Time Warner and Microsoft have restarted discussions for an alliance to combine America Online’s Web content with Microsoft’s search engine technology.


Time Warner and Microsoft have restarted discussions again about forming an alliance of their Internet units, America Online and MSN.

According to The Wall Stree journal, the two companies are focused on ways to combine AOL’s Web content with Microsoft’s search-engine technology.

The report further states that tt is not clear whether AOL and MSN are considering merging their Internet dial-up businesses. Data for the month of June indicated AOL has 20.7 million dial-up customers while Microsoft has 2.7 million.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that a person involved in the negotiations said, “If you can’t get it done in calendar year 2005, then it’s probably not going to happen”.

The WSJ report says that according to people close to the situation, the talks are being headed by Time Warner Executive Vice President Olaf Olafsson and Microsoft Senior Vice President Henry P. Vigil. But Time Warner is also having conversations with other companies interested in partnering with AOL.

AOL has already announced that it had agreed to acquire Weblogs Inc., which operates a network of 85 Internet “blogging” sites. These blogging sites are on topics including technology, food, travel and movies.

 

 

 

 

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