AOL's new CEO Tim Armstrong believes the company can improve its core products and focus much more on the consumer experience, which will let the company grow and attract more advertising. In a discussion on Thursday at Brainstorm Tech, Armstrong said he is focusing AOL on content, Advertising.com, local and mapping, messaging, and AOL Ventures.
Armstrong discussed how Google (where he ran advertising) built a good underlying platform behind its advertising space, and how he wants AOL to do that for content systems. He talked about connecting content management systems with advertising systems, and the potential for local services and mapping. Armstrong acknowledged that Mapquest had fallen behind, particularly in areas like geo-coding, but he said the company was making the investment to improve it. He seemed particularly bullish on expanding the messaging environment (including email, AIM, ICQ, and so on).
He said he has spent a lot of time looking at AOL Ventures, deciding which companies to keep and which to spin off, and how to arrange the parts that are left. In particular, Armstrong talked about the decision not to make Bebo part of the group with the messaging products; thinking it would do better on its own.
Armstrong discussed how Google (where he ran advertising) built a good underlying platform behind its advertising space, and how he wants AOL to do that for content systems. He talked about connecting content management systems with advertising systems, and the potential for local services and mapping. Armstrong acknowledged that Mapquest had fallen behind, particularly in areas like geo-coding, but he said the company was making the investment to improve it. He seemed particularly bullish on expanding the messaging environment (including email, AIM, ICQ, and so on).
He said he has spent a lot of time looking at AOL Ventures, deciding which companies to keep and which to spin off, and how to arrange the parts that are left. In particular, Armstrong talked about the decision not to make Bebo part of the group with the messaging products; thinking it would do better on its own.
