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News >> Technology >>
AOL to launch India service
By agencies
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Monday, 04 September 2006, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: One of the world's most aggressive Internet players, the $2 billion America Online (AOL Inc), owned by U.S. media major Time Warner, will soon launch its popular web-tools like instant messenger, Netscape, Mapquest, video-on-demand, movies-on-demand, AOL-radio and other digital lifestyle products customized to Indian needs, Financial Express said.
The paper said AOL is putting together a portal-based strategy revolving around a pure high-speed broadband play for Indian users. It will also introduce online video programming and online TV, an industry source told FE. AOL India refused to comment on the issue.
According to the paper, the Indian-version of AOL is likely to offer various services for free initially, sources said. Maneesh Dhir, who was earlier heading the research division of the company in Bangalore, will head Indian AOL venture. AOL's move is expected to widen the broadband customer base in the country.
AOL will provide full-length movies from Turner's TNT network and will cash-in on a number of animation series from Cartoon Network to 40 million Indian Internet users, Financial Express quoted a person.
In U.S., the company has bought popular TV content from broadcasters like MTV. It has already launched its premiere In2TV--an online free TV service where the AOL subscribers can watch movies acquired from Warner Brothers library. "The same services will initially be made available free to Indian customers," a source said. AOL is also strengthening its mobile offerings and AOL Mobile will be customized for India too. AOL is a subscription-led online service in U.S. and Europe. It generated $ 188 million from subscription revenue and $128 million from advertising revenue in the U.S. this year.