Sun Microsystems Inc has acquired a 10% stake in the Russian telecommunications software firm Elvis+ which was established as NPO Elas Zelenograd, 1993.
Moscow’s Space Research Institute and Brown’s University have announced a video conferencing service between Russia and the US based on PictureTel 4000 equipment and linked via an Intersputnik satellite: alhough the transmission speeds are low at 384Kbps, the service costs only from $500 to $550 per hour. – o – Moscow-based personal computer maker Centre Techno says it is now the largest supplier of microcircuits and electric connectors in Russia: the state-run enterprise will distribute Advanced Micro Devices Inc components; it is already a distributor for Intel Corp. – o – IBM Russia or IBM East Europe/Asi, as it calls itself, has opened an office in Vladivostok. – o – Faxnet, a joint venture between AO ASVT, the Moscow city telephone network administration and AveconoServices AG has opened a regional node in Cheboksary, in the Chuvashiya autonomous republic of the Russian Federation: Faxnet provides national and international facsimile forwarding to customers in Russia and has nodes in 35 Russian cities: this number is due increase to 40 by early this year. – o – Moscow-based assembly firm Stins Coman’s turnover in 1993 was $17.5m, a rise from $1.75m in 1992. – o – Russtel has been unable to fix a date suitable for both parties that were to have taken part in the launch of its video conferencing centre: the first official link was to have been between the Russian State Duma and the US Congress; Russtel is not going to give in and is now planning to reschedule the event. – o – Computer assembly and distribution firm Aquarius Systems Inform achieved $6m turnover in 1993.
LenBell will deliver an S-12 switch to one of the cities in the Moscow region, which once installed will be able to support 5,000 telephone lines and will have the the capacity to handle 100,000 lines in the future: taking into account the importance of the project for Moscow and the region, the contract was signed by one of the Russian President’s representatives and a few other high-ranking officials; LenBell declined to disclose any more information on the deal saying it was not timely.
In mid-September Motorola Inc opened two training centres, each costing $40,000 to establish, in Moscow, one at the Moscow State Electronic Technology Institute, the other at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute: the two laboratories are equipped to study monocrystals using Motorola’s MC68HC05 microcontrollers and MC68000 microprocessors and the company says the aim of the donations is to inform a wider circle of people and organisations about the modern microprocessor experience already gained by the institutes; Motorola has also established special scholarships for students worth $12,500 each year year for each of the institutes.
