On February 09-10, 2011 Moscow hosted the III Annual Microsoft Conference: "Your Course: Development of the Information Society in Russia". Institute of the Information Society together with non-commercial corporation PH International acted as partners in conducting this event.

Microsoft company is implementing a social project in Russia  – "Your Course: Increasing Computer Literacy" aimed at helping socially unprotected segments of population - unemployed, pensioners, disabled - to master information and communication technologies free of charge and to find a worthy place on a labour market, keeping an active social and life position.

The Conference was opened by a round table "Russian regions in the information society", where participants of the discussion exchanged opinions on information society development in Russia. The round table was attended by: Yuri Hohlov, Chairman of the IIS Boards of Directors, Alexander Gorelik, Director of the UN Information Centre, Alexander Vorontsov, Director of the Department of Informatization and Communications of the Yaroslavl region, Nikolay Pryanishnikov, President of Microsoft in Russia. Spokesmen touched upon many important for Russian regions problems: necessity of further development of IT-infrastructure, overcoming informational inequality, low level of public services in electronic format.

Yuri Hohlov in his speech emphasized that discontinuity in indexes between Russian regions is constantly decreasing, however in terms of development of infrastructure the gap is equal to 4 times, and in terms of development of human capital assets – dozens of times.  The main conclusion: the state is doing a lot but not enough, taking into consideration the outlined indexes of the Strategy of Information Society Development in Russia.

President of Microsoft in Russia, Nikolay Pryanishnikov, reported to the participants of the conference that 650 thousands of people in Russia had obtained education in Centers of Computer Literacy “Your Course” on-site and online. The continuous perfection of the "Your Course" programs is ongoing, approximation of its contents to people’s needs is in progress. It is referred to such programs as acquiring IT-competence, use of banking services, transport and social card, access to electronic public services, centers of making payments, e-library.

Alexander Vorontsov, Director of the Department of Informatization and Communications of the Yaroslavl region, shared the story of successful advancement of the Region in the information society development and public services’ provision. In Yaroslavl Region 30 % of schools use electronic journals, 1200 public servants underwent training on computer literacy and work with clients in the sphere of public services provision. "Your course" program is successfully developing in Yaroslavl Region, main consumers of these services – pensioners, unemployed, disabled people. We even have a waiting list to attend courses in centers», - reported Alexander Vorontsov.

Those who participated in the discussion emphasized the importance of the work conducted by Microsoft in Russia in creating more centers of computer literacy, helping pensioners to find new options for communication, helping unemployed to acquire new application of their forces, and visually impaired to undergo computer trainings in audio format.

At the conference the best centers of computer literacy were awarded in different nominations.

The conference was attended by a number of IIS specialists: Yuri Hohlov, Alexandra Kapustina, Nina Semenova, Irina Miroshnichenko, Olga Kopyeva.