AOL to align with Microsoft, dump Google
WinInfo | at | by Mike
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, AOL parent Time Warner is close to reaching a deal with Microsoft to create an online advertising service that will rival a similar service from Google. Microsoft and Time Warner have been in talks for months, and while the talks originally might have centered on an AOL sale, this particular deal is the result. Under terms of the deal, AOL will drop Google as its main search provider and will use Microsoft's MSN Search instead. Currently, Google provides AOL with a portion of the advertising revenue derived from searches originated by AOL users; in 2005, that amounted to $300 million in revenues for AOL.