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Technology Stocks : America On-Line: will it survive ...? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Yikes who wrote (10319)	6/18/1998 1:41:00 PM
From: Sam	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13594

Yes, that's exactly what I am saying. AT&T has all the resources necessary to make a big dent in AOL's flimsy armor, but so far has not actively and efficiently use those resources. AT&T is always showing commercials on TV and in print. It doesn't cost them much to add "$x.95 for Internet access" to every ad. AT&T also sends out millions of bills each month for telephone and credit card services. "All-in-one" billing is an incentive it could offer. MSFT is a cash cow, but it doesn't have the networking infrastructure like AT&T does. Moreover, it doesn't advertise in the same category as AT&T - 'telecommunication'. The future is Internet for all communication. AT&T has the brand name for communication. So what your saying is that AT&T right now is being a lazy corporation, because they really don't want to lift a finger and gain market share. In fact, even when they try - they're not good at it. Do you think this is some kind of novel marketing plan you've just thought up? Please say no - because if AT&T could do what you say they can, they already would have. But they haven't. Why do you say that MSFT doesn't have the infastructure that AT&T does? From your line of reasoning, the "cash cow" could buy all of AT&T's infastructure, then step up and buy off some more backbone providers. The future of the internet is uncertain - I think what your getting at is IP telephony, which is here and building steam. As bandwith increases, it gives us the opportunity as developers to build out bandwith hog apps (ie multimedia, streaming, MPEG, java apps, etc.) AT&T and it's name brand isn't gonna carry over - everyone knows AT&T as a telephone/long distance company. I just switched from Netcom to GTE for ISP and I couldn't be happier. (xDSL is not yet available in my area through GTE, but soon.) I see AOL surviving 5 years from now as another 'magazine' on the Internet, not as an ISP. xDSL is not the light at the end of the tunnel. The mass consumer audience isn't gonna go running out to get a network card and xDSL service. Where you see in tunnel vision and 5 year landscapes, I view expanded possibilites, better access and new media, all encased in a great package product. Bears can keep on saying the same thing over and over and over again about AOL and it's future. Of course, they've been saying the same thing for over 10 years...and where has it gotten them? S.