O2 signs yet another mobile search engine

AS PART of a wider deal between its parent, Telefonica, O2 has moved to put Yahoo's Onesearch into prime position on its O2 Active mobile portal.

Onesearch has been redesigned so it takes mobile surfers directly to the first web page on the list so that they don't have to wade through a sea of other links to find what they want.

Significantly the pair say that, "As well as this service enhancing the search experience for O2 customers it provides both O2 and Yahoo with new revenue streams through sponsored search advertising."

O2 claims that its portal can reach over 15 million customers across over 240 handset types. So is this one in the eye for Google?

Not according to Bena Roberts, chief analyst with mobile search specialist, BKI Media. She pointed out to the INQ that only last week O2 had announced that it had signed with another search engine – Jumptap.

"All the operators are playing happy friends with all the search engines," Roberts suggested. "Just because they've signed with Yahoo that doesn't mean they won't have Google in six months time."

L'INQ
BKI on Jumptap