Is AOL still around?

Aren’t you curious if people still even use AOL? What does the name stand for, and...really, what’s AOL? 

There’s a very valid reason why we’re focusing on AOL on the verge of summer 2021. Is that company even still around this year in a way that matters? Our answers might catch you by surprise. So, let’s get to them now. 

What is AOL?

To begin, we should know what AOL even is. 

America Online is the expanded name for which we’re probably looking. And they stand as an online service provider. The truth is another one of our authors, one of our most brilliant, already dug up AOL’s chaotic story. Their past is fascinating, especially as it mounts back to times when the Internet wasn’t even on our radar. To dig up on AOL is to mount back to 1985 when Quantum Link first went online. That’s only to give you an idea. However, the recommended read takes us through their merger, its acquisitions, CEO changes, and tons more about how AOL managed its first and subsequent years. 

If you’re here to find out more about AOL’s past and history, we can’t recommend it enough that you head on over to that other article for a bit. 

For those of us needing to move forward to understanding what AOL did or does and why it’s still relevant (or, if it is, at all) today, we can move on to its everyday use. 

What does AOL mean?

Like we said above, AOL stands for “America Online.” Simple as that. And the name goes back to times when we only had dial-up Internet access, and the company was one of the first to shine with email and instant messaging. 

Also, if you’re linking AOL to Yahoo for some reason all the while as you read this, rest assured that your subconscious or intuition is pointing you in the right direction. That melting pot between AOL, Yahoo, and Verizon turned into Verizon Media at some point. So, it’s all there in the hooks somehow. 

What is AOL used for?

Today, people still interact with AOL. It mainly functions as a web portal from the US. This online service provider is based out of New York City as a brand marketed by Verizon Media, which should make better sense given all that’s said before. 

“$50 per share in a deal valued at $4.4 billion” was the most shared news back in 2015 on Verizon’s AOL purchase, which made sense for AOL at the time. The news followed Microsoft’s charge of its advertisement just a month later, as well. 

Today, Apollo, a global alternative investment managing firm, is the new company in charge of not just AOL but also Yahoo. It’s like they still live paired. And the news broke just about a month ago as it hit the New York Times, Forbes, CNN, and other mainstream media news coverage. 

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Do people still use AOL?

Now, do people still use AOL, though?

Well, you’d be surprised just how many internet products AOL still offers the public. They work on valid integrated products and properties, including various tools for communication, mobile apps, services, and subscriptions.

The most shocking figure, perhaps? “2.1 million people still use AOL's dial-up service.” is what a source as blunt as Wikipedia states openly. From dial-up internet to AOL Mail, there are still signs of life under AOL’s name. Yes, there are people in this world who still work on an AOL email address. 

And then there’s also AOL Advantage, “critical products for computer security, identity theft protection, premium technical support, and more.”

Is AOL still around 2021?

So, is AOL still around in the midst of 2021? They most certainly are after so many decades and changes in the IT world. 

Visit AOL.com, and you’ll get something similar to what Yahoo used to look like. A sort of news portal that promises the best headlines in sports, politics, and, of course, email. 

Aside from the package we mentioned before, the company is still offering what’s called System Mechanic. This is a plan designed to “Restore power, speed, and stability with over 200 critical tests and 50 tools using the go-to solution for ultimate PC performance and trouble-free computing.” That’s specificity itself with a program that can boost internet speed while optimizing connection settings. It takes away all internet traces while fixing “over 30,000 different PC problems.”

From Desktop Gold, a simplified way to download most AOL packaged products safely, to their ID protection, game portals, and malware and privacy tools, AOL still has a wide range of products out in the market. Their famous product portal might give you a more detailed scope of all they’re still doing in the IT world. There are even restaurants and tech fortress kinds of products there. 

Why does AOL matter to you right now?

We’re guessing that looking into AOL’s status today has more to do with interest in the company itself, more on the merger, acquisition, and funding side, than for any keen interest in internet dial-up, for example.

Still able to work through a phone, that capability has proven priceless. Yet, we’re guessing a pitch deck, company model, or its history as a means of learning about entrepreneurship and investment are more of a reason for you to be here right now. 

Professional consulting and design services

If that’s the case, please rest assured we’ve got our hands full of company and industry updates in the background of our pitch deck consulting design services and agency to guide us. 

As a startup, Slidebean has been successful in scaling, facing growth head-on from Silicon Valley and NYC to making history in Costa Rica. 

Experienced in writing pitch decks, our consulting and design firm is a way to put our expertise in presentation design, startups, and entrepreneurship at the service of people who, like you, might be looking to bring their funding and other company efforts to the next level. 

If this applies, let us know how we can help. We look forward to chatting. 

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