Yahoo Wins 15-Country Mobile Search Deal with Telefonica

Telefonica has signed a deal to embed the Yahoo search engine into its mobile internet portals in 15 countries in Europe and Latin America, potentially reaching more than 100 million consumers worldwide. Telefonica customers will also have direct access to the photo sharing web service, Flickr - which is now part of Yahoo. Additionally, Yahoo Mail will be integrated into Telefonica's Mail Express service, providing Yahoo Mail users with the ability to receive their Yahoo Mail messages directly on their mobile phone via MMS messaging.

Julio Linares, Telefonica's general manager for Coordination Business Development and Synergies said "Partners are essential to our mobile strategy and these key relationships, like the one we are announcing today with Yahoo, will continue to evolve and deliver state of the art Internet experiences to our customers at home or on the go."

"Yahoo's new partnership with Telefonica furthers our leadership in mobile and demonstrates our commitment to working with partners to enhance the Internet experience for customers on their mobile phone," said Marco Boerries, executive vice president of Yahoo's Connected Life Division. "Together we can grow usage of mobile Internet services and create new revenue streams through mobile advertising."

MSN is the current search partner for Telefonica's O2 division. The switch-over to Yahoo is expected to occur in the first quarter of next year. No financial details were provided, but reports suggest that it is being based on sharing the advertising revenues.

Posted to the site on 1st October 2007