dictionary as well the definition of metadata (Data Sources, Business Rules, Data Rules, Extract Rules and Transformations)
Design, document, and promote security “best practices”, policies, standards and protocols
Develop data model describing data elements and how they are used, following procedures using template or computer software
Test programmes or database, correct errors and make necessary modifications
Write database documentation, including data standards, procedures and definitions for the data dictionary
Write and code for logical and physical database descriptions and specify identifiers of database to management system or direct others in coding descriptions
Identify and evaluate industry trends in database systems to serve as a source of information and advice for senior business executives

Requirements:

Excellent data analysis skills
Ability to present complex data/concepts in a clear, understandable, and meaningful way
Enterprise architecture design skills and knowledge of various multi layer systems such SAN, NAS, Windows, networking, and applications
Strong installation/ patch management and SQL trouble shooting skills
Solid SQL skills in developing database views, materialized views and stored procedures
Understanding of web services (i.e. SOAP, WSDLs) and XML schemas
Excellent understanding of the usability principles as they relate to applications and database design/development
5+ / 8+ years of relevant experience

Web Developers - Web 2.0 / Mobile - Senior (2 positions)

Responsibilities:

Architect and implement sophisticated BI web applications
Investigate, test and implement emerging web and mobile technologies
Conceive, prototype and deliver next generation web user interfaces

Requirements:

Experience with a diverse toolset including JavaScript, AJAX, CSS, Server-side technology, Web 2.0, .NET, XML, JQUERY
Experience using rich internet applications (RIA)
2+ years relevant experience

Web Developers - Web 2.0 / Mobile - Mid-Level (4 positions)

Responsibilities:

Implement sophisticated BI web applications
Investigate, test and implement emerging web and mobile technologies
Conceive, prototype and deliver next generation web user interfaces

Requirements:

Experience with a diverse toolset including JavaScript, AJAX, CSS, Server-side technology, Web 2.0, .NET, XML, JQUERY
Experience using rich internet applications (RIA)
2+ years relevant experience

Business Intelligence Developers - Senior & Mid-Level (2 positions)

Responsibilities:

Architect and implement web-based decision support systems
Create appropriate ETL processes and OLAP cubes

Requirements:

Proven expertise with one or more query, BI and reporting tools such as BI Studio, SQL Server, Business Objects, Crystal Reports an advantage
2+ / 4+ years of relevant experience

High Performance Systems Software Engineers / .NET, SQL, C++ - Principal, Senior & Mid-Level (20 positions)

Responsibilities:

Develop high performance distributed and multi-threading applications
Build large-scale system architectures
Design code and execute programming on cross-functional projects
Develop enterprise-level GUIs

Requirements:

Proficiency in C++ and/or .NET /SQL programming, relational databases and multi-tiered/ web-based software development
Demonstrated ability to adopt new technologies swiftly and recommend appropriate technologies for real-time business opportunities.
Background in multi-process programming using .NET Remoting or WCF or similar technology a plus
2+ / 5+ / 8+ years relevant experience

Telephony Switch Software Engineers / .NET, SQL, C++ - Senior & Mid-Level (6 positions)

Responsibilities:

Develop high performance distributed and multi-threading applications
Build large-scale system architectures
Design code and execute programming on cross-functional projects
Develop enterprise-level GUIs
Modify complex switch vectors to support system behaviour

Requirements:

Proficiency in C++ and/or .NET and/or SQL programming, relational databases and multi-tiered/ web-based software development
Demonstrated ability to adopt new technologies swiftly and recommend appropriate technologies for real-time business opportunities.
Background in multi-process programming using .NET Remoting or WCF or similar technology is a plus
Telephony experience is highly preferred
2+ / 5+ / 8+ years relevant experience

User Interface Engineer - Senior & Mid-Level (1 position)

Responsibilities:

Analyse and improve current UI design by collaborating directly with development team
Use .NET 3rd party tools and implement complete UI layer where required

Requirements:

Experience with 3rd party .NET controls especially Infragistics© and Telerik© required
Experience in developing enterprise level GUIs based on .NET and C# back-ends required
Diplomas, certifications in HCI, and UI design are an advantage
2+ / 5+ years relevant experience in UI development

trg tech | test/flex lab

White and grey box testing of high performance systems using the latest tools and computing power. Drive code design as part of the core development team.

Test & Development Engineers - Principal, Senior, Mid-Level & Analyst (11 positions)

Responsibilities:

Develop complex code, systems and APIs for diagnostics
Automated, stress and load testing of n-tier applications
Programming in multiple languages
Conduct stored procedure and inline query-based analyses
Drive code optimisation as part of the core development team

Requirements:

Strong conceptual knowledge of SDLC and QA methodologies
Proven ability to use programming languages (.NET, C++, JavaScript) to solve complex problems a necessary requirement
Outstanding knowledge of SQL a must
Expertise in designing, troubleshooting and debugging complex software applications
Testing experience with multi-tier applications
Experience working with automation tools a plus (note: “record & run” doesn’t count as experience from our perspective! )
0+ / 2+ / 5+ / 7+ / 9+ years relevant experience

trg tech | business technology office

Merge analytical and business skills with global technology. Bring together top engineers and international business development teams.

