April 30, 2024

Marissa Mayer Wants Apple to Drop Google and Default to Yahoo for Search

Posted April 17, 2014 at 4:51am by iClarified · 9317 views
Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, is focused on building a viable mobile search engine and monetization platform and getting Apple to use Yahoo as its default search engine, according to Re/code. Currently, Google is the default search engine on Apple's mobile devices; however, you can choose to switch to Yahoo if you so desire.

A number of Yahoo insiders I have talked to said her plan to pitch Apple on the idea as its marquee mobile search partner is far along. The company has prepared detailed decks, including images of what such a search product would look like, and hopes to present them to Apple execs. That has not happened as yet officially and no deal is imminent — it’s just the big honking goal of the new Yahoo effort, said sources.

“This is the aim of the whole effort here, to grab the pole position in iOS search,” said one person working on the effort. “It will take more than pretty pictures, though, to convince Apple to give up Google, given its focus on consumer experience being top-notch. But Marissa wants it very badly.”

Mayer has reportedly approached a few Apple executives on the topic, including SVP of Design Jonathan Ive, who knows her well. She's also launched two under-the-radar initiatives called 'Fast Break' and 'Curveball' to get the company back into algorithmic search and search advertising.

Yahoo is said to be looking for ways it can accelerate the end of its longterm search partnership with Microsoft.

More details in the full report linked below...

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