Yahoo! launched Yahoo! Local 1.6 just yesterday. The upgrade means that Yahoo! Local is back in the UK mapped services directory game. With the new release comes two improvements:

• They have a new data provider. Infoserve data replaced BT data, giving Yahoo! Local greater freedom in terms of product enhancements. It also gives Yahoo! the opportunity to source from other data providers, as Infoserve is not going to be the exclusive provider this time. It means that Yahoo! Local has the potential to provide a much broader service than it did before.
• Infoserve clients can now be integrated into the Sponsored Links section of Yahoo! searches as part of a reseller agreement. This will drive business towards Infoserve and the increase in competition will mean that the value of the Sponsored Links will also rise, increasing the revenue that Yahoo! gets from them.

So now it truly is a mutually beneficial relationship For Yahoo! Local and Infoserve. Apart from that, a Yahoo! Local for France is also on the cards.