People Networks

Dear Tim: Here's a Tour of the It-Takes-a-Licking-but-Keeps-on-Ticking AOL Brand

Kara Swisher in News on July 28, 2009 at 12:02 am PT

What’s next for AOL? Reviving the “You’ve Got Mail!” motto? Or: “The Future. Now Available.”–set to music from “The Jetsons”? What about: “So easy to use, no wonder it’s #1!” Or maybe, it should just use a nice loooooooong busy signal as its calling card again? Well, it could happen, now that new CEO Tim Armstrong has fallen prey to the siren call of the AOL brand name, after years of seeing the company wander in the anything-but-the-AOL wilderness. Thus, he’s decided to try to welcome the prodigal brand back home, even as he prepares to spin it off in November from Time Warner. Uh-oh.

AOL Spinoff Approved Last Night by Time Warner Board: Here Are the Inside Details (Not in the Press Release)

Kara Swisher in News on May 28, 2009 at 5:23 am PT

While there were reports that the Time Warner board was meeting today to approve the spin-off of its AOL online unit, it actually gave the move an “enthusiastic endorsement” last night, according to sources. Time Warner just put out the press release about the move that would make AOL an “independent, publicly traded company.” But, several sources with knowledge of the situation said AOL CEO and Chairman Tim Armstrong is set to make massive changes to the structure of AOL, sweeping aside its current set-up almost completely. That includes keeping the access business, which many thought would be sold off and putting many of the companies it has recently acquired–including its pricey Bebo social networking site–in a separate ventures unit, which will try to attract outside investment.

People Networks President Joanna Shields Leaving AOL (With Full Internal Memos)

Kara Swisher in News on May 26, 2009 at 9:20 am PT

According to an internal memo obtained by BoomTown, Joanna Shields, who came to AOL via its troubled acquisition of the Bebo social-networking site, will be returning to London to spend more time with her family and to “pursue entrepreneurial interests.” Until recently, People Networks has been the third leg of the Time Warner-owned online site’s businesses, which also include advertising and content. But under new CEO Tim Armstrong, who was one of the top sales execs at Google, AOL is largely abandoning its business-unit approach for a more functional and centralized structure.

AOL Expands Socialthing to Warner Bros. TV While Prepping New Release of ICQ and AIM

Kara Swisher in News on May 5, 2009 at 6:00 am PT

AOL–which recently has been putting its Socialthing lifestreaming service on a large number of AOL-run Web sites, moving it beyond its Bebo social network–will announce this morning that it will also be launched on another Time Warner property. According to a press release, Socialthing will also now be part of the Web sites of the Warner Bros. Television Group. But, more significantly, sources said, AOL’s People Networks has new versions of its AIM and ICQ messengering clients ready that it is preparing to launch soon with new more robust and socialized features.

New AOL Chairman and CEO–and About-To-Be-Ex-Googler–Tim Armstrong Speaks!

Kara Swisher in News on March 12, 2009 at 6:42 pm PT

For a tall man, Tim Armstrong has been on an awful lot of online companies’ short lists. For a big Web exec job, that is. Indeed, whenever one opens up in the Internet space, the 6-foot 3-inch Google ad sales exec always pops up on it as a possible candidate to lead a variety of digital companies and start-ups. Finally today–after longtime speculation that Armstrong had long wanted and would eventually leave his post at Google in order to try his hand at being top dog–he took over as chairman and CEO of the once-mighty, but now-not-so-much, AOL. Armstrong, who will start at AOL on April 7, talked to BoomTown this afternoon about his new job.

Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes Lays Off AOL CEO and President–in a New York Minute

Kara Swisher in News on March 12, 2009 at 3:36 pm PT

Let’s just say the firing of AOL CEO Randy Falco and President Ron Grant was not exactly expected–even if everyone thought it should happen–within the high ranks of the troubled online unit, until Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes dropped the guillotine this afternoon in Manhattan. And drop it he did, lopping off the pair of executives Bewkes had installed himself. He replaced them with Tim Armstrong, Google’s head of ad sales, a man with a much brighter resume, for what is likely to be an attempt to spin out AOL now that merger options are moribund. “It’s a shock to everyone how sudden it was,” said one exec, noting that AOL’s top execs had no idea this is coming today. “Everyone talked about when Bewkes was going to run out of patience with Randy and Ron all the time, but no one knew it was coming now, since it had taken so long.”

AOL Gets a New CEO: Google Sales Boss Tim Armstrong (Plus the Whole Press Release)

Peter Kafka in Media on March 12, 2009 at 2:40 pm PT

Everyone who wondered why Randy Falco and Ron Grant were still running AOL finally got an answer today: Time Warner was lining up their replacement. Google sales chief Tim Armstrong becomes chairman and CEO of the troubled Web property, effective immediately.

Rock, Meet Hard Place: More Details of AOL Layoffs–But Are There More to Come?

Kara Swisher in News on March 10, 2009 at 4:49 pm PT

Earlier today, Silicon Alley Insider reported that layoffs at AOL, which had been announced in January, were finally taking place. Actually, said an AOL insider, about 10 percent of the layoffs, or 70 people, have been let go since the announcement. The pace just got ratcheted up today, adding another 300 to the pyre at the troubled Time Warner online division. But, said several sources, the slashing of staff might go well beyond what has been announced. With the ever-weakening economy, there is still fat to be cut out, especially since Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes either has to sell AOL off or make it work a whole lot better. And working better most likely means more cuts–and a whole lot more of them.

AOL Ad Head Greg Coleman Reorgs Too! (It's Spreading Like the Flu at Web Firms Today)

Kara Swisher in News on February 26, 2009 at 4:58 pm PT

Another Web company, another management restructuring! Yahoo reorg fever struck AOL today too, as its advertising head, Greg Coleman (pictured here), moved the exec chairs around his domain at AOL’s Platform-A unit. Coleman–who actually once was Yahoo’s sales head before taking the new gig at the Time Warner online unit earlier this month–is replacing some execs and elevating others. You know the drill!

AOL Socializes Even More With New Lifestream

Kara Swisher in News on February 23, 2009 at 6:00 am PT

As part of its ongoing rejiggering of its social-networking offerings, AOL is formally rolling out its expected Lifestream platform today with a new “timeline” depicting a user’s online life in a streaming horizontal calendar called a Lifestory. Lifestream will first be available on AOL’s Bebo and include updates from friends on Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Del.icio.us. Lifestream can also be used by brands, celebrities, bands and companies. It’s all part of ongoing changes at the Time Warner online unit.