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AOL to provide free e-mail, instant messaging to Internet users

Saturday, 05 August 2006

AOL to provide free e-mail, instant messaging and software to broadband Internet users

AOL, the Internet branch of Time Warner, will be providing e-mail, instant messaging, software and other services free of charge to high-speed broadband Internet users.

Parent company Time Warner wants to allow AOL to capitalise "on the explosive rise in broadband use and online advertising," and at the same time, AOL has said it will no longer be aggressively marketing its long-running dial-up service.

Pressure from shareholders has been put on Time Warner to get more value from AOL and to boost its own share price.

The changeover is scheduled to begin early September and AOL said it wants to transform into an advertising-supported internet network, which provides information and entertainment to its users.

Already in 2005, AOL put much of its content such as news, music and sports information on its website for free but since then it has been hoping to find a new way of offering free services, similar to Google or Yahoo's services, and which can attract advertising at the same time.

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