Optus to add Google Search and mobile YouTube access

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 18 March 2008 10:28

Your IT - Home IT

Optus has expanded its relationship with Google and will make Google the default search engine for its fixed line Internet portal, MYZoo, while Optus mobile customers will get access to YouTube videos.

Google's Mobile Search already provides the search function for Optus mobile customers and Google announced last month some upgrades to this service in Australia, on its official blog site:
Karim Temsamani, general manager of Google Australia & New Zealand, described the deal as "a strategic announcement for Google, as it adds a leading Australian ISP to Google's growing Australian partner network and helps further extend the reach of Google services to the mobile phone." The deal gives Google access to Optus' almost 900,000 broadband customers and seven million mobile customers.

However from the Optus perspective the announcement was somewhat premature. An Optus spokeswoman told iTWire that "we will me making customer announcement later in the year with pricing details etc." She would give no indication of launch date.

A key to the success of the YouTube service will be how Optus charges for the data download: at its standard charges the price would be prohibitive for most users.