IDGNS: Where do the carriers come in for mobile search? I guess you can bypass them if the user has a mobile browser. Or else you can choose to partner with the carriers for better integration of your services.

Mayer:Certainly [mobile] Web browsers do work. That said, the deeper integration is much more advantageous. We've seen that right away with the [Google] Maps [service] being embedded into the iPhone.

That said, downloadable applications like Google Maps for Mobile or Gmail for Mobile often do sidestep some of the limitations of the particular software that may come preinstalled with the phone. That's a good strategy to help people who have capable phones use those products. So you can partner with the carriers to get it embedded in the phone when it ships or you can have an application that people can download later.

IDGNS: I imagine there are all sorts of business dealings and arrangements that need to be worked out.

Mayer: The mobile space is very complicated. We've got some very successful mobile partnerships in a number of countries ... So we've been working with [telecom] partners but we've also been pursuing an alternate downloadable-application path.