ATRC Company Profile

Company Profile

Applied Technology Research Center cuts the cost of corporate computer system upgrades by 50% or more through feasibility and ROI analysis, system upgrades, and support of Linux and other open source software.

Feasibility/ROI Studies

Our open source business consultants help determine business software requirements, analyze cost savings, and prepare migration plans for mid-size businesses and government agencies. An initial feasibility assessment is followed by an in-depth analysis of your company's most appropriate open source options. An ROI report is prepared for each recommended option.

System upgrades

Our open source technology engineers install, configure, and optimize your upgraded systems. Desktops are customized to the needs of your business, with greater flexibility than ever before. Your IT staff is mentored on the upgrades as work progresses. Also, a customer care specialist ensures a smooth transition by assisting users with their upgraded systems.

Support

Our engineers can help maintain your upgrades through either an ongoing support arrangement or on an as-needed basis. We offer flexible support options for any business scenario.

Mission Statement

We strive to provide our clients the very best technical expertise and business computing solutions to give them the greatest competitive advantage at very reasonable costs.

Introduction to ATRC the company.

ATRC is a diverse information technology professional research and support company founded on the vision of providing its clients with a competitive edge.

This is accomplished by delivering cost effective IT solutions, based on Open Systems and Open Source technology, which are tailored to their strategic business considerations. Our aim is to develop strong, ongoing relationships with our clients and long-term partnerships, based on mutual growth and respect with industry vendors.

Our focus is in the areas of large scale Linux systems administration and network management, productivity solutions based on web and client/server technology and platform integration via TCP/IP.

Our people have been involved in the open systems, Internet and Linux/Open Source market segments for much of their duration. They eat drink think sleep and even dream open-source. They have diverse experience in the administration, development, integration and support of a wide variety of vendors' platforms. As part of our commitment to furthering the role of open systems, we are vendor neutral, and thus in the ideal position to evaluate the various technical and business advantages/disadvantages for your organization in following a particular IT path.

ATRC offers your organization a dedicated team of experienced network and system administrators, software engineers, project architects, developers, support and user services personnel committed to meeting delivery deadlines, budget allocations and other business IT objectives.

Our Services

Our services fall into the following categories:

Consulting and Professional Services

• Management and monitoring of Internet services so operations stay stable

• VoIP and video conferencing design.

• Remote and On site *nix (all types of Unix) support.

• Linux system administration and tuning

• Linux to Legacy or Non Unix platform integration

• Network planning, topology and system security design

• TCP/IP administration and application development

• Configuration of routers, terminal servers, and host integration

• Internet security expertise and firewalls

Application Development

• Development of application level gateways (Layer 7 firewalls).

• Monitoring systems for servers.

• Opensource ERP Deployment for SMEs

• Rapid Application Development in Shell scripting.

• Rapid development of web-based applications using technology like PHP, Perl, AJAX, Python

• Client/server architectures and applications

Training

• Training in desktop productivity and office applications.

• Instructor based training in Linux and other Open Source technologies

We can provide your organization with either a select team of people for project driven or outsourcing work, or individual consultants for short and long term assignments at competitive rates. Our broad range of services enables us to take on projects starting from the creation of functional specifications, through design, implementation and testing, to manual and help file production, user training and support.

How will we help you ?

ATRC will help you achieve your business objectives on time and within budget by delivering IT solutions based on the following vital cornerstones:

• Partnerships - The key to strong strategic relationships

We have a proved track record in providing a high level of technical expertise to our industry partners, all government, corporate clients and vendors. Our founding principle is to build strategic long term business relationships based on mutual trust, proved results and appreciation of each other's needs. Everyone wins when business and technical issues are resolved effectively and rapidly. This fosters a cooperative and productive atmosphere to help achieve the ultimate goal - getting the job done to specification, cost effectively and on time with maximum confidence.

• Involvement - Understanding how your organization works

To be a successful business partner, it is our obligation to acquire a thorough understanding of how your organization operates. Through careful analysis of the business requirements and constraints, work practices, platform investments and growth plan in your organization, ATRC will provide you the most appropriate IT solution.

