Vodafone Considers Swapping Google for Yahoo

Vodafone is reported to be considering switching its mobile search service from Google to Yahoo when their existing contract expires at the end of this year. Citing people close to the matter, Bloomberg News reported that the talks are still ongoing, and that Yahoo is not the only firm Vodafone is talking to.

Yahoo is already the mobile search partner for T-Mobile, AT&T and O2.

Yahoo is in talks with "a number of operators around the world, including Europe," about its mobile search product, a Yahoo spokesman confirmed to Bloomberg. Anthony House, a UK-based spokesman for Google, said the company's agreement with Vodafone from 2006 is "still active."

Yahoo secured the exclusive mobile advertising rights for Vodafone UK in November 2006, and then added support for Yahoo's Instant Messaging platform a few months later.

On the web: Bloomberg

Posted to the site on 9th March 2009