Nokia, Yahoo team up to drive mobile, online experiences

Nokia and Yahoo announced a worldwide strategic alliance to get Yahoo services on Nokia’ Ovi platform and Nokia’s navigational tools on Yahoo’s online offerings. The companies have been collaborating for years and this alliance could give them a better chance to compete in a digital world increasingly dominated by online search giant Google.
Specifically, Nokia will be the exclusive provider of Yahoo’s maps and navigation services, branded as “powered by Ovi.” Yahoo will be the exclusive provider of Nokia’s Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat services that will be branded as “powered by Yahoo!” The companies said they will work to make it easier for Ovi users to access their content on Yahoo.
“Delivering great user experiences — both online and on your mobile — is what this alliance is all about,” said Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. “We’re enabling millions of Yahoo customers in key markets including North America to discover the unique capabilities that Ovi Maps brings. Similarly, Yahoo’s online expertise will bring exciting mail and messaging enhancements to millions of Ovi Mail customers across almost every country around the world, many of whom will have their first Internet experience on their mobile.”
The companies said some services will start to be co-branded in the second half of the year and fully integrated in 2011.
Yahoo was one of the early leaders in mobile search, but may have lost some direction recently, and is trying to make itself more significant through branding efforts and new mobile services. And while Nokia remains the world’s largest handset manufacturer, it has been criticized for lagging behind in the smartphone space. The manufacturer introduced new devices for the social networking crowd earlier this month.