Прошедший РИФ'2007 смог опровергнуть ключевое утверждение прошлой весны: "С появлением КИБ'а РИФ загнется". Кажется, организаторам конкурирующих конференций пора обратить внимание на осень - весна уже перегружена.

Russian online matchmaking services made $34m turnover in 2006, says iKS-Consulting recent report. The figure is four times more than the previous year result and would double in 2007, analysts say. Mamba.ru leads in .RU online matchmaking with 85% market share. Although this year it might be pressed by RBC's LovePlanet.ru. RBC has already spent about $10m on LovePlanet's promotion.

The city council of Ukraine's capital approved the decision to ban school students from visiting places with public Internet at school hours (8am - 2pm) and after 9 pm. This step was taken to prevent the spread of Internet addiction among young Ukrainians. By this resolution, public internet providers were also obliged to close access to websites with explicit content for under-age visitors.

LiveInternet.ru hit counter shows another 0,2% growth of Google's share in Russian search traffic in March (the same index in February). Meanwile Russian search leader Yandex is about to reach its peak as a web search provider. Although it added 0,7% more visitors in March (0,1% growth in February), it's share has been rapidly descending back during first decade of April. These figures prove the trend set at the start of the year, analysts say. Google gains more Russian visitors introducing its services in Russian one by one while Yandex is unable to generate any more search traffic or bring down Google.

Cisco Systems announced its plans to expand on Russian technology market as a venture capitalist. To launch the initiative, Cisco also announced that it has made an investment in a leading Russian e-commerce site, Ozon. With this acquisition Ozon's top-management would be reappointed for the second time in the last half year. In October, 2006 Baring Vostok Private Equity Fund (BVPEF) bought the 50%+1 share of Ozon from its co-owner PPE Group and restored the total 85% share that it has owned until 2002. Along with Cisco's entrance, BVEPF announced it has sold a part of its share to Swedish fund Index Ventures (former Scype shareholder). According to sources familiar with the situation new shareholders got together 20% share of Ozon.ru, BVPEF holds another 65%.

"While Russia has low Internet penetration in terms of percentage of its overall population, in absolute terms it has as many Internet users as some Western European countries," said Bob Agee, vice president, Cisco Russia. "The amount of technical talent in Russia shows that the country is ready to become more technologically advanced. Increased investment in communications infrastructure can help improve productivity, diversify the economy and increase the standard of living across the country." The same reason made Esther Dyson from EDventure to bet for $5,000 with Intuit's chairman Bill Campbell that in 2012 Wall Street Journal and New York Times would call Russia the world leading software developer.

Interfax information group announced it is acquiring 90% share of Finmarket. According to Interfax's chairman Mikhail Komissarov, this decision was made considering Finmarket's strong positions in business & finance web segment of Russian web. Besides it would allow Interfax to enter the open information market - at the moment it distributes business and financial information only by paid subscription.