Yahoo shuts down several projects; app search, avatars among casualties

Sunnyvale, CA, United States (4E) – Yahoo chief executive officer Marissa Mayer has decided to cut several projects in order to save resources.

The biggest cuts are Yahoo’s BlackBerry app and Yahoo Message Boards. Other scrapped projects include Yahoo API, Yahoo App Search, Yahoo Avatars, Yahoo Sports IQ and Yahoo Clues.

The shutting down of several products has given Yahoo the perfect opportunity to focus on its core offerings like Yahoo Mail and Flickr for the iPhone, company officials hope.

Yahoo EVP of Platforms Jay Rossiter said in the website blog post: “At Yahoo!, we’re focused on making your daily habits more inspiring and entertaining. This means that we’re constantly reviewing and iterating on our products and experiences.

“In some cases, it means updating our products like we’ve done recently with our new welcome to Yahoo!, Flickr for iPhone and iPod Touch and Yahoo! Mail.”

Aside from the several cutbacks, Mayer also disallowed the company’s employees from working remotely. Mayer hopes this move will increase efficiency and productivity of tasks.

The shut down of its products will also allow the company to review its current offerings.

“The most critical question we ask is whether the experience is truly a daily habit that still resonates for all of you today,” Rossiter added.

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