Client Implementation Leaders - Senior & Mid-Level (12 positions)

Responsibilities:

Manage client relationships with SATMAP users in the US and UK
Project co-ordinate SATMAP deployments
Perform business requirements and trend analysis for client satisfaction and profitability
Assemble client reporting and conduct complex data analysis and synthesis
Support prototyping activities including technical documentation

Requirements:

Exceptional writing and communications skills
Proven ability in managing client relationships
Understanding of client corporate organisational structures
Understanding of relational database management systems and SQL
Experience in writing and comprehending technical reports
2+ / 5+ years relevant experience

Technical Writers - Senior, Mid-Level & Analyst (10 positions)

Responsibilities:

Translate technical specifications into user documentation
Support product and business development initiatives
Work with cross-functional technical teams
Update and revise existing documentation per development lifecycle
Create and review standard operating procedures

Requirements:

Strong writing and communications skills (writing samples required)
Expert working knowledge of MS Office and interactive Adobe formats
Experience in writing and comprehending technical reports
Demonstrated ability to co-author and work independently
0+ / 2+ / 5+ years relevant experience

trg tech | specialist positions

Production Management Engineers - Senior & Mid-Level (6 positions)

Responsibilities:

Work with clients and engineers to sustain and maintain up and running systems and applications
Ensure smooth execution of software deployment
Work with large-scale system architectures and ensure integrity of solutions
Design code and execute programming on cross-functional projects
Ensure consistency and integrity of large and complex datasets

Requirements:

Proficiency in C++ and/or .NET and/or SQL programming, relational databases and multi-tiered/ web-based software development
Demonstrated ability to adopt new technologies swiftly and recommend appropriate technologies for real-time business opportunities.
2+ / 5+ years relevant experience

Mathematicians/ Statisticians - Senior, Mid-Level & Analyst (7 positions)

Responsibilities:

Use data mining methods on SATMAP to develop innovative approaches to call- stream optimisation
Develop neural networks, decision trees, rule based methods, genetic algorithms and other methods
Develop, test and revise models, and store the results generated
Ensure pre-set targets are met and ensure statistical integrity of information

Requirements:

Graduate degree in mathematics, statistic, computer science, engineering, physics
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
Experience of 4GL data analysis language like R, S-Plus, IDL, PV-WAVE, Matlab is an advantage.
2+ / 5+ years relevant experience

Win $17,777! Code7 Contest!

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:44:00 +0000

Do you want to win a free trip to Los Angeles and a free ticket to PDC 2009? Do you think you have what it takes to win $17,777? Do you think you can write an amazing Windows 7 application?

Well, if your answer to any of the above question is "Yes!" then say hello to the Code7 Contest. The Code7 contest is where your application design ingenuity gives you the opportunity to get millions of eyes on your work, plus a trip to LA for PDC09, and up to $17,777 in cash!

Code7 is a special coding contest for developers. It is a great opportunity to show the world your creativity and coding powers. It is a way for you to cash in on your knowledge and skills.

This is not just another standard code contest; this contest gives the finalists the opportunity to present their application at PDC 2009 in LA. The first prize is a real gem: $17,777 in cash, the opportunity to present the application to Microsoft executives at PDC 2009, plus worldwide interest in your application including a massive “marketing bump” for your application.

To enter, you must:

Build an original, consumer-oriented client application prototype that runs natively on Windows 7 (for example Win32, WPF, MFC or WinForms – not an Air application or just a gadget) and addresses one or more of the following topic categories:

Simplify My Life
More Media, More Places
Gaming
Work From Anywhere
Safeguard Your Work
Applications for a Better Tomorrow

The application must use at least one of the following Windows 7 technology features; however, judging will give more weight to entries that take advantage of more than one of these features:

Libraries
Windows Touch
Shell Integration
DX11 (DirectX 11)
Sensor and Location Platform

So if you have being following my blog you have some advantage. The contest has several stages and few rules you need to be aware of:

To enter this contest you must create and submit a video in which you describe and demonstrate your application.
The first qualifying round starts at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on July 13, 2009, and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on October 10, 2009 (“Entry Period”). You will be able to able to submit your video until midnight October 10, 2009. Your entry will be included in a pool with all eligible entries based on your geographical region.
Entries received by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 15, 2009, will be eligible to win an “Early Bird” prize described in the Winner Determination section below.
Following the close of the first qualifications, a panel of judges will select two runner-up winners and one Finalist from each Region.
Following judging, Microsoft will notify all winners and finalists and provide instructions for submitting their applications for evaluation.
Finalists will be invited to present their applications to a panel of judges at the Microsoft Partner Developer Conference 2009 (PDC09) in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

For the complete contest rules and legal notice, please refer to the “RULES” section on the Code7 Contest Web site - https://www.code7contest.com/. So, what are you waiting for? Get going and start working on your Windows 7 application!

[Job] PHP Developer required at Viaduct

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:33:00 +0000

Viaduct provides custom web design, development, software & hosting solutions as part of 3fifths group of companies, a media agency. The solutions Viaduct provides are both strong and innovative in the development approach besides being eye candy to provide the best of both worlds. Local giants & multinational clients are catered to by Viaduct to extremes of quality & service.

