Birthday calendar January & FeBruary
issue 5January, February 2015
InternalCorporateMagazIne
new MeMBersthe new colleagues around the globe
hot shot!lucho lalev
Brainster Interactive game of knowledge, intelligence, adroitness
news
top tech predic-tions For 2015
Hello, dear colleagues!
With this first issue of the year we congratulate you with the beginning of the new 2015 working calendar. We hope you and your loved ones stay healthy, follow your dreams and eagerly pursue your goals.
You know ... “Stay hungry, stay foolish”.
In this issue, combined for January and February, we have prepared some exciting news, interesting pictures of the Christmas celebrations in allterCo around the world, and an interview with the employee of the year and creative direc-tor of allterMag - lacho.
this issue’s theme is dedicated to curious predictions for new technologies that will conquer the world in 2015. and since allterCo continues to develop and grow, we will present you as usually with the new colleagues who are already part of the company.
Happy reading!
InternalCorporateMagazIne
Issue 5, Year 2 January, February 2014
introduction
Introduction by the editor
Editor in Chief: nikoleta abrasheva
Creative Director: lucho lalev
This issue was made with the kind suport of:
elena Mijalova
Ilia petrov
rachel atherton
news
Nearly 15 million SMS congratulations were sent by Bulgarians for the New Year.
With nearly 15 million SMS messages for the new year this number is more than the 13 million for Christmas. this is the official data of the three mobile operators (Mtel, telenor and Vivacom). the fourth mobile operator Max is supporting lte based mobile data services, not SMS. reporting periods for new Year SMS greetings starts from 12:00 on 31 December 2014 and lasts for 24 hours until 1 January 2015, although on 1 January (Vasilyovden) there were probably many messages commemorating the name day.
the network of Vivacom transmitted 4.8 million messages for that period. Just over 5 million were exchanged by customers of Mtel. the biggest peak is traditionally during the first hour after midnight, added the operator. 100,000 messages were sent over the internet by Mtel customers. telenor customers sent over 5,140,000 SMSs for the same period.
the number of SMS-s, which were sent through the Mtel network begins to grow the night before new Year’s eve, commented the mobile operator. - Usually customers send messages actively throughout January 1. SMS continues to be the preferred method of greeting friends and family on holidays despite the gaining popularity of chat applications, “added representatives of Mtel.
apart from SMS-s, an increase was registered for calls during the
More sMs greetings For new year’s eve than christMas
holidays. “More and more customers prefer to greet relatives and friends in private conversation on the phone, as prices for calls in recent years become more affordable,” said Mtel.
telenor also reported an increase in consumption of services during the Christmas and new Year holidays. “In the first hour of the new Year a new record and an increase by 15% of voice calls was registered, compared
to the same period of 2014”, according to preliminary results of telenor. Consumption of services for data transmission over the same period grew by over 70%, in line with long-term trends for growth in mobile internet usage by customers of the operator.
the company added that its largest project, for the complete renovation of its existing 2g and 3g network, including the renovation and improvement of access and backbone transport network and the core network of telenor and related services, will be completed in mid-2015.
telekoM austria group notiFied the Macedonian coMpetition authority on the intended Merger oF vip and one
telekom austria group informs that it has, jointly with telekom Slovenije group, submitted a notification for concentration to the Macedonian Commission
for protection of Competition related to the intended merger of its subsidiary Vip operator with the company one owned by telekom Slovenije group, both
operating in the republic of Macedonia. Moreover, Vip operator and one have signed a Merger agreement, which will be pre-registered in the Central
registry of the republic of Macedonia. the transaction is subject to approval by the relevant authorities, and is expected to close within the Q1 2015.
on 22 october 2014, telekom austria group had announced that it has agreed with telekom Slovenije group to merge their subsidiaries Vip operator
and one. telekom austria group will hold 55% and have sole control over the newly created entity, whereas telekom Slovenije group will hold 45%.
Furthermore, the agreement also includes call and put options for the exit of telekom Slovenije group from the joint company within three years of the
closing of the merger.
allterco christMas
employees of allterCo Balkans gathered together on 19/12/2014 to celebrate the end of the year and the upcoming Christmas and new Year holidays. the party took place in the piano bar “after 10”. the night passed in singing, laughing and dancing, as seen from the photographs. the most deserving employees for 2014 were awarded.
Here are who they are:
1. employee of the Year Category “global office”: Mirce atanasovski
2. employee of the Year Category “Choice of Colleagues”: Iliya petrov
3. employee of the Year, Management choice lachezar lalev
Meanwhile our colleagues in asia also had a great time...
allterco christMas
In early December, the team of allterco asia pacific based in Singapore and Kuala lumpur took the opportunity to strengthen the understanding between the two teams by organizing a festive celebration. the event took place in the modern camping Sepeking Serendah. the campsite is situated on 5 acres of tropical forests. Santa Claus surprised them, while they were having a delicious Bulgarian themed BBQ.
hot topic
top tech predictionsFor 2015
hot topic: top tech predictions For 2015
Big, durable, and flexible will be three major phone trends for 2015.
