Yahoo 2005 Annual Report Download - page 6

We have successfully introduced Yahoo!’s leading
products and services to many international
markets in 2005 and will do even more to
broaden our reach in 2006. Investing in our
international infrastructure, expanding the reach
of our products, and establishing relationships
with important local partners positions us well
to take advantage of continued growth
opportunities overseas.
Commitment to Innovation
and Talent Growth
Our position at the forefront of change and
innovation has always attracted some of the
most accomplished scientists, engineers, design
specialists, marketers, product visionaries and
support professionals. We’re very proud of the
recognition we’ve received as a talent magnet,
including being named to Fortune’s list of the
“100 Best Places to Work in 2005”.
Our employees thrive on solving the most
challenging technological puzzles to derive
tangible benefits for our hundreds of millions
of users. To further our efforts in this area,
we have committed long-term resources to
innovation through our Yahoo! Research Labs.
We substantially expanded the efforts of
Yahoo! Research during 2005 and now have
research facilities in several California locations,
including a partnership with University of
California, Berkeley, as well as in New York,
Spain and Chile. Yahoo! Research conducts
industry-leading research in a range of areas
including search, communications, media,
mobility, data and advertising with the goal of
developing world-class science that will deliver
the next generation of Yahoo! products and
businesses to the world.
While I am very proud of the high intellectual
caliber of our employees, I am also consistently
inspired by their dedication to community.
Yahoo! For Good, our community relations
initiative, spearheaded our response to several
major natural disasters over the last year,
leveraging our products, employees and users to
contribute to relief efforts. We facilitated nearly
$75 million in user donations on our home page
in support of those affected by the natural
disasters in Asia and the Gulf Coast. We also
inaugurated Cyber Giving Week in late December
2005, helping generate more than $4 million in
donations for dozens of charities. Separately, our
employees donated generously this year to the
Yahoo! Employee Foundation, a grassroots
philanthropy effort that has supported 150
non-profits since its inception in 1999.
Looking Ahead
We are very gratified by our progress but we
remain as focused as ever on the opportunities
ahead. Going forward, we intend to continue to
improve our reach and user engagement through
better search, broader content, and expanded
premium offerings. As we build products and
platforms to create the best user experience,
we’ll apply the same focus to improvements for
our marketing partners, expanding the suite of
tools, services, and solutions we offer to Internet
advertisers and publishers.
In conclusion, Yahoo! has had another fantastic
year. My sincere thanks, as always, to our
shareholders, users, partners and customers for
your continuous support. I would also like to
offer a very special thanks to all of our
outstanding employees for the tremendous
contributions they have made to the success of
Yahoo! over the last year. It is my personal
privilege to work with you and I believe our
future holds great opportunity.
Terry Semel