Russian Programmers Conquer America
The story of two graduates of a Moscow-based institute who conquered America by inventing a unique computer-based image-recognition technology represents a classic example of "the American dream."
May 24, 2005
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti political commentator Alexander Yurov) - During the next meeting of ISO (International Standardization Organization) scheduled for June 2005 in the United States, the participants plan to adopt several changes to international standards of biometric personal authentication.
The new standard will allow increasing the precision of automatic comparison of photos and preventing the possibility of forgery or falsification of regular pictures on ID papers or their illegal use.
In the beginning of spring 2005, the new standard received the approval of the US Technical Committee M1, Biometrics, which means all US passports will soon have 3D photos of owners. Curiously, two ordinary graduates of a Moscow-based institute developed a new approach to personal authentication.
Russia's positions in the modern world of hi-tech are rather modest. According to data provided by the Russian Information Technology and Communications Ministry, the world IT-market is worth about $1 trillion. Russia's revenues from the sales of software, though, are 200 times less than those of the US and Japan, and 40 times less than China's revenues. Poor achievements of Russia in the IT field are quite understandable. During 2004, investments in the IT-sphere constituted less than $1 billion, while in China only internal investments into this sector during the same period reached $20 billion.
That is why the story of two graduates of a Moscow-based institute who conquered America by inventing a unique computer-based image-recognition technology represents a classic example of "the American dream." The "happy-end" story has a non-American nuance, though. Artyom Yukhin and Andrei Klimov simultaneously personify a modern "Russian dream," because they managed to develop a thriving international business from scratch. To a certain extent, Russia can expect an inflow of foreign investment into its IT-sphere thanks to these young Russian programmers.
A4Vision, a startup company whose founders included the two Russian programmers, made a loud entrance on the world market of software only five years ago. Starting from scratch, the company got $30 million of investments and became a world leader in its niche. Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Google and E-bay and many other large companies started the same way. Probably, that is why employees of A4Vision Russian office are certain that their product will have success comparable with the fast growth of today's world leaders in programming.
Frankly, the story of A4Vision's success is not a fairytale. It simply demonstrates a well-calculated approach to goal-setting.
After September 11, the founders of A4Vision realized that development of products for security sphere would become the most promising business venue. They financed their face recognition project using their own funds for a year. Only after a working prototype of the technology had been developed, did they invite investors. In March 2003, a hundred and eighty-eight countries under the UN aegis signed the New Orleans agreement, which envisions the technology developed by previously unknown company as the fundamental method of authentication used in foreign passports and visas. This event marked the "finest hour" of the two talented Russian programmers. At present, their project belongs to a consortium that includes ID Technology Partners, Logitech, Motorola, Oracle and Unisys Corporation.
"The founders of the company did not attempt to spend the earned money "in style," contrary to many other Russian entrepreneurs that emerged in recent years, but invested their revenues in business development, instead," said A4Vision spokesperson Alena Los. "Yukhin keeps his share in the company. Besides, nobody had thrown the Russian founders from the new consortium. They continue successful business cooperation with their foreign partners. Certainly, the "happy-end" is still far away, especially knowing that there is no such thing in business. Although, it is clear even today that the A4Vision project turned out to be an exemplary hi-tech project created in Russia.
Witnessing this unexpected and spectacular success of Russian programmers, foreign investors must realize that 1 million researchers in Russia, who have to work today in economic sectors not associated with the IT-sphere, have actually accumulated a vast potential. Russian programmers are looking forward to foreign investments to "unleash" this potential.
The new standard will allow increasing the precision of automatic comparison of photos and preventing the possibility of forgery or falsification of regular pictures on ID papers or their illegal use.
In the beginning of spring 2005, the new standard received the approval of the US Technical Committee M1, Biometrics, which means all US passports will soon have 3D photos of owners. Curiously, two ordinary graduates of a Moscow-based institute developed a new approach to personal authentication.
Russia's positions in the modern world of hi-tech are rather modest. According to data provided by the Russian Information Technology and Communications Ministry, the world IT-market is worth about $1 trillion. Russia's revenues from the sales of software, though, are 200 times less than those of the US and Japan, and 40 times less than China's revenues. Poor achievements of Russia in the IT field are quite understandable. During 2004, investments in the IT-sphere constituted less than $1 billion, while in China only internal investments into this sector during the same period reached $20 billion.
That is why the story of two graduates of a Moscow-based institute who conquered America by inventing a unique computer-based image-recognition technology represents a classic example of "the American dream." The "happy-end" story has a non-American nuance, though. Artyom Yukhin and Andrei Klimov simultaneously personify a modern "Russian dream," because they managed to develop a thriving international business from scratch. To a certain extent, Russia can expect an inflow of foreign investment into its IT-sphere thanks to these young Russian programmers.
A4Vision, a startup company whose founders included the two Russian programmers, made a loud entrance on the world market of software only five years ago. Starting from scratch, the company got $30 million of investments and became a world leader in its niche. Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Google and E-bay and many other large companies started the same way. Probably, that is why employees of A4Vision Russian office are certain that their product will have success comparable with the fast growth of today's world leaders in programming.
Frankly, the story of A4Vision's success is not a fairytale. It simply demonstrates a well-calculated approach to goal-setting.
After September 11, the founders of A4Vision realized that development of products for security sphere would become the most promising business venue. They financed their face recognition project using their own funds for a year. Only after a working prototype of the technology had been developed, did they invite investors. In March 2003, a hundred and eighty-eight countries under the UN aegis signed the New Orleans agreement, which envisions the technology developed by previously unknown company as the fundamental method of authentication used in foreign passports and visas. This event marked the "finest hour" of the two talented Russian programmers. At present, their project belongs to a consortium that includes ID Technology Partners, Logitech, Motorola, Oracle and Unisys Corporation.
"The founders of the company did not attempt to spend the earned money "in style," contrary to many other Russian entrepreneurs that emerged in recent years, but invested their revenues in business development, instead," said A4Vision spokesperson Alena Los. "Yukhin keeps his share in the company. Besides, nobody had thrown the Russian founders from the new consortium. They continue successful business cooperation with their foreign partners. Certainly, the "happy-end" is still far away, especially knowing that there is no such thing in business. Although, it is clear even today that the A4Vision project turned out to be an exemplary hi-tech project created in Russia.
Witnessing this unexpected and spectacular success of Russian programmers, foreign investors must realize that 1 million researchers in Russia, who have to work today in economic sectors not associated with the IT-sphere, have actually accumulated a vast potential. Russian programmers are looking forward to foreign investments to "unleash" this potential.