<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Mail.Ru_Group" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mail.ru Group</a> <a href="https://corp.mail.ru/en/press/releases/10958/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">released </a>its financial results for the second quarter of 2021. The aggregate segment revenue of the company increased by 17.4% year-on-year to $406 million (29.9 billion rubles).

 
 Group aggregate net loss including key strategic associates and joint ventures was $28 million (2.1 billion rubles) compared to the second quarter of 2020 net profit of $160 million (1.2 billion rubles), including O2O joint venture with <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Sberbank" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sberbank </a>($529 ml in Q2 2021 vs $244 ml in Q2 2020), AliExpress Russia ($66 ml in Q2 2021 vs $39 ml in Q2 2020), and <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/uchi-ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Uchi.ru</a> online education platform ($339 633 in Q2 2021).

 
 Advertising grew 38.8% in the second quarter 2021, accelerating for the fourth quarter in a row (5% in Q3 2020, 10.2% in Q4 2020, and 22% in Q1 2021). Among the company’s services, social network VK.com remains the growth engine, with its 35% total revenue growth in Q2.

 
 MMO Games saw a 6% contraction in Q2, but with the overall Games segment (represented by MY.GAMES) slightly surpassing Q2 2020 in absolute revenues +1% to $150 million (11.1 billion rubles).

 
 Overall, the Group remains on track to deliver $172 million (127-130 billion rubles) in revenues in 2021.

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 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/segmentnaia-vyruchka-mail-ru-group-vyrosla-na-17-za-vtoroi-kvartal/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

Mail.ru Group

Mail.ru Posts 17.4% Growth in Second Quarter 2021 Revenue

An online learning platform for employees <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/teachbase/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Teachbase</a> raised investment from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DAVoloshin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dmitry Voloshin</a>, a venture investor and co-founder of the Otus educational online platform, Rusbase reports. The amount of investment was not disclosed, but Voloshin received 5% of the project.

 
 According to the founder of Teachbase Vladimir Shcherbakov, now the company is focused on scaling the sales of the current product and developing the project stream.

 
 “A unique feature of Teachbase is its flexibility and the ability to quickly create custom projects. I believe that based on our product we may well create (and are already building) a leading integrator of educational solutions,” he explained.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/platforma-teachbase-privlekla-investitsii-na-masshtabirovanie/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

RB.ru

Teachbase Raises Investment for Scaling

Education platform <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/uchi-ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Uchi.ru</a> (25% owned by<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Mail.Ru_Group" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Mail.ru Group</a>) acquired 8.7% in online school <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/tutoronline/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">TutorOnline</a>, which has an office in Moscow. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed. TutorOnline intends to use the raised funds for platform development, content projects, as well as attracting new customers, Vedomosti reports.

 
 The deal will enable Uchi.ru to expand its share of online education market for the mid- and high school, <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/ilya-parshin-034129a8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ilya Parshin</a>, CEO of the company, says. Sergey Libin, an analyst at Raiffeisenbank, estimates the amount of investment to be around $2.7-$5.4 million (200-400 million rubles), when evaluating the entire asset at a multiplier of 5-10 annual earnings. <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Mail.Ru_Group" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mail.ru Group</a>, the co-owner of Uchi.ru, plans to make based on this asset a "springboard" for investments in the edtech sector, the expert suggests.

 
 The TutorOnline project was launched in 2011. It provides individual online tutoring services. The company's revenue, according to its data, in 2020 increased 2.8 times to $3.2 million (238 million rubles). According to this indicator, TutorOnline ranks 27th in the overall rating of the largest EdTech projects in the CIS, according to Smart Ranking.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/uchi-ru-stala-sovladeltsem-onlain-shkoly-tutoronline/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

Vedomosti

Edtech Uchi.ru Buys a Share in TutorOnline

Russian telecoms operator MTS acquired 51% in <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/factorin/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Factorin</a>, a blockchain-based trading platform, for $11.7 million in a deal with Digital Horizon. Around $4.7 million of the total investment will be used for company development, according to MTS.

 
 Factorin founder <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/amaklin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Andrey Maklin</a> and the team retained 25% in the company, while Digital Horizon kept 24%. The acquisition will allow MTS to expand the ecosystem of financial services for corporate clients, namely, to provide factoring services using blockchain.

