America Online, Google Seal $1B Deal

[snugglypuppy]

America Online, Google Seal $1B Deal

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051221/ap_o...google_aol

:hoxmasb20c:

[bargainbloodhound]

There was one significant new twist in Tuesday's official announcement: users of AOL's Internet-leading instant messaging service will be able to communicate with the users of Google's 4-month-old service. Microsoft and Yahoo Inc., another major rival of both Google and AOL, plan to link their instant messaging services next year.

...and all of those services also plan to add voice.  eBay's Skype buy is looking more overpriced by the minute.  :twistedevil:

AOL hopes to attract even more visitors with the help of Google's search engine. The deal contains a provision requiring Google to help make AOL's content more visible to its search engine.

That arrangement already is raising questions whether Google will rig its algorithms so that AOL ranks higher in its search results — a prized position that Google has repeatedly said can't be bought.

Google is also giving AOL a $300 million credit to buy ads on its rapidly growing Web site

Some of those AOL ads will be animated banner ads which will mark the first time Google has had animated banners on its search results pages.  I don't think that will go over too well with users of Google's search engine.

[Kristijntje]

Google will have the right to sell its new 5 percent stake in America Online as soon as July 1, 2008, according to regulatory filings by both Google and Time Warner, AOL's parent.

Friday's filings say that starting two and a half years into the five-year agreement, Google will have the right to force Time Warner to register its shares in AOL with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This would allow Google to sell the shares on the public market. Time Warner has the option to buy the shares back for cash or Time Warner shares at an appraised value.

full article: http://news.com.com/Google+has+right+to+...g=nefd.top