AOL launched what they’re calling the AOL Tech Network this evening. It’s a grouping of existing blogs – the Engadget sites, Switched, TUAW and Download Squad, under a new tech content group.
Unike AOL Games, AOL Entertainment and other sub brands, AOL Tech is being branded without “AOL.” A new link on the AOL home page links to Switched, which will now syndicate in content from the other blogs in the network.
This is partly a streamlining of the organization, but it’s also a way for AOL’s sales team to pitch a tech brand to advertisers that has a big footprint. The combined blogs bring in nearly 5 million combined monthly visitors, making it about twice the size of Wired and in the same ballpark as Yahoo Tech.
Of course, 100% of the Switched content is coming from blogs, unlike those other sites.
Engadget has more, and talks about a new design as well.
With the kind of traffic AOL generates AOL Tech Network will surely benefit from it.
In the day and age of rss readers does this site make sense? surely most of the people that read those blogs are already feed subscribers.
I suppose this is aimed at getting new aol users to convert not existing.
Blogs will prevail.. it’s a wise move, to what the advertisers love to hear of…
Nice graphics!
Good for them.
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AOL and Yahoo all nice, they is updateing
AOL Tech Network will be succss
Making it interactive would be a challenging job.
very interesting…aol has said that it wants to create more verticals and niches instead of a portal so im not suprised at this development
alpha version of Blubert tech network =] : http://www.blubert.com
IDG, which publishes ComputerWorld and Network World, recently launched its own ad network aggregating blogs focused on enterprise IT:
http://www.idgtechnetwork.com/
It’s a slightly different approach than AOL, focusing on B2B sites and enterprise ad buys, as opposed to consumer tech and gadgets. We were an early participant, and IDG has done an excellent job for our site thus far.
AOL has the better strategy over IDG. AOL’s multibrand approach is a better fit for the current infrastructure. AOL has embraced the anti walled garden approach. IDG on the other hand has a walled garden approach which isn’t what users seem to want. Users don’t care anymore. Users don’t want monolithic approaches they want the best content.
Nice move by AOL
I looked at the “switched” site and for some reason the site reminds me of CrunchGear. The layout and colors are way to similiar in my humble opinion!