Designation: Sr. PHP Developer

Number of positions: 2

Job type : Permanent [day shift]

Job Location : Karachi, Pakistan

Career Level : Experienced

Minimum experience : 2 years - [Hands on, PHP / Ajax applications, ecommerce, portals, large scale apps], Fresh graduates also welcome for Jr. Developer posts

Apply to : jobs@viaduct.net.pk

Job Description

Develops specifications for moderately complex web based software programming applications and modifies/maintains the existing software. Develops, modifies and maintains applications that may be customized or standardized. Participates in design and coding activities with other staff members.

Principal Responsibilities:

Codes applications following specifications using the appropriate tools.
Maintains and modifies existing applications on their own as well as under direction from senior staff members.
Performs maintenance programming for existing version. Performs custom programming at customer request
Assumes responsibility for ongoing data architecture for product
Other duties as assigned

Skills Required

Extensive and in-depth hands on PHP development skills
AJAX / Javascript skills, for both modifying current code and developing original scripts / functionality a plus
In depth SQL skills for databases such as mySQL (required) MS SQL etc.
Must be able to show previous work and prove work experience.
Have amazing analytical / problem solving skills
Be able to come up with out-of-the-box solutions
E-commerce experience a plus. Integration with Paypal, 2Checkout, Authorize.net etc.
Experience on OSCommerce, Joomla and other such open-source systems, Facebook applications, creation of and working with APIs a plus
Must be able to work alone as well as in team-based environments
Punctuality, creating and sticking to deadlines, taking responsibilities

.NET Day – Event Summary

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:58:00 +0000

We had a fantastic event last weekend, on 11th July, DevNext and IEEE-CS (FAST-NU) organized a full day free event “.NET Day” for students. The response from students was really outstanding. The event comprises of one workshop followed by two sessions.

The event started at 10:30 AM with introductory session by IEEE-CS, which was of around 10 minutes, followed by the workshop on “Network Programming in .NET” by Munir Usman (Microsoft MVP).

Munir started from the network fundamentals and then gradually introducing .NET classes supporting socket communication, TcpClient and streaming. The students were given a demonstration on how to build client and server and then respective hands on. Students were really involved and Munir kept the session interactive.

Finally, Munir distributed some Microsoft bags to students for those who participated actively in the session. Students were really enthusiastic about the goodies.

The next session was on Visual Studio 2008 Tips and Tricks by Adil Mughal (Microsoft MVP). Visual Studio is one of the most powerful IDE and yet many developers don’t know features that are available and using different techniques and shortcuts developers can really enhance their productivity. Code Navigation, Refactoring, Code Snippets and Debugging were the major topics discussed in the session.

In the end the speaker introduces the Visual Studio SDK for Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and demonstrate that how one can develop and integrate a custom menu button in the Visual Studio 2008 SP1.

And then the lunch :)

The last session was given by Adnan Amin(Microsoft Certified Trainer) on “AJAX with ASP.NET”. The speaker first introduced the concept of AJAX and how underlying communication occur between client and server followed by a demo using javascript and web services.

Adnan then introduced ASP.NET AJAX and discussed how it ease developer by automatically handling underlying javascript etc. In the end a demo was given of using Script Manager and Update Panel controls that handles AJAX underlying working.

Finally, Shields were distributed by IEEE-CS, FAST-NU, to the speakers. Talha Izhar from Innovations and Usman Madni from TPS visited the event as Guest. We would like to thank them for their presence and valuable time.

Once again, Thank you every one of you for attending the event and making this event successful. Also, Thanks to IEEE-CS, FAST-NU, for organizing this event with DevNext. Finally, we apologize that we were unable to entertain many request due to limited number of seats available how ever we appreciate your interest and will bring another event soon! So stay positive :)

.NET Day – Full Day Free Workshops for Students

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:23:00 +0000

DevNext is a user group which has been created with the vision of providing a platform for the Next Generation Developers sharing and discussing knowledge regarding different tools and technologies. It’s mission from inception has been to develop a peer group of developers who are interested in learning, sharing and growing their knowledge and capabilities. The group’s vision is to provide members with a forum to hear top industry experts speak, learn and teach others who are interested in the same technologies as you and are facing the same challenges.

With the same vision, DevNext, in collaboration with IEEE CS in FAST, is organizing a full day workshop for students and/or newbie. The purpose of workshops is to give students the knowledge they will need in industry and in particular related to .NET Technology.

For that purpose, DevNext have invited Industry experts to conduct different workshops. Following are the tentative details about the “.NET Day” workshop:

Tentative Topics:

Network Programming using C# and .NET by Munir Usman

AJAX in ASP.NET by Adnan Amin

Visual Studio Tips and Tricks by Adil Mughal

Date & Location:

11^th July, 2009 from 10 AM to 6 PM (including breaks)
at FAST- National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (City Campus),
Main Sharah-e-Faisal, P.E.C.H.S, Karachi (see location map below)

Registration:

Interested? Hurry up, register yourself and get an exciting chance to attend FREE workshops by Industry experts. To register, please fill the form here.

