Belarus Software Company to Build a Search Engine for Kazakhstan

SoftInform sofware development company from Belarus opened its branch in Almaty, Kazakhstan in February 2008. One of its first goals of SoftInform is to gain image in Kazakhstan by developing a new search engine for users of Kazakhstan.

SoftInform has experience in developing search engines and information security products.

PCs with Mobile Broadband from Microsoft and MTS in Central Asia

Software giant Microsoft is working with Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS) to launch their subscription based program in in Armenia, Belarus, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The two companies would now offer Windows-based PCs on a subscription basis in those countries similarly to the service provided by Microsoft in Mexico and Brazil. The partnership between them was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

It's planned to start providing work stations with Windows Vista and built-in mobile broadband access by June 2008.

Source: TechWhack.com

Economic Freedom 2008 - Kyrgyzstan is in Top 70

The 14th annual Index of Economic Freedom prepared by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal was publicized on the 14th January. 162 countries took part and the economic freedom of each country was measured by 10 indicators such as free trade, business and investment opportunity, and private property.

Kyrgyzstan was the 70th in the list. It was ahead of its neighbors Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It showed even better results than Poland and Turkey. All countries and their ratings were shown on one map and one can see that Kyrgyzstan has taken place somewhere in the middle.

So, according to the Heritage Foundation, Kyrgyzstan’s freedom equals to 61,1%. Here is the percentage for each indicator: Business opportunity - 60.4%, Free trade - 81.4% , Fiscal freedom - 93.9%, Freedom from state- 76.1%, Monetary freedom- 75.6%, Investment freedom- 50%, Financial freedom - 50%, Private ownership - 30%.

This way Kyrgyzstan is in the top 70 of the most economically free countries. It did much better than last year and according to the researchers it is due to the improved investment climate of the country. Kyrgyzstan now is the 12th country member of 30 countries of Asia region and its scores are more than average.

Source: New Eurasia (Russian version) (English version)
Original report source: Heritage Foundation

Ratings:
1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Ireland
4. Australia
5. United States
6. New Zealand
7. Canada
8. Chile
9. Switzerland
10. United Kingdom
..................
70. Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic)
..................
74. Turkey
75. Slovenia
76. Kazakhstan
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80. Greece
..................
83. Poland
..................
114. Tajikistan
..................
130. Uzbekistan
..................
152. Turkmenistan
..................

Full list: Index of Economic Freedom

Kyrgyzstan Profile: Economic Freedom 2008 - Kyrgyz Republic

Russian MTS plans to introduce broadband in Turkmenistan

On December 18 in Ashgabat President Berdymukhammedov met with Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko to discuss Caspian Pipeline and also with the CEO and president of the Russian Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) telecommunications company, Leonid Melamed, to discuss plans for the company's expansion into the Turkmen telecoms sector, according to Turkmen Television.




Leonid Melamed also briefed Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov on his company's plans to introduce high-speed, broadband Internet services to the country as part of its planned investment. Melamed also agreed to a Turkmen request to train an undetermined number of Turkmen specialists in Russia. RG

Source: Radio Free Europe

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June 29, 2007

MTS to provide Turkmenistan with wireless Internet

The CEO of Mobile TeleSystems, Leonid Melamed, met with Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, on June 29. During the talks, Melamed said his company plans to expand its presence in the Turkmen telecommunication market, Turkmenistan.ru reported.

Melamed offered MTS's services in the field of high information technologies, in particular wireless Internet. "Having expressed interest in the offer, Berdimuhammedov emphasised that Turkmenistan pins great hopes on the attraction of latest achievements of scientific-technical progress and world best experience in this field," the Turkmen State News Agency (TDH) reported.

Source: New Nations