In U.K., Yahoo is now using Google search. Confused? So was I, when I first read this post on Connected Internet. After all didn’t Yahoo just sign a comprehensive search deal with Microsoft. Actually Google has replaced Yahoo search on BT Yahoo, an online portal that is managed and maintained by Yahoo for BT Broadband, which commands about 35 percent of the UK high-speed Internet market. Yahoo has been running this portal since 2003.
I wonder what happens to other such contracts that Yahoo has with other ISPs? They are powering Verizon and AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada. These ISPs can also switch to Google Search, which can cause problems for Yahoo’s search partner, Microsoft. Connected Internet speculates that since Google gives more revenue per search, phone companies might be willing to listen to the search engine’s offer.
Now I don’t know how much of Yahoo’s search traffic came from these “deals” with ISPs, but I bet it was a healthy part of its search business. And all of it is for grabs. Google has jumped ahead in this race… for now. Let’s hope Microsoft catches up to them
