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Yahoo might already have a presence on the mobile Internet with Yahoo! Go, but just being there won’t be enough for them. CEO Jerry Yang wants to be the “starting point for the most consumers” on the Internet, and that includes the mobile version. In accordance, they have created some openness in some of their mobile software, allowing other publishers and programmers to write programs for them. This will allow Yahoo users easier access to applications from other companies.

“If Yahoo really wants to become the starting point for everyone, it cannot be only about Yahoo,” said Marco Boerries, executive vice president of Yahoo’s connected life division, which operates its mobile division.

Mr. Boerries said that developers, who often find it frustrating to have to rewrite their software for multiple mobile platforms, would be able to create programs on top of Yahoo’s services, which themselves run across a broad range of devices.

As noted by many, this does have a downside. It places them in direct competition with Nokia, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, who have or are already developing mobile platforms, and are also seeking third-party developers to make their applications more complete. However, few companies have gotten anywhere without engaging in competition.

“It’s a standard pitch — build on our platform because we have the most ubiquity,” said Sam Jadallah, a partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures, a venture capital firm that has invested in several wireless companies. “It is a smart and ambitious strategy, but one that is very difficult to pull off.”

Mr. Jadallah said that becoming a software platform could prove especially difficult for a company like Yahoo, as it doesn’t control any phone’s operating system.

That is going to be a problem, especially since the aforementioned competitors all have or are developing operating systems. Many think this can go further than Yahoo’s service, because theirs is an application. Then again, Windows 3x went very far, and it was an application running on the DOS OS.

It’s going to be an uphill battle for Yahoo, but if they want a slice of the mobile Internet revenue, it’s a fight they’re going to have to engage in.

[New York Times]

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