Thursday, March 08, 2007

Yahoo Go now on TyTN and other HTC Windows Mobile 5 devices

Yahoo and HTC just announced Yahoo Go mobile application suite for HTC Windows Mobile devices. An article from NewsFactor is below.


More information about Yahoo Go is available by clicking here.


News articles claim that the biggest use will be for e-mail. I use Yahoo e-mail through my TyTN's regular POP mail client, and while I've thought of using another client, I'm curious what advantage there will be to reading Yahoo e-mail through Yahoo Go.


Comments welcome.




Yahoo and HTC Ink Windows Mobile Deal
By Elizabeth Millard - March 7, 2007 9:50AM

Yahoo's partnership with HTC, the result of which will put Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0 on millions of Windows Mobile smartphones, will come as great news for those looking to access Yahoo while on the move. Of all the Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0 services, it is likely that the most compelling will be e-mail, said IDC senior analyst Chris Hazelton.


Yahoo has struck a deal with High Tech Computer (HTC), a Taiwan-based provider of Windows Mobile smart devices. The partnership will lead to HTC preloading and distributing Yahoo's mobile software on millions of HTC products.


Yahoo's mobile services include mail and search, as well as Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0, an application that lets users personalize their devices with Web content. Customers using the HTC devices will be able to create personal channels for e-mail, maps, news, sports, finance, photo sharing, search, and entertainment through the use of widgets.


In addition to announcing the deal with HTC and effectively landing on many Windows Mobile-based devices, Yahoo is aggressively touting the benefits of its Go 2.0 software.


Go Go Gadget


The company noted that expanding the service to Windows Mobile will allow consumers to use it on 75 different devices from various manufacturers. In total, the service will be supported by more than 175 mobile phone models, according to Yahoo.


Earlier this year, Yahoo noted that it had inked deals with other mobile handset makers, including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and LG Electronics.


Consumers have been asking for Go 2.0 for Windows Mobile devices since the service launched two months ago, said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of connected life at Yahoo, in a statement.


Key features of Go 2.0 include oneSearch, an application designed to recognize the intent of a search query and produce results grouped by subject. A Local & Maps widget gives access to directory information for U.S. businesses, and a Flickr widget lets consumers share photos more easily.


Mail Call


Of all the Go 2.0 services, it is likely that the most compelling for consumers will be e-mail, said IDC senior analyst Chris Hazelton. "Mobile e-mail has been more of an enterprise play, but with this move by Yahoo, it will be pushing e-mail to consumers," he said. "Mobile e-mail for consumers has become the killer app."


Currently, on mobile devices, users can get e-mail by accessing the Internet, he added. Yahoo's service will allow consumers to get e-mail pushed to them directly rather than having to go through those extra steps. E-mail could also become more popular for consumers who are avid about text messaging, Hazelton said.


"Text messaging is a whole other animal," he said. "Often, users are getting charged per message, if they don't have unlimited plans. That's something mobile operators are not willing to reprice because they're making so much money. But for users, doing e-mail is a way around that."

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