About Speakers:

Adnan Amin is Microsoft Certified Trainer and Sr. Software Engineer at KalSoft Ltd. with four years of experience on Microsoft Technologies. Adnan is Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) for Web and Technology Specialist (MCTS) for Desktop based applications. he is involved in trainings with KalSoft for the last two years and has given several MOC based and custom trainings. He has experience of giving trainings on latest Microsoft Technologies and his major areas of trainings are Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5, C Sharp 3.0 and Silverlight.

Munir Usman is Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Visual C# and an active member in Microsoft developer communities in Pakistan. He has an experienced .NET developer and has worked in Banking and Financial sector. He has recently started a company, Pi Labs, which does software development for web and mobile platform. He has also been involved in organizing a number of technical conferences, seminars, workshops and programming competitions. He is also leading a .Net user group, FAST.net and has spoken at many technical events. His blog url is http://munir.wordpress.com/

Adil Mughal is Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) and currently working as Development Officer at Telenor Pakistan. He is also Microsoft Certified Professional and Professional Member of ACM. He is leading International .NET Association (INETA) user groups, “Emerging .NET Devs” and “DevNext”. Being active community contributor, he often participates as speaker in different events. He frequently does blogging at http://adilamughal.blogspot.com/

MAP:

Job: iPhone Application - Support Engineer (Voice & Email Support)‏

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Next Generation Innovations is a US based company with many top iPhone applications and would like to provide our customers will real time telephone and email support, while building knowledge base for customers to self-support themselves.

Technical Skills
1. Past experience of providing technical support for software applications
2. Good knowledge of using mobile phone apps - email client, games, web browsing
3. Good knowledge of Networking technologies - TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, LAN & WAN
4. Preferably experience of MAC and iPhone

Language Skills
1. Able to speak fluent English
2. Able to write professional emails
3. Available shifts
4. Night shift options: 10pm to 2am, 2am to 6am or 10pm to 6am
5. Day shift options: Noon to 4pm, 4pm to 8pm or Noon to 8pm

Benefits
1. Free iPhone after 4 months of service
2. Salary: 30,000 - 45,000 per month (for the 8 hour shift)
3. Centrally Located Office in 24x7 building (near Civic Centre)

To Apply
Send resume to hr@nexgeni.net with subject of 'DevNext - iPhone'

About Us
1. Next Generation Innovations was formed in late 2007. You can find more about us on NexGenI website http://www.nexgeni.net/
2. NexGenI focuses on 3 areas: SEO, BPO & Software Development
3. Our offices operate 24 hours a day with over 100 employees
4. More than 20% of our staff is female and we encourage females to apply
5. Cafeteria and training room are part of our 10,000 square foot office space

An Inspirational Video

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:46:00 +0000

Dedicated to all the supporters and volunteers of DevNext User Group.

Call For Volunteers

noreply@blogger.com (Adil Mughal) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:49:00 +0000

DevNext and Emerging .NET Devs, both registered under International .NET Association (INETA), are working in collaboration to organize several events, sessions and workshops at different universities and Microsoft Innovation Center.

As user groups are based on volunteers, We are currently accumulating and formalizing list of Volunteers as Executers, Speakers, Book Reviewers, Designers etc.

Are you passionate about technology? Do you have feeling to serve the community? Do you spend most of the time with PC? Are you an active blogger? do you like designing graphics? Do you feel its fun organizing tech events? Here is a chance for you to contribute to the community... Get yourself Register and stand out in the crowd...

So what we offer in return? Volunteers are not paid that's why they are volunteers, they are working for their passion :) but from time to time we distribute goodies / giveaways to our volunteers. The biggest advantage is that you will get in touch with tools and technologies.

Click here to register yourself as volunteer!

Note: Those who are already volunteer of either DevNext or Emerging .NET Dev also need to register themselves

[Announcement] New User Group Leader

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:52:00 +0000

After leading the group for 2.5 years, I think it’s the time to move on, time to let the fresh blood lead your vision and the time to set some high goals. So, it’s give me pleasure to announce “Adil Mughal” as the new User Group Leader for DevNext. I will still be looking after the events and activities of DevNext as Founder.

So, a little bit about the new leader. Adil Mughal is currently working as Development Officer at Telenor Pakistan. Earlier he was working as Software Engineer at KalSoft Private Limited. He is Microsoft Certified Professional and Professional Member of ACM. He is also leading International .NET Association (INETA) user group, “Emerging .NET Devs” (http://edotnetdevs.wordpress.com) and often participates as speaker in different events on behalf of INETA and Microsoft. He frequently do blogging at http://adilamughal.blogspot.com

I still remember the day when it all started back in January 2007. DevNext started with a vision, a vision to help students, a vision to help professionals and educators, a vision to reduce the industry- academia gap and a vision of making learning a culture. Two and half years down the road, I think we have achieved something in pursuit of our vision but there are still a lot of things that need to be done. DevNext improved a lot! Seriously I was not aware that just a small initiative will be highly appreciated across the industry and academia. I am looking forward for more and more success for DevNext. InshAllah!

In the end, I would like to thank our sponsors Microsoft, Adobe, INETA, Telerik, DiscountASP.net, Culminis, Wiley, Apress, .Net University, Re-Sharper, Peach Pit, Lynda and many more for all their help and support.

