Where Does SmartZone Fit Into Comcast's TiVo,Yahoo Deals?

According to ZDNet, Comcast (CMCSA) plans to launch a new email client named SmartZone based on Zimbra's browser-based platform. The service will target Comcast's 12 million high speed internet and digital voice service customers. It will replace Comcast's existing email client and it is part of Comcast's broader strategy to integrate its triple play bundle.

How does this fit into the context of the Comcast-Tivo (TIVO) and Comcast-Yahoo (YHOO) deals? It is conceivable that SmartZone will be accessible from the Comcast-Tivo box in order to check email and voicemail from your TV. One could imagine adding shows to the SmartZone calendar to be recorded at a later date or emailing clips of recorded shows directly from the set-top box.

It is interesting that even as Comcast digs in to differentiate itself from Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo, it has struck a major advertising deal with Yahoo. Comcast.net has 15m uniques and 80m videos viewed per month. Supposedly Yahoo will assume sales responsibility for approximately 80% Comcast.net’s ad inventory (Comcast's other web properties are not included), and Comcast’s Spotlight ad sales group will maintain sales for the remaining 20% of the ad inventory. It sounds like SmartZone will be a separate web property from Comcast.net, so Yahoo will not have this contract.

In other Comcast news, this post suggests that a separate search contract could be worked out within the next month and that Google's contract with Comcast expires at the end of 2007.