• Flexibility - Fit the IT solution to the changing business requirements

We understand that organizations are dynamic, and that your IT solution must move easily with business changes. By leveraging our technical expertise in the areas of Open Systems technology, client/server architectures and Data Network management, we help you increase your organization's flexibility in human resource allocations for project driven work, tenders and outsourcing bids. Furthermore, we can enhance your options of platform vendors, system performance, scalability and interoperability and service to your users as your business and IT requirements evolve.

• Standards - Adherence to proved known quantities

ATRC guarantees quality deliverables by employing established industry standards, methodologies and technology. We utilize software engineering, and use industry standard technology, such as the TCP/IP communications protocol as the basis for our solutions.

• Integration - Cost effective and efficient utilization of resources and information

By integrating computing resources such as Linux servers, to industry de-facto web-standards, we will assist you in extracting the most from your IT investment. Through the use of web-based technology we can further enhance the responsiveness and effectiveness of corporate decision making, improve user productivity, simplify work practices and remove costs associated with former bottlenecks. An investment in IT integration gives your organization a gain in system performance and throughput, as well as a more useful and efficient computing service for your dollar. We can also provide a web based front end to your legacy FoxPro, xBase, or COBOL programs without having to rewrite them in a new language.

• Quality

Our company is committed to the continual improvement in the quality of products and services produced, to meet client expectations. We recognize that quality is the whole development team's responsibility. Properly implemented, our attention to quality is not in conflict with our client's requirements of low cost and timely delivery.

Benefits to Your Company or Organization.

We believe that by establishing an ongoing partnership with ATRC, your organization may further benefit through:

• Optimization of enterprise wide resources via ERP/CRM/SCM deployments.

• Flexibility in human resources deployment

• Proved track record of delivery

• Leverage our skills and expertise to assist you in delivering solutions to your clients

• Proactive 24 hour network management and data network support through our Internet connection.

• Adaptation of our data network management tool set and techniques for your network

• Our in depth knowledge of emerging industry trends and standards

• A high degree of immediate technical competency being made available to your organization, enhancing your existing infrastructure and expertise.

• Acquiring long term partner that is keen to assist in realizing your business IT goals and needs

Feasibility and ROI Assessments to Enable Business IT Decisions

ATRC provides detailed technical and budgetary impact analysis for clients to investigate upgrading servers and desktop systems to Linux and other open source options. Implementation recommendations are based on an analysis of the existing computing environment to determine the best use for open source alternatives. Technical recommendations are accompanied by a report on the financial return on the recommended implementation investment.

Our analysis typically address the following:

• Determine exactly where and how open source alternatives can be seamlessly deployed into the existing infrastructure.

• Research alternatives to existing applications, including data and application conversion.

• Determine the budgetary impact of the recommended implementation.

• Deliver a report of technical recommendations, along with a detailed analysis of the return on investment.

Process details

A team of open source analysts complete an on site evaluation. Issues they address include:

• An analysis of classifications of desktops based on user and department requirements.

• Conducting brief interviews where necessary to determine application requirements.

• A review of internal software inventories to identify necessary Windows-specific applications that will preclude an open source upgrade for some systems.

• Identification of the desktop systems that are well suited to open source options.

• Testing of enterprise applications/protocols to ensure compatibility.

• Testing of web-based applications to ensure compatibility.

• Additional necessary testing as determined in the initial discovery phase.

Delivered reports

The report of technical findings typically includes:

• Recommendations for seamless integration of open source alternatives into the existing environment.

• Details on alternative applications to current Windows-specific applications.

• Details on necessary data and application conversion.

An ROI analysis accompanies the recommendations, with the primary goal of describing the short term cost benefits of an open source migration. The financial report typically includes:

• Immediate factors such as cost of implementation and software license savings will be calculated to describe the return realized within the actual implementation time frame.

• Additional longer term cost benefits such as reliability and ease of maintenance will also be described with estimated ranges for reference.

• 3+ years of Opensource ERP experience.

• 26+ years of Information Technology and Communications experience.

• 12+ years of Linux experience.

• First company to offer round the clock support in Pakistan.

• The only company offering support in all cities in Pakistan.

• The greatest experience in Linux based Internet Technologies.

