Yahoo! and Samsung Team Up To Become Your Default Search Provider

It began with the Motorola Backflip: Yahoo! would become the default search provider on Google’s own operating system. There’s not much you can say to damn them seeing as how Android is an open platform, but the current continues to flow in that direction with other companies, as well.

Today, Samsung and Yahoo! announced a partnership to bring Yahoo! search and services to all of Samsung’s upcoming Android and Bada phones. Check out a few of the services from the press release below:

— Yahoo! Go 2.0 —

— An innovative new application that redefines the mobile
Internet experience for consumers through a unique product
design, ability to personalize with content from the entire
Internet and a reinvention of mobile search

— Unique carousel design makes it simple for consumers to
navigate the selection of Yahoo! Go widgets for e-mail, local
information and maps, news, sports, finance, entertainment,
weather, photo sharing and search

— Yahoo! oneSearch —

— Completely new mobile search service designed to give consumers
what they want when they are on their mobile phone — instant
answers

— Recognizes the intent of a search term and presents relevant
content — not just a list of Web links to PC sites — on the
results page

— Results are grouped by subject making it easy to read through
and drill down to get more details

— Yahoo! Mail —

— Easily access and manage e-mail messages through the Yahoo!
Mail messaging inbox on the phone, including ability to reply,
delete and compose new messages

— Store e-mail messages locally on the device to allow for
offline access

— Yahoo! Messenger —

— Send and receive messages, share emoticons, and access the
Yahoo! Messenger friends’ list, just like on the PC

— Set presence information to show availability to chat with
friends and family, and view presence information to know when
they are online too

— Yahoo! Personal Information Management —

— Never lose the contact information on your mobile phone again

— Synchronize contacts from Yahoo! Address Book and tasks and
events saved on Yahoo! Calendar

Yahoo claims that Samsung will preload and “prominently place” their services onto the phones. Obviously, on the Android front, “with Google” branding is at stake here, but just how “prominently” will they push these services? Will we lose a good amount of Google services altogether? Or will they just be hidden in menus and the app launcher?

I can’t imagine Google not having any type of presence on an Android device (outside of YouTube, for obvious reasons), but maybe I’m just picking at thin air. Press details straight ahead.

Samsung and Yahoo! Form Strategic Partnership for Mobile Phones
Companies Partner to Distribute Yahoo! Services Including Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0 and Yahoo! oneSearch(TM) on New Samsung Mobile Phones Worldwide

SEOUL, South Korea & LAS VEGAS, Jan 08, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Samsung, a leading provider and innovator of mobile phones, and Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced a strategic global partnership to distribute Yahoo!’s popular services on millions of new Samsung mobile phones in more than 60 countries. Samsung will pre-load Yahoo! services, including Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0, Yahoo! oneSearch, Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger, on its mobile phones beginning in the first half of 2007. This new relationship is the latest demonstration of the companies’ clear focus on extending their leadership in the mobile Internet.

Samsung has already launched its first mobile handset, the SGH-E570, pre-loaded with Yahoo! Search. Samsung plans to greatly expand the number of its mobile handsets with pre-loaded Yahoo! services in 2007 and will roll out Yahoo! oneSearch after it goes live globally in the coming months.

“Samsung recognizes consumers’ need for Internet access through their mobiles anytime, anywhere,” said Kitae Lee, president of Samsung’s telecommunications network business. “Samsung mobile phones with Yahoo! services will provide consumers with fast and convenient access to the Internet, even on the move. Our successful partnership with Yahoo! builds on Samsung’s continuing efforts to enhance consumers’ mobile experience.”

Through the relationship the companies will also help drive consumer adoption of mobile Internet services by making it easy for consumers to get more done while on the go, such as using the new Yahoo! oneSearch to quickly find the answers they need. Yahoo! oneSearch will also include high-quality sponsored search results, enabling Yahoo! advertisers to reach consumers on their mobile devices.

“Yahoo! has always focused on partnering with leading companies to bring our mobile services to consumers’ fingertips and this new strategic partnership with Samsung is a vital component of that strategy,” said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of connected life, Yahoo!.

[content omitted, included above]

Samsung mobile phones with Yahoo! services will be available to consumers through both mobile operators and direct distribution channels. Consumers around the world can download and use the beta version of Yahoo! Go 2.0 on select Samsung mobile phones beginning today by visiting http://go.yahoo.com.

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