GfK Expands its Internet Research in Europe and Latin America 30/06/00 The GfK Group is aiming to almost triple its sales from Internet and e-commerce activities to DM30 million in 2000 through new joint ventures in Latin America and Europe and the launch of the GfK Online Monitor in Turkey. The first step in the expansion of Internet research within Latin American has been taken. GfK, Media Metrix and Ipsos have set up a joint venture operation, MMXI Latin America. This three-company collaboration, which already has a successful track record with MMXI Europe, will thus be extended onto the Latin American markets. A research service gathering data on Internet use is set to start in Brazil before the end of the year and the plan is to extend this to Argentina and Mexico during 2001. There are also developments in Hungary and Turkey with the aim of strengthening GfK's position in Internet research in Europe. In Hungary, GfK and Ipsos have started a joint venture operation, which will specialise in research and analysis of Internet use, e-commerce and Internet advertising effectiveness. In response to increasing Internet use in Turkey, GfK subsidiary, Procon-GfK, is launching the GfK Online Monitor on the Turkish market. The main focus of this information service is both Internet usage patterns and anticipated e-commerce uptake.