Yahoo simplifies developer access to BOSS search development platform

Yahoo will introduce on Wednesday several new features in its Search BOSS application development platform intended to make it easier for programmers and web publishers to adopt and use.

Search BOSS, which developers use to create custom search engines on top of Yahoo's infrastructure, will now offer a "self-service" platform for which developers can sign up online, log into their account and start using in a matter of hours.

Until now, that process was much more cumbersome, involving the drafting of a custom contract, which had to be signed on paper and submitted for approval, which in turn could take weeks or months to finalize.

"The goals we're aiming for with this self-service platform is agility, flexibility and creativity," said Shashi Seth, Yahoo's senior vice president of search and marketplaces, in an interview. Read more...