AOL : AMERICA ONLINE (NYSE) All Headlines
AOL says poised for record subscriber growth
DULLES, Va., Sept 21 (Reuters) - Internet services giant America Online Inc. (NYSE: AOL) said on Tuesday its AOL and CompuServe online brands were on track to post record membership growth for the first quarter of 2000.
AOL said it expects flagship online service to exceed last year's growth, but did not provide details. In the fourth quarter of 1999, ended in June, AOL added 685,000 new U.S. members, up from 523,000 in the same quarter of 1998. AOL's flagship service has more than 18 million members worldwide.
So far this quarter, its other Internet service, CompuServe, with a new software version, has added more than 300,000 new subscribers in North America. CompuServe provides Internet access for more than two million members worldwide.
Shares of AOL jumped three to 86 in Tuesday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
"We are extremely pleased with our aggressive entry into the smaller value segment of the market," Bob Pittman, AOL president and chief operating officer, said about CompuServe.
"At the same time, AOL's flagship brand continues to attract at a record pace the mass-market consumer who wants a premium, full-service answer to their Internet online needs," Pittman added.
The new CompuServe 2000 software says it offers faster
Internet connections, easier installation, expanded
customization options, upgraded electronic mail features, and
simpler navigation.
Dulles, Va.-based AOL plans to extend its current $400 personal computer rebate program with PC manufacturers through the holiday season.
AOL's youth-oriented online communications network, ICQ, has more than 38 million members. Its AOL Instant Messenger, an Internet messaging service, has more than 25 million members worldwide. Another unit, Netscape Netcenter, an Internet media network aimed at business and home users, has more than 17 million users.
|
