News

Newspaper: Microsoft-Time Warner Resume AOL Talks

Time Warner Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have restarted discussions about forming an alliance of their Internet units, America Online and MSN, the Wall Street Journal reported in its Friday editions.

Citing sources with knowledge of the discussions, the newspaper reported that the two companies are focused on ways to combine AOL's Web content with Microsoft's search engine. It isn't clear whether the talks include the possibility of merging AOL's 20.7 million dial-up customers with Microsoft's 2.7 million dial-up customers.

According to the Journal, the two companies originally began discussions earlier this year, but the talks stalled in late summer over issues including technical obstacles and questions about control.

While obstacles remain, negotiations appear to be on a fast track. "If you can't get it done in calendar year 2005, then it's probably not going to happen," the Journal quoted an unnamed source involved in the negotiations as saying. The talks are being headed by Time Warner executive vice president Olaf Olafsson and Microsoft senior vice president Henry P. Vigil, the paper reported.

Time Warner is also courting other suitors, the Journal reported. Neither Time Warner nor Microsoft offered official comment.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.

  • Roadblocks in Enterprise AI: Data and Skills Shortfalls Could Cost Millions

    Businesses risk losing up to $87 million a year if they fail to catch up with AI innovation, according to the Couchbase FY 2026 CIO AI Survey released this month.