America Online
 | |
| Type: | Public |
| Industry: | Internet |
| Founded: | 1983 |
| Founder(s): | William Von Meister |
| Headquarters: | New York |
| Country: | USA |
| Employees: | 5860 [1] |
| Revenue: | $2.417 billion as of 2010 [2] |
| Website: | www.aol.com |
| Blog: | Aol Blog |
| Facebook: | AOL |
| Twitter: |  @AOL
|
| Key People | |
| Tim Armstrong, Chairman & CEO | |
America Online (AOL) provides global web services, tools, platforms and maintains content sites in different niche. The company also offers online advertising services for websites owned and operated websites by AOL as well as to third-party websites. AOL also provides subscription-based access service for consumers in the U.S.[3]
History
AOL started as an online gaming company known as Control Video Corporation (CVC) that was founded by William Von Meister in 1983. Its' only product was called Gameline, which was used by Atari 2600 players to download temporary games through a modem. When the game industry collapsed, CVC was nearly bankrupt. In order to save the company, its investors removed Von Meister as CEO. Jim Kimsey took over the position in May of 1985. He launched the company as Quantum Computer Services with Stephen "Steve" Case. He lead the company in providing online services which resulted to the development of Quantum Link (Q-Link) for Commodore 64 and 128 Models.Q-Link is a modification of the Playnet System. [4]
Steve Case was responsible in winning significant contracts such as the partnership with Apple Computer for the Apple Link and with IBM for the PC Link. In 1991, the company's name was changed to America Online.[5] The company went public on March 19, 1992 and offered its stocks for $11.50 per share.[6] During the same year, AOL launched the internet e-mail gate way which allows AOL subscribers to send and receive e-mails to internet users with interconnected systems from CompuServe, MCI Mail, AT&T Mail, AppleLink, Sprint Mail without creating separate accounts under those services. [7]
On January 11, 2001, America Online and Time Warner merged after the approval of the Federal Trade Commission on January 11, 2001.[8] [9] The company was named AOL Time Warner, Inc. AOL's Steve Case was named Chairman of the Board while Time Warner's Gerald Levine was appointed CEO.[10]
In 2005, AOL's Live 8 received an Emmy Award for non-traditional viewing platform. This made AOL the first internet company to receive the prestigious award.[11] The following year, the company decided to offer free web contents and services and changed its official name to AOL. In 2009, the company's running man icon was included in the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame.[12] On December 9 of 2009, the board of directors of Time Warner approved of the company approved the spin off of AOL and became a separate and independent publicly traded company under the ticker sybol AOL at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).[13]
In 2011, AOL purchased the Huffington Post Media Group.[14]
References
- ↑ Form 10K (2010)
- ↑ Form 10K (2010)
- ↑ About AOL:Overview
- ↑ Fools Rush In: Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Unmaking of AOL Time Warner By Nina Munk
- ↑ Quantum Link
- ↑ Stock History
- ↑ America Online Announces International E-Mail Gateway
- ↑ AOL-Time Warner merger approved
- ↑ AOL Time Warner: Timeline of the merger
- ↑ America Online and Time Warner Will Merge to Create World's First Internet Media and Communications Company
- ↑ Live 8 on AOL Wins Emmy
- ↑ AOL Running Man icon inducted in to Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame
- ↑ Seeking Alpha-AOL Inc.
- ↑ AOL Agrees To Acquire The Huffington Post