, founded in 1985, is one of the world's largest Internet suppliers, with over 34 million users worldwide. The company is based out of Dulles, Virginia, offering its customers a variety of communication tools, online shopping, and a helpful search engine. Some of the specific services offered by America Online include: MapQuest, AOL Instant Messenger, AOL Moviefone, Spinner, Winamp, and Digital City, Inc. America Online's "mission is to build a global medium as central to people's lives as the telephone or television. . . and even more valuable" (Hoovers.com). Some of the main priorities held by America Online include equipping children for the 21st century, extending Internet benefits to everyone, engaging communities into the arts, and empowering citizens and civic participation. .
The competitive differentiator between America Online and other companies is their commitment to educating children in the 21st century and extending Internet benefits to everyone. America Online's sponsors a literacy program, "Time to Read" as well as putting portals for students in schools is part of their program to help students, children, and administrators expand the opportunities to learn. This also helps the Internet to be used worldwide creating benefits to everyone.
One of the latest innovations within America Online occurred last year when the company took over Tegic, a small cellular phone company in Seattle. "Tegic makes software that allows you to enter data on a screen phone more easily, using some clever text recognition algorithms" (strom.com). America Online's Instant Messenger application will soon be the port of the phones. .
Another innovation made by America Online has been through the creation of the new Interactive Video division in their company. The new division works closely with Time Warner Cable and America Online to speed up the growth of interactive television and advanced cable services for mass-market consumers through Time Warner Cable's systems as well as other broadband systems.