Beeline (), earlier Bee Line GSM () is a telecommunications brand by company PJSC VimpelCom, founded in Russia. PJSC VimpelCom is Russia's third-largest wireless and second-largest telecommunications operator. Its headquarters is located in Moscow. Since 2009, PJSC VimpelCom has been a subsidiary of VimpelCom Ltd., which has become Veon in 2017. It is based in Amsterdam. VimpelCom's main competitors in Russia are Mobile TeleSystems, MegaFon and Tele2. The commercial service was launched under the Beeline brand, a brand developed by Fabela in late 1993 to differentiate the company as a youthful and fun company, rather than a technical company. The name comes from the English term "beeline", meaning the most direct way between two points. VimpelCom relaunched Beeline with the current characteristic black-and-yellow striped circle in 2005 with a campaign to associate the brand with the principles of brightness, friendliness, effectiveness, simplicity, and positive emotions; with a new slogan "Живи на яркой стороне" (Live on the bright side). The rebranding campaign was hugely successful and the principles associated with the brand "captured hearts and minds", in the words of the company. History in Russia OJSC VimpelCom was founded in 1992 and initially operated AMPS/D-AMPS network in Moscow area. In 1996 it became the first Russian company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (). In November 2005 OJSC VimpelCom stepped further with foreign acquisitions by acquiring 100% of Ukrainian RadioSystems, a marginal Ukrainian GSM operator operating under the Wellcom and Mobi brands. The deal has been surrounded by a controversy involving two major shareholders of VimpelCom: the Russian Alfa Group and Telenor, the incumbent Norwegian telecommunications company. The company's current (as of July 2008) license portfolio covers a territory where 97% of Russia's population resides, as well as 100% of the territory of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Armenia. VimpelCom also has a 49.9% stake in Euroset, the largest mobile retailer in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In May 2010 VimpelCom merged with Kyivstar to form VimpelCom Ltd., the largest telecom operator group in the CIS. Alexander Izosimov, CEO of OJSC VimpelCom, was appointed president. Outside Russia Armenia On 16 November 2006, PJSC VimpelCom acquired the 90% share in Armentel CJSC held by the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (OTE) for €341.9 million. Australia In November 2018 it was observed that Beeline owns a range of 1000 numbers with the +61 country code, from +61497906000 to +61497906999.