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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.

6 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Nothing by D+Ninja · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    Translation:

    We know absolutely nothing because nobody is talking about the unconfirmed idea that supposedly sort of was talked about some time ago.

    WTF?

  2. Re:Hooray by propanol · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There's still AT&T, you know.

  3. IM by Nightspirit · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm sure AOL's IM portion is lucrative. With MS messenger and AIM, and already existing compatibility with yahoo networks, that pretty much leaves no-one else (with any significant market share).

  4. I predict their first marketing maneuver... by HiVizDiver · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... paying everyone who forwards an e-mail message $245.00

    http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/microsoft-aol.asp

    Life imitates an urban legend. Shit.

  5. Re:Microsoft after e-mail accounts by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    AIM. If MS can put AIM and MSN together, they have about 80% of the worlds IM market. Think of all the data to mine from there.

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    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  6. Culture Match by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What better way to secure your future than merge yourself with a failing online business (AOL)? WTF is MS thinking these days...

    Maybe they figure they are a better culture match than with Yahoo. AOL was about lucklaster ads, controlling user experience, inconsistent interfaces, sneaking your products into every device, and closed standards. A match made in heaven!
       

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    Table-ized A.I.