Yahoo! grabs online video chatter OnTheAir

Yahoo! has continued its move into developing online video offerings for smartphones and tablet computers by acquiring Silicon Valley mobile startup OnTheAir.

Image source: OnTheAir

A story in FirstPost Technology suggests the acquisition may be more about bulking up on engineering talent than continuing OnTheAir's talk-show-format video chat service.

"Hiring the most talented mobile product thinkers and engineers is a big priority for us moving forward," Adam Cahan, senior vice president of emerging products and technology, said in a statement reported by FirstPost.

Cahan was brought aboard recently by CEO Marissa Mayer to oversee all of Yahoo's mobile efforts, including its Flickr photo sharing service, and with a less defined role to build "a world-class team focused on creating innovative products and experiences that inspire and delight our users worldwide," according to an internal memo reported in AllThingsD.

That last focus would apparently be the reason why Cahan is involved with OnTheAir and another recent acquisition, Stamped. If Yahoo follows the pattern it established with Stamped, the OnTheAir business might not have long to live. Six weeks after acquiring Stamped, Yahoo closed it down so the engineers could focus on other projects, the FirstPost story said.

For more:
- FirstPost Technology has this story
- AllThingsD has this story

Related articles:
Yahoo acquires Stamped, will sunset its mobile recommendations app
Google maps and location head Marissa Mayer named Yahoo CEO