Turf Wars: Yahoo and Google shift their attention to mobile search |
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Mon, 11 Jul 2005 04:35
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After video search it is now the turn of SMS search to become the battleground between the two search majors, Yahoo and Google.
Last Thursday, Yahoo announced a Yahoo SMS Search facility where users can access search results by sending a text message with the information required and adding the zip code of the area that a user is in. Yahoo will deliver results to the mobile phone. Yahoo has made information on stock quotes, area codes, weather, horoscopes, dictionary definitions, local listings as well as Wi-Fi hotspots available on the SMS Search segment.
The Sunnyvale, Calif-based Company has also announced that its services for the Yahoo SMS Search would be provided exclusively via Cingular Wireless, Sprint and Verizon networks in the United States. At the moment the service is restricted to the US only. Yahoo has added that it plans to rope in more operators to carry the facility. To view a demo of the Yahoo service, visit http://mobile.yahoo.com/search/smsdemo
Responding to Yahoo's move, Google have moved their own Google SMS out of the Labs, though it still continues to be in beta. The Google SMS service was launched late last year and in contrast to Yahoo's service is available both in the US as well as the UK. Users can visit http://www.google.co.uk/sms/ to view a demo of the service.
The third player in the search states, Microsoft has been unusually quiet on the mobile front. Chairman Bill Gates does not usually miss a trick and this leads one to wonder if the Redmond giant has anything in the works. As of now though, mum’s the word.
These almost simultaneous launches indicate that both the companies are looking to grab a share in the lucrative mobile market as soon as possible. For once, they find themselves on a level playing field, for no one knows quite how the market will finally shape up.
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