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AOL to be Split into 4 Units
unsupported writes "AOL is apparently dividing into four units to provide a clear direction for each. The four divisions are as follows: Audience (Advertising, and AOL IM, Moviefon, Mapquest, Netscape.com), Access (dial-up, highspeed), AOL Europe (for the foreigners), and Digital Services (Premium services, phone and music subscription). "
The "I-hardly-know-English" outsourced tech support division.
AOL still has a few more years left in them. Cable and DSL haven't quite become ubiquitous, and there are enough people in the "heartland" who aren't familiar enough with the Internet to know better.
Uhh, I'd hate to break this to you Captain Culture, but it isn't just people in the heartland. I live in NJ, work in Manhattan and I know plenty of people who stick with AOL even AFTER getting broadband because they want to keep their screen names that they've had for 5-10 years now. Just because the guy you voted for lost, doesn't mean everyone in the "heartland" is a mindless hick luddite AOLer
Some tips for the boys and girls at AOL:
1. A commercial showing 19 gazillion people lining up outside your corporate headquarters to complain is probably, how shall I say, ill-advised?
2. Speaking of which, I've got a idea on how you can make the Internet better: Stop undermining your own product *cough*Netscape*cough*. Next thing you know, they'll be telling their subscribers that they have to use the MSN front-end to access the AOL service.
3. If you're in Europe, then you're sure the heck not America Online are you, cheesedick? Rename that division. America's stock in the world isn't too high right now, so make the A stand for something else. I know this has been pointed out ad infinitum, but I think it bears repeating since the geniuses over there obviously haven't caught on yet.
4. Be a uniter, not a divider. Please merge with another company and finally collapse under your own weight, already. What good is splitting up in four gonna do?
5. Newsflash: Joining AOL is not like joining the mob. People can get out and go to a competitor if they want. They don't have to explain themselves to you. Don't like people signing up for the free trial than canceling before they have to pay? Costing you too much? Aww poor babies, let me go cry you a tear or two. Guess what, when you try that marketing bullshit, them's the breaks.
You can look at reorganizing and restructuring and all that jazz till you're blue in the face, but there comes a time to look within and come to terms with your own irrelevance. Getting onto the "Internets" isn't tough anymore. People are catching on.
Adapt or die. Preferably the latter.