Yahoo and Nokia officially announced a partnership, which has been expected for several days.
The two companies, which have collaborated for five years, will provide consumers with e-mail, instant messaging and maps and navigation services. Specifically under the partnership:
– Nokia will be the exclusive, global provider of Yahoo’s maps and navigation services, integrating Ovi Maps across Yahoo properties, branded as "powered by Ovi.”
– Yahoo will become the exclusive, global provider of Nokia’s Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat services branded as "Ovi Mail / Ovi Chat powered by Yahoo!”
– Nokia and Yahoo plan to work on ID federation between their services, beginning by making it easy for people to use their Ovi user IDs across select Yahoo! properties to easily access the online content and services they need.
"What a combination," says Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. "We’re excited to expand the reach of our best-in-class Mail and Messenger services, bringing personalized experiences to more people across the mobile Web, particularly in emerging markets where we are seeding the next generation of Yahoo! users. At the same time, we believe Nokia’s strength and continued investment in maps and navigation will greatly enhance our existing products, enabling us to focus on areas that are core to our business."
"Delivering great user experiences — both online and on your mobile — is what this alliance is all about," says 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."
Co-branded service offerings from Yahoo and Nokia are expected to become available in the second half of 2010, with global availability expected in 2011.