Yahoo! today announced the upcoming launch of its new Yahoo! Mobile service -“ a highly-personalized mobile starting point to the Internet. Yahoo! Mobile will be available on the mobile Web, as an app developed for the Apple iPhone, and as an app developed for smartphones from Nokia, RIM, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola as well as those powered by Windows Mobile. Yahoo! Mobile initially will be available today through a managed beta program, with general availability expected in Q2 2009.
“We believe the new Yahoo! Mobile will transform the way millions of mobile users around the world will interact with the Internet,” said Marco Boerries, executive vice president, Yahoo! Inc. “Yahoo! Mobile will enable users to create their own Internet starting point on their mobile device so they can better discover, connect to and stay informed about the people and things that are important to them.”
“Yahoo! Mobile represents significant and continued innovation by Yahoo! around creating a compelling and engaging user experience with mobile data services, and especially the mobile Internet,” notes Scott Ellison, VP Mobile and Wireless, IDC. “Rich and well-integrated offerings like Yahoo! Mobile, offered across a broad range of devices, will play central roles in the rapidly evolving mobile Internet space,” he added.
The mobile Web and iPhone versions of Yahoo! Mobile are planned to include the following features:
Discover
- Yahoo! oneSearch -“ Yahoo!’s award-winning mobile search service providing the most current, relevant answers you need.
- Today -“ The most interesting stories buzzing on the Internet right now, selected by Yahoo!’s editorial team.
Connect
Yahoo! oneConnect – Yahoo!’s service designed to provide consumers everything they need to stay in touch with the people about whom they care:
- Email -“ Access to Yahoo! Mail and other popular email service providers, including Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail and AOL Mail.
- Pulse -“ Access to their social networks, including Bebo, Dopplr, Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, Last.fm, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.
- Yahoo! Messenger -“ An upgraded version of Yahoo!’s popular mobile instant messaging service.
- Yahoo! Address Book -“ Keeps consumers’ contacts always handy and in sync.
- Yahoo! Calendar -“ View, add and edit appointments when users are away from their PCs.
Stay Informed
- Yahoo! News -“ Breaking headlines across popular topics.
- Yahoo! onePlace – Access and manage your favorite content, all from one location. Its “Add Anything” functionality is a simple-to-use search and browse process that helps users find and add what they want. Consumers can add their favorite interests from a growing selection of popular categories including news topics and sources, RSS feeds, weather conditions, sports scores, stock quotes, websites/blogs, horoscopes and movie theaters.
The smartphone version of Yahoo! Mobile will include the above functionality, plus:
- Yahoo! oneSearch with Voice -“ Allowing users to launch searches by simply speaking.
- Maps -“ Powerful improved tools that let consumers locate, learn about and get directions to points of interest.
- Opera Mini 4.2 -“ An integrated version of the world’s most popular mobile web browser, with easy return to the Yahoo! Mobile app, that launches when web site access is needed.
- Widgets -“ Enhanced mobile-optimized experiences for services from Yahoo! and other brands. Users can browse, add and remove these at anytime according to their tastes.
A managed beta program for Yahoo! Mobile has started today. Consumers interested in participating should enter http://mobile.yahoo.com into their phone’s browser.
