May 11, 2006
Start-Ups tap Into Network Carriers To Challenge Yahoo, Google
A group of start-ups aim to give Yahoo and Google a run for their money in the race to bring search to the mobile Internet, and network operators may prove to be key allies, reports the WSJ.
... "Start-ups such as 4INFO and JumpTap have sprung up to tap into the nascent market for mobile search services, creating competition for search giants Google and Yahoo.
Local search company InfoSpace, which generates much of its $340 million in annual revenue by selling ringtones, has already hooked up with major telecom carriers.
Aside from the new competition, the entrenched search leaders face another challenge as they seek to go mobile: namely, the carriers. Network operators exercise much more control over what services a user can easily access than traditional Internet service providers, and Cingular Wireless, Verizon and Sprint Nextel may be inclined to push their own branded search services, powered by technology from start-ups such as InfoSpace, ahead of Yahoo and Google."
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