Yahoo! is planning on challenging Google with its latest Panama interface access solution.The global search engine firm is to make APIs (application programming interfaces) available for external developers, allowing anyone to build their own tools for the company's Panama search-advertising platform.
Companies, advertisers, developers and technology providers will all be allowed free, easy access to the interface, which means they can enhance their existing business offerings or create brand new search marketing tools and applications.
"Yahoo! is dedicated to driving third-party innovation and success because we know it is vital to the future growth of the online advertising industry," said Susan Decker, head of Yahoo!'s Advertiser & Publisher Group.
She added that, by providing open access to its technology, Yahoo! is creating new opportunities for developers and "taking a key step toward achieving our vision to build the industry's leading advertising and publishing ecosystem".
Yahoo! wants businesses to utilise all aspects of the Panama system, which will enhance their use and boost revenue from search engine advertising and internet marketing.
The system allows free access to Yahoo!'s APIs, as well as offering fee-based services as an upgrade which can be customised to include technical support, product roadmap visibility and co-marketing services.
Google still tops the stakes in terms of users for its search engine, meaning Yahoo! is still playing catch up in the number of adverts it can get people to click on. With more people using the search engine, more people will see the adverts and click on them.
However, Yahoo! is hoping the new integration and access methods for Panama will allow companies to improve not only the popularity of their own sites and click-throughs, but also the overall usage of the Yahoo! network.
Yahoo! are expected to launch Panama in the UK later this year.