May Allah help us to achieve our goals. Ameen!

WPF Event in Hyderabad

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:51:00 +0000

As mentioned in my previous posts that we are coming up with a series of seminars and workshops on “Windows Presentation Foundation”. So to start with, I will be presenting at DevNext first ever User Group Event in Hyderabad. I would like to thank Verge Systems for hosting this event for us. It is indeed a moment of pride for me to deliver a session in Hyderabad, the place from where I belong. If you are willing to join us or you want DevNext team to deliver a session on WPF at your campus then kindly let me know at ali.raza.shaikh@gmail.com

Where : Verge Systems, C-20 GECHS Qasimabad, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.

When : 30th May, 2009 – 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Windows Presentation Foundation is a new programming paradigm introduced in Version 3.0 of the .NET Framework as an alternative to traditional Windows Forms programming. WPF effectively permits the separation of user interface design (to be principally implemented by designers) from the underlying functionality (to be implemented by developers) using a new XML variant, XAML. WPF also permits almost any control to host any other control, thereby allowing dramatic user interface designs such as buttons hosting videos or 3D drawings. WPF also permits every control to be built in a scalable fashion so that an entire form — including buttons, graphics, labels, textboxes and the text which they contain — can be expanded or shrunken simply by dragging the sizing handle. The basic agenda will be

What is WPF?

How does WPF compare to Windows Forms Development?

Does WPF Require Windows Vista/Windows 7?

What are the Other Requirements of WPF?

What is XAML and how is it used by WPF?

What is XBAP?

What are the Applications in the Expressions Suite?

Event Sponsor : Telerik

Telerik is a leading vendor of ASP.NET AJAX, Silverlight, WinForms and WPF controls and components, as well as .NET Reporting, .NET ORM and .NET CMS solutions. Building on its expertise in interface development and Microsoft technologies, Telerik helps customers build applications with unparalleled richness, responsiveness and interactivity. Created with passion, Telerik products help thousands of developers every day to be more productive and deliver reliable applications under budget and on time.

About DevNext

Are you a developer? designer? Student? Have a passion to learn something new? . Interested in getting up-to-date, learning new technologies in your spare time. So here we are with a community focusing Next Generation Designers and Developers called DevNext.DevNext is a user group which has been created with the intention of providing a platform for the Next Generation Developers sharing and discussing knowledge regarding different tools and technologies. Their mission from inception has been to develop a peer group of developers, architects, and managers who are interested in learning, sharing and growing their knowledge and capabilities. The group’s vision is to provide members with a forum to hear top industry experts speak, learn and teach others who are interested in the same technologies as you and are facing the same challenges.

DevNext User Group is supported by many organizations around the world like Microsoft, Adobe, INETA, Culminis, Wiley, Apress, .Net University, Re-Sharper, Peach Pit and many more.

Join us on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/group. php?gid=6350223428&ref=ts

Never Give Up!

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Some beautiful lines by Ahmer

"Never give up. never give up on your dreams. Unless you're sure, it's over. But at the same time, if you really care about some one, and that some one is willing to break free. Let it happen. What's really yours, will come to you. Just believe. Things can be simpler. We cannot have everything. Cherish, what we have. This life, will never be problem free. Its not perfect, unless YOU see it perfect. Things will fall apart. Nature's nature. It's us, who can make a difference, in our lives. and of course in lives of others."

Nokia Calling All Innovators 2009 Contest!

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:05:00 +0000

Nokia is seeking innovative Mobile applications that improve the daily lives of millions of people living in rural and semi-urban areas worldwide. It can include applications for education, health care and more. The competition is also seeking apps that guide individuals to make the right ethical choice and lead a sustainable lifestyle. The deadline has been set to 30 June 2009. If you are a creative technology entrepreneur and innovation, enter for a chance to receive US$10-30K in cash and prizes.

The Calling All Innovators contest is open to anyone with bold ideas and tremendous talent. Whether you’re new to mobile or an experienced coder, you could win up great prizes along with new opportunities to grow your business. Prizes include cash; the opportunity to demo your winning application at a Nokia specified event this Fall; and "Spotlight" placement featuring your winning application on Nokia's newly announced Ovi Store, where consumers will find the best mobile applications and content for their Nokia devices.

We challenge mobile and web application developers worldwide to submit entries in three categories:

* Internet innovation – Calling on web developers to transform consumer-focused ideas into real applications on Nokia devices using technologies that include Nokia Web Runtime, XHTML, CSS, Java Script, AJAX, widgets and other standards-based web technologies.

* Flash – Challenging creative developers and designers to build compelling applications that expand the capabilities and user benefits of Flash Lite on Nokia S60 devices.

* Emerging Markets and Mobile Necessities – Urging developers to create innovative applications across mobile technology platforms – ranging from SMS through Series 40 and S60 device platforms. All applications will be considered, including those developed using Java, Python, or open source.

* Emerging Markets – This includes applications designed to meet the needs and improve the daily lives of millions of people living in rural and semi-urban areas worldwide. It can include applications for education, health care and more.

