[2006-04-05] RIM to add Yahoo Web services to BlackBerry
 

Found on Yahoo News
By Sue Thomas

Research In Motion (Toronto:RIM.TO - news) (NYSE:RIMM - news) will put such Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) Web offerings as search, e-mail, instant messaging, and news on its BlackBerry devices, and will start rolling out the service in 60 countries in about two weeks, the two companies said on Wednesday.

The deal greatly expands RIM's relationship with Yahoo, the operator of one of the Web's most-visited sites. Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM is seeking to widen its sales to include everyday consumers and enhance services to its existing, mostly corporate, base.

"Our job is to create a rich user experience for our community so that they want to use Yahoo on it, and hopefully we create such a rich experience for the Yahoo community that they want to buy a BlackBerry and run Yahoo on it," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in an interview with Reuters.

The two companies, who already offer a limited Yahoo service, did not say how much the deal is worth, but Marco Boerries, senior vice-president of Yahoo Connected Life, described it as "significant."

"We have 200 million mail users worldwide, and we're using that user base of Yahoo to connect them to the premier device today," Boerries told Reuters.

Parts of the service, including Yahoo's instant messaging and communications service, will be rolled out to new and existing BlackBerry users over the next two weeks, as RIM starts making it available to 160 carriers in 60 countries.

The Yahoo Go service, which includes real-time access to Yahoo's community information and content services, will follow later this year, Boerries said.

"This is killer," Boerries said. "The cool thing about this is that in the same way we now seamlessly connect personal communications, your personal address book to the BlackBerry, we also connect personal information you are already using on Yahoo, like sports, news or weather."

He warns that it could make the BlackBerry, dubbed the "crackberry" because it is so addictive, even more habit forming.

Some new devices will have Yahoo preinstalled, and existing users will use a bookmark on their BlackBerrys to install the application.

The deal adds to Yahoo's ongoing program to extend its services beyond the personal computer to mobile customers and into homes.

The California-based company announced a similar deal with wireless phone maker Motorola (NYSE:MOT - news) last year, and is working on others with U.S. phone partners AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T - news) and Cingular Wireless.

RIM to add Yahoo Web services to BlackBerry
 

What does this announcement mean for a Cingular 8700 user? This was announced today by Rim and Yahoo.

can you provide a link, maybe?

RIM to add Yahoo Web services to BlackBerry
Wednesday 5 April 2006, 0:01am EST
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By Sue Thomas

TORONTO, April 5 (Reuters) - Research In Motion (RIM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (RIMM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will put such Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Web offerings as search, e-mail, instant messaging, and news on its BlackBerry devices, and will start rolling out the service in 60 countries in about two weeks, the two companies said on Wednesday.

The deal greatly expands RIM's relationship with Yahoo, the operator of one of the Web's most-visited sites. Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM is seeking to widen its sales to include everyday consumers and enhance services to its existing, mostly corporate, base.

"Our job is to create a rich user experience for our community so that they want to use Yahoo on it, and hopefully we create such a rich experience for the Yahoo community that they want to buy a BlackBerry and run Yahoo on it," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in an interview with Reuters.

The two companies, who already offer a limited Yahoo service, did not say how much the deal is worth, but Marco Boerries, senior vice-president of Yahoo Connected Life, described it as "significant".

"We have 200 million mail users worldwide, and we're using that user base of Yahoo to connect them to the premier device today," Boerries told Reuters.

Parts of the service, including Yahoo's instant messaging and communications service, will be rolled out to new and existing BlackBerry users over the next two weeks, as RIM starts making it available to 160 carriers in 60 countries.

The Yahoo Go service, which includes real-time access to Yahoo's community information and content services, will follow later this year, Boerries said.

"This is killer," Boerries said. "The cool thing about this is that in the same way we now seamlessly connect personal communications, your personal address book to the BlackBerry, we also connect personal information you are already using on Yahoo, like sports, news or weather."

He warns that it could make the BlackBerry, dubbed the "crackberry" because it is so addictive, even more habit forming.

Some new devices will have Yahoo preinstalled, and existing users will use a bookmark on their BlackBerrys to install the application.

The deal adds to Yahoo's ongoing program to extend its services beyond the personal computer to mobile customers and into homes.

The California-based company announced a similar deal with wireless phone maker Motorola (MOT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) last year, and is working on others with U.S. phone partners AT&T Inc. (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Cingular Wireless.

most say that this means very little to me and most people I know.. Can't remember the last time I used (if ever) yahoo messager, the only reason I have a Yahoo Mail Account is becasue my rogers is partnered with yahoo for their internet..

Now if this story was about Rim and MSN.... Then I think it would help sales a bit more then say Yahoo...

I wonder if the Yahoo! release for Cingular will be paired with a BIS upgrade. Does anyone have any information on this?

Doesn't do much for me, I don't use nor do I know any one that uses Y!

Come on, RIM. You need to partner with Google.

i agree...but Google Local & Google Talk are already available

True, but I'm talking about full email sync with Gmail, like T-Mo and Yahoo! have right now. That's what we need.

of course...how could i forget about gmail - that would be AWESOME.

Based on pure speculation, I would think RIM and Google have definite plans to partner up in the future. Like you all said, Google Talk and Google Local are already available, but technically speaking Gmail is still in Beta... so maybe once they roll out the "final product"...

Did anyone notice Google's new finance section?

This would be true email nirvana for me!!

And especially if we can get a calendar sync with either Yahoo or Google..

Anymore news on the topic, which is yahoo services, particularly YahooIM for Verizon?

Not available yet. VZW CSR said "sometime". VZW is always one of the last carriers to offer new services. There is a Yahoo Messenger mobile ver under the "searches/portals section of
w w w.blackberry.com/mobile/help/vzw page. (Sorry for the spaces, can't post links yet.) I have not been able to send messages with this ver. I can reply when someone sends me a message, however i can not compose a new message.

Has anyone found a work around for this?


You can check w w w. blackberry.com\yahoodownload for updates.

I use the Yahoo maps and find it quite accurate, on my 8700c.

RIM needs to partner up with AOL to make a official IM client. Whatever happened with the announcement made last year about RIM putting in AIM & YM on Blackberry's???

Sadly, I gave up my Blackberry for a SK2 because of the AIM client. I know there are many IM clients for BB, but nothing compares to the SK2.

I agree! Don't know that i would give up my BB for it.

I have a lot of friends that Yahoo Messenger is as high-tech as they've gotten. It is nice to get a message or two from them while dealing all of the turbulent world at work.

Yea, ditto. I'd love a built-in IM client, but give up my BB for it? Mmmmmm....don't think so. You can get Verichat for like $40 a year, and then theres Ramble and some others, too.