(Telecompaper) Russian operator Megafon has joined Telefonica's Partners Programme, which already includes equity partners such as China Unicom and Telecom Italia along with other members. Telefonica said its partnership with Megafon will involve joint procurement, the exchange of technological know-how and the provision of services to their respective multinational clients. The two companies' specialised subsidiaries may also work together in the development of new businesses, including OTT, cloud services or M2M. Telefonica and its partners currently serve customers in 52 countries with a population of 1.5 billion people.