AOL wants to reclaim its lost glory for being one of the major players in the wireless industry. The BusinessWeek is reporting the AOL is in the process of beefing up its presence in the mobile hub with the development of web software that will integrate AOL’s different web services. AOL has recently launched Mobile Search with various nifty applications such as MovieFone, CityGuide and Mapquest Content.
Going against the same moves undertaken by major mobile web players such as Apple’s iPhone and Google’s much anticipated gPhone that is tying up with wireless carriers, AOL is leaning towards working directly with mobile manufactures instead. According to the BusinessWeek report, AOL is in talks with HTC China and other mobile phone makers, for them to pre-install AOL’s mobile web software into their handsets. “We are actively engaged with all handset manufacturers.” says Scott Falconer, executive vice-president of AOL Mobile.Among the many developments that AOL is undertaking in their mobile web portal was the enhancement of the mobile search application which now gives users more user-specific targeted search results. In October, AOL is set to launch a site wide promotion of its mobile portal by putting a “send to cell” link in its web portal. This link when clicked by a user would prompt the user to enter a mobile phone number where AOL links and resources will be sent via SMS.
And to boost its decreasing internet revenue, AOL is also strengthening its mobile ad program. A couple of weeks ago, AOL launched its Platform A, an ad network allowing marketers to reach AOL users both online and on mobile phones. To reclaim its previous integrity as a major internet hub, AOL must attract more advertisers into its fold.