We’ve seen them signaled this year, and they’re here to stay. part of 2015 will be putting these three separate trends together, with large, flexible screens on devices that are often durable or waterproof. the Windows world will remain pretty sedate until midyear, when Microsoft’s Windows 10 will result in a flood of new Windows phone and tablet ideas.
Mainstream android tablets and ipads will continue to take a hit from 6-inch phablets, which are here to stay. to counter, google and apple will have to aggressively position their tablets as productivity-centered laptop replacements. Microsoft office will definitely help there, but look to see apple and Samsung, especially, ramping up enterprise sales of their tablets in an intense way.
t-Mobile will continue to grow primarily at Sprint and at&t’s expense. to increase their subscriber bases, at&t and Verizon will push the “Internet of things” hard—watch as every interaction in an at&t store becomes an effort to sell you a wearable, a home security system, or a child-tracking device. Sprint will intensely discuss merging with DISH and becoming a major player in home Internet access.
phones and tablets
hot topic: top tech predictions For 2015
Wearables will arguably become the most popular category in
tech in 2015.
the release of the apple Watch is sure to increase smartwatch
interest among the mainstream public, and the market for activity
trackers will just continue to grow. I predict the two will become
more closely entwined in 2015, with more smartwatches that track
activity, and more activity trackers with smartwatch functionality.
and wearables won’t just stop at the wrist.
Smart glasses and Vr headsets will increase in popularity as
more hardware becomes available, attracting a larger developer
community. We’re also likely to see an increase in smart clothing,
with built-in sensors to track our movement and send that
information to a mobile device. and wearable technology won’t be
limited to just individual consumers.
wearables
hot topic: top tech predictions For 2015
Health, fitness, and technology will continue to merge.
In next 12 months health, fitness, and technology will continue
to merge, but I expect to see a slowdown in the release of new
products from the biggest fitness players like Basis, Fitbit, and
Jawbone, as their significant releases have either just hit store
shelves or will be debuting in January.
Instead, companies will push to keep those devices relevant through
firmware updates that offer smartwatch features (push notifications
from phones, for example) and accessories, like more stylish
watchband options. Health companies, meanwhile, will focus on
software services, such as telemedicine and telehealth platforms.
health & Fitness tech
hot topic: top tech predictions For 2015
Home is where the tech is in 2015.
nest will be just one name in a sea of connected thermostats, as
more and more devices around the home are enhanced with Internet
connectivity. In addition to thermostats, the biggest trends to look for
will include connected lighting, smart locks, and home security.
of course, you’ll need a way to control all of these devices, so we
expect to see a number of new home automation hubs as well.
Hopefully companies will begin to adopt a standard connection
protocol as well, which will make it easier for all of these devices to
communicate with one another.
and greater integration with automation services like If this then
that could allow you to control just about everything in your home
without even needing to press a button.
digital home
hot topic: top tech predictions For 2015
4K will finally come into its own in 2015.
all major HDtV manufacturers will offer 4K screens across a broad range of
price and feature tiers, presenting viable options for general consumers, and not
just early adopters. Besides price, the biggest problem with 4K has been a lack
of viable content, and streaming media is changing that. While physical 4K media
will remain abstract and out of reach, services like netflix and amazon Instant
Video will expand their 4K content offerings.
With plasma panels all but completely gone, organic light-emitting diode (oleD)
technology will become the new premium display technology. Based on our tests,
it produces the best contrast possible and can display excellent color accuracy,
making it extremely appealing for high-level consumers. expect a slightly wider
and more affordable selection of oleD HDtVs to become available in 2015,
though they will still be largely priced outside of the range of general consumers.
Manufacturers will also continue to push curved screens, which offer dubious
value for consumers on their own, though combining them with 4K resolution
and oleD panel technology will present a premium, all-in-one luxury HDtV to fill
the role that high-end plasma panels once held.
hdtvs
hot topic: top tech predictions For 2015
3D printing will continue strong into 2015.
as sub-$1,000 3D printers improve in quality, expect to see
the prices of high-end models geared toward hobbyists and
designers come down.
one or more easily usable sub-$500 3D printers, coupled with a
holiday-season marketing push, should provide the impetus for many
consumers to take the plunge.
there may not be a 3D printer in every home, but by the end of the
year you’ll likely know at least one person who owns one.
expect to also see plenty of sub-$500 3D scanners, as well as
several 3D printer/scanner combos.
