Just as most contenders for mobile web leadership ‘ even Microsoft – move towards multiple platforms, Yahoo is going in the opposite direction, scrapping its new mobile application on all systems apart from iPhone. Yahoo has repeatedly made strong technology moves in the mobile field and then marred them with poor commercial decisions, and this is probably the worst of those, as it reverts to focusing almost entirely on browser-based services, at a time when the growth lies in downloadable apps, optimized for individual handsets or operating systems.
That trend may reverse as the mobile browser experience improves, and starts to deliver the dream of a ‘single web’ that behaves the same on PCs and phones. But Yahoo is not being future thinking in its decision, which seems merely like a cost cutting activity ‘ in one of the areas where the troubled software house actually had a chance to excel and to expand on the good relations it has built with many operators, especially in Asia, through its search engine.
The application, only announced in February, looked like a strong bid for Yahoo to steal a march on Google and the others, especially the forthcoming Java implementation, which would be highly portable and could ride the coming trend for the mobile web to move into more basic handsets without fully blown OSs. Now development has stopped entirely, except on the iPhone version, which was already launched (as well as Java, there was due to be a BlackBerry app). A notice to anybody applying for the app reads: “Yahoo has decided to cease development of the Yahoo Mobile smartphone app effective Wednesday May 20. So you will not be provided access to the beta program for this product. For the time being, we will be focusing our efforts on the newly launched Yahoo Mobile experience for browsers and for the iPhone.’
The beta test of the new-look Yahoo Mobile was announced at Mobile World Congress in February, tempting users with the promise of a personalized and easy-to-use entry point to the web. This aimed to integrate diverse Yahoo mobile services under one user interface ‘ in particular, Yahoo oneSearch, oneConnect (email, messaging, contacts and social networking), News and onePlace (for accessing and managing preferred content from a single location). As well as redesigning the web site for those preferring to access Yahoo services from the browser, the highlight was the richer downloadable app, which mirrored the site’s features and look, but with more capabilities and better performance on the target devices.
The move smacks of fatal indecision at Yahoo, which didn’t exactly convince the markets of its commitment to the mobile market when its head of mobile business, Marco Boerries ‘ the architect of the strategy to reduce dependence on search and to roll up many services in one unified experience ‘ quit the firm in February. Not that the Java move was essential ‘ it had a completely different look and feel to the web site and iPhone app, and was based around a fashionable widgets approach, but some believed this would be less appealing and usable than the existing interface. The shift towards widgets and Java would suit a push into the midmarket, but Yahoo may legitimately have decided to leave that move for another day, and focus on more immediate revenue generators by just adapting the first generation, OS-specific app for a wide range of smartphone platforms, leaving webphone users to battle with the browser variant, at least for now. Recreating the attractive iPhone app for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android and Palm WebOS would have been a positive strategy, if less ambitious than the Java plan. Axing all the platform specific apps and focusing just on the browser is not a positive strategy at all, and throws Yahoo back into the mass of generic web software providers, dependent on its brand and on deals for its search and advertising systems, the products on which it had resolved to reduce its reliance and pursue the rich media, full web services market.
Though Yahoo said it will continue mobile development on different platforms, though releasing no details, the turn of events does not instil confidence in its new head of mobility, David Ko. A nine-year Yahoo executive, Ko previously led Yahoo’s business operations globally and before that served as managing director for the company’s mobile business in the Asia/Pacific region. Despite this pedigree, he has so far not made the impact of Boerries, under whose management Yahoo launched a concerted and often impressive attack on the mobile market ‘ in the past few weeks alone, the company has not only turned its back on its new apps strategy, but lost its advertising platform deal with Vodafone, highlighting how it needs to diversity its mobile services revenue streams.
The past few years have seen the launch of an improved Yahoo Go mobile portal, now incorporated into the new Yahoo! Mobile; a mobile advertising initiative including the Apex multi-platform effort; the Mobile Developer Platform; a mobile content management solution called onePlace; a voice-enabled version of oneSearch; and a mobile advertising revenue agreement with AT&T.