COMSATS Internet Services a revolutionary dimension
By Technology Times at May 29, 2012 | 1:05 pm | PrintA- Reset A+
HISTORY: Keeping in view the COMSATS mission of using technology for social service, COMSATS started COMSATS Internet Services (CIS) as the pioneer ISP of Pakistan in 1996 to not only offer internet connectivity to government departments but also to offer social services such as telehealth and training. At present, CIS is operating in 8 major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Multan. CIS staff consists of network and communication engineers, system-administrators, software developers, accountants, marketing, sales and customer support executives.
SERVICE PORTFOLIO: CIS offers seven different services known as “The Colours of CIS”. Core services from CIS include Tornado™, Freedom™, and Hawaii™.
Tornado™ is a wireless point-to-point service from CIS. It is the flagship product of CIS. Tornado™ provides better speed and quality of service than other wireless technologies such as Wi-Max and EVDO because it is based on point-to-point links. So far, CIS has installed more than three hundred wireless links. Customers of Tornado™ include government offices, corporate offices, universities, hostels, and home users. Packages range from 1 Mbps to as high as 20 Mbps.
Freedom™ is a Wi-Fi DSL service from CIS which enables customers to create a hotspot at their home or office and enjoy internet facility anywhere within that building. Users of Freedom™ include students, home users, and small businesses. Freedom™ is available in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Sialkot, and Faisalabad. Packages offered include 512 kbps, 1 Mbps, and 2 Mbps.
Hawaii™ is a domain and hosting service from CIS. CIS has a reliable data center in Islamabad consisting of racks, servers, routers, KVM switches, air conditioners, UPSs, and generators. Hawaii™ offers hosting on both Windows™ and Linux platforms. Data centre also has a Juniper firewall to provide network level protection and security from hackers and cyber attacks. Hawaii™ services include domain registration, shared hosting, co-location, and VPS services. CIS is the first ISP in Pakistan to offer VPS (virtual private server) service using local hosting unlike other VPS providers who use foreign hosting. Hawaii™ offers domain registration for .com, .net, .pk, and .af domains.
Value added services from CIS include Hurricane™, Viacon™, Prism™, and Comtrain™. Keeping its tradition of being the pioneer ISP, CIS is the first ISP to offer on-demand broadband in Pakistan when it launched Hurricane™ in 2010. Hurricane is an on-demand wireless broadband service where customers pay per event instead of on a monthly basis. This service is ideal for events, seminars, trainings, and concerts. Hurricane™ can be installed on a day’s notice because it is a wireless point-to-point link. Hurricane™ has been used to provide live streaming of events by Converge Technologies and SDPI.
Comtrain™ as the name suggests is the technical training service from CIS. CIS was the first training partner of CISCO in Pakistan in 2000. So far, CIS has given technical training to more than 2000 IT professionals and students over the last fifteen years. These training courses include CCNA®, CCNP®, Microsoft Office®, Linux Administration, Windows® Administration, A+ Hardware, ITIL® V3 Foundation, PMP®, Web Development, Java® Development, and .Net® Development. At present, Comtrain™ is offered in Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Peshawar and will be launched in more cities in future.
Viacon™ is a video conferencing service from CIS. Nowadays, many businesses prefer video conferencing for communication with their remote offices and clients than traveling to save costs, time, and security. Viacon™ has done video conferences for many UN agencies, NGOs, and foreign clients. CIS has video conferencing setups in Islamabad and Peshawar which use Polycom’s high definition equipment. Viacon™ offers video conferencing at both CIS offices or at customer premises.
Prism™ is a software and web development service from CIS. Prism™ offers website and software development in PHP, ASP, .Net, and Java. So far, CIS has developed more than hundred websites for government organizations and corporate customers including Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Nova Technologies, National Library and Resource Center, and Butus Estates to name a few. In addition to websites, CIS has developed many useful software applications in Java and .Net which can be used by customers including billing system, helpdesk system, and purchasing management system.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
1. Pioneer ISP of Pakistan when it launched Internet service in 1996
2. First training partner of Cisco in Pakistan
3. Ranked best ISP by PTA (Pakistan Telecom Authority) in 2006 and 2007 in Islamabad and Sialkot
4. Ranked best ISP by PTA (Pakistan Telecom Authority) in 2008 in Lahore, Karachi, Sialkot, and Faisalabad
5. First ISP to offer on-demand broadband in Pakistan in 2010
6. First ISP to offer VPS (virtual private servers) with local hosting in Pakistan
CSR Initiatives: Keeping in view the COMSATS mission of using technology for social benefit, CIS has participated in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on many occasions. COMSATS was the pioneer in starting Tele-health service in Pakistan in early 2000. COMSATS established Tele-health clinics in remote areas such as Gilgit, Skardu, and Gujar Khan where doctors sitting in Islamabad would diagnose patients sitting in these remote clinics through a video link. This year, CIS has identified new sites for tele-health clinics in rural areas of Pakistan and will be launching the first clinic this summer.
Today, CIS is recognized as a quality ISP of Pakistan. Clients include both public and private sector organizations ranging from governmental departments and private companies to foreign missions and educational institutions.