3d printing
proJects
BrainsterMagICal WorlD oF letterS anD WorDS, aSSoCIatIonS, QUeStIonS anD anSWerS... tHe MagICal WorlD oF oWlS
BrainsterQuiz is an english version of Slagalica. BrainsterQuiz is a new game, but we are ready to grow together with you.
Slagalica is an interactive game of knowledge, intelligence, adroitness.
Cross the swords with opponents in real time game of num-bers, letters, questions and answers. Win titles and achieve-ments in the world of owls, strive for even better score on leader board.
Slagalica is officially declared the best Facebook application in the year of 2012 by the WebFest.
every day about 250.000 gamers play the most popular quiz on social networks in the region. there are three million members of Slagalica, but we want to grow even more! Join us! Welcome to the magical world of owls!
BrainsterQuizInteraCtIVe gaMe oF KnoWleDge, IntellIgenCe, aDroItneSS
lucho lalevCreative Director
details are not iMportant, they are really iMportant
02A bicycle or car?
a bicycle... and the bicycle on top of a car. It is still ‘under construction’. Soon to be imple-mented.
01How old do you feel?
Well… hmm… as old as I look.
03Why design?
Because software development is not for me. I did try.
lucho works at allterco for more than 4 years.
this year he won the “employee of the year” prize, unanimously awarded to him by the management of the company.
as head of the design department he is constantly creating aes-thetic content that makes our gray routine more colorful.
given his creative profession, I will not lie if I say that he is ter-ribly chaotic in his thoughts, but at the expense of being highly organized in his work.
lucho loves to dance, cycle, drink beer and the summer.
Лъчо ЛалевCreative Director
Любовта е Наркотик. във всичките и форми.и всички сме ужасНо зависими.
What do you dream about?
World peace! I am not gonna parade around in a swimsuit like some airhead bimbo!
10
The perfect advertisement is…?
the one that presents the product in the most adequate way. If you remember “that cool ad” but you don’t remember “what it was for” – problem!
04
07Why details matter?
If I have to explain in detail why...
well I don’t have that much time. :)
next question, please!You cannot compromise with...?
In work? I’m already used to a lot of stuff, but I am still not willing to go down without a fight.
06
What do you miss?
I miss the sea a lot. I do love it, even though I abandoned it. and I miss the summer, especially during the winter months.
08
05Love is…?
a drug. In all its form. and we are all extremely addicted.
09What motivates you?
limits, restrictions, prohibitions.
Sometimes laymen, but increasingly rare!
new colleagues
shirmine thamaccounting assistant, Малайзия
Shirmine graduated her Diploma in Business Studies (accounting) in the college of tunku abdul rahman at Kuala lumpur, Malaysia.
Before joining the allterco asia, Shirmine worked for six years and a half at perunding eagles engineers Sdn Bhd as an accounts & Credit Control executive.
She started working at allterco asia pacific approximately one month ago as accounting assistant.
What attracted me to the role, was a wish to explore and enrich my accounting knowledge. I work in a great team of professionals and after a month at the compa-ny, I am definitely glad that I was given a chance to be-come part of the team. I like the company environment and my colleagues are so friendly. I am convinced that the best is yet to come.
yordan yordanovJunior System administrator
Jordan was born in Montana. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in “Informatics” from the new Bulgarian University. He has worked in the ISp office “specialist support network.”
I like working in teracommunications because the position is exactly in the area where I want to unwind, so I decided to start working here. the staff is young, dynamic and enthusiastic. I have different interests. My biggest hobby is diving and I have been a certified diver for 3 years.
yoseph wijayaproduct Manager, Malaysia
Before moving to Malaysia and joining allterco, he was working for one of the main telco providers in Indonesia (Smartfren telecom) as a Section Head for games and entertainment Business.
He was responsible for handling the Value added Service products, working with content providers, content aggregators and content owners to generate large volume sales, high quality services and contents for the Indonesian market.
In December 2014, he joined allterco for expanding upon his experiences and apply his 8 years of knowledge to a higher level of business whereby he could serve more than one country like in his previous companies.
after 6 years in Digital Business, I decided to join in allterco team, it felt like the right decision because it gave me opportunity to grow higher, learn and contribute more in the Digital Business in a larger region.
BirthdaysJanuary, FeBruary
2015
21 January - 19 February
22 December - 20 January
aQuarius
capricorn
alexander Balkanski6 January
aleksandra stankova 19 January
vladimir tsvetkov14 January
atanas Marinov16 January
ivailo katrazanov31 January
Mirce katrazanov21 January
20 February - 20 март
21 January - 19 February
pisces
aQuarius
dima arnaut7 February
stefka vladeva10 February
spas spasov8 February
viktor atanasov8 February
огнян стоев10 February
alexander dimov24 February
iveta vucheva23 February
victor wang23 February
that’s all folks! thanx! ;)