 
 Andrey Maklin <a href="https://factorin.io/news/00200" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">notes </a>that the deal will help to “transform entire areas of fintech services for the B2B segment on a major scale”. He estimates the trade finance factoring market to grow to reach more than $100 billion by 2024.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mts-priobrela-kontrol-v-blokchein-platforme-factorin/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Kommersant

MTS Acquires Controlling Stake in Factorin

Sberbank will implement the Smart Home project in Moscow in liaison with Ingrad, a development company, with its subsidiary Sberbank-Telecom (under the name of Sbermobile) as a service provider.

 
 One of Ingrad’s residential buildings will be provided with IoT, video analytics, biometrics, and several infrastructure management and security services using AI. Solutions by <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/info-sbercloud-ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SberCloud</a>, SberDevices, Speech Technology Center, and Modern Technologies are listed.

 
 In May earlier this year, MTS <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mts-will-equip-houses-under-construction-with-the-internet-of-things/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced </a>its negotiations with several development companies on creating IoT infrastructures in houses under construction.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sberbank-osnactit-doma-v-moskve-internetom-veshchei/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

CNews

Sberbank to Provide New Residences in Moscow with IoT

Sberbank announced that it has patented in the Federal Service for Intellectual Property "wearable magnetometers" - an invention of Alexandra Bernadotte from the SberDevices team.

 
 The patent gives the company the ability to conduct brain research to create neural interfaces. Also, the magnetometer can be used to diagnose diseases, study finds in archeology, search for mineral deposits and in other areas.

 
 The magnetometer can register small and medium magnetic fields, including those emitted by the human brain. "Sberbank" does not give exact figures on the effectiveness of the device, but reports that it exceeds the existing ones in sensitivity "by tens and hundreds of times", "can be relatively inexpensive to manufacture" and cost "hundreds of thousands of times" less than the existing SQUID magnetometers ( used to measure very weak magnetic fields).

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sberdevices-zapatentoval-nosimyi-magnitometr/" target="_blank">Original (in Russian)</a>

VC.ru

SberDevices patented wearable magnetometer

The Bank of Russia announced that 12 banks would take part in the pilot project for testing the digital ruble. Among these banks are Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Alfa-Bank, Dom.RF Bank and Rosbank.

 
 The prototype platform for the digital ruble will be completed in December, and testing will begin in January 2022. It will take place in several stages over the year. According to the information on the website of the regulating agency, based on the testing results, a roadmap for the implementation of the digital ruble will be prepared.

 
 During the first stage, it is planned to test the emission of the digital ruble and other operations, which were not specified in the announcement.

 
 In October last year it was announced that the Central Bank was considering the possibility of issuing the digital ruble. After public discussions, in early April, the regulator presented the concept of the new form of currency.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/tsb-nazval-spisok-bankov-dlia-testirovaniia-tsifrovogo-rublia/" target="_blank">Original (in Russian)</a>

Bank of Russia

The Central Bank revealed the list of the banks for digital ruble testing

According to The Bell, Yandex is negotiating the acquisition of the Azbuka Vkusa supermarket chain. The deal is aimed at creating synergy with Yandex.Lavka, a product delivery service. According to one of the sources, both companies are targeting the premium audience, Lavka is actively developing the sale of ready-to-eat food, the segment in which Azbuka Vkusa is strong, and will be able to quickly expand this area with the help of the deal.

 
 One of the sources mentioned Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, a premium supermarket chain, as an example. Whole Foods has retained the stores and the retailer’s brand after the acquisition.

 
 The representative of Yandex said the company would not comment on the rumors. Representatives of Azbuka Vkusa refused to comment, the newspaper writes.

 
 Azbuka Vkusa is one of the key partners of Yandex.Lavka, The Bell reminds. The service has been selling ready-to-eat food from Azbuka Vkusa for several months, and the retailer announced that it would give the exclusive rights for express food delivery to the services of Yandex, and would refuse to partner with its competitors.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/iandeks-vedet-peregovory-o-pokupke-seti-azbuka-vkusa/" target="_blank">Original (in Russian)</a>

The Bell

Yandex is negotiating the acquisition of the Azbuka Vkusa retail chain

According to RBC, Beeline acquires DataFort, a cloud division of IBS. The deal can be completed in the coming days. However, the companies will have to obtain permission from the government commission on monitoring foreign investment, since DataFort works with cryptographic tools, and VimpelCom belongs to VEON, which is a foreign holding. The FAS confirmed that the commission had already received the application for the deal.

 
 IBS estimates that the value of its subsidiary company is 2.5-3 billion rubles. According to another source, for Beeline the deal is “a very good opportunity to strengthen its cloud services b2b direction, and for IBS it is a good exit”.

