Yahoo, Helio partner on mobile services

A correction was made to this story. Read below for details.

Helio announced Thursday that it is partnering with Yahoo in a move to offer services ranging from search to instant messaging when it debuts its mobile service in the spring.

Helio, a joint-venture of SK Telecom and EarthLink, aims to give its members access to Yahoo services such as e-mail, news, sports, search and messaging.

Video: Bringing Korean innovation to backward America
Helio CEO Sky Dayton shows off the company's mobile service.

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The Helio deal is among the latest Yahoo has struck with a mobile service provider. The Internet giant has similar arrangements with Cingular and Sprint.

"Helio's innovative service platform and 3G (third generation) service allows our users to keep connected in new, unique ways," Marco Boerries, Yahoo's Connected Life senior vice president, said in a statement.

Helio is trying to bring the phone market of South Korea, where network services are more advanced and young subscribers tend to spend more money on multimedia features, to the United States. It will target the youth market in the U.S.

 

Correction: This story incorrectly stated the region for Helio's target market. Helio is targeting its mobile service at consumers in the United States.

[zdnet_comment]

Another wireless MVNO?

People who think that this Helio service is a good thing rarely stay faithful to it forever. For they have found something interesting for the time being, and when the next thing comes around, they will then follow that. Their defection will lead the 'hype' to fail. <br /><br />Using some examples, take Apple's iPod. The iPod is more than just hype, it is the next best thing to music (considering what currently existed).<br /><br />Back to Helio, it is just 'hype' and offers very little to the consumer. the major carriers offer quality and consistency of delivery. Hype implies something is around for a very limited period of time. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding Helio's service. <br />Exaggerated and extravagant claims made especially in their advertising and promotional material on their site: ?It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job?.<br /><br />Hype only goes so far. What they cannot provide is carrier-grade Class A switching (both circuit and packet mobile telephony) outside of their constraints of the host they cling on to. In this case, Sprint PCS.

[zdnet_comment]

Another wireless MVNO?

People who think that this Helio service is a good thing rarely stay faithful to it forever. For they have found something interesting for the time being, and when the next thing comes around, they will then follow that. Their defection will lead the 'hype' to fail. <br /><br />Using some examples, take Apple's iPod. The iPod is more than just hype, it is the next best thing to music (considering what currently existed).<br /><br />Back to Helio, it is just 'hype' and offers very little to the consumer. the major carriers offer quality and consistency of delivery. Hype implies something is around for a very limited period of time. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding Helio's service. <br />Exaggerated and extravagant claims made especially in their advertising and promotional material on their site: ?It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job?.<br /><br />Hype only goes so far. What they cannot provide is carrier-grade Class A switching (both circuit and packet mobile telephony) outside of their constraints of the host they cling on to. In this case, Sprint PCS.

[zdnet_comment]

Hyped Helio

People who think that this Helio service is a good thing rarely stay faithful to it forever. For they have found something interesting for the time being, and when the next thing comes around, they will then follow that. Their defection will lead the 'hype' to fail. <br /><br />Using some examples, take Apple's iPod. The iPod is more than just hype, it is the next best thing to music (considering what currently existed).<br /><br />Back to Helio, it is just 'hype' and offers very little to the consumer. the major carriers offer quality and consistency of delivery. Hype implies something is around for a very limited period of time. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding Helio's service. <br />Exaggerated and extravagant claims made especially in their advertising and promotional material on their site: ?It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job?.<br /><br />Hype only goes so far. What they cannot provide is carrier-grade Class A switching (both circuit and packet mobile telephony) outside of their constraints of the host they cling on to. In this case, Sprint PCS.

[zdnet_comment]

Hyped Helio

People who think that this Helio service is a good thing rarely stay faithful to it forever. For they have found something interesting for the time being, and when the next thing comes around, they will then follow that. Their defection will lead the 'hype' to fail. <br /><br />Using some examples, take Apple's iPod. The iPod is more than just hype, it is the next best thing to music (considering what currently existed).<br /><br />Back to Helio, it is just 'hype' and offers very little to the consumer. the major carriers offer quality and consistency of delivery. Hype implies something is around for a very limited period of time. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding Helio's service. <br />Exaggerated and extravagant claims made especially in their advertising and promotional material on their site: ?It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job?.<br /><br />Hype only goes so far. What they cannot provide is carrier-grade Class A switching (both circuit and packet mobile telephony) outside of their constraints of the host they cling on to. In this case, Sprint PCS.