Fri, 07/23/2010 – 07:04 by Several years ago AOL had the idea that it would lead consumers onto the mobile Internet the same way it did online. However amid turmoil surrounding the company’s future and its leadership those plans faltered and largely failed to materialize. A particular example of that is ad network Third Screen Media,
acquired by AOL in 2007 and effectively shuttered at the end of last year.
But mobile is apparently back at AOL. Now as a content and display advertising company with new leadership and a new focus AOL yesterday
announced a renewed emphasis on mobile, a new
mobile portal and some Android-only apps:
AOL Inc. is unveiling today a new smartphone portal, m.aol.com, that takes the best of AOL and optimizes it for any mobile device. In addition, AOL is increasing its focus on the Android operating system with the launch of the AOL app for Android, giving users a simple and convenient way to access dozens of AOL’s most popular properties, and the DailyFinance app for Android. AOL’s renewed focus on mobile apps and content comes on the heels of the arrival of David Temkin, the company’s new Vice President of Mobile . . .
In addition to the new smartphone portal, AOL has released two new free applications for Android-based devices.
Mobile VP Temkin is quoted in the release saying, “Android has emerged as a top-tier smartphone platform . . . So, while we’ll continue to focus on development for multiple mobile platforms, this time, we are releasing an early version of an app on Android first – the AOL app.”
I count at least seven Andoid apps from AOL mobile. The new Android AOL portal would get a mixed review, if I were doing one, and in some ways its mobile Web portal is superior. Regardless AOL has wisely embraced (or rembraced) mobile as a critical distribution channel for its content.
Mapquest of course has had a steady mobile presence throughout, and the company’s mobile apps
have recently been upgraded.
