Yahoo Gives Green Light For Downloadable Yahoo Go For Mobile 2.0; Launch Set for 13 Countries
By Peggy Anne Salz - Fri 22 Jun 2007 02:47 AM PST
It’s official: Yahoo will today take the wraps off a new version of its downloadable Yahoo Go made-for-mobile app, which has been in test mode in the U.S. since January. (The U.S. is getting the all singing and dancing version of Go while another 12 countries – where Yahoo is also launching today – will have access to a beta version of the software suite.)
Key improvements include a beefed up maps service that includes better satellite maps - overlaid with street names and real-time information on traffic conditions – and new shortcuts for finding the location of ATMs, restaurants and other places users search for on the fly. Yahoo told Dow Jones that Yahoo Go has been requested by more than 3 million people worldwide. Additionally, Go will work on more than 200 phone models by end-July and 400 models by end-2007, Yahoo said.
Yahoo’s one-click oneSearch has also been fine-tuned to include more local content. (At the moment, only the mobile search services in the U.S. and U.K. provide users access to localized content. The company tells me the service in other countries is work in-progress – the end-game is to offer users in all countries localized content in response to their local searches.) In other news, six Asian operators (Globe Telecom in the Philippines; Idea Cellular in India; LG Telecom in Korea; Maxis Communications in Malaysia; Telkomsel, in Indonesia; and Taiwan Mobile in Taiwan) have sealed deals with Yahoo to offer oneSearch.
Posted in: Companies, Yahoo, Countries, Asia, Europe, General, Mobile Search