* Social responsibility – Applications that guide individuals to make the right ethical choice and lead a sustainable lifestyle.

Each contest category has been refined to provide you with additional guidance about the types of applications that the judges will be expecting to see. All entries must be submitted by midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on 30 June 2009, so get started right away!

Here’s what you do to get started:

1. Decide which category best fits your skills and interests, and then get the needed tools, documentation, and other support from Forum Nokia. It’s free to join, and when you become a member of Forum Nokia, you can make the most of Nokia's extensive development, testing, signing, go to market, and community resources.

2. Create your application or widget -- or optimise your website -- for Nokia mobile devices.

3. Submit your best work to the Calling All Innovators contest before the deadline at midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on 30 June 2009.

The total cash and prizes for the 2009 Calling All Innovators contest are worth more than $250,000! The top three submissions in each category will receive cash and prizes that include:

* Grand Prize winner: $30,000 USD in cash; "Spotlight" placement featuring the winning application for 4 weeks on the top page of Nokia's newly announced Ovi Store, where consumers will find the best mobile applications and content for their Nokia devices; and paid travel to demo the winning application at a Nokia-specified event in the Fall 2009.

* 2nd Place: $15,000 USD in cash; "Spotlight" placement featuring the winning application for 3 weeks on a relevant category page in Nokia's newly announced Ovi Store, where consumers will find the best mobile applications and content for their Nokia devices.

* 3rd Place: $10,000 USD in cash; "Spotlight" placement featuring the winning application for 2 weeks on a relevant category page in Nokia's newly announced Ovi Store, where consumers will find the best mobile applications and content for their Nokia devices.

The finalists of Calling All Innovators will be announced on 17 August 2009. Visit http://callingallinnovators.com for more information!

TechElite Code Camp!

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:33:00 +0000

DevNext proudly presents to you the TechElite Code Camp that will be held on 4th of May, 2009 at NED University, Karachi. ‘TechElite’ an annual mega IT event has been adding pride to NED University for the past two years. It is an event that has spurred participants from all over Pakistan by acting as a resource of information and inspiration for students and visitors. So, keeping in view our mission of making learning a culture, we will be conducting two seminars during TechElite 2009 from 3 PM to 5 PM at the CIS-Lecture Hall.

First session will be about “Visual Studio 2008 Tips and Tricks” by Adil Mughal. Visual Studio is one of most commonly used IDE for .NET Development. Unfortunately, with many new technologies developers have less time to learn about Visual Studio itself. In this session we will see some of the tips and tricks that will make developers utilize small but powerful features of Visual Studio that will ultimately help them to be more productive.

Second session is all about “SharePoint and DotNetNuke Branding” by Ali Nawaz Adil. The theme of this Session is to increase designer knowledge on User Interface of latest technologies like DotNetNuke, SharePoint Portal. We will discuss about generalized mockup creation, balanced CSS creation, and some tips and tricks.

These sessions are always by and for the developer community and are absolutely FREE. So, if you are willing to attend, kindly register here http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=ckJIRXM0XzRiYzYtd1R2T2Z1c2tENXc6MA..

About Adil Mughal

Adil Mughal is currently working as Development Officer at Telenor Pakistan. Earlier he was working as Software Engineer at KalSoft Ltd. He is Microsoft Certified Professional and Professional Member of ACM. He is also leading International .NET Association (INETA) user group, “Emerging .NET Devs” (http://edotnetdevs.wordpress.com) and often participates as speaker in different events on behalf of INETA and Microsoft. He frequently do blogging at http://adilamughal.blogspot.com

About Ali Nawaz Adil

M. Ali Nawaz Adil is a Computer Science Graduate from Muhammad Ali Jinnah University (MAJU), Karachi. He has been doing web designing since 2003 and currently working on many technologies like, SharePoint Portal MasterPage Designing, DotnetNuke Skining, Module CSS Customization and also working on Internet Marketing SEO & SEM. He is currently working with many DNN Companies as Web DNN SEO Consultant. Over the past 5 years of Professional Experience he designed more than 200 DotNetNuke Skins for the companies like, AliNawaz.com, e-ing Tech Pvt. Ltd., DNN Covered, DNN SEO Consultants, Techno Techs UK, eSoul Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. & CMSSkins.com.

About DevNext

Are you a developer? designer? Student? Have a passion to learn something new? . Interested in getting up-to-date, learning new technologies in your spare time. So here we are with a community focusing Next Generation Designers and Developers called DevNext. DevNext is a user group which has been created with the intention of providing a platform for the Next Generation Developers sharing and discussing knowledge regarding different tools and technologies. It’s mission from inception has been to develop a peer group of developers, architects, and managers who are interested in learning, sharing and growing their knowledge and capabilities. The group’s vision is to provide members with a forum to hear top industry experts speak, learn and teach others who are interested in the same technologies as you and are facing the same challenges.

DevNext User Group is supported by many organizations around the world like Microsoft, Adobe, INETA, Telerik, DiscountASP.net, Culminis, Wiley, Apress, .Net University, Re-Sharper, Peach Pit and many more.

