As Google pushes phones, Yahoo zeros in on ad deals

Yahoo is focusing on mobile ads and has no intent of getting into software design of phones, says mobile chief Marco Boerries.

The story "As Google pushes phones, Yahoo zeros in on ad deals" published November 7, 2007 at 3:38 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[naterandrews]

Yahoo!'s perception issue...

Yahoo! over the last few years has publicly and vigorously defined itself as a new media company.
In an interview by then CEO Terry Semel, he stated "It's not our goal to be No. 1 in Internet search. We would be very happy to maintain our market share."

Yahoo! knows they cannot defeat Google on search. Mobile ads are a different story but still utilizes the same search engine. Yahoo! has already tried to push their media centric Yahoo! GO and that hasn't gained much traction from what I am aware of. I even tried it out on my Q. Flickr uploaded slowly; mail was disastrous; and half the time my news stories wouldn't load. That's a great product there!

Yahoo! may not think they need to get into the software design game but they do. They need the uniformed approach as to not alienate the already forgiving customers that are trying out Yahoo!'s services. Google has the right idea- uniformed, easy to use software that gives us what we want, with minimal ad interruption.

Sure, Yahoo! may get the ad deal now, but when the advertisers and handset makers realize no user in their right mind will ever again take Yahoo!'s bait, they will switch over to Google once the contracts expire.

(Please note, I am not a Google "fanboy", or "fanman". I used Yahoo! Mail for years. I have tried the refresh of their new webmail client and still think it is a far cry from webmail should be. I regularly use Y! Messenger, GMail, Picassa. I stopped using most of Yahoo!'s services not because Google was "cooler". But because Google found a way to place ads in my services that didn't interrupt my experience. They gave me great products that are seamless, easy to use and work great. Yahoo! has lost it's mojo, let us see if they can regain it- without selling out to Microsoft or any other hungry conglomerate.)

[hawkeyeaz1]

Yahoo doens't understand

Yahoo has no clue what Google is offering. Sure, they can put their package on Google supported phone, but why in the world would customers agree to double the ads (at least) for a small reduction in fee, when the ads won't be easy to ingore (or if they are, they won't profit the company)?

Besides, being an open platform, you can remove the ads, but then you don't get the reduction in cost.

It sounds like Yahoo is laughing as Google's "stupidity" or "foolishness" but they don't realize the ingenuitiy of Google's move, and the foolishness of Yahoo's perception of it.