Yahoo! Launches Panama
Posted by Ken Lauher on Tue, Feb 06, 2007 @ 11:05 AM
They’re back!
It appears as of 3 p.m. PT yesterday that the last layer of form and functionality has been revealed in Yahoo!’s Panama… the new and improved online ad network that concerns some search marketers… but, by and large, is welcomed with open arms. Another player in the contextual (via its Yahoo! Publisher Network) and search engine marketing arena - in addition to Google - is exactly what the marketplace is yearning for and Yahoo! will likely have a significant impact.
Jay Sears, SVP of Business Development and Strategic Products here, appeared on a panel with Yahoo!’s Cody Simms at WebmasterWorld / Pubcon last November. During the panel, the new Panama was discussed and -from the reaction of the audience- many looked forward to the new Yahoo! tool. John Pavley, our CTO, was part of Yahoo!’s Panama team for a brief time before we were lucky enough to lure him to ContextWeb.
Though Yahoo may appear to be struggling with their strategy, it is likely downhill (as in “easier”) from here. In spite of the fact that Google pushes ahead with profitability as exemplified in their latest quarterly earnings report, there will always be a need for other players in the marketplace who provide alternatives, cost benefit, innovation and, above all, competition.
-- Ken Lauher
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