Google Plans Search Service for Mobile Content says the Wall Street Journal based on information it has received from people familiar with the initiative.

“With the new system, users would search for a piece of content — say, a U2 ringtone — and get back a list of providers as well as links enabling them to easily purchase the material. Eventually, Google would charge companies for high placement in the search results, much the way it offers "sponsored links" on computer Web searches, the people familiar with the plans say.

The company has been working for months with content providers — including large entertainment companies and smaller mobile-media aggregators — to index their material and make it available via mobile search. But the project has been marred by a series of technical delays, people familiar with the matter say, illustrating that there's a learning curve as Internet giants adjust to the peculiarities of the mobile world. It isn't clear how soon Google plans to launch the service.

The Internet company has considered including a social-networking component that would let users of the company's Gmail email service exchange content, a person familiar with the initiative says. Overall, the service would work much like the Google Product Search service, formerly known as Froogle, people familiar with the situation say. A spokeswoman for Google declines to comment.”

Back in May this year Yahoo! launched oneSearch, its mobile search application in 6 more countries while Ask.com launched its very own GPS powered phone application in a collaboration with Sprint Nextel Corp.

Yankee Group a research company told WSJ that the mobile content market, despite being small has grown considerably to reach $27.4 billion in 2006 and is estimated to reach approximately $59.3 billion in 2011.

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