• The most experience in Linux based Server hardwares.

• The most experience in Linux hardware compatibility and driver finding.

• The fastest correct response to free questions.

• The fastest correct response to paid questions.

• Production of custom designed server and network management softwares for each client.

With ATRC, your company can rely on our team of experts to provide a solution to any problem that might occur, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

ATRC delivers your technical team constant interaction with the ATRC network and guarantees your company business continuity. Our support product range is highly scalable to match your specific requirements and allows you to have Open Source applications deployed in no-time and without concerns.

The high costs associated with traditional, proprietary-source software licenses have forced many government organizations to evaluate the potential savings associated with Open Source technologies. Consequently, many government organizations have made it a top priority to adopt effective and efficient Open Source applications that are developed in a timely manner, for example months instead of years. However, to make this transition requires a clear understanding and vision of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. 

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) often find with Open Source technology that they are not certain how to measure it, to leverage it, or ultimately how to benefit from it. If your agency requires assistance in defining an Open Source strategy, reviewing existing policies and guidelines, developing a risk mitigation program, or simply creating criteria and measuring the success of an Open Source transition, then ATRC can help.

ATRC can conduct a comprehensive client-specific research to identify Open Source solutions that will enhance your organization’s processes. The completed research will provide CIOs with the information necessary to make sound and accurate decisions regarding any transition to Open Source. Additionally, once those decisions are made, the research provides a road map for successful implementation with minimal risks.

Possible results of the research include :

• Executive overviews of the organization’s preparedness for Open Source transition

• Open Source conversion viability determination for all existing systems

• Detailed pros and cons specific to each converted system

• Detailed specifications of existing applicable Open Source applications

• Potential impacts on mission-critical systems

• Potential security issues related to Open Source

• Budget development and cost savings analysis

• Specific Plan of Action and Milestones with suggested timelines

• Resource validation reports

• Consolidation recommendation reports

• Long-term scalability requirements

• Complex software and hardware roll out strategies

• Software licensing measurement and compliance issues

• Organization-specific white papers

• Case studies applicable to the organization’s needs

• Development of management strategies and policies

• Any specific documentation requested by the organization

Key Features:

• Guarantees Business continuity on a 24 by 7 basis  

• Application configuration jump starting and guidance 

• Performance analysis troubleshooting 

• Total infrastructure audit 

• Top level security advice 

• Technical Documentation and Reporting 

• Release Advice 

• Flexible support options tailored for your specific needs 

• On site support visits

Educational Services directly from the experts!

ATRC's courses mean recognized top quality educational services. We start out with Linux basics, aimed at the initial Linux experiences and focused on desktop usage.

With System Administration, we move on to the more advanced parts of the Linux environment with highlights such as performance tuning and troubleshooting. Linux TCP/IP, Apache Web server and SAMBA Windows Integration focus deeply on these top Linux applications. In all of our courses you'll be able to live the Linux experience, with your hands on your own test systems. Our courses are presented distribution independent.

Our company goal is clear: we are here to assist you in your Linux deployment. Our experts can assist you in investigating Linux usage in your environment, providing input for your infrastructure design and deliver the required brainpower where you have a manpower shortage.

 From architecture design to implementation phase, we have the expertise you're looking for.



 Initial Feasibility Assessments

Many businesses are realizing drastic cost savings with open source upgrades. The first step is to examine what this means to your company.

In a short discovery session, our open source business analysts will help you determine if an open source upgrade can benefit your organization.

Schedule

Call today to schedule feasibility assessment of how an open source upgrade will benefit your company.

Summary

The two primary goals of a typical analysis are to determine exactly where and how open source alternatives can be deployed within the existing environment in a seamless manner, and to report the financial return the implementation investment would generate. A process of on site evaluation combined with cost-benefit analysis provides clients with a formalized report to enable solid IT decisions and justify open source adoption to upper management.

ATRC Resource Profiles

Mr. Anwar Aziz Jakartawala

Chairman

Mr. Anwar has more than 35 years of experience in the financial sector. He has worked for the World Bank and Habib Bank Limited.