 
 According to iKS-Consulting, in 2020 the value of the Russian cloud market grew by 19.5% compared to the previous year and reached almost 99.7 billion rubles. The largest players were subsidiary companies of Rostelecom (20.8%) and MTS (11.2%), as well as CROC (8.3%), Selectel (8.2%) and SberCloud (6.2%).

 
 In early April, TAdviser <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/bilain-vedet-peregovory-o-pokupke-oblachnogo-provaidera-ibs-datafort" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reported</a> that Beeline was negotiating the acquisition of IBS DataFort cloud provider.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/bilain-pokupaet-oblachnyi-biznes-u-ibs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Beeline acquires cloud business from IBS

Sberbank announced the acquisition of 100% of JivoSite LLC, which develops Jivo - a customer communication platform. The deal will be closed in July 2021; according to Kommersant, the deal is <a href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4848235" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">estimated</a> at 1.5-2 billion rubles.

 
 Sberbank plans to integrate Jivo into its ecosystem and increase the number of available channels of communication with the bank’s companies for their clients. The founders of the platform will continue to work in the company: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/timur.valishev" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Timur Valishev</a> - as CEO, Nikolay Ivannikov - as CTO.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/platforma-dlia-obshcheniia-s-klientami-jivo-voidet-v-ekosistemu-sbera/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

Sberbank

Jivo, a customer communication platform, will be included in the Sberbank ecosystem

Yandex.Market negotiated the purchase of Private Trade, which manages the KupiVIP online store, Vedomosti reports. The deal will also include five KupiVIP offline stores located in various shopping centers in Moscow, the Mamsy online store and a 20,000 sq. m. distribution center in the districts near Moscow.

 
 Terms of the deal were not announced. The CEO of Infoline-Analytics <a href="https://www.facebook.com/burmistrovmb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mikhail Burmistrov</a> believes that the marketplace could have paid approximately 1 billion rubles for the company, including the warehouse complex.

 
 According to the representative of the marketplace, at the first stage Yandex.Market and KupiVIP will work and develop in parallel, but eventually the services will be integrated with each other.

 
 According to experts interviewed by the newspaper, the acquisition of KupiVIP will allow Yandex.Market to enter the promising clothing market.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/iandeks-market-pokupaet-internet-magaziny-kupivip-i-mamsy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Yandex.Market buys KupiVIP and Mamsy online stores

SberAutoTech (part of Sber ecosystem) has presented a prototype of a fully self-driving vehicle - Flip. The electric vehicle is based on the company’s own platform, which is powered by an electric motor. There are no standard control systems in the car, but the vehicle is equipped with a technology that enables data exchange with road infrastructure and other vehicles.

 
 The vehicle is described as a fully autonomous taxi of the future, but it can also be used for freight transportation. The vehicle will be integrated into the ecosystem of Sberbank, and it will be possible to use it via a special application. Also, a face recognition system will be built into the vehicle.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sberautotech-predstavil-prototip-polnostiu-avtonomnogo-elektrokara/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

SberAutoTech presented a prototype of a fully self-driving vehicle

ICT.Moscow

Smart assistants in Russia: market overview, trends and prospects

The head of Sberbank Herman Gref commented in an interview with RBC on
the <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/reaktsiia-otrasli-sberbank-i-mail-ru-group-mogut-razdelit-sovmestnyi-biznes" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">information</a> that had previously appeared in the media about possible
disagreements with Mail.ru Group within their joint venture.

 
 “We have significantly fewer competitive areas with Mail.ru Group (than with
Yandex). We have a very good relationship and find solutions to similar complex
problems that arise. It would be nonsense to say that they do not arise,
because the two ecosystems are in contact”, - Gref explained.

 
 The disagreements between Sberbank and Mail.ru Group within the joint
venture <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/smi-uznali-o-raznoglasiiakh-sberbanka-i-mail-ru-group-v-ramkakh-sovmestnogo-predpriiatiia" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">became known</a> in November last year. The media reported that the parties
could not determine what would become the basis of their common ecosystem: the
financial services of Sberbank or VKontakte, a social network owned by Mail.ru.

 
 In addition, Gref spoke about the need to regulate ecosystems in the
interview. According to him, it is necessary to maintain competition in the
domestic market and enable small players to maintain their competitiveness. “In
this sense, I agree: the big companies should be under control. In no case
should they be allowed to retreat into themselves and close the market to competition.
This is what regulation is needed for. And so far no one knows what kind of
regulation is needed, because the online ecosystem is a new reality”, - the
head of Sberbank said.

