Yahoo! Mobile Developer Platform to Enable Developers and Publishers to Build Applications with Instant Reach Across Hundreds of Devices
Launch Partners Include eBay, MySpace and MTV; Open Platform Expected to Accelerate Adoption of Mobile Services By Creating Explosion of New Choices for Consumers
LAS VEGAS, Jan 07, 2008 (RUSHPRNEWS) — Today, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2008, Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) announced the early preview of its Mobile Developer Platform, a one-stop solution for developers to create mobile-optimized applications that are easy to build, quick to deploy, and run across a wide selection of devices, thus making it much easier for Internet content and services to “go mobile.” By providing developers with tools to write code once and efficiently publish their content instantly across hundreds of devices – accessible by hundreds of millions of users – Yahoo!’s Mobile Developer Platform is expected to usher in a dramatic acceleration in the adoption of mobile services by creating an explosion of new choices for the consumer.
These powerful and graphically rich mobile applications – called Yahoo! Mobile Widgets – enable consumers to design their own ideal Internet experiences, by letting users choose which of their favorite Internet content and services to put on their phone – whether from Yahoo! or any other provider. Consumers will choose Mobile Widgets from a growing selection available via the Yahoo! Widget Gallery – accessible from Yahoo!’s new mobile home page, Yahoo! Go 3.0, and Yahoo! oneSearch, consumers can add and delete mobile widgets anytime to make sure their phone reflects their own unique needs & personality.
This week, consumers will be able to access the first third-party widgets built on this new platform, from launch partners including eBay, MySpace and MTV. Yahoo! ultimately expects thousands of new mobile widgets to be added as developers begin writing to this new platform.
“Yahoo! is leading and enabling the mobile ecosystem by partnering with some of the most recognized consumer brands, including eBay, MySpace and MTV further extending their mobile presence and providing mobile consumers with the content they desire,” said Marco Boerries, executive vice president, Connected Life, Yahoo!. “By providing all developers access to our Mobile Widget Platform and giving them the necessary tools to create, we are setting the stage for dramatic growth in the number of third party widgets and creating an innovative new experience that we believe will ultimately drive further adoption of mobile services.”
Yahoo! Mobile Widgets run on devices that support the new Yahoo! Go 3.0 client or the new Yahoo! mobile home page (visit http://mobile.yahoo.com/newsroom for announcements). Over the coming months, the number of compatible devices is expected to expand substantially and begin to roll out internationally.
Leading mobile device manufacturers including LG Electronics and Motorola are collaborating to make Yahoo! Mobile Widgets widely available on multiple devices. ACCESS, a global provider of advanced mobile software technologies, is also in early discussions to support Yahoo!’s Mobile Widget platform. The combined efforts of Yahoo! and these partners is expected to continue to drive the mobile industry forward by making compelling content from the greater Internet more accessible to consumers worldwide.
More details on the Yahoo! Mobile Widget Platform, including first-generation specifications for creating Yahoo! Mobile Widgets can be found at http://mobile.yahoo.com/developers. Over the coming weeks, Yahoo! plans to introduce a full-featured software development kit for developers, offering guidelines and tools for creating, testing and submitting widgets.
INAUGURAL MOBILE WIDGETS
Key features of the first third-party widgets being introduced this week:
eBay
— Mobile bidding
— Search all items listed on eBay
— View a list of “Items I’m Bidding On” and key data about those listings
— View list of “My Watched Items”
— Browse top categories
MySpace
— Check status and mood updates for friends; change status and mood for user
— Check MySpace mail
— Receive and accept friend requests
— View and comment on friends’ photos and view user’s photos
MTV News
— View breaking MTV News on current events and music
— Find out about new albums, shows and artists
— Get the latest celebrity gossip
For additional information on today’s announcement, at CES 2008, including accompanying screenshots, please visit Yahoo!’s Mobile Press Room at http://mobile.yahoo.com/newsroom.
PARTNER QUOTE LIST:
“As a global eCommerce marketplace with more than 248 million registered users worldwide, eBay’s buyers and sellers depend on real-time information that enhances their bidding and merchandising activity,” said Mike Linton, Chief Marketing Officer for eBay. “By working with Yahoo! Mobile, eBay users benefit from complementary mobile applications that help our buyers and sellers to experience eBay Anywhere.”
“Never before have mobile consumers been able to access the content of their favorite Internet sites and communities in such a simple manner, opening their eyes to the potential of the mobile Internet,” said Aber Whitcomb, Chief Technology Officer for MySpace. “MySpace’s social networking expertise combined with Yahoo!’s Mobile Widget Platform provides consumers with a new mobile experience and allows them to stay connected to their friends and family while on the go.”
“As one of the premier providers of entertainment content on mobile, MTV Networks is constantly exploring new and dynamic ways to give our audiences greater access to and interaction with our programming on the handset,” said Greg Clayman, Executive Vice President, Digital Distribution and Business Development, MTV Networks. “Yahoo! Mobile’s new Mobile Widget Platform gives us an exciting tool to further connect with our fans on their phones, empowering them to stay constantly plugged in to all the content they crave.”
“At LG, we believe in innovation and are proud to be partnering with Yahoo! to deliver its Mobile Widget Platform on our handsets,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “This new platform will help us provide our customers with easier, more intuitive access to the content.”
“Motorola believes open mobile ecosystems are key to driving further innovation and new consumer experiences on mobile devices,” said Christy Wyatt, Vice President, Software Platforms & Ecosystem, Motorola. “With Yahoo!’s introduction of its open Mobile Widget Platform, the global developer community is provided a unique opportunity to bring new mobile Internet experiences to life.”
“ACCESS firmly believes that a more open mobile ecosystem leads to further innovation and, ultimately, improves the user experience,” said Toru Arakawa, president, CEO and co-founder of ACCESS. “We’re proud to announce our support for Yahoo!’s Mobile Widget Platform and look forward to helping ACCESS users around the globe participate in an enhanced mobile Internet experience.”
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
For more information on Yahoo! Mobile please visit mobile.yahoo.com.
Yahoo!, Yahoo! Go 3.0 and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning the Yahoo! Mobile Widget Platform and Yahoo! Go 3.0 (including without limitation the statements contained in the quotations from management in this press release), as well as Yahoo!’s strategic and operational plans. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the possibility that the expected or planned further implementations of the Yahoo! Mobile Widget Platform and Yahoo! Go 3.0 described may be delayed, may not ultimately be implemented, or if implemented may not be successful; developers, publishers, and consumers may not accept or respond as positively to the Yahoo! Mobile Widget Platform and Yahoo! Go 3.0 as anticipated; and competitors may offer similar competing services. More information about potential factors that could affect Yahoo!’s business and financial results is included under the captions, “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in Yahoo!’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30 , 2007, which are on file with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Please visit http://mobile.yahoo.com/newsroom for additional information.
SOURCE: Yahoo! Inc.
Yahoo!, Inc.
Lucas Mast, 415-218-7204
lmast@yahoo-inc.com
Cory Pforzheimer, 408-349-2686
coryp@yahoo-inc.com
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