Yahoo pitches corporate portal, wireless plan to analysts

Yahoo showcased new services and explained business strategies at its annual analysts gathering today, emphasizing its wireless plans and unveiling a new corporate portal offering, according to analysts who attended the meeting.

In a private "analysts day" briefing, Yahoo revealed plans to offer its Web portal services to corporations, one analyst said. Dubbed "Yahoo Enterprise Solutions," or "YES," the division will create co-branded versions of the Yahoo Web portal for companies' internal use.

The service will include personalization and content features, as well as applications such as Yahoo FinanceVision, a service that Webcasts financial news and information.

The analyst said Yahoo is considering launching a health content channel similar to its FinanceVision application, which combines Web browsing with its popular Yahoo Finance site and original video programming.

"It's an X-Vision strategy, meaning we will be deploying more visions across the network in areas where it makes sense," a Yahoo spokeswoman said.

Yahoo also told analysts that it sees wireless as a key component of its international strategy, according to Jordan Rohan, a research analyst at Wit Capital, who attended the meeting. Today's gathering coincided with announcements from Yahoo's European division, which inked deals with Telecom Italia Mobile and AT&T Wireless to distribute its content and services to their customers.

"They've populated their list of deals so much that I think they've got critical mass," Rohan said.

Yahoo's wireless push comes as portal competition is heating up in the international arena after a merger announcement this week by Lycos and Spain's Terra Networks. The combined company, Terra Lycos, will create a wireless joint venture being formed in partnership with Telefonica, the telecommunications giant that is Terra Networks' parent.

America Online, too, has taken steps recently toward developing its own wireless strategy. Earlier this year the company announced a series of deals with cell phone and pager companies. AOL also tapped Dennis Patrick, a former Federal Communications Commission official, to head its wireless efforts.