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Yandex replaces Bing as the default search engine for Windows Phones in Russia

Nov 28, 2011 4:02 am by damaster | 5 comments

According to a press release from Russia’s most popular search engine Yandex, their search product will be replacing Bing as the default search engine on Windows Phones sold in Russia. Below is an excerpt from the press release:

Yandex (NASDAQ: YNDX) has become the default search engine on Windows Phone-based handsets in Russia. The company has partnered with Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Microsoft to provide its search services on the latest Windows Phone smartphone models on the country’s mobile market.
Yandex’s search engine is now installed on Samsung Оmnia W as well as on Nokia’s Windows Phone-powered Lumia 800 and Lumia 710. The Samsung Оmnia W is already available for purchase in Russia. Nokia’s smartphones will hit the stores in December. Also, following the launch of Windows Phone-based Titan, Mozart and Radar smartphones last autumn, HTC is planning an update release with Yandex as the default search engine on its handsets.

Windows Phone was first launched in Russia this year with the HTC Mozart, and Microsoft brought Russian language support as part of its “Mango” update. Anna Kulashova, Director of Mobile Carriers and Service Providers Development at Microsoft, said the following about the partnership with Yandex:

Launching Windows Phone in Russia, our goal was to provide our customers in this country with the latest version of a mobile operating system integrated with the most popular local web services and social networks. Now we are pleased to announce that the services of our strategic partner Yandex will appear on a wide range of smartphones supporting Windows Phone.

According to comScore, Yandex owns 64% of the search market in Russia, almost doubling Google’s market share in the country. It is worth noting that Yandex has already developed apps for Windows Phones, including Yandex Web Search, Yandex Markets, and Yandex Maps. Yandex also operates in Belarus, Kaxakhstan, Turkey, and Ukraine.

This entry was posted in Bing, Mobile and tagged Bing, Russia, Windows Phone, Yandex. Bookmark the permalink.

http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98
A bit unexpected. It’s a bit like Google saying that Bing will become the default search on Android phones in some countries.
Binbyaahi Maa
Guess which is the most popular search engine in India? Right. Google. So will Windows Phone 7 in India come with Google Search as default?
- http://twitter.com/counterblow the person
  it is more of a language thing than most popular. Bing doesn’t do a good job of crawling Cyrillic apparently. You can be guaranteed that Google will never occupy the search button on Windows Phones.
Anonymous
Wow, so Microsoft is out of the search business? Or what does this mean? Seriously, what are they doing? I thought the point of having Windows Phone was to make money with advertising in mobile search…
http://twitter.com/counterblow the person
I expect Baidu to replace default search on Chinese Windows Phones too. Yandex just bought SPB so I imagine they are going to put some pretty major muscle behind the search button on Windows Phone.