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MANAGING THE DIGITAL ENTERPRISE

MICHAEL RAPPA

CASE STUDY: AMERICA ONLINE (AOL)

About America Online

America Online (AOL) is a global Web services company that operates some of the most popular Web destinations, offers a comprehensive suite of free software and services runs one of the largest Internet access businesses in the U.S., and provides a full set of advertising solutions. A majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. AOL LLC and its subsidiaries have operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. [Source: AOL, March 2008]

Things to read:

• About America Online
• Wikipedia: AOL

Questions to consider:

• What factors help explain AOL's ascendency to the largest online subscription service, and it's subsequent decline?
• What is the strategy behind AOL's merger with Time Warner? Why did it fail?
• What problems are at the core of AOL's recent troubles? How can the company turn around and set itself on a path to success?

In the news:

In the news:

AOL Expands Online Ticket Business
Jim Zarroli | 08.26.2005

Selected trademark registrations:

Selected patents:

• 6,393,469 -- Method and apparatus for publishing hypermedia documents.
• 6,385,656 -- Selective recompression of files in a network system.
• 6,381,599 -- Seamless integration of internet resources.
• 6,339,784 -- Self-policing, rate limiting online forums.
• 6,012,051 -- Consumer profiling system with analytic decision processor.
• 6,009,413 -- System for real time shopping.
• Search real-time for recent U.S. patents granted to AOL.

Related topics: