Abstract
This paper analyzes AOL Time Warner, outlining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunies, threats as well as its strategy for competition.

Tags:aol, time, warner

Abstract
The writing analyzes the ways in which AOL has expanded into the foreign market, first with Canada and Europe and now stretching into Asia. The paper also looks at the mergers of AOL with Time-Warner and its partnership with Sun Microsystems. Finally, the paper concludes with strategic planning concepts for the future growth of AOL in the competitive market of internet and computer technology.

From the Paper
"Direct Marketing (1998) has noted that in 1996 and 1997, AOL shifted from a fee scale based on hourly use to a flat one-price connectivity fee to acquire new customers. This was in response to the emergence of ISPs serving local markets and the recognition on the part of AOL executives that the industry was rapidly adjusting to consumer demands for simplified and cost-effective billing. AOL had tended to capitalize in its early days on its proprietary services. As the Internet itself has expanded, AOL has refocused on partnerships with organizations such as Sun Microsystems to integrate enterprise-oriented programming like Netscape into its operating systems. By building a sophisticated and technologically sound infrastructure, AOL has become more responsive to local pressures and has repositioned itself as a gateway to the Web rather than as a final destination for its subscribers. AOL has defined its mission as serving tens of millions of diverse consumers through Internet access and consumer-focused media and delivering products and services to its subscribers (Internetweek, 2000)."

Tags:internet, merger, corporation, subscribers, technology

Abstract
The paper states that one strategic mistake AOL made was to simply react to the "numbers" of potential users in the Economic Union and negated the rigid and carefully controlled infrastructure of the Economic Union. The author points out that the European cultures, which make up the EU, are an ever-changing patchwork of influences, ethnic backgrounds, religions and trends that blend chaotically with local traditions. therefore, the local ISPs, typically aware of these idiosyncrasies, are better able to market to the young net surfers. The paper describes the technological structure in Europe and concludes that AOL needs to rethink some of its technology.

From the Paper
"A second Polish company, ATOM S.A. is the leading private Polish ISP specializing in business and government customers. The company was established in 1997 as a wholly owned subsidiary of ATM S.A., a leading systems integrator on the Polish IT market. Until AOL restructures some of its software so that it can handle Polish, and the cyrilic alphabet with greater dispatch, neither of these ISPs has agreed to do business with them."

Tags:users, infrastructure, eu, isp, backbone

Abstract
This paper considers the reasons for the 2000 purchase of Time Warner by AOL, and the subsequent problems which resulted in revenue decline and even a loss. One problem examined in this essay is the lack of proper planning and synergy between the merged companies. Now, with AOL on the decline in terms of technology and membership, spinoff seems inevitable to keep the rest of Time Warner profitable

From the Paper
"When Henry Luce founded his media empire which included Time, the weekly newsmagazine, and LIFE, the week in pictures, and, then in the 1950's the still-popular Sports Illustrated, print media were still the people's choice. Yet, when television began to erode readership and, at the same time, reduce weekly movie-going, the merger of Time with Warner Brothers seemed synergistic. The original founders of both Warner Brothers and Time were now dead. The merger was designed to boost the bottom line of both companies. Headquarters would be in New York, and the head of it all was to be the ebullient Steve Ross, whose demands from the various divisions..."

Tags:merger, synergy, spinoff

Abstract
Analysis of the success of AOL. A discussion of how competitive advantage in the industry is determined. AOL's delivery of high-speed internet is given as a reason for its success as well as product innovation, technology patents, PC market share, low cost and appeal to both novice and experienced users.

From the Paper
"AOL has achieved competitive advantage in several key areas, including quality, innovation and customer responsiveness; in terms of efficiency, AOL has struggled to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. In 1996, for example, the firm experienced difficulties in retaining its general audience of subscribers because of the threat posed by the burgeoning Internet service provider (ISP) industry. This was due to the emergence of national (or major) players offering services and amenities similar to those of AOL and local and regional services offering limited amenities in the form of e-mail and Internet access. Though often without the "bells and whistles" of AOL and other national providers, local ISPs represented major threats by providing lower-cost access and more timely dial-up (Semilof, 1996). Over time, AOL elected to employ a blitz marketing strategy to enhance customer responsiveness, while also offering a "one-price" monthly access fee (Direct Marketing, 1998). Innovation, in the form of new services and amenities, as well as enhanced access and dial-up speed, have been key elements in the firm's strategy for maximizing competitive advantage for the past three years this also speaks to issues related to efficiency as AOL has worked to respond to customer complaints regarding slow access and online waits. Recently, as Electronic Advertising and Marketplace (1999) reported, AOL has elected to pursue innovation and customer responsiveness by engaging in co-marketing strategies with partners such as eBay, an online auction service; other partnering agreements that have been beneficial to AOL include more than 60 Internet sites including HotBot, InfoSeek, WebTV and Netscape. Finally, innovation is clearly an AOL priority in that the firm is moving to get inside every possible "information appliance," including pocket organizers, Plan computers, the PCS smart phone, TV, and mini-Web terminals via its partnership with Gateway Computer Systems (Yang, 1999). Via innovation, AOL hopes to increase customer responsiveness and realize efficiencies through multiple selling - turning an existing customer base into a more diversified base.
Competitive advantage in the industry is determined via two measures: 1) customer responsiveness, measured in terms of subscribers; and 2) innovation, determined by product and service differentiation and the speed with which innovative technologies and new devices/uses are brought to market. The industry is the center of rivalry between giant Microsoft and its advantage obtained via its Windows monopoly in PC operating systems on the one hand, and AOL on the other. AOL made its $4.7 billion in revenues in 1998 on dial-up Internet access services, advertising sales, and e-commerce; Microsoft, conversely, banked its $19 billion in cash reserves because it created first-to-market software and operating platforms that have become ubiquitous (assuming the shape and influence of a virtual monopoly (Yang, 1999). AOL has elected to focus its efforts to date on the consumer access market, leaving the field open to Microsoft and others in the business applications sector (News Bytes News Network, 2000). This suggests that for AOL, competitive advantage is very much linked to such variables or building blocks as customer responsiveness and innovation; AOL accounts for 40 percent of consumer access subscribers. Overall, each of the building blocks of competitive advantage have played and are expected to continue playing roles of some significance in shaping the industry as a whole. Innovation will most probably drive competition in the future (Vickers, 2000); information appliances will be initially a niche market, and as costs for products come down, a more expansive market segment."

