Users who go the easy path of logging in to Yahoo using their Facebook and Google credentials might now be left out in the cold as the company will require them to have a Yahoo ID to log in to its services.
The ultimatum to Yahoo users is an interesting move by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who has been exerting all efforts to roll out refreshed versions of the company's services such as Yahoo Mail. The former Google executive essentially has reversed the strategy implemented by the company in 2010 and 2011 under then chief executive Carol Bartz.
"Yahoo is continually working on improving the user experience. [This] will allow us to offer the best personalized experience to everyone," said Yahoo. A spokesperson of the company told Reuters that the change will take effect gradually across the different services of Yahoo.
Users of Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick'Em were the first to experience the effects of the stricter sign-in process on Monday. No Yahoo account, no entry.
"Tourney Pick'em users who sign in with Facebook or Google will be asked to upgrade to a Yahoo account, or sign in with an existing Yahoo username. Eventually, Google and Facebook sign-in buttons will be removed from the Tourney Pick'em sign-in page and all users will have to sign in with a Yahoo username. If you don't have a Yahoo account, you will be asked to create one and your existing data will be accessible with this new Yahoo account," Yahoo clarified on its Help page.
With the new sign-in process, Yahoo wants its users to have a single username and password for its products and services. This will also enable it to provide better customer support and help consumers who might need help with their account. Password recovery will also be less complicated using this streamlined process.
Others see the move as a way for the company to have a better control in targeting ads to generate more revenue.
In February, reports surfaced that Yahoo wants to jolt back to life its own search engine. Since 2009, the company has been depending on Bing to do all the dirty work of indexing and providing search results to users. The company is believed to be fast tracking this project, putting the top executives on the driver seat to make sure it can be done as soon as possible.
The company has also partnered with Yelp to provide a better local search results to users. This move was also seen as part of Yahoo's plan to veer away from the shadows of Microsoft and push for its operation of its own search engine, and of course enjoy the whole cake of advertisement revenue that it shares now with Microsoft.