 
 Another question was dedicated to the influence of technology giants and
ecosystems on the political and economic processes of states. According to
Gref, this topic is exaggerated and represents a “pure hype”. “No ecosystem
will ever be able to compete with the state. The state can easily deal with any
ecosystem. But this lag in regulation may exist to ensure that ecosystems do
not cross the red lines in some areas... States are clumsy, they study the
situation for a long period of time, but then they make tough decisions that
are binding on everyone”.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/german-gref-s-mail-ru-group-u-nas-znachitelno-menshe-konkuriruiushchikh-napravlenii-chem-s-iandeksom/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

CEO of Sberbank Herman Gref: “We have significantly fewer competitive areas with Mail.ru Group than with Yandex”

Sberbank plans to start
issuing its own digital financial asset - Sbercoin. This will become possible after
the registration of the blockchain platform, which is currently undergoing
final approvals with the regulator, is completed. This information was
announced by the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anatoliy.popov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Anatoliy
Popov</a>.

 
 Anatoliy Popov said: “When the
registration is completed, we will place the Sbercoin issue prospectus”. Popov
also said that the Sberbank blockchain platform would be available not only to
the bank, but also to other companies that want to issue their own digital
assets.

 
 At the beginning of this year,
Sberbank <a href="https://tass.ru/ekonomika/10515967" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">filed an application</a> with the Central Bank to register its own
blockchain platform for issuing digital currency.

 
 The law “On digital financial assets”,
which <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/cryptocurrency-law/#kaluhov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">was adopted by</a> the State Duma in July 2020 and came into force in January
2021, allows companies to issue their own digital assets and exchange them for
other digital assets.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sberbank-planiruet-nachat-vypusk-sberkoina-v-blizhaishee-vremia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Banki.ru

Sberbank plans to issue Sbercoin soon

Sberbank agreed to purchase Muzlab streaming audio service

Sberbank is acquiring an 80% stake of the Moscow company InSales, which develops a CMS platform for online stores. According to the terms of the deal, another 20% remains with the three founders of the company and top managers. The deal is expected to be closed in the second quarter of 2021.

 
 The parties expect to develop the platform, expand the service offering, enter new market segments and create a single tool for managing online commerce in all electronic storefronts, including the necessary B2B services for Internet entrepreneurs on the basis of the platform.

 
 Contacts:

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/timgorshkov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Timofey Gorshkov</a>, CEO and Co-founder of InSales

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sberbank-priobretet-80-insales/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Sber will acquire an 80% stake in InSales

Ozon plans to acquire 100% of the charter capital of Oney Bank from Sovcombank. The deal will take place if approved by the Central Bank. The acquisition will allow the online retailer to develop its fintech business by expanding the range and improving the quality of services offered to customers and sellers of the platform.

 
 The day before, Ozon CEO <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alexander.shulgin.10" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Alexander Shulgin</a> <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-online-retailer-ozon-plans-to-apply-for-a-banking-license/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">said</a> in an interview with the Financial Times that the company plans to obtain a banking license for the development of fintech services. However, he did not specify how it is technically planned to organize the company's entry into the banking market. 

 
 Contacts:

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vae.ovasapyan" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Vae Ovasapyan</a>, Vice President for Financial Services of Ozon

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/ozon-soobshchil-o-planakh-priobresti-100-aktsii-onei-banka-u-sovkombanka/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Ozon

Ozon plans to acquire Oney Bank from Sovcombank

Sberbank and Rostelecom have agreed to co-develop digital identification technologies, including biometrics.

 
 The new joint venture, Digital Identification Technologies,&nbsp; will design, develop, and replicate identification technologies to promote digital transformation across different economy sectors. The preliminary agreement of intent covering the establishment of a joint venture was signed by the chairman of the board of Sberbank, German Gref, and the president of Rostelecom, Mikhail Oseevsky.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sberbank-i-rostelekom-sozdadut-sp-v-sfere-tsifrovykh-tekhnologii-identifikatsii/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Sberbank and Rostelecom to create a joint venture to develop digital identification technologies together

Beeline is negotiating the purchase of the IBS DataFort cloud provider, which is part of the IBS group. This is reported by TAdviser with reference to a knowledgeable source. 

 
 According to the source, negotiations on the deal were in the final stage at the end of March. It has not been announced whether Beeline plans to acquire control in IBS DataFort or the entire company. Beeline and IBS DataFort refused to comment on the information, but they did not refute the negotiations on the deal. 

