Yahoo Adds Premium API Service

Yahoo has realized the important nature of keeping large businesses that use its application program interface (API) system happy. The search giant has long made access to its search results system using the API (Define) a free service, but with the advent of its Panama system, and with more large businesses utilizing its API, the company is now launching its Yahoo Search Marketing Commercial API Program.

The idea is that companies that want extra support from Yahoo to integrate and utilize search marketing information can pay for Advanced or Elite support directly from Yahoo.

"There are a lot of robust businesses around search marketing, so we need to have robust support," Dan Boberg, managing director sales technology for Yahoo, told me. "This is recognizing that these are important businesses to have, and they're not in the start up phase anymore."

The program provides still provides free access to Yahoo's APIs, but Advanced support members get technical account management support, service level commitments and listing in partner application directory for around $2,000 a month. The Elite support members get a Yahoo Engineer to work at their site, as well as roadmap coordination and joint marketing activities with Yahoo, for a variable price.