Mr. Khawar Nehal

CEO

Mr. Khawar has more than 15 years of IT and Ecommerce work experience. His specializations include Internet Services, Security and Open Source technologies.

Mr. Khawar has a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science from FAST ICS NU.

He has certifications in the fields of Project Management, Solaris, Linux, Networking, and Computer Security.

Mrs. Irfana Khawar

Manager

Mrs. Irfana has more than 6 years of coordination and management experience related to training and IT support and management of events.

Mr. Fawwad Iftikhar

Finance Manager

Mr Fawwad has a B.Com, M.Com, and an MBA. Along with more than 8 years of accounting. He is also experienced in using SAP.

Mr. Sheeraz Akhar

Network Engineer

Mr. Sheeraz has more than 4 years of Networking Experience. He has a Bachelors in Engineering from SSUET. His expertise is in System Administration, ISP support, and Troubleshooting.

Services offered by Applied Technology Research Center (ATRC)

ATRC as a consultancy offers the following services :

Linux and Open Source Support.

This is used primarily by the Information Technology Department for

• Strengthening Security

• Ensuring better reliability

• Enhancing Performance

• Reduce Costs and

• Make systems easier to use.

Internet Marketing Services

This is used primarily by the Marketing Department for

• Creating usable and standards compliant websites.

• Development of back office systems to support the organization's websites and portals.

This is used primarily by the Institutes and Training Department for

• Curriculum development for meeting goals.

• Institute development for meeting training needs.

• Funding research for educational related projects.

• Computers and Communications System Integration

• Education Research Services

This is used primarily by the IT departments for

• Finding equipment which meets their requirements.

• Integration of heterogeneous systems.

• Business Research Services

This is used primarily by Investors for

• Identifying high risk and high return venture capital opportunities in the technology sector.

• Analyzing risks in high risk business proposals.

• Viability and strategy studies of high risk technology related projects in global emerging markets.

• Matching investors preferences with feasible projects.

A partial list of ATRC's valuable clients.

Airlines

Pakistan International Airlines

Shaheen Airlines

Banks

Habib Bank Limited

State bank of Pakistan

Habib Bank AG Zurich

Abn Amro Bank

Government of Pakistan

Central board of Revenue Sales Tax, Income Tax

Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI)

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)

Ministry of IT (MoITT)

Higher Education Commission

Pakistan Air force

Securities and Exchange Commission

Pakistan Navy

Government of Sindh IT Department

Stock Brokerage Houses

Taurus Securities

Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari (KASB)

AKD Trade

We Financial

Insurance Companies

State Life Insurance Corporation

EFU Insurance Corporation

Energy Companies

Sigma Energy

Systems Integration companies

IBM

Computer Hardware Companies

NDS Technologies

Call Centers

Outsource R Us

Institutes

Preston Institute of Management, Science and Technology (PIMSAT)

FAST ICS NU

Mehran Institute of Technology

SoftTech

The Education Center (TEC)

NUST Islamabad

PAF-KIET

SZABIST

CTTC

Textile Institute of Pakistan

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Islamabad

Pyramid Education Islamabad

Institute of Business Management (CBM, IoBM)

Institute of Business Administration Sukkur

Haven IT Institute

Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education

Iqra University

Internet Service Providers

CubeXS

WebNet

Digicom

Cyber Access

Fascom

Cybernet

Zoooom.net

Zabnet

AKU Net

Compunet Instanet Global Net

Software Houses

360 Degrees

Pivotal Black

ECXS

Sidat Hyder

Network Appliances

Barbed Wire Technologies

Trading Companies

Conwill Private Limited (Exporters)

ABCO (Importers)

Shipping Companies

Bhombal

NGOs

The Education Foundation

Plan Pakistan

Communications Companies

Acsys Limited

Chemical Companies

Engro Chemicals

Marketing Companies

Jamal's Yellow Pages

Doorstep Inc.

United Ideas.

Pharmaceuticals

Woodwards

Car Companies

Land Rover Pakistan

Real Estate Agencies

Manhattan International

Clubs

Rotary Club Karachi

Organizations

Karachi Chamber of Commerce (KCCI)

Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB)

Small and Medium Enterprise Alliance (SAMEA)

Consumer Association of Pakistan (CAP)

Pakistan Indonesia Friendship Society (PIFS)

IEEE Karachi (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

ATRC Security Services

Applied Technology Research Center Security services contain several areas of security.