DevNext User Group Website : www.devnext.org
Join us on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/group. php?gid=6350223428&ref=ts

WPF Sessions

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:23:00 +0000

DevNext is coming up with a series of seminars and workshops on “Windows Presentation Foundation” in the coming few weeks. I will be presenting at each and every event but I am looking for some other speakers having experience in WPF to join us. We will be doing these sessions at many local universities in Karachi.

Windows Presentation Foundation is a new programming paradigm introduced in Version 3.0 of the .NET Framework as an alternative to traditional Windows Forms programming. WPF effectively permits the separation of user interface design (to be principally implemented by designers) from the underlying functionality (to be implemented by developers) using a new XML variant, XAML. WPF also permits almost any control to host any other control, thereby allowing dramatic user interface designs such as buttons hosting videos or 3D drawings. WPF also permits every control to be built in a scalable fashion so that an entire form — including buttons, graphics, labels, textboxes and the text which they contain — can be expanded or shrunken simply by dragging the sizing handle. The basic agenda will be

What is WPF?
How does WPF compare to Windows Forms Development?
Does WPF Require Windows Vista/Windows 7?
What are the Other Requirements of WPF?
What is XAML and how is it used by WPF?
What is XBAP?
What are the Applications in the Expressions Suite?

So, if you are willing to join us or you want DevNext team to deliver a session on WPF at your campus then kindly let me know at ali.raza.shaikh@gmail.com

E-Banking Solutions in Pakistan

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:46:00 +0000

On Saturday 28th March 2009, DevNext organized a seminar with the title “E-banking Solutions in Pakistan” at NED-CIS Department. The speaker Mr.Usman Madni from TPS gave an overview on the part TPS is playing for e-banking in Pakistan and abroad. He explained about e-banking in Pakistan very thoroughly and discussed the working of 1 link, VISA Card, ORIX and other such technologies that have made transactions much easier than ever before. The speaker made the seminar more interesting by giving practical life examples. The students participated in the discussion and Q/A session with great interest and at the end books on different technologies were given to active attendees of the seminar. The main agenda of this session was

a) Phoenix providing basis for an effective self-service banking infrastructure.

b) A flexible approach for an enhanced self-service banking architecture, providing 24/7 online banking services to customers.

c) An end-to-end solution for the financial touch-points.

d) Banking in a cloud of electrons.

e) What is the buzzing glitch in e- banking.

f) Ebanking - Inside a bank

g) EVoting and the difference it has with ebanking

About Speaker

Usman Madni is currently working as a Senior Software Engineer at TPS (Transaction Processing Systems) which is software, systems and consulting firm specializing in e-banking and e-Payment Products. He is currently specifically working on a product/project at the above given company, which is a, Multi - Purpose Transaction Processing Middleware, namely by the name of PHOENIX, TPS FLAGSHIP Product. Have been a graduate in Computer Sciences from FAST - NU, campus in Karachi and currently have an experience of working in the debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM and POS cards and associated businesses.

Note : This post is written by Namrah Arif (BE CIS) who is managing all the volunteering efforts at NED University, Karachi.

Entrepreneurship - The Road Least Taken

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Entrepreneurship - The Road Least Taken

View more presentations from Nashadelic.

DiscountASP.NET sponsors DevNext

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:18:00 +0000

As a part of our upcoming version of DevNext website on ASP.net 3.5, Sql Server 2005 and Windows Server 2008, DiscountASP.net has sponsored us with the complete hosting services on their servers. This means that all our members will access the new website 24x7 with no downtime. All my sincere thanks to DiscountASP.net team for all their support and help

About DiscountASP.net

DiscountASP.NET is an recognized global leader in advanced shared Microsoft Windows webhosting services. Through strong word-of-mouth and our commitment to ASP.NET technology and innovation, DiscountASP.NET has become the choice for affordable and feature-rich ASP.NET hosting and SQL hosting. We offer ASP.NET Hosting services in two tier-1 data centers in the USA and in Europe/UK. We are specialists in

Windows 2008 Hosting
SQL 2008 Hosting
.NET 3.5 Hosting
ASP.NET Hosting
SQL Server Hosting
LINQ & ASP.NET AJAX Hosting
Silverlight Compatible Hosting

Unlike competitors who try to be everything to everybody by supporting every type of hosting platform under the sun, DiscountASP.NET focuses all of our resources in applying innovation throughout our hosting product, service, and infrastructure to provide the most affordable, reliable, fast, cutting-edge, and feature-rich, enterprise-class, advanced Microsoft ASP.NET hosting and SQL Database Hosting. Our platform supports Classic ASP Hosting as well.

Our platform is perfect for developers looking for cutting edge, innovative technology at affordable rates. Our staff has over 150+ combined years of experience in the website hosting industry. Our team consists of industry veterans that have owned and operated successful and profitable hosting companies, Microsoft Certified Professionals, System Engineers, and Database Administrators that have worked for some of the Top 10 hosting companies in the world, and others who have worked at webhosting startup companies. We make sure that our staff are technically saavy and understand the web hosting industry.

