Yahoo is pressing on with its mobile search strategy, with nine new operators signed on to its oneSearch platform and no plans to chase Google's ambitious open-source 'Android' development platform scheme.
Yahoo announced new oneSearch agreements with Aircel, BPL Mobile, BSNL, DiGi Telecommunications, Excelcom, Hutch 3 (Indonesia), Indosat, PCCW Mobile HK and StarHub.
The new additions increases Yahoo's oneSearch reach to 20 operators in 19 countries.
The news follows announcement from Google's latest shot in the mobile search wars: that it was teaming up with 33 partners to form the Open Handset Alliance, which will work together to bring mobile devices, applications and services to market using Google's new mobile device software, Android.
Yahoo broadband and mobile senior VP Steve Boom said that Yahoo would support Android if it became successful, but didn't see the point in trying to launch yet another platform on the market.
'Anything that draws consumer attention to the mobile internet is a good thing, but I'm not sure how Android can solve the problem of complexity of the mobile internet by adding to that complexity,' Boom said.
Boom said Yahoo will stay focused above the OS layer, 'trying to unify the chaos above it, because solving the complexity for developers will make the ecosystem thrive. We need to make it cheap, and even if you make a new OS open-source, it won't solve the problem.'