SEO Blog

Today at CES in Las Vegas, Yahoo announced a new set of services, including entertainment technology similar to Intel’s Viiv. Branded “Yahoo! Go,” the new services will operate under three different divisions that include Yahoo! Go Mobile, Yahoo! Go TV and Yahoo! Go Desktop.

Yahoo! Go Mobile will launch with AT&T and Cingular Wireless across the US and a number of European countries, providing:

• mail
• messaging
• search
• address book
• photo
• calendar applications
• news applications

Similar to ViiV, Yahoo! Go TV will provide entertainment programs for PC connected television sets operating Windows XP.

Terry Semel, Yahoo’s Chief Executive, said “Yahoo Go allows us to free the best of what the Internet has to offer from the confines of the browser and provides consumers fast and easy access to the essential products and services they know and love.”

Some of the partners for the new services include Intel Corp., AT&T Inc. and Nokia Corp. What I’m unsure of is where Intel comes into play. Isn’t Yahoo! Go TV a competitive product to Viiv?

Google seems to be teaming up with everyone as of late. In another announcement at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, Google and Motorola are getting together to provide Google search technology for Motorola cell phones.

The deal will see a Google button implemented on Motorola’s Internet ready phones, beginning at the end of March 2006. This has both of the companies pretty excited. “We’re convinced that having a great experience on the handsets not only helps us sell more handsets but also enables us to command a higher average selling price,” said Scott Durchslag, Motorola’s corporate vice-president.

Others are not quite as enthusiastic. “The mobile industry must seriously think through the implications of this development,” said Mike Brady, Senior Director of Business Development at enterprise search expert FAST. “Google isn’t just a search engine - it’s now a global brand right up there with Coca-Cola. By partnering with Google, Motorola is allowing its own brand to be diluted - it might seem a smart move in the short-term, but this will definitely impede future business models and revenue potential.”

Google and Intel announced a partnership agreement on January 5th regarding Intel’s new Viiv technology. Viiv users will soon be able to utilize Google’s video search to locate and download online videos.

Viiv is Intel’s branch into the home entertainment industry. The technology allows users to watch, pause and rewind TV programs / movies, as well as share digital files such as photos, from home computers and portable devices.

“Intel Viiv technology has been designed to make it simple for companies like Google to offer compelling new media platforms incorporating digital rights management and search technologies that work on open interoperability specifications. This combination would provide consumers with the best of Google search and Viiv simplicity enabling new TV experiences.” said Intel’s Kevin Corbett, vice president, Digital Home Group and general manager, Content Services Group.

“Both companies believe open standards are critical to provide rapid growth in digital entertainment,” said Susan Wojcicki, vice president for product management at Google. “Our goal is to work closely with Intel to make Google Video content available on new digital devices in the home.”