 
 Beeline's interest in acquiring a cloud provider is not unique among the largest operators. For example, in 2019, MTS through its subsidiary Vostok Mobile B.V.<a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mts-kupila-oblachnogo-provaydera-it-grad" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> bought</a> 100% of the "IT-grad 1 cloud"  cloud provider for 2.5 billion rubles. MTS explained the purchase of IT-grad by the desire to strengthen itself in the Russian market of cloud services. And in 2018, the operator <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mts-kupil-odin-iz-krupneyshih-codov-v-rossii" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">acquire</a>d the owner of the Avantage data center for 8.9 billion rubles. 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/bilain-vedet-peregovory-o-pokupke-oblachnogo-provaidera-ibs-datafort/" target="_blank">Original (in Russian)</a>

TAdviser

Beeline is negotiating the purchase of the IBS DataFort cloud provider

Mail.ru Group has launched a super application based on Mail on March 29. It combines six services: Mail, Cloud, Video Calls, Calendar, Tasks and Marusya voice assistant.

 
 The launch of the super application took place in two stages. During the test period (from mid-December 2020), users could choose whether to activate the new interface in the mail client or use the desktop application. Now the updated interface of Mail is available to users who installed application for the first time, by default.

 
 According to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zlokazov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dmitry Zlokazov</a>, Product Director of Mail, during the testing period, the frequency of use of non-mail services increased 10 times among users of the super application.

 
 In mid-August 2020, Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-has-launched-a-super-app-for-the-city-based-on-yandex-taxi/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">launched</a> a single application for its services based on Taxi, renaming it Yandex Go. 

 
 According to Morgan Stanley <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/morgan-stanley-obem-rynka-superappov-v-rossii-v-2020-godu-dostig-51-mlrd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">estimates</a>, the size of the superappa market in Russia in 2020 reached $51 billion, and by 2025 it will grow to $134 billion with an average annual growth rate of 21%. 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mail-ru-group-zapustila-superapp-na-baze-pochty/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Mail.ru Group has launched a new superapp based on its Mail service

This year Sberbank and Rosselkhozbank intend to re-equip part of the ATM fleet, pilot projects will be held at VTB, Dom.RF and OTP-Bank. New self-service devices will allow you to withdraw money and pay for services without a card, as well as accept a client for service and issue a loan. According to Rostelecom (the operator of the Unified Biometric System), each bank will have to ensure security independently. 

 
 The service is scheduled for a large-scale launch in 2021-2022. VTB reported that a limited number of self-service devices will be equipped with biometric technologies during the pilot. By the end of this year, it is planned to discuss an increase in the share of such ATMs. 

 
 Sberbank began testing face recognition at ATMs in 2020. Rosselkhozbank previously carried out a pilot project on the use of biometrics in ATMs for additional identification or verification of cardholders. 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/riad-rossiiskikh-bankov-zaiavili-o-planakh-provesti-masshtabnoe-vnedrenie-bankomatov-s-funktsiei-raspoznavaniia-litsa/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Izvestia

A number of Russian banks have announced plans to carry out a large-scale implementation of ATMs with facial recognition

Beeline is negotiating the purchase of the Moscow OTM group, which owns a technology platform for the automation and planning of online advertising purchases. This was reported by Vedomosti with reference to a source in the media agency working with the platform. 

 
 OTM confirmed to the publication that the deal is in its final stage, Beeline is interested in acquiring "more than 51%" in the company. According to the source of Vedomosti, the head structure of the operator - Veon - has already applied to the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS) for approval of the transaction.&nbsp; 

 
 The OTM platform allows programmatic advertising on mobile devices and stationary computers. To target ads, OTM uses big data tools collected from various sources.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/bilain-planiruet-priobresti-reklamno-tekhnologicheskuiu-platformu-otm/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Beeline plans to acquire OTM advertising and technology platform

Forbes has compiled a rating of the top 30 most expensive companies on the Runet, and Yandex became the leader for the third year in a row. The value of the Internet holding reached $22.98 billion, having increased by more than 57% compared to 2020. A year earlier, the growth was about 36%.

 
 Other companies included in the Forbes rating:

<ul>
 <li>Wildberries - $14.52 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Ozon - $10.5 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Mail.ru Group - $6.08 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Avito - $4.9 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>1C - $2.28 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>HeadHunter - $1.6 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Delivery Club - $1.52 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>AliExpress Russia - $1.1 billion;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>SKB Kontur - $657 million;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Positive Technologies - $580 million.</li>
</ul>

 
 The rating includes companies whose revenue is generated on the Internet. The list does not include organizations that receive more than 50% of their revenue abroad or which have less than 50% of users in Russia.

