For a short while, Yahoo oneSearch spread like wildfire. Then it crossed several oceans, making the old cliche inapplicable. It looks like Yahoo oneSearch 2.0 will follow a similar growth pattern in the near future.
oneSearch is Yahoo’s mobile search service, and version 2.0 was launched earlier today. It brings improvements like predictive text completion and contextual recommendations. Voice input options should also speed up the mobile search process, and “richer information” (like transit schedules or the number of reservations available at a restaurant) is in the works.
Marco Boerries Stands Behind oneSearch 2.0
For the time being, some of this technology is only available to iPhone owners. Other features are restricted to the BlackBerry crowd. But an official release states, “Over the coming months, the product is expected to support additional devices and become available internationally,” so not much patience should be necessary.
Yahoo managed to establish 29 partnerships with the original oneSearch, and the company boasts of reaching 600 million consumers. That it’s able to kick off version 2.0’s release with what looks like Apple’s and RIM’s involvement speaks to the service’s influence, and the cooperation of other companies can be expected.
Yahoo appears to be getting a leg up on Google with this move; Marco Boerries, the executive vice president of Yahoo Connected Life claims, “With Yahoo! oneSearch 2.0, we are fundamentally changing the way consumers use the Internet on their mobile phones.”