The combined knowledge from years of extensive hosting experience allows our team to come together at DiscountASP.NET to focus on efficiently delivering the best value in Enterprise-Class Shared Windows hosting through innovation and knowledgeable customer support, while avoiding all the pitfalls they have experienced at other hosting companies. We custom built our own ASP.NET driven "instant activation" hosting automation system that technologically leapfrogs the competition. You do not need to wait an hour or a day to begin uploading your web applications. We do not use off-the-shelf canned hosting automation software and market ourselves as ASP .NET hosters. We are more than a "marketing" company - we are technology experts. We prove our technical expertise by using and applying innovative .NET technology solutions in every aspect of our web hosting system. In addition, we do not maintain old, legacy or otherwise deprecated technologies.

Michael Jordan on Success - in just 30 seconds!

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Telerik sponsors DevNext

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:00:00 +0000

About Telerik

Founded in 2002, Telerik is the leading vendor of User Interface (UI) components for ASP.NET AJAX, Windows Forms, and .NET Reporting solutions. Building on our expertise in interface development and Microsoft technologies, Telerik helps customers build applications with unparalleled richness, responsiveness and interactivity. Check out our latest Q1 release featuring our RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX, including our ultra-fast and feather light RadEditor and RadGrid tools, our RadControls for WinForms suite with stunning WPF-like effects, and Telerik Reporting’s new innovative WYSIWYG report designer: http://www.telerik.com.

Telerik is a leading vendor of ASP.NET AJAX, Silverlight, WinForms and WPF controls and components, as well as .NET Reporting, .NET ORM and .NET CMS solutions. Building on its expertise in interface development and Microsoft technologies, Telerik helps customers build applications with unparalleled richness, responsiveness and interactivity. Created with passion, Telerik products help thousands of developers every day to be more productive and deliver reliable applications under budget and on time.

About DevNext

Are you a developer? designer? Student? Have a passion to learn something new? . Interested in getting up-to-date, learning new technologies in your spare time. So here we are with a community focusing Next Generation Designers and Developers called DevNext. DevNext is a user group which has been created with the intention of providing a platform for the Next Generation Developers sharing and discussing knowledge regarding different tools and technologies. Their mission from inception has been to develop a peer group of developers, architects, and managers who are interested in learning, sharing and growing their knowledge and capabilities. The group’s vision is to provide members with a forum to hear top industry experts speak, learn and teach others who are interested in the same technologies as you and are facing the same challenges.

DevNext User Group is supported by many organizations around the world like Microsoft, Adobe, INETA, Culminis, Wiley, Apress, .Net University, Re-Sharper, Peach Pit and many more.

DevNext User Group Website : www.devnext.org
Join us on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/group. php?gid=6350223428&ref=ts

Manning Publication sponsors DevNext

ali_raza_shaikh@yahoo.com (Ali Raza Shaikh) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:29:00 +0000

About Manning Publications - http://www.manning.com/

We publish computer books for professionals--programmers, system administrators, designers, architects, managers and others. Our key people work from their own offices across the US, all communicating with the center in Greenwich, CT, and with each other and our authors by email, Web, phone and mail. We think of our authors as the most valuable part of our business. We respect our readers and consider their interests and preferences every working day. Manning is a small, personal, old-world publisher where an author's opinion is sought and a reader's message is answered.

Manning's focus is on computing titles at professional levels. We care about the quality of our books. We work with our authors to coax out of them the best writing they can produce. We consult with technical experts on book proposals and manuscripts, and we may use as many as two dozen reviewers in various stages of preparing a manuscript. The abilities of each author are nurtured to encourage him or her to write a first-rate book. Our books are designed without gimmicks. Their main goal is elegance and readability--we feel the two are often the same. Our covers are understated, decorated with pictures of worldwide regional dress habits of two hundred years ago. Many of our books come with online reader support: authors answer the questions of their readers in our Web-based Author Online discussion forums.

When we started doing business under the Manning name in 1990, we were a very different company. What we are now is the end result of an evolutionary process in which accidental events played as big a role, or bigger, as planning and foresight. Manning started when the two current partners, Marjan Bace and Lee Fitzpatrick, joined to form a book packaging business. Packaging is a recognized support function in the publishing business--a kind of combined literary-agenting plus book production. Packagers start from a book idea; they find and sign the author; and they produce the final book--all for a bigger house whose sole name appears on the covers.

From the outset we did business with most of the established technical publishers as well as with the IEEE Computer Society Press. Our scope included all of engineering and computing. An early success was the publication of a materials science series of a dozen specialized tomes; it included the large Encyclopedia of Materials Characterization with over 50 contributors. But soon we began to see computing topics as the liveliest and most interesting of them all. It was inevitable that Manning would be drawn to an area as exciting and fast-moving as the computer industry. Computing soon became the focus of Manning's publishing. Manning's first customer for a computer book was Addison Wesley. AW's fine reputation in the industry helped open doors at other leading commercial houses, a number of whom became Manning customers.

In 1992 Manning produced the first authoritative book on the Internet technologies, The Internet System Handbook, edited by Dan Lynch (then head and owner of the Interop conference series) and Marshall Rose. The cast of characters who wrote chapters in the book--Vint Cerf, the recently deceased Jon Postel, and other original developers of the technologies underlying the Internet--have set it apart from all books on this topic. The Internet System Handbook, published under the Addison Wesley imprint, is considered a classic. It is still in print.