Globe-Yahoo partnership targets over 40 M RP users

Globe Telecom, in partnership with Yahoo, aims to reach over 40 million Internet users in the Philippines via the Yahoo!Go and Yahoo!oneSearch services — Internet applications optimized for the small screens of mobile phones.


Yahoo, a leading global Internet brand with 500 million users worldwide, already reaches 85 percent of all Internet users in the country, according to David Ko, Vice President and General Manager, Connected Life Asia, Yahoo.

"Most of these Internet users are mobile phone users as well," he pointed out. "We want to bring Yahoo!Go to all 20 million Filipino mobile phone users."

Ultimately, "Our goal is to have over 40 million Filipino users gain access to yahoo via their Personal Computers or mobile phones."

"Yahoo is our partner, not just in business, but in nation building as well," added Gerardo C. Ablaza, Jr., Globe President and CEO.

"We both support GILAS - Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students. Together with other GILAS partners, we are hooking up all of the Philippines’ over 5,000 secondary schools to the internet."

Yahoo! Go 2.0 is a suite of Yahoo applications including Yahoo! Mail, Calendar and Address book that customizes content from the Internet and reinvents mobile search.

Yahoo! oneSearch gives instant answers in a new format on the mobile phone. Search results are easy to read and expand consumer access to News, Images, Finance, Weather, Flickr, Web and mobile Web results with easy navigation to other web sites.

Under the new partnership, Globe will distribute Yahoo!oneSearch and Yahoo! Go 2.0 to makes it easier for people to conduct Internet searches in their mobile devices.

In addition, Globe is adding its own content in the yahoo search engines. Hence, subscribers can use oneSearch to look for listings of the latest ring tones and other downloadable content from Globe and its partners.

Furthermore, Globe is offering a fifty percent discount on browsing charges to make the Yahoo mobile experience affordable to subscribers.

Yahoo! Go 2.0 is now available for download free of charge from the myGlobe WAP site.

First launched in the United States in January 2007, Yahoo! oneSearch is currently available in 14 countries around the world — Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.

The service will soon be available in Korea and Taiwan as well.

By EMMIE V. ABADILLA - Manila Bulletin