The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is in talks with Yahoo to bring more of the search company’s information to their iOS devices. Yahoo has long been a provider of data for the devices, the iOS Stocks and Weather apps use data from Yahoo, and Siri currently uses the service for sports information.
It’s not a huge surprise to see Yahoo attempt to forge a deeper partnership with Apple — CEO Marissa Mayer has made it clear that mobile is a major part of her strategy for improving the company’s fortunes, and the iPhone is a logical place to start. Given Google’s own vast array of data, Yahoo likely holds little interest for the other dominant mobile OS. But last year, Apple finally severed all its ties with Google by removing the default Google Maps and YouTube apps that lived on iOS since its introduction in 2007.
While sources say no deal is imminent, they say talks are taking place.
Apple has been moving away from Google, dropping its Maps and YouTube apps from the most recent version of iOS. The two companies are fierce competitors in the mobile marketplace, with iOS and Google’s Android continuing to fight for marketshare.
Mayer showed her hand earlier this year, indicating that Yahoo was focused on pursuing “strong partnerships” as it doesn’t make mobile hardware, an OS, a browser or a social network.
“So the nice thing at Yahoo is that we have all of the content that people want on their phone, we have these daily habits,” Mayer said during the World Economic Forum in January. “And I think that whenever you’re dealing with a daily habit and providing a lot of value around it there is an opportunity not only to provide a lot of value to the end user but to also create a great business.”
Apple and Yahoo do share a common enemy in Google, and that may be enough to fuel talks between the two, but only time will tell if the two can work something out
