Yahoo! launches personalised mobile internet service

Yahoo! has launched a new mobile service intended to be a highly-personalised mobile starting point to the internet.

Yahoo! Mobile will be available on the mobile web, as an app developed for the iPhone, and as an app developed for smartphones from Nokia, RIM, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola as well as those powered by Windows Mobile(R).

Available from yesterday through a managed beta program, the service is expected to undergo a full launch in the second quarter of the year.

Marco Boerries, executive vice president, Yahoo!, said: “We believe the new Yahoo! Mobile will transform the way millions of mobile users around the world will interact with the internet.

“Yahoo! Mobile will enable users to create their own Internet starting point on their mobile device so they can better discover, connect to and stay informed about the people and things that are important to them.”

At launch, each version of Yahoo! Mobile is planned to be available for the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Versions for other countries will roll out over the remainder of 2009.

Earlier this week, mobile industry body GSMA unveiled plans to roll out an audience measurement system for mobile media by the end of the year (see Mobile industry set to launch audience measurement system).

GSMA has approved the launch of the system, which is understood to be similar to ABCe but for mobile, following a year-long study with the UK’s five mobile networks – O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and 3.

Yahoo!: 020 7808 4200 www.yahoo.co.uk