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.ru/biznes-photogallery/421235-30-samyh-dorogih-kompaniy-runeta-reyting-forbes">Rating of the most expensive companies on the Runet (in Russian)</a>

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/news/iandeks-stoimostiu-22-98-mlrd-stal-samoi-dorogoi-kompaniei-runeta/">Original (in Russian)</a>

Forbes

Yandex worth $22.98 billion became the most expensive Internet company on the Runet

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ICT.Moscow  — Market in Brief

At
the beginning of July, a video with a driverless Yandex.Rover in the streets of
Moscow appeared online. The technology is supposed to become a useful tool in
e-commerce - it is evident from the fact that Amazon corporation launched
similar rovers in the summer of 2019.

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 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f0c69ba0-fc75-5b47-b36d-ea07cb40845d.gif">
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 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/rian_ru/44820">RIA Novosti</a>

 
 ICT.Moscow
decided to learn about Yandex’s plans on implementing the technology in Russian
e-commerce and asked about the peculiarities of working on driverless
transport. The representative of the company revealed where the rovers have
already been implemented, spoke about their readiness for real operation and
explained the details of the development of a universal technology for
self-driving vehicles.

 
 Read
the interview of ICT.Moscow to learn where the delivery robots will appear
first, when the driverless transport technology will be ready for operation in
the most difficult road conditions and where and why Yandex tests its
self-driving cars.

<hr />
 
 —&nbsp;You
started to use Yandex.Rover in the streets of Moscow. Does it mean that the
technology will soon be ready for operation in real-life conditions?

 
 —
We have been using our rovers in the streets of Moscow for quite a long time
for collecting data, testing and training algorithms. This time a journalist
was nearby, and he shot the standard working process.

 
 In
terms of operation, we have already conducted several pilot projects and the
first launch of the robot outside the Yandex ecosystem. We started to develop
Rover in the summer of 2019, and already in November we conducted the first
trial - the robot was delivering documents and small parcels within our
headquarters. November was a good time to launch Rover because of the weather
conditions: the robots had to deal with rain, snow and ice. The robot
leapfrogged favorable weather conditions and faced harsh Russian realities
straight away.

 
 In
February this year we carried out a test integration with “Beru” service. The
piloting was linked to February 14th, when there was a high demand for
delivering a large number of parcels. However, only Yandex employees could use
the delivery - Rover picked up parcels at a single center and delivered them to
buildings.

 
 In
April, the robot got its first serious job - it started to operate at Skolkovo.
The territory of the center is arranged in the way that the buildings of
different offices are situated at a certain distance from each other.
Previously, the employees had to use a car to get to several places to exchange
documents and correspondence. With Rover it is no longer needed - the robot
took over this function. Its route there is about 2-3 km. 

 
 In
fact, Skolkovo buys robot delivery service from us, so, technically, it is the
first commercial integration of the technology.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 Less than a year has passed since the emergence of “let’s create a robot” idea till the first commercial application.
 </div>
 
 —&nbsp;In
other words, is the technology ready for real-life application? What are the
plans for further implementation of Rover in real commercial and business
processes?

 
 —
We are currently negotiating with several other companies interested in small
cargo delivery using robots. We expect that Rover will fit into Yandex
ecosystem, including FoodTech sector, which has become more in-demand than
before due to the pandemic.

 
 Such
delivery robots allow to successfully develop e-commerce in general. This
sector is rapidly growing and requires more and more people at different
stages. In the USA there is a shortage of staff in the cargo transportation,
because young people are reluctant to enter this profession. Such rovers are
able to meet the increasing demand for water, food and goods delivery.

 
 If
we talk about the possible range of application of such rovers, there are many
tasks in logistics that can be automated using these robots. They not only can
drive through the streets and deliver documents, parcels and food, but also can
be used within warehouses. When we announced the introduction of the robot
within the company, our colleagues from data centers, which occupy large areas,
showed a great interest in it. In case there is a need to deliver two ram cards
from one point of the data center to another, a rover can help. 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 The main range of self-driving couriers use includes the services where last mile delivery is needed, primarily e-commerce and warehouse logistics.
 </div>
 
 —&nbsp;The
operation process within data centers and warehouses in quite clear, but Rover
will also be operating in the streets, with a large number of road users and
unpredictable situations. To what extent is the technology ready for urban
environment?

