Comments on: Nokia, Yahoo Team on Mobile Messaging

By: My2Cents

My2Cents — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:48:51 +0000

Correct. Ultimately the carriers dictate to the mobile phone manufacturers what is embedded on the phones they buy for their end customers. If they carrier directs Nokia that Yahoo is not to be embedded on their order, then it will not be there.

This announcement is an extension of their partnership and is nothing new. The two companies have been working together since April 2005. This announcement simply is an agreement to extent to three new phones being: Nokia 5200, 5300, and 6300.

To add further context, you need to consider this is for three handsets in a world of 1500+ makes/models, and add the fact that the mobile operator dictates the software.

By: Ol' Yeller

Ol' Yeller — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 08:26:20 +0000

Carlos K has it right.

In the US a deal to put an application on a phone means next to nothing except for the sales opportunity for the application provider to convince the carrier to allow the application to remain on the phone.

If the carrier doesn't want the application on the phone, there will be no application on the phone. End of story.

By: rick

rick — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:54:54 +0000

400 million phones on Series 40 since 2002. Of course, this will go on new phones.

By: Sajith

Sajith — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:34:41 +0000

This also coincides with Nokia’s announcement of focusing on the public internet in their Analyst day (11/28, 29). Katie, do we have an idea of how many Series 40 phones are in the market? Does this mean that Yahoo can offer converged mobile solutions(Cingular) working with SBC/AT&T/BellSouth with whom they have DSL/Internet/Mail offerings?

By: carlos k

carlos k — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:39:02 +0000

Well, this is important in markets where carriers do not control distribution (e.g., China). In markets where distribution is tightly controlled by carriers (US and many W European markets), the deals that matter are the carrier deals.
C

By: Laina Raveendran Greene

Laina Raveendran Greene — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:36:09 +0000

There is much validity to this point. Yesterday at the TIE SIG on from Mobile Voice to Mobile Web, the point was also raised about how even with partnerships and deals made with and through manufacturers, the ecosystem still needs the telco/service providers involved. Point was noted how a particular Motorola phone which was Wi-Fi enabled with certain apps, the manufacturer had to disable those features on order from the telco before launching it here in the US. Their tariffing models of the services eg.Web access will also determine uptake. So the carriers in the US do play a big role in whether startups will work or not. Interesting indeed that you already noted that VCs are already cooling off investing in mobile messaging (the room last night was full of mob aps software entrepreneurs).

If interested for more info on last night’s meeting, check out my notes at http://www.getit.org/?p=56