Yahoo is expected to announce a new service Tuesday that uses free software to divert surfers from Microsoft's Web properties by changing the preferences in Internet Explorer. Parts of the service quietly launched on Monday in conjunction with an upgrade to Yahoo's Instant Messenger (IM) software. When downloading the update, consumers were given the option to receive the new IM client on its own or as part of a comprehensive package called "Yahoo Experience." Among other things, people electing the second option were directed to Yahoo's search page rather than Microsoft's MSN search service when they typed a word or phrase into the browser command line. "Yahoo Experience is an early test version of something we're launching (Tuesday)," said a Yahoo representative, who declined to comment further. A Microsoft representative also declined to comment on the feature.
|