Google Lands Sprint for Its Mobile Services
15 May 2008Google and Yahoo are fierce competitors when it comes to getting cellcos to offer exclusivity or give preference to their products and services.
This week Google, no doubt helped by the deal it did with the soon-to-be 51% Sprint owned Clearwire, landed Sprint for a partnership that is aimed at integrating Google applications and services into Sprint’s cellular service. Google will become Sprint’s preferred mobile search provider and Sprint users will have easier access to Google Maps, YouTube and other Google applications and services.
Some of the Google services will be available from Sprint this summer.
Google and Clearwire this week said a similar agreement had been reached for the WiMAX network that Clearwire is deploying.
Google doesn’t want its services, especially its ad network, to be locked out of any device that connects to the Internet and consequently has campaigned for an open mobile ecosystem. Sprint says that it has too.
“Our partnership with Google is a great example of how Sprint is making the mobile Internet experience even more customer-friendly and useful to our customers,” said Sprint’s VP of product management Kevin Packingham.
“Google and Sprint have a lot in common when it comes to our vision for the mobile Web, said Google’s VP of product management Doug Garland. “We both believe in openness.”
Services include:
- Google will become the default search provider for Web search and GPS-enabled local search on the Sprint portal on current and future Web-enabled Sprint phones. Some devices will have one-click access to Google search.
- Google Maps for mobile will be available for some current and future Sprint handsets. Users will be able to view maps and satellite images, find local businesses, get driving directions and view real-time traffic information.
- YouTube will be available from some new Sprint handsets, a function that iPhones offer.
- Location-enabled search and maps will allow users to discover what’s nearby and show them how to get there.
- Sprint is a founding member of the Google-led Open Handset Alliance that is developing the Google Android mobile operating system.
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