Yahoo Go For Mobile Goes “Gamma,” LG Partnership Announced

Yahoo Go For Mobile 2.0, which was
released
last month, has now gone "gamma" says Yahoo. What’s gamma? Last year, Yahoo’s
Flickr photo sharing service had new features
were deemed beyond the beta testing phase but still not final. So, they

announced a gamma phase. Now Yahoo’s doing the same Yahoo Go.

It feels mainly like a way to attract new attention to the Yahoo Go For
Mobile suite, especially after Google recently got some attention for launching
the Google Maps For Windows
Mobile app earlier this month. But Yahoo says in a release that there are
some new features, in particular:

The new gamma version features the ability for consumers to search directly
from maps and share oneSearch results, news articles and the service directly
with friends. The launch of this new version expands on Yahoo’s mobile
Internet leadership.

I or someone else from Search Engine Land will likely spin around to look at
Yahoo Go as well as all the mobile search apps in the near future. Greg Sterling
recently looked at the Google maps service in his
Google Launches Maps For
Windows Mobile post. I touch on Microsoft’s mapping app and the nightmare of
just finding some of these things via your mobile device in my
Ironically, You Need A
Map To Find Google & Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Map Apps post today.

Beyond that, Yahoo announced that LG will
begin preloading Yahoo mobile services — Go, Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Messenger, on
many of its phones. Full press release below, but here’s the top:

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb 12, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — LG Electronics, Inc.
(LG), a leading worldwide provider of advanced wireless handsets and
accessories, and Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company,
today announced a new strategic global partnership to distribute Yahoo!’s
industry leading services on tens of millions of LG mobile phones in more than
70 countries around the world. Beginning later in 2007, LG will pre-load
Yahoo! services, including Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0, Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo!
Messenger on many of its mobile phones. The recently launched Yahoo!
oneSearch(TM), an entirely new search experience designed to give consumers
instant answers on their mobile device, will also be available.

"Building on our efforts to set new standards for wireless handsets, we are
excited to partner with Yahoo! to offer extra value to consumers with enhanced
mobile Internet experiences," said Paul Bae, Vice President of Product
Planning Team, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Our leading
mobile devices, combined with innovative Yahoo! services, will provide
consumers with easy access to their favorite Internet services and make it
easy for them to stay connected to what’s important to them on the go."

"Yahoo! is partnering with the leading companies in the mobile industry to
bring our innovative services to consumers’ fingertips around the world," said
Marco Boerries, senior vice president of Connected Life, Yahoo!. "By bringing
our exciting services such as Yahoo! Go 2.0 to LG’s mobile devices, we can
give tens of millions of consumers the powerful and entertaining mobile
Internet experience they want."

The recently launched Yahoo! Go 2.0 service looks to redefine the mobile
Internet experience for consumers through a unique product design, ability to
personalize with content from across Internet and a reinvention of search for
the mobile phone through Yahoo! oneSearch. The innovative carousel design of
the service makes it simple for consumers to navigate the selection of Yahoo!
Go widgets, personal channels for email, local information and maps, news,
sports, finance, entertainment, weather, photo sharing and search. As a
result, millions of LG mobile device owners will be able to easily use
Yahoo!’s innovative services to stay informed, entertained and in touch with
their Internet community.

Through this new partnership, the companies will focus on extending their
leadership in the mobile industry. LG mobile phones with Yahoo! services will
be available to consumers through both mobile operators and direct
distribution channels. In addition, LG and Yahoo! will explore extending
Yahoo! services to LG connected consumer electronic devices.

"As consumers become more accustomed to the idea of having personalized
electronic devices, we will be able to offer them the most convenient, most
customized services on the largest range of products", Paul Bae added.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KRX:06657) is a global leader and technology
innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications,
employing more than 82,000 people working in over 120 operations including 80
subsidiaries around the world. Comprising four business units — Mobile
Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media with 2006
global sales of US $38.6 billion — LG Electronics is the world’s largest
producer of CDMA handsets, air conditioners, optical storage products, DVD
players and home theater systems.

LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading producer of UMTS
(WCDMA), CDMA and GSM handsets. LG draws upon its cutting-edge technology and
innovative handset design capabilities to create a higher quality mobile
environment for its customers around the world. With a total range of wired
and wireless solutions, LG is rapidly expanding its presence and market share
in the global mobile industry. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.