Mobile & Telecom

Phony “New Year godsend” under Apple and Samsung guise seized in Moscow

November 19, 2014

Last month the Russian police confiscated 103 packaged bales full of fake Apple and Samsung phones; they estimate 10 million rubles ($310,000+) and 179 million rubles ($5.6 million), respectively, in damages for the trademark holders. As many as 8,400 handsets “with unmistakable signs of falsification,” stacked on a train that ran from Vladivostok, in Russia’s …

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Mobile social networks attract 12.5 million Russian users

December 31, 2012

J’son  & Partners, a management consultancy covering telecom and IT markets in Russia and other countries, has released a report on Russia’s small but rapidly-expanding mobile social networks market. The popularity of mobile social networks is growing in Russia in the same way as elsewhere in the world, the report notes, driven by the increasing …

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Mail.ru Group closes microblogging service Futubra

December 28, 2012

Futubra, a microblogging service with advanced multimedia, news group and comment functions, is closing down less than a year after its launch in early 2012. The termination announcement on the Futubra website contains no substantial explanation; however, Mail.ru Group CEO Dmitry Grishin had publicly conceded this past July that Futubra’s audience was not meeting expectations.

Rostelecom strengthens presence in Armenia

December 25, 2012

GNC-ALFA, a leading Armenian telco owned by the Russian national telecom operator Rostelecom, will enlarge its service offer and operate under its mother company’s brand. Earlier this month the Armenian operator launched Rostelecom-branded landline telephony and broadband Internet sales, and is gearing up for retailing interactive TV services to private customers at a later date.

Russia’s “SmartPhone Future”: To talk, just glance at it

December 18, 2012

Vladimir Elin, a Russian inventor based in Moscow, has recently patented a futuristic dual-screen smartphone which is controlled by glances and gestures – no touch is required. This unique device is said to be able to monitor and respond to the owner’s eye pupil movements. Users may also make a call by applying a “virtual …

Russia’s “SmartPhone Future”: To talk, just glance at it Read More

Square-like startup Life-Pay raises $2.6 million from Life.Sreda

December 11, 2012

Life-Pay, a startup that is developing smartphone-based bank card payment terminals, has secured $2.6 million from Life.Sreda at an undisclosed valuation. The news was reported yesterday by Unova.ru, a website covering startup and venture news. The funds will be used to reinforce the startup’s team, develop new products and penetrate new markets in the former …

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Megafon acquires 50% stake in mobile retailer Euroset, eyes mobile operator Tele2

December 10, 2012

Megafon, a major Russian mobile operator controlled by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, has acquired a 50% stake in Euroset, Russia’s first mobile phone retailer, from Alexander Mamut, a prominent Russian businessman. Vimpelcom, another leading mobile operator, has increased its stake in Euroset from 49.9% to 50%. The deal has valued the company at $2.3 billion, …

Megafon acquires 50% stake in mobile retailer Euroset, eyes mobile operator Tele2 Read More

WebReady attracts startups from 13 countries to St. Petersburg, rewards JavaScript mistake monitoring and iPad app startups

December 8, 2012

WebReady, a contest organized by Ingria, a St. Petersburg-based technopark, took place in St. Petersburg last week. One of the Russian startup scene’s most notable competitions, the event included a startup exhibition, elevator pitches, conferences, and a Venture Capitalist Corner as well as a variety of other networking opportunities. Featuring Internet and mobile sections for …

WebReady attracts startups from 13 countries to St. Petersburg, rewards JavaScript mistake monitoring and iPad app startups Read More

Megafon raises $1.7 billion on London and Moscow stock exchanges amid mixed growth perspectives

November 30, 2012

This week, Megafon raised $1.7 billion by trading approximately 15% of its shares on the London and Moscow stock exchanges simultaneously. Although the order book for the IPO was oversubscribed, the Russian telecom operator priced each share at $20, at the bottom of the $20-$25 range, placing the company’s total valuation at $11.1 billion. Putting …

Megafon raises $1.7 billion on London and Moscow stock exchanges amid mixed growth perspectives Read More

New seed fund helps startups “change the way cars are sold and serviced”

November 23, 2012

While venture funds are springing up in Moscow, one small fund in particular should not go unnoticed. Established just two months ago, Cloud4Auto focuses specifically on automotive technologies – a unique case in the world, the Chairman of the fund’s Supervisory Board, Innokenty Belotsky, told East West Digital News. “Cars are a very important part …

New seed fund helps startups “change the way cars are sold and serviced” Read More

Megafon recruits British lord

November 22, 2012

Paul Myners, a former commercial secretary to the UK Treasury, is to join the board of directors of Russian mobile phone company MegaFon. The matter will be discussed at a general meeting of the company. Lord Paul Myners, who was made a life peer and entitled to a seat in the House of Lords in …

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MobiDengi and MasterCard make virtual payment card available to Russian mobile subscribers

November 21, 2012

MobiDengi, a major Russian electronic payment service provider, has teamed up with MasterCard to launch ‘MasterCard*Card2Day,’ a pre-paid virtual card that enables online purchases worldwide. The card is available to any subscriber of Russia’s three main mobile operators: Beeline (a brand of Vimpelcom), Megafon, and MTS. A convenient feature of the MasterCard*Card2Day card is that …

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