Just one week after announcing a new search partnership with Yahoo, Mozilla is rolling out a new Firefox interface that will enable one-click searches for an array of specific search engines. In addition to a set of pre-installed search engines, the new interface will also allow users to specify other search engines for one-click queries.
Following the recent expiration of a 10-year agreement with Google, Mozilla announced a five-year partnership making Yahoo the default choice for desktop and mobile searches on its Firefox Web browser in the U.S. Mozilla also said it was changing its search strategy to move away from offering a single global search provider. Instead, the company plans to adopt a “more local and flexible approach . . . with new and expanded search partnerships by country.”
With the new Firefox interface set to come out “soon,” users will be able to either select a default search engine or specify a variety of search engines to appear on the search bar. The pre-installed selections will include Google, Yahoo, Bing, Amazon, DuckDuckGo, eBay, Twitter or Wikipedia.
‘New Yahoo Experience’
Announced Tuesday on the Mozilla UX blog, the new search interface has met with mixed reviews on the site so far. Several users expressed concern about the disappearance of keyword shortcuts and questioned why the change was rolled out to Firefox’s Beta channel instead of being introduced through the usual development route.
“Keywords aren’t accessible in this version, but will be re-added soon,” senior interaction designer Philipp Sackl said in response to one comment. Other tweaks and additions are also on Mozilla’s to-do list, he added.
Under the new search strategy, Mozilla said it would be introducing a “new enhanced Yahoo Search experience” to U.S. users starting in December. Users in Russia, meanwhile, will now see Yandex Search as the default choice while users in China will continue to have Baidu as the default search offering.
Goal: ‘Clean, Modern & Immersive’
On Yahoo’s Tumblr blog last week, CEO Marissa Mayer said her company has been working closely with Mozilla to “build a clean, modern and immersive search experience” for its users. Following the launch to Firefox users in the U.S. next month, the companies plan to roll out the new look for Yahoo searches for all users “in early 2015,” she added. Mayer also noted that its partnership with Mozilla was the most significant partnership for Yahoo in five years.
The Yahoo Firefox deal also “provides a framework for exploring future product integrations and distribution opportunities to other markets,” Mozilla said in its statement last week.
Mozilla generates most of its revenues through its Firefox search and commerce features. The company reported revenues of $314 million in 2013, compared to $311 million in 2012.
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