Yahoo And Twitter Team Up To Challenge Google
The deal is a move to win back Web users who have neglected services like Yahoo in favor of social networking sites. It also serves as Yahoo's answer to Google Buzz, the Gmail-based social networking platform launched earlier this month by Yahoo's chief search rival.
The Yahoo-Twitter deal mirrors a similar partnership between Yahoo and Facebook that launched late last year to ease the sharing of Facebook information, such as status updates.
According to Yahoo, users will be able to access their personal Twitter feeds across Yahoo's products and properties including homepage, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Sports and more. Users will also be able to update their Twitter feeds and share content from Yahoo in their Twitter streams, sharing Yahoo experiences with Twitter followers; and Yahoo Search and media properties like News, Finance, Entertainment and Sports will feature real-time public Twitter updates across various topics, and Yahoo Search users will see real-time Twitter results.
"The integration is part of Yahoo's commitment to provide personally relevant information to people from sources across the Web," Yahoo said in a statement.
The Twitter deal, coupled with Yahoo's existing Facebook play, is a move by Yahoo to "transform Yahoo into a highly customizable social experience that lets people bring together and unify their activity from their many social experiences across the Web." Essentially, anyone with a Yahoo ID can update multiple social networks simultaneously and stay in touch with people and information.
The Yahoo-Twitter-Facebook combination is a bid by Yahoo to better compete with Google's new Buzz offering. Google unveiled Buzz on Feb. 9 as a social platform tied into Gmail and mobile devices that takes elements from Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites and ties in location-based services.
Both Yahoo and Google, who made hay with search engines, are seeking to re-engage users who have moved off of their services in favor of social networking sites.
"Let me try to capture the enormity of this integration in 140 characters or less: We're turning the key to the online social universe - you will find the most personally relevant experiences through Yahoo," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president in Yahoo's consumer products group. "We're also simplifying people's lives by bringing their social worlds - and the world - together for easy access."
Yahoo said the real-time Twitter and Yahoo Search integration is available now with other functions expected to launch later this year.