Mobile companies in Russia
New vice-president of Yota Group
Written by Russia-Mobile.com Friday, 14 January 2011 18:15
Ilya Oskolkov-Tsentsiper has been appointed Vice-President of Yota Group, Russian WiMAX network provider. Oskolkov-Tsentsiper will be responsible for brand development, strategic communications and design of new services.
Dennis Sverdlov, CEO of Yota Group, comments, “Ilya is one of the most creative people I know; he is a talented manager and a natural leader which is exactly what Yota needs”.
Ilya will hold his position at Yota Group alongside his presidency of the “Strelka” Institute.
Ilya Oskolkov-Tsentsiper was born in 1967 in Moscow. He studied at the Producer Department of the GITIS Academy and at the Cultural Politics Department of the University of Burgundy. In 1999 he established and headed the Afisha Publishing House. In 2009 he founded the Strelka Media, Architecture and Design Institute and became its President.
Russian i-Free sales rocketed up 30% to $132 mln in 2010
Written by Russia-Mobile.com Tuesday, 11 January 2011 23:50
A largest Russian mobile content and service provider i-Free reports that its’ sales jumped more than 30% and reached 4 billion rubles ($132 mln.) in 2010.
i-Free topped mobile operators’ ratings consistently all through the year. AC&M Consulting estimates the company’s market share to be around 14% at this time.
In 2010 i-Free established a special division, i-Free Innovations, dedicated to advancing this objective. The i-Free founders, Kirill Gorynya, Kirill Petrov and Sergei Shulga, left their respective positions in the company to stand at the helm of the new division, and Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov, former chief of i-Free marketing and operations, was appointed the new General Director.
Within a very short time, i-Free Innovations has developed and trial-launched several projects employing innovative technologies, making i-Free eligible to sign a partnership deal with the Russian Venture Company and join NFC Forum, the international association that spearheads NFC-based product development globally.
Two trailblazing i-Free products won prizes at high-profile international competitions in 2010. Mobile Vending won a prize at WSA Mobile, while the mobile application, Smartive, won the Mobile VAS Awards.
Some other 2010 highlights included the launch of TUSIM!, a mobile social utility with GPS and geo-blogging capabilities, a range of mobile value added services for some popular TV shows on Channel One, SMS voting on Eurovision, interactive mobile promo events for a few worldwide FMCG brands, and others.
One of the milestones for i-Free internationally was its win in a tender run by China Mobile, gaining the company the title of “Top Content Provider for China Mobile” and the right to supply mobile games directly to China Mobile, the largest cellular company in the world.
Read more: Russian i-Free sales rocketed up 30% to $132 mln in 2010
Brightstar and Euroset are now partners
Written by Russia-Mobile.com Wednesday, 25 August 2010 13:50
Euroset, the largest mobile phone and consumer electronics retail chain in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Brightstar, the leading global provider of services and solutions for the wireless industry, announced today the signing of a multi-year agreement. Brightstar will immediately begin assisting Euroset on the sourcing of mobile devices, as well as mobile device strategy and category management.
As part of this agreement, Brightstar will also provide Euroset with various supply chain and retail operations services, and the two companies will also identify and pursue additional joint market development opportunities.
“With Brightstar’s experience and expertise from working with the world’s top device manufacturers, operators and retailers, we are expecting Euroset’s profit margin to increase,” said Alexander Malis, president of Euroset.
Euroset sells more than 9 million mobile handsets annually, capturing more than one-third of the Russian mobile retail market.
“Brightstar is extremely proud to have this opportunity to begin operations in Russia, and we are thrilled to be working with Euroset, one of the top retailers and brands in Russia and the CIS,” said Marcelo Claure, chairman, president and CEO, of Brightstar Corp. “Through this agreement, our innovative services will further strengthen Euroset, as we anticipate consumer behavior, quickly respond to market opportunities, customize the consumer shopping experience, and deliver the products and customer service that keep consumers coming back for more.”