Tags:marketing, Internet, competition, technology

Abstract
This paper discusses the impact of outsourcing, manufacturing and service on the market share of two companies, Daimler Chrysler and AOL Time Warner. The issues, how the companies responded to them, and outcomes are highlighted and analyzed in the paper.

From the Paper
"In recent years DC has increasingly outsourced manufacturing and service from in-house factory production. The manufacture of components has been decentralized on a global scale. For example, in FY DC outsourced ... million in the manufacture of components and in the company's call-center services to India and at the time projected an increase to some ... million. (Rathore Swarup) As of ... the company was outsourcing SUV components, manufacturing for three models the GL class the M-class premium SUV and the R-class SUV minivan crossover all of which were assembled at..."

Tags:DaimlerChrysler, outsourcing, AOLTimeWarner, outsourcing, market share

Abstract
This paper looks at the company AOL and its business strategy. The company brands are examined as well as its future operational plans. This paper addresses all the issues of an appropriate business report. Graphs and charts are used to discuss this company's performance and position in today's market place.

Abstract
The writer cites the many factors that have led to AOL's successes and difficulties. The paper identifies strategies used by the company to stay on top, such as growth and diversification internationally. Finally, the writer acknowledges the challenges in staying ahead in a market that is reliant upon unforeseeable technological advances.

From the Paper
"Overall, the industry in which AOL functions is being changed by demands for upscale product differentiation and diversification at best-cost price levels. Electronic Advertising & Marketplace Report (1999) recently reported that AOL is moving to expand its presence in a wide range and variety of online activities while also exploring (as noted above) new product development that will move the company into "information appliances." The online market for Internet access is reaching maturity, while technology innovations are driving competition into new areas. The negative impact of a mature market is balanced against market/product diversification (Yang, 1999). As early as 1997, AOL and other Internet access providers were faced with the necessity of responding to several additional market factors: 1) the dichotomy between business and personal Internet users, fostering the need to develop products meeting two sets of service needs and interests; 2) the advent of WebTV and cable-based Internet services; 3) intensified competition for the 70 million U.S. homes that are not online (along with the 84 million homes that are online but do not subscribe to AOL) (Mermigas, 1999)."

Tags:internet, international, technology, competition, online

From the Paper
"AOL in Europe
AOL Europe, the subsidiary of AOL America is facing a relatively difficult expansion time in Europe and the UK. According to the NUA International, the competition is coming from many sources, the most prominent one being Freeserve, a company that has offered "no fee internet services in the U.K.


Although AOL Europe ignored the competition, claiming that free service is not a valid business model, Freeserve signed up more than 50,000 subscribers in two months, forcing AOL to introduce a
stripped-down version of AOL called Netscape Online (Koranteng, 1999).


In fact, the only American "export" has been well received is Yahoo which produced localized versions in eight languages. However, AOL's 1998 record of 2.7 million subscribers across Europe and more than $375 ..."

Abstract
This paper briefly looks at the economic and corporate background to the merger and discusses the detail of how these two companies joined. It looks at the new roles given to upper management and how the merger also affected the majority of the workforce. The writer also examines prior expectations of the merger and how these are working out in today's market reality.

From the Paper
"In the 1990 s, in an effort to increase their size and scope, several companies merged. Mergers were created by combining strengths with, or acquiring establishments that manufactured similar merchandise. Occasionally, acquisitions of companies from different sectors occurred in the interests of diversification. Corporate mergers increased in the nineties due to the booming stock market riding on the technology wave. Various sectors of industry went through phases of deregulation and market-globalization. With markets getting smaller and more interlinked, many companies chose to acquire companies that they felt would help them expand and/or help gain capital for future expansion."

Tags:shareholders, stock, entertainment, public, company, attack, wall, street