 
 —
The technologies that were perfected and tested in driverless vehicles helped
us a lot. We had to rebuild some algorithms, but the basic principles are the
same. It was one of the reasons why we managed to carry out Rover piloting so
soon: it comprises many skills that have already been developed. Moreover, the
scenarios of use are more simple, even in terms of safety: a car drives at
about 60km/h, so the safety requirements are much higher. 

 
 Rovers
drive on sidewalks at an average speed of 5 km/h, in bike lanes the speed can
be higher (this scenario is being tested in Skolkovo). They have already learnt
to accurately detect and recognize the signals of pedestrian traffic lights (in
the same way as a self-driving car detects turning arrows). But currently there
is a difficulty with uncontrolled pedestrian crossings, as it is not clear how
Rover should behave at them - it is neither a car, nor a pedestrian. So far,
the solution is as follows: the robot will let a car pass, but if it
understands the driver sees it and lets the robot pass, Rover will drive across
the crossing.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 One of the main tasks of machine learning in self-driving transport is to learn to predict the behavior of other road users.
 </div>
 
 It
is not enough to determine where they are driving or going and forecast their
trajectory - intentions are more important. Especially in case with
self-driving vehicles: will the pedestrian. standing at the median strip, cross
the road or not?

 
 To
determine this, neural networks use all available data on the object and the
environment. For example, in case with a car it will be the position in the
lane, steering angle, previous acceleration, road environment, etc. Moreover,
such scenarios have been tested many times in real road conditions. If in the
previous 10 thousand similar episodes a person (a driver or a pedestrian)
behaved in a certain way, in the new episode we can predict future behavior.

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 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f93cf2bc-670c-520b-90b6-6e87f7e0794c.png">
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 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGlf14a7fAQ">Yandex</a>

 
 —&nbsp;And
what about security? Rovers will have to deliver value parcels as well. Is it
safe to leave the unattended?

 
 —
Firstly, they are not left unattended. There are GPS tracker and various
sensors and cameras in each Rover. If the robot considers something went wrong,
for example, if it deviates from the set course, it will send a signal to the
operator, who will be able to access remotely and see what is going on.

 
 Secondly,
a Rover is quite heavy, so it will not be easy to carry it away. Even if
someone manages to do it - what for? You do not know what is inside, and it
will not be easy to pick the lock. If someone succeeds, there can be an
inexpensive product from an online shop. It will also be difficult to resell
the parts of Rover: it will be clear where the part came from. And again, GPS
trackers are installed in Rovers, and they allow to track its movement, just
like in car sharing. 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 There are not so many scenarios in which something threatens a rover.
 </div>
 
 —&nbsp;You
said that the developments for self-driving car were used in Rovers. So, it is
a universal technology for unmanned transport that requires a minor adaptation,
right?

 
 —
Absolutely correct. Once again, Rovers drive in more simple conditions than
self-driving cars, with&nbsp; more factors to
consider during operation. We will have to pilot self-driving vehicles in
different countries to create a technology that can be implemented worldwide -
only Russia is not enough for this task.

 
 There
are unique things in the USA, which cannot be seen anywhere in the world. For
example, a four-way stop, where the rule about the right of way, according to
which the right-of-way should be yielded to the vehicle on the right, does not
apply. If you arrive at the intersection first, you can continue driving. In
Tel Aviv, where we also test unmanned vehicles, there are things that are not
so common in Russia, but can be seen in other countries. For example,
roundabouts are not very popular in Russia, but in Europe they are practically
the main element of road infrastructure. In Tel Aviv there are a lot of
two-wheeled vehicles: mopeds, self-balancing unicycles, scooters, bicycles,
electric scooters, etc. 

 
 In
Moscow and in Russia in general we also do have these things, but there are
many more of them in Tel Aviv (and they are available all year round - one more
advantage in for training self-driving vehicles algorithms). If we are able to
drive in difficult conditions in Tel Aviv, and then will go to Italy, for
instance, we will be able to drive with scooters, on roundabouts and will be
prepared for other peculiarities.

 
 It
is also important to take the local driving culture into consideration. In Tel
Aviv, for example, you should be very persistent to drive.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 If you are polite and give way to other cars, you will not drive far.
 </div>
 
 We
noticed this feature in Las Vegas. Local residents, after taking a ride in our
self-driving vehicles, noted that the car changes lanes very quickly. It can be
explained with the peculiarities of driving in Moscow: you have to be quick to
change lanes. In the US it is easier - the people are in no hurry and will give
way to you. We configured the system to drive like locals - we changed settings
so the car could change lanes more smoothly. And Tel Aviv, on the contrary,
teaches you to be more persistent. This experience will be useful for us in
Moscow as well.

