With Yahoo, Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) stock in the dumper, the CEO spot looking for a newcomer and musings about the future of the company underway, perhaps there is a small bright light for the internet pioneer. Wireless provider T-Mobile will use Yahoo!'s mobile search as the default on all its phones' mobile web browsers.

While that may not be the biggest victory one can think of, it does help. Mobile search and web browsing has been increasing in usage (though still small), and although T-Mobile USA is only the nation's fourth-largest mobile provider, just the fact that Yahoo!'s services will keep the largest wireless providers from using competitive mobile search products is a blessing for Yahoo!

Making money from mobile web search is another matter. Although Yahoo! and T-Mobile said they will share revenue from the new arrangement, the question is this: are any mobile search companies and wireless providers making any significant revenue from mobile search partnering? At this point in time, it's hard to see that just based on skimpy usage. While it may not be that way in the future. T-Mobile International, which replaced Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) mobile search with Yahoo!'s solution earlier in 2008 and Yahoo! also has its fingers in mobile search with the largest wireless provider in the U.S., AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T). Perhaps Yahoo!'s rebirth will be around mobile technology after all. It's just a question of when.

Yahoo! gets boost from wireless provider T-Mobile originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft talking to Verizon about displacing Google as mobile search provider originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is betting that search on wireless handsets will become a big business. The company understands that online search on the PC platform cannot grow at its current rate forever, so, at some point, revenue from its AdWords program will begin to flatten.

To combat the potential of a less robust growth environment on the web, Google is moving Adwords onto its Google Mobile Search product. The program will be free until November and ads will only run on websites designed for handset screens.

Silicon Alley Insider points to a recent survey by research firm Kelsey Group as the reason Google is so anxious to get a foothold in the new market. "Revenue from U.S. mobile search advertising will soar from $33.2 million this year to $1.4 billion in 2012."

Google has some potholes in its path. After being handily beaten in the PC-based search market, Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) and Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) MSN Live Search are working to get their products on as many handsets as possible. However, they still have the disadvantage that their search products do not produce results as good as Google's and their text ad targeting products are inferior.

In moving to the mobile platform world, Google maintains its critical edge.

Google (GOOG) to move AdWords to wireless search originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In search of Sprint Nextel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The mobile search trains of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) left the station some time ago. Even Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the world's largest handset company has its own search function.

With the estimates for mobile-based advertising pointing to $11 billion, according to Informa PLC, no one wants to be left behind.

IAC/Interactive (NASDAQ: IACI) will launch its own Ask Mobile software, which will include features from some of the parent's other websites, including City Search and Ticket Master. It will be introduced with Sprint (NYSE: S).

No matter how well the service works, it has two drawbacks. The first is that Ask.com is among the smallest search operations, with about 5% of the U.S. market. It brings that small share and a relatively late introduction to the mobile space to the table. It is also forming its first partnership with the weakest of the Big Three mobile carriers, which may be an indication it could not get AT&T Wireless (NYSE: T) or Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) to take the product.

Better late than never.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

IAC Interactive makes play late in mobile space originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 May 2007 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced that it is purchasing Tellme Networks, which develops voice-recognition technologies. The price tag was not disclosed but the rumor is that it was $800 million (this is according to The Wall Street Journal, which is a paid service).

To get some perspective on the deal, I was able to interview Dipanshu Sharma, who is the founder of V-Enable. He is an expert on mobile search and even has some patents on the topic.

What's the background on V-Enable?

V-ENABLE, Inc. is the leading provider of mobile voice search and mobile directory assistance solutions, offering the fastest and most accurate voice search available in the mobile environment. V-ENABLE's patented voice search coupled with text-based user interface technology allows mobile users to simply input and search using their voice and receive personalized content and information on their phone. No more complicated menus to navigate or triple tap typing required.

Continue reading Mobile search expert on Microsoft's deal for Tellme

Mobile search expert on Microsoft's deal for Tellme originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.