These include :

Access Control Systems and Methodology

Access controls are a collection of mechanisms that work together to create a security architecture to protect the assets of the information system. ATRC provides services to analyze your access control systems and recommends modifications to make them more effective.

Application Development Security

This domain addresses the important security concepts that apply to application software development. It outlines the environment where software is designed and developed and explains the critical role software plays in providing information system security. Many programmers are not aware of loop holes in their design which can allow users, crackers, viruses, trojans, and other malwares to gain access to the databases and logic which runs the software applications. ATRC trains programmers to be more aware of the secure software design techniques and assists in analyzing the application programs already developed and those needed to be developed so that they can be made more secure.

Operations Security

Operations Security is used to identify the controls over hardware, media, and the operators and administrators with access privileges to any of these resources. Audit and monitoring are the mechanisms, tools, and facilities that permit the identification of security events and subsequent actions to identify the key elements and report the pertinent information to the appropriate individual, group, or process. ATRC uses best practices to gauge the operational security and recommends modifications to the existing techniques.

Physical Security

The physical security domain provides protection techniques for the entire facility, from the outside perimeter to the inside office space, including all of the information system resources. This domain is usually the area where organizations think of security guard companies like Brinks. However in the days of E commerce, there are some aspects like physical LAN, wireless, USB Drives, Laptops and identification badges generation and expiry among many other things which need to be considered.

Cryptography

The cryptography domain addresses the principles, means, and methods of disguising information to ensure its integrity, confidentiality and authenticity. ATRC provides its customers with almost all types of encryption available up to the most secure techniques employing random numbers generated from real world events. If used correctly it allows a company to make sure their encryption is not crackable by anyone who does not have the key.

Telecommunications, Network, and Internet Security.

The telecommunications, network, and Internet security domain includes the following areas :

Network Structures
Transmission methods
Transport formats
Security measures used to provide availability, integrity, and confidentiality
Authentication for transmissions over private and public communications networks and media.

Business Continuity Planning

The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) development service addresses the preservation and recovery of business operations in the event of outages.

Disaster recovery

In some cases where a disaster does occur in an SME which did not have a business continuity plan in place. ATRC may be able to use its expertise to salvage and restore the systems. This is only a last resort service.

The Law, Investigations, and Ethics domain addresses:

Computer crime laws and regulations
The measures and technologies used to investigate computer crime incidents.

Pakistan does have cyber crime laws which can be used to keep crackers at bay. However the limits of jurisdiction of laws and their enforceability requires that ATRC analyze for the client which techniques and policies to adopt and when to enforce laws. How laws cab be used as a deterrent and when they shall not work as a deterrent.

Security Policy

All of the above services are carried out according the the security requirements of the organization. A risk assessment indicates the areas where a shortfall in security may cause losses to the organization. A security policy is developed or modified which shall address the potential risks.

You need to prevent network threats from impacting your ongoing business.

Businesses that rely on the Internet can no longer afford to depend on reactive security techniques. ATRC provides as simple as possible security solutions that put preemptive protection within the reach of all security-conscious organizations.

ATRC protection techniques include :

• Design of end-to-end enterprise security, with solutions for desktops, servers, networks and gateways

• Enabling of cost-effective business processes

• Support for regulatory compliance for multinationals

• Detailed analysis of security risk management requirements

• Improved network performance based on monitoring and tuning

To discuss further the competencies described above please feel free to contact ATRC any time.

Our contact information is detailed below.

Postal and office address :

C-55 Block A KDA Officers

Karachi 75260

Pakistan

Web : http://atrc.net.pk

Mr. Anwar Aziz Jakartawala

Chairman

Mobile : 92-300-8221667

Email : aa@atrc.net.pk

Mr. Khawar Nehal

CEO

Mobile : Dubai 971-55-639-8386,

Mobile Pakistan : 92-333-2486216

Office : 92-21-818-0991

Email : khawar.nehal@atrc.net.pk