Yahoo! has launched a mirror version of its Internet search guide in Singapore that will enable Web surfers in the region to perform speedier searches than on its main site in the United States.
The company - which runs local-language versions of its Web guide in Japan and South Korea - aims to provide a channel for advertisers wanting to reach the growing numbers of Internet users in Asia.
Yahoo! in Asia already has secured five key advertisers. They are AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Philips and Sun Microsystems.
The most expensive advertisements are promotions run on the Yahoo! in Asia home page, which cost US$2,975 per week. Companies can conduct prize giveaways and collect information about the entrants.
Banner ads are charged according to the number of times a page featuring a client's advert is called up on a user's screen, often referred to as an 'impression'.