Viper Group successfully marked its 30 Years of Innovation in alignment with Indus AI Week at Innovista Indus, Karachi. The event brought together senior government officials, industry leaders, CIOs, and members of the business and technology community to recognize Viper’s contribution to Pakistan’s technology sector over the past three decades.

Faisal Jeddy, CEO of Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), attended the ceremony as Chief Guest and congratulated Viper on completing 30 years of service to Pakistan’s IT industry. He acknowledged Viper’s consistent role in strengthening the country’s technology ecosystem and stated that the Government of Pakistan remains fully committed to supporting the IT sector.

He further shared that the Government, along with SIFC, is focusing on IT and emerging technologies with renewed priority and emphasized that collaboration between government and private sector will be critical in achieving Pakistan’s digital and AI ambitions. He reassured the audience of continued government support for companies contributing to Pakistan’s technology growth.

Khushnood Aftab, CEO of Viper Technology, presented Viper’s journey and its evolution across hardware, software, and talent development. He highlighted the importance of building a complete AI ecosystem in Pakistan and emphasized that IT hardware must be formally included in the national AI policy alongside software and training. He noted that local companies are already contributing through development of computing hardware, AI-ready systems, software solutions, and workforce training, and with the right policy support, Pakistan can strengthen its technological independence and reduce reliance on imports.

Shabbir Hassan Mansha, Chairman Pakistan China Business Council and former Vice President FPCCI, congratulated Viper on reaching this milestone and expressed confidence in Pakistan’s IT sector. He stated that the business community is ready to invest in IT and AI and emphasized the need for supportive policies, including review of taxation on skilled professionals, to remain regionally competitive.

Col. Tahir Bashir (R), Director Innovista Indus, appreciated Viper’s contributions and reaffirmed Innovista Indus’ commitment to supporting Pakistan’s technology sector. He offered continued facilitation and support to technology companies through access to infrastructure and innovation-focused facilities.

Mohammad Munaf, Board Member P@SHA, congratulated Viper and appreciated its long-standing contribution to Pakistan’s IT ecosystem. He reaffirmed P@SHA’s commitment to supporting member companies and working closely with stakeholders to improve ease of doing business and promote technology sector growth.

Asim Sheikh, CEO of Viper Academy, distributed certificates to students who successfully completed their training programs, particularly in AI-related technologies. He emphasized that skilled human resources will be the foundation of Pakistan’s AI future and stated that without investing in training and talent development, achieving national AI goals will not be possible.

Dr. Rana Shehzad, Director General, Sindh IT Department, attended as Guest of Honor and congratulated Viper on its 30-year milestone. He assured the Sindh Government’s continued support for the IT sector and reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating technology companies and initiatives focused on skill development and digital growth.

The event was attended by CEOs, CIOs, senior IT professionals, government representatives, and members of the corporate and business community. Participants acknowledged Viper’s role in strengthening Pakistan’s technology ecosystem and appreciated its continued contributions over the past three decades.

Over the years, Viper Group has contributed through locally assembled computing solutions, software development, and training initiatives, supporting Pakistan’s progress towards a stronger and more self-reliant digital future.

As Pakistan moves forward with its AI ambitions, the event reflected a shared commitment between government and industry to work together to build a sustainable and innovation-driven technology ecosystem.

We have been hearing about Apple launching a cheaper MacBook since last year, and now new information points out that these laptops might launch sooner than expected. According to notable Apple insider Mark Gurman, these cheaper MacBooks could launch next month.

Gurman adds that these MacBooks could cost below $1000 and will launch sometime in March. There is expected to be no downgrade in build quality despite the cheaper price tag. These laptops will be powered by the A18 Pro chip found in iPhone 16 Pros and will have an LCD panel.

The chassis should be made out of aluminum, which will be made using a new shell manufacturing process that is reportedly faster and cheaper. The internal codename for the budget MacBooks is said to be J700.

There will be multiple color options to choose from to appeal to different audiences. Gurman says that Apple has been testing different finishes, including blue, silver, dark grey, light green, pink, and light yellow, though not all of them will be available on the final product.

Other MacBooks expected to arrive later this year include new MacBook Pro variants as well as a MacBook Air with an OLED screen. More details should come out as the launch date approaches.