Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

AOL In Talks With Microsoft to Merge Online Divisions, Says WSJ

Posted by timothy on from the aol-needs-some-friends-at-smart-tech dept.

Ian Lamont writes "Microsoft executives are reportedly meeting with their AOL counterparts to discuss combining the two companies' online divisions. No one from either side is willing to comment, nor has the structure of the supposed deal been worked out. The original unconfirmed report comes from the Wall Street Journal (password-protected). A few months ago there was talk about AOL teaming up with Yahoo, but that never materialized." The free excerpt at the WSJ link above seems to say about as much as this Bloomberg wire report which refers to it, and the above-linked story at The Standard; this Reuters story indicates that AOL is still courting or being courted by Yahoo!, too.

19 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. AOLSoftHooMSN? by ibanezist00 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new defunct-ISP-turned-corporate-content-provider overlords.

    --
    There are mountains to cross for those that are willing.
    1. Re:AOLSoftHooMSN? by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 3, Funny

      ME TOO!

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    2. Re:AOLSoftHooMSN? by mark72005 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hopefully AOL can do for M$ what AOL did for Time Warner.

  2. Microsoft and AOL... LOL by RudeIota · · Score: 5, Funny
    What better way to secure your future than merge yourself with a failing online business (AOL)?

    WTF is MS thinking these days...

    Welcome to Web 1.0...

    --
    Fact: Everything I say is fiction.
    1. Re:Microsoft and AOL... LOL by Cathoderoytube · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's clearly intended to taunt Yahoo!. What better way to intimidate a company that won't let you take them over than to team up with their inferior competitor?

      --
      I have nothing compelling to say
    2. Re:Microsoft and AOL... LOL by RudeIota · · Score: 5, Funny

      They haven't been a content provider for several years. Now they just make their money by billing your grandmother for service she canceled 10 years ago.

      --
      Fact: Everything I say is fiction.
    3. Re:Microsoft and AOL... LOL by mark72005 · · Score: 2, Funny

      They missed out on Beenz.com, darn the luck.

    4. Re:Microsoft and AOL... LOL by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 2, Funny

      I hear they've made offers to acquire Borland and Ashton-Tate.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  3. Hooray by genner · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hooray....Now I only have to hate one company,

  4. They aren't bankrupt yet? by Adreno · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... I would have thought my penchant for snagging all the free AOL disks I see and using them as frisbees, coasters, and arranging them in strange geometric designs on my wall (ad-side hidden) would have drained all of their resources by now. So sad.

  5. Epic fail by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seriously, wasn't BiX or CompuServe interested? Or is AOL just proprietary enough with a captive audience to appeal to Microsoft's way of thinking?

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  6. Can I get a... by Thelasko · · Score: 3, Funny

    worstcompanyever tag on this one?

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
  7. I see the future.... by Gat0r30y · · Score: 5, Funny

    AOL Account cancellation policy for MS' new subscription based access to Office.

    --
    Prediction: The real iPhone killer is going to be sex robots from Japan. Think about it.
  8. America Non-Online? by robkore · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Microsoft executives are reportedly meeting with their AOL counterparts to discuss combining the two companies' online divisions."

    I'd be interested to know what America Online's Non-Online division does.

    1. Re:America Non-Online? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hello from America On Line's non-online division.

      America On Line's non-online division handles the non-online portions of America On Line's business. This includes managing various activities related to America On Line's non-online activities, as well as anticipating global paradigm shifts on the non-online ecospace, as they pertain to America On Line's non-online geosphere.

      At America On Line's non-online division we pride ourselves on our commitment to serving your needs through anticipatory evolution and dynamic relationship-building with our service base. Rest assured, here at America On Line's non-online division, no distance is too great for us to go to ensure quality, accurate, and timely non-online activities. Never will you see America On Line's non-online division online. No sir or ma'am. America On Line's non-online division is working too dilligently offline to fool around with online fooling around.

      So we hope this introduction helps you understand us here at America On Line's non-online division and to help us better serve you, the valued customer with non-online needs.

  9. My God... by mweather · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's like the perfect storm of suck. Maybe that's their business model: suck so bad that nothing, not even light can escape.

  10. YAOSoft by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 4, Funny

    "YAOSoft". Has a distinctly Chinese ring to it. Like a good media monopoly should.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  11. Embrace the suck by dexomn · · Score: 2, Funny

    AOL should seriously consider joining The SCO Group. Two dodo's (Albatross for the moment maybe?) with one stone.

  12. Sound familiar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Have you heard the news? We will soon be getting Windows 7 CDs in the mail offering a free 3 month trial. And if you try to cancel at the end of your 3 months, Microsoft will indefinitely prolong your free subscription.