Yahoo! Research Labs Establishes New Center of Excellence with UC Berkeley

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 15, 2005--

Yahoo! Research Labs - Berkeley Expands Scope of Research in Search Technology and Social and Mobile Media; First Step in Establishing Closer Ties with University Campuses

“The collaborative effort between Yahoo! Research Labs and Berkeley is a great opportunity to expand the scope of our research in the areas of social media and search technology”

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced that Yahoo! Research Labs and the University of California, Berkeley will open a research facility near the campus in Berkeley, California. The facility, which will open its doors in August 2005, will be led by Professor Marc Davis of the School of Information Management and Systems.

"When you bring together the world's leading Internet company and one of the world's top academic institutions, the possibilities are tremendous," said Dr. Usama Fayyad, senior vice president and chief data officer at Yahoo!. "Our partnership with Berkeley not only helps us to grow and establish ourselves as a world-class center for scientific research and development, but also invites the academic community to help evolve our strategy and take our research efforts to new heights."

Yahoo! Research Labs - Berkeley is a collaborative effort between Yahoo! and the University of California, Berkeley to conduct research and explore new technologies that will support and reinforce key areas of growth for the Internet, including search technology and social and mobile media. The partnership is a first of its kind between a top public university and a leading Internet company to work together to develop new intellectual property, encouraging and rewarding innovation.

"I am thrilled to be the Founding Director of Yahoo! Research Labs - Berkeley, because it is the people of Yahoo! and UC Berkeley who will change the future of Internet media," said Davis. "Working together with Yahoo!'s innovative scientists, engineers, designers, and users, we will do research to create technology that combines understanding context with the power of communities, enabling us to have an even greater impact in reaching and benefiting Internet users around the world."

This new facility and joint collaboration with Berkeley is part of Yahoo!'s overall strategy to continue to expand and grow its research efforts. Initially, Yahoo! Research Labs - Berkeley will play an important role in bringing concentration and focus to particular areas of interest within Yahoo!, including social and mobile media, as well as develop new ways to enhance the user experience on the Internet as it relates to search and shared user content.

"The collaborative effort between Yahoo! Research Labs and Berkeley is a great opportunity to expand the scope of our research in the areas of social media and search technology," said Jeff Weiner, senior vice president, search and marketplace, Yahoo!. "The research area that Professor Davis oversees represents a great example of relevant and innovative applications enabled by the intersection of social and mobile media. We are looking forward to partnering with UC Berkeley to further our research and development efforts and build the next generation of search applications and core technologies that will enable people to find, use, share and expand information and content, no matter where they are."

Professor Davis joins Yahoo! as director of Yahoo! Research Labs - Berkeley and is currently on a leave of absence from UC Berkeley's School of Information Management and Systems where he is the Director of Garage Cinema Research and Co-Founder of the UC Berkeley Center for New Media. It was at UC Berkeley that Davis, together with his colleagues and students, worked to help transform the study of media, technology, and people to identify areas in which we can continue to enhance user experience on the Internet.

For additional information about Yahoo! Research Labs - Berkeley, please visit http://research.yahoo.com/berkeley/.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Yahoo! provides online products and services essential to consumers' lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users around the world. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

This press release contains forward looking statements concerning Yahoo!'s strategic and operational plans. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, decreases or delays in future investments in research and development, our ability to expand our research team, the occurrence and timing of future developments of new technologies and products, and acceptance of any new technologies and products. More information about potential factors that could impact our expected strategic and operational plans is included in Yahoo!'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, including, without limitation, under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.

Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.