Updated May 16, 2008

   American Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) corporation, the largest world’s information provider on businesses, establishes joint venture with Interfax Group. As a result D&B increases four times its Russian legal entities base and SPARK-Interfax (System for Professional Analysis of Markets and Companies) customers obtain data on foreign companies and will be able to find information on the Russian companies beneficiaries established by foreign offshore companies. At the moment information agencies are already not limited to news production, as they are interested in their business diversification, as experts state.

   American D&B establishes joint venture combined with Interfax Group, as reported within the last TV conference with analysts D&B operating director Sara Matthew. Interfax co-operation permits D&B to increase the database on the Russian companies from 800 000 to 4,2 million records. Interfax executive director Vladimir Gerasimov specified new Interfax-D&B venture is established pari passu and will render access services to the incorporated database of these partners. According to him, it is hard to calculate project investments, as these were mainly expenses for modernization of Interfax’s SPARK, based on data of Rosstat, FFMS, FTS and other open sources (Federal State Statistics Service; Federal Financial Markets Service; Federal Tax Service). SPARK database was integrated in D&B database. "Our data were reformatted by D&B standards to achieve this aim", says Mr. Gerasimov. "According to D&B requirements each company presented in SPARK was given DUNS number – specific international passport".

   One of the advantages of D&B co-operation named in Interfax is the opportunity to obtain information on the Russian companies beneficiaries, which founders are foreign offshore companies. One inquiry from D&B database will cost around RUR 4 500, as says Vladimir Gerasimov. According to him, the demand for services concerning legal entities information disclosure grows by 60% annually, and in 2007 this market volume has totaled no less than $20 million, and a quarter falls to SPARK.

   Dun & Bradstreet Corporation was founded in 1841 on the basis of Mercantile Agency established in New York. It gained its current form in 2000 when Moody`s Corp has been separated. The company database covers more than 125 million businesses. It is presented in 70 countries worldwide, including Russia since 1993. 2007 earnings – $1,599 billion, net income – $298,1 million, capitalization – $5,013 billion.

   Interfax Information Group was founded in 1989. It amalgamates the chain of national, regional and branch information agencies operating in Russia, the CIS countries, China and Central Europe. By the expert estimations, in 2007 the earnings were around $60 million. Owners are company top-managers, as well as director general Mikhail Komissar.

   Currently Russian information agencies are interested in business diversification, as marks Prime TASS director general Oleg Ananev. Prime TASS provides its customers with access to the Russian Integrum online library and holds talks on co-operation with one of the international providers of information disclosure on financial markets. Interfax, in particular, co-operates with Moody`s Corp. (joint rating agency), Expirian (credit histories bureau), and in April it has been granted access to the database of the US LexisNexis information system.

   Financial and economic information accompanying news production provides around 60% of Interfax earnings, as Vladimir Gerasimov marks. "Earnings from subscription to news line are incomparable to advertisement incomes", acknowledges Yuriy Rovenskiy, director general of RBC Holding established on Rosbusinessconsulting information agency basis. According to him, an advertisement permits to invest into free access up to 30% of information generated by an agency. RBC priority directions are development of Internet-projects and TV, as it is said his last investment memorandum.