The Bauman university, a leading Russian technical university, and IBM have opened “Smarter City,” a scientific and educational center based on the latest approaches to urban infrastructure management. The center will conduct R&D in the fields of image, audio and video recognition, cloud calculations and analytical software, in particular
The Public Chamber, a state organization which aims to organize and enhance the relationship between Russian citizens and government, plans to open a hotline next month to field consumer complaints about violations of consumer rights by e-commerce sites. This initiative was announced by Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer who heads the Public Chamber’s commission on citizens’ …
Government hotline to combat consumer rights violations in online retail Read More
Evernote, a California-headquatered company founded by a Russian-American team in 2007, has completed a $100 million round at a $1 billion valuation, Business Insider reported last Thursday from “multiple sources.” The round was led by Meritech Capital Partners.
Megafon, Russia’s second largest mobile operator, has borrowed $4.5 billion with the intention of buying back investor Mikhail Fridman’s 25.1% stake, Reuters reported last week. If successful, the purchase will bring MegaFon closer to a $4 billion IPO on the London Stock Exchange. Megafon borrowed $1.5 billion from Sberbank, the Russian national savings bank, $1 …
Megafon ownership shaken up, IPO planned for H2 2012 Read More
According to a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) earlier this month, Odnoklassniki.ru has become Russia’s most popular social network among Russians who are 18 year-old and over – ahead of Vkontakte.ru, whose leadership is more affirmed among teenagers. Odnoklassniki’s reach is now estimated to be no less than 61% – compared to …
Odnoklassniki.ru leading social network among 18+ users Read More
RBC Daily reported earlier this week that Scartel, the leading Russian WiMAX operator operating under the Yota brand, is considering selling its Belorussian subsidiary, Yota Bel, just a few months after starting operations in this country of almost 10 million inhabitants. Such a move would confirm Scartel’s intention to focus more on Russia rather than …
Scartel to focus on Russia, attempts to sell Belorussian subsidiary Read More
National telecom operator Rostelecom – 53.2% owned by the federal government – announced last week that 70 out of 83 Russian regions are now linked to its interdepartmental government communications system. The buildout of the system marks a major milestone in this country’s progress towards e-government, a comprehensive IT-enabled cloud-based platform offered to the regions …
70 Russian regions connected to federal e-government system Read More
Yuri Milner, co-founder of the prominent Russian Internet fund DST, is among the investors in Path, the much-hyped ‘mobile-centric social network’ launched in 2010. The investment round, which amounts to at least $30 million, was led by venture firm Redpoint Ventures, CNet reported on Monday, with entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Mark Pincus and Jerry Murdock, as …
Milner takes part in Path’s $30 million investment round Read More
Fast Lane Ventures has partnered with Bonial International Group, a German company specializing in location-based shopping information services, to launch Lokata.ru, one of the first services of this kind in Russia. Lokata is an online and mobile service providing shoppers with the information needed to make smart shopping decisions prior to them even entering the …
German inspired Lokata.ru helps Russian consumers search online and buy offline Read More
Last week, La Conférence Luxe & Digital gathered 40 speakers, 50 journalists, and over 300 industry representatives who shared their experience and views on today’s digital trends in the luxury and fashion industry. This international event, which held its first and second editions in Paris in 2010 and 2011, took place this time in Moscow. …
Online luxury discussed in Moscow – with a French touch Read More
Just two months after it began serving Kazakhstan, Biglion, the leading Russian daily deal site, has acquired Bongo.by, a Belorussian analog. The transaction was announced yesterday by Biglion’s Development Director Oleg Savtsov in an exchange with Russian business daily Kommersant. Savtsov did not disclose the amount of the deal, but Kommersant reported that Bongo.by is …
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, the official print media organ for the Russian government, has published a decision by the Russian Ministry of Transport last week to make GLONASS or GLONASS+GPS satellite navigation equipment standard for most civil airplanes and helicopters in Russia. The measure is intended to boost safety and improve air traffic control, the ministry stated. …
GLONASS mandated for Russian civil aviation by 2018 Read More
