Yahoo!, Microsoft and AOL: What’s Up With The Future?

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

The current news, the top news that everyone is talking about is two-fold.

1. Yahoo! and Microsoft are close to a deal
2. And Google sold its AOL shares

You can see the news for yourself.

But these two little tidbits beg the question, what’s up with the future?

Specifically, here’s what mean. No. 1 first:

Yahoo! and Microsoft
If Yahoo! and Microsoft team up against Google, will it be a rival worth our attention? Google, of course, will still dominate, but Yahoo! and Microsoft together on the same team may actually create a more competitive atmosphere, which I think most of us would welcome. Would that mean more market share for the the underdogs. Will that mean less share for Google? So far, not many people have left Google for Bing, but what if Yahoo! and Microsoft really hook up? Will that be a game changer?

Can AOL Survive?
The second question involves something much more bleak. And I don’t mean a financial loss for Google. That’s just a dent in Abrams tank armor. But what about AOL? Will the Internet icon survive?

When AOL rose to prominence there was very little competition and they aggressively marketed their product nationwide. A lot of people bought into the free 30 days Internet service, which later turned into 60 days then 90 days. But there are a lot more ISPs now and more and more people are leaving AOL. They’re not so preppie any more. Should they be worried for their life? Will AOL falter without Google. How long can they stand on their own?

What Do You Think?
What do you have to say – either about AOL or Yahoo!-Microsoft? Who is going to win? Who will lose?