US businesses seeking information about and partnerships with the Soviet Union should soon be able to find it on-line, reports Newsbytes: SovData, currently in the final stages of development, is a database accessed through Tymnet nodes, and by September, users should be able to access news, general travel information, the latest financial and investment reports, services designed to aid joint ventures, a matching service where Soviet and US businesses can come together, and electronic mail and conferencing directly between the US and USSR; according to its creator, Shiva Vencat of Business Marketing Expert Systems says that at present there is no place one can find the variety of information he’ll offer in one place and he plans to open a bureau in Moscow where information will be entered on-line, put the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Directory, and the Tass News Agency wire on-line as well – but it will cost $1,000 to sign up for the service, $280 per hour on-line.
