Ukraine Helps Google Recognize Faces

Informations

• Publié par: worldwide-news-ukraine
• Nombre de lectures: 14
• Langue: English

Extrait

Ukraine Helps Google Recognize Faces

PR Newswire KYIV, Ukraine, October 5, 2012

KYIV, Ukraine,October 5, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

Motorola Mobility, acquired by Google inMay 2012, closed the deal to purchase Ukrainian IT company Viewdle. The company offers face, object, and gesture recognition technology products, allowing, among other features, an automated photo tagging. Reportedly, Google paidUSD 30-45 millionfor the venture. The companycould use face recognition technology in its Picasa service, as well as for Android devices.

This purchase confirms the great IT potential ofUkraine, as well as high professionalism and talent of Ukrainian developers, said Viktoriya Tigipko, Director of TA Venture. Viewdle was created in Kyiv in 2007. It attracted millions of dollars of foreign investment, including money from BlackBerry Partners Fund, statesInterfax.

The news excited the worldwide web withAndroidcommunityanticipating usage of the face recognition technology in Google Glass - one of the most progressive technology to date in the sector of augmented reality. "Imagine looking at a friend and having the glasses recognize them and tell you key facts such as when their birthday is or what their favorite topics of conversation are," suggests the news website.

Notably, Ukrainian IT outsourcing sector has been reported to boom byFinancial TimesinAugust 2012. The Eastern European country earned overUSD 1 billionon its IT services export in 2011 alone, stated the paper. Comparably, in Romania the IT outsourcing exports are estimated atUSD 586 million, in Poland -USD 451 million, according to Central and Eastern European Outsourcing Association. IT outsourcing market volume in the neighboring Hungary roughly equalUSD 475 million.

An estimated 16,000 IT specialists graduate each year inUkraine. The country boasts the largest pool of engineering resources in Central and Eastern Europe with around 25 percent of the regional IT offshoring market, according to the comment forFinancial Timesby a CEO of a US-based outsourcing company that em ploys 1,900 specialists in Ukraine.

Interestingly, in less than two weeks - onOctober 18-19- the largest international conference of internet businesses in Central and Eastern Europe arrives to Ukraine's Kyiv. A place for startups and investors to meet and collaborate, the conference will feature such prominent speakers as Adrian Burleton, Studio Moderna COO, Anupam Mittal, People Group CEO, and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Social Policy Serhiy Tigipko.