Consistently trailing far behind Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft's MSN in online traffic, AOL might not appear as worthy of worry in the wireless industry as Apple's iPhone or Google's prospective gPhone software platform. Think again. U.S. traffic to AOL's mobile Web site is higher than that to Google Mobile's and double that of MSN Mobile's, according to Hitwise. Mobile-phone users also tend to spend much more time on AOL's sites than Yahoo's, says David Gill, an analyst with consultancy Telephia. "Their audience is highly engaged, and advertisers like that," he says. And judging by the recent ramp-up in its mobile efforts, AOL is determined to recapture some of its former Internet glory as a preeminent wireless hub. Most significantly, AOL is working on what it calls a software module—a unified application that would integrate AOL's multitude of mobile offerings into one master portal. At present, cell-phone users typically need to open separate applications to access services such as AOL Mail, AOL Instant Messenger, Moviefone theater listings, MapQuest navigation software, and City Guide local search—and many carriers only offer one or two.http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2007/tc20070925_177090.htm
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