Russia’s Mail.ru (a really big deal, for those of you who don’t track that country’s scene) has announced the brand it is to expand into international markets with: My.com.
Despite claiming usage by 90% of the Russian Internet audience, the company has big international ambitions and needs a non-Russian-sounding name to accompany and has chosen the new, short, memorable brand. Despite today’s announcement, sent by email to press, it’s nothing but a Launchrock-powered holding page for now.
Providing email, blogging, image hosting and many more services to its home country, Mail.ru already serves international markets by way of a number of online games such as Allods Online, Perfect World and Lord of the Rings Online. A localization center is currently at work of translating and adapting the company’s service interfaces and projects for non-Russian audiences. For example, it expanded its email service to the Ukrainian market earlier this year.
Mail.ru’s venture arm has invested in a number of notable US Internet companies, including Facebook, Groupon and Zynga. Already boasting offices in countries, including Germany, Israel and Latvia, and it seems like this expansion will continue under the My.com brand.
Image credit: iStockPhoto / Thinkstock
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