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 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/d9b1ac1e-196b-5761-9169-d2edfe421001.png">
</div>

 
 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97kpp_8QGuIъ">Israeli TV</a>

 
 —&nbsp;V2X
infrastructure can be of great help for self-driving vehicles, it allows the
car&nbsp; to exchange information with road
infrastructure objects and other vehicles. How actively is this area developing
in Yandex?

 
 —
That also brings us to the issue of technology’s versatility. If we create a
technology that should be safe and applicable anywhere, we should rely only on
ourselves. Communications with infrastructure and other driverless vehicles is
good and useful, and we are testing such scenarios. But we cannot rely on them
and make them an indispensable condition. 

 
 For
example, a person ordered an self-driving taxi to a location that is far away,
with no infrastructure and no self-driving vehicles around. The vehicle should
be able to drive safely by itself - as if there was V2X infrastructure around
it.

 
 Moreover,
different countries have their infrastructure with their standards of data
transmission. This problem exists, even without V2X infrastructure. For
example, in the USA there are traffic lights that have eight different signals,
including a yellow flashing arrow. 

 
 In
general, the possibility of receiving information about the signals one
kilometer before the traffic lights is a good advantage. Having this
information, the vehicle can adjust the speed, plan the motion path in order to
cross the intersection as efficiently as possible, with minimum fuel and time
consumption. This is a nice bonus, but it is still extremely important to be
able to recognize traffic lights signals using vehicle’s vision. 

 
 It
is not always possible to rely on 5G in data transmission. Firstly, 5G coverage
is available not everywhere. Secondly, the signal can be unstable even if the network
is available. All these are additional risk factors.

 
 Finally,
imagine how much the dependence on V2X infrastructure could postpone the launch
of self-driving vehicles. Then it would be necessary to re-equip all roads,
which is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process and requires a lot of
investment. If we want self-driving vehicles to be implemented on roads and
provide services (taxi, for instance) as soon as the regulatory measures are
finalized, relying on V2X is not practical.

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f9c48bd4-df84-5ec3-af78-90d74dd7999e.png">
</div>

 
 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa3A4X6YYgk">Yandex</a>

 
 —&nbsp;So,
if the self-driving couriers and vehicles&nbsp;
technology is ready for commercial use, do we have to wait only for the
finalization of the Russian regulatory measures?

 
 —
In case with rovers, no additional regulation is required.

 
 As
for unmanned cars, in general, we are ready to launch the corresponding
services in small cities, with not very intensive traffic. We managed to test
such a service in Innopolis, where it has been operating for about two years
now. The conditions similar to Innopolis are already suitable for launching
such services. 

 
 As
has already been mentioned, the most difficult task for self-driving vehicles
is to predict intentions. The more road users&nbsp;
there are around the vehicle - the less predictable the environment
becomes.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 The trajectory for the emergence of self-driving vehicles will be roughly as follows: small cities — suburbs of large cities — centers of large cities.
 </div>
 
 Rush
hour in the center of Moscow is the most unpredictable time for road traffic.
With the increase in the number of cars, the number of traffic rules violations
also grows. The traffic in the center of major cities poses a challenge to
self-driving vehicles, which needs to be solved.

 
 Of
course, now unmanned cars can drive during rush hour in Moscow safely, without
creating emergency situations for other road users and themselves. But it will
take them more time to drive through difficult junctions than it would take an
experienced driver. In every ambiguous situation the vehicle will give way to
other road users.

 
 But
when data accumulates, the situation will change. It can be compared to an
ordinary person - it is probably not a good idea to drive in the center of
Moscow during rush hour right after getting a driving license, when you are still
learning to drive. As you gain experience, you will be able to drive well even
in heavy traffic. This is a task we will have to solve.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 In terms of technology, it will take us about three or four years.
 </div>
 
 In
May, it was revealed how and when the regulations concerning self-driving
vehicles would be finalized in Russia. Yandex has also taken part in developing
the plan for phased implementation of self-driving vehicles. During the
conversation with ICT.Moscow, the representative of the company said that the
document was being finalized and would be submitted to Vladimir Putin for
approval at the end of August.

<hr />
 
 ICT.Moscow spoke with Yulia Shveyko, Head of Media
Relations for Self-Driving Cars of Yandex.

ICT.Moscow spoke with a representative of the Yandex team about the commercial launch of driverless rovers, their readiness to work in real-life conditions and the development of universal technology for self-driving vehicles.