The growing rivalry between AOL Time Warner and Microsoft is spawning a web of deals and alliances， which could mean good news for consumers.
Two titans are left standing in the wake of the dot-com collapse. There's AOL Time Warner （AOL ） spanning media， Internet access， and cable television. Equally formidable is Microsoft， cutting its impressive swath through the software world. Talks between the two recently broke down over how Microsoft's much-anticipated XP operating system would interact with AOL's Internet services. That has fueled much speculation over which company will emerge victorious in the battle for the loyalty of a new generation of Netizens.
Billed as the ultimate cyberwar， it's likely to be a complicated affair with a lot of Cold War sparring， alliance-building， and grabbing of strategic tech territory. While Microsoft and AOL compete directly in such areas as dial-up access， instant messaging， and interactive TV， there are many others where they don't. For instance， AOL doesn't have an operating system， and Microsoft isn't a media company. It's in these no-contact zones where the Cold War is most active.
Both giants are busy forming alliances to create new spheres of influence. And the propaganda is hot and heavy， too. "We fundamentally don't think that consumers should be left with the same choice in music players or anything else that they're left with in spreadsheets， [word-processing] programs， and other……software. That's a choice of MS or nothing at all，" argues John Buckley， AOL Time Warner's vice-president for corporate affairs.
WORTHY OPPONENTS. Do consumers stand a chance in a market carved up by two corporate superpowers？ Surprisingly， the answer may be yes. For the first time in a decade， AOL and Microsoft each face an adversary with real clout. Ultimately， an unwinnable war may keep competition healthy in important emerging markets， such as digital media， electronic games， and cable.
Witness the battle over streaming-media technology. AOL doesn't make a media player —— but it wants to make sure that someone besides Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer does. So it's building a strong alliance with RealNetworks， Microsoft's competitor in streaming technology. The Seattle-based company is the market leader， with more than 200 million registered users. But RealNetworks， founded by former Microsoft employee Rob Glaser， has had a tough time spinning cash from those users. That's particularly true since Microsoft gives its similar Windows Media Player away free as part of its ubiquitous Windows operating system.
AOL is giving RealNetworks maximum backing. Last July， AOL announced that it would bundle RealNetworks' RealPlayer into the newest version of AOL， 6.0， giving RealNetworks access to AOL's 30 million-strong subscriber base. On Apr. 2， AOL chose RealNetworks as a partner for its upcoming music-subscription service， MusicNet.
The service， a partnership between Time Warner Music， EMI， and BMG， will offer a wide collection of downloadable and streaming music backed by RealNetworks' technology. "Whether it's a portable device， a game machine， or something else， if you don't want to be sucked into the world of Windows， you need another alternative，" says one digital-media expert. "Clearly Real is becoming a tool of companies that don't want to do everything with Windows."
GAME PLAN. Online gaming is another area both AOL and Microsoft covet. Once video games are routinely connected to the Net， the console becomes a valuable platform， much like the PC， from which ads， music and， of course， video games can be sold. On May 15， AOL struck a deal with Sony to include its e-mail and instant messaging programs in the next version of PlayStation 2.
In exchange， Sony will build an adapter into the game console that allows consumers to access AOL Internet features and play Net-enabled games. By yearend， Sony also will include RealNetworks' RealPlayer and RealJukebox software on hard drives that can be added to PlayStation 2 consoles.
The furious dealmaking by AOL is all aimed at blunting Microsoft's steady move into the market. On Nov. 8， Gates & Co. will launch the new Xbox game system in a $500 million marketing blitz that is sure to cause damage. Gaming "isn't a core area for either AOL or RealNetworks， but neither wanted to cede it to Microsoft，" says John Corcoran， an analyst at CIBC Markets in Boston.
Microsoft is likewise making defensive alliances in areas of AOL strength， such as cable TV， though it plays down the notion that keeping AOL in check is of strategic importance. "We're moving ahead with a strategy that relies a lot on third-party support. But it's up to AOL to decide how they want to partner with Microsoft，" says company spokesman Jim Cullinan. Since 1997， Microsoft has invested $1 billion in Comcast （CMCS ） and $5 billion in AT&T （T ） to ensure that it keeps a big hand in the development of interactive TV.
"Microsoft is working hard to become a player in the cable industry. And the industry has anointed Microsoft as one of the two players in the interactive-TV space，" says Michael Goodman， a cable analyst at the Boston research firm Yankee Group. While such investments don't directly undermine Time Warner cable properties， they help keep rival cable operators on the digital edge.
BOOSTING SUN. Meanwhile， AOL is keen on building solidarity with other companies in the anti-Microsoft camp. In January， AOL gave Microsoft archrival Sun Microsystems （SUN ） a big boost in a time of slumping sales by purchasing $400 million in products and services. That's on top of the $500 million worth of equipment it AOL bought in 1998. AOL now uses more than 4，000 Sun servers.
More recently， Microsoft moved to test the loyalty of AOL's 30 million dial-up network users. When AOL hiked its prices by 9% in May， MSN's prices stayed flat， and it offered three months of free service to new customers. Gates & Co. also spent $50 million in the market push. So far， AOL claims the price hike hasn't hurt it.
Clearly， a digital world dominated by these titans is a long way from the wide-open markets that many analysts were predicting only 18 months ago. The not-so-bad news is that the new battle for the Net is between two well-oiled machines， with lots of cash and plenty of incentive to innovate and keep their competitive edges sharp. Without AOL， RealNetworks might have gone the way of Netscape. Microsoft's deep pockets keep AOL from dial-up domination. While neither superpower may win， the consumer just might.
參考譯文
隨著微軟進(jìn)軍互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，AOL-TW遭遇到前所未有的強(qiáng)大敵手?；ヂ?lián)網(wǎng)上，一場(chǎng)冷戰(zhàn)打響了。
兩大巨人依然屹立在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)坍塌的廢墟中。一個(gè)巨人是AOL時(shí)代華納公司，勢(shì)力范圍包括媒體、互聯(lián)網(wǎng)接入和有線(xiàn)電視；另一個(gè)巨人是微軟，它是軟件業(yè)的霸主。最近，兩大巨人在微軟XP操作系統(tǒng)與AOL在線(xiàn)網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)如何互動(dòng)的問(wèn)題上沒(méi)能取得一致，雙方談判失敗。談判失敗營(yíng)造出一個(gè)懸念：AOL和微軟在爭(zhēng)奪新一代網(wǎng)民的戰(zhàn)斗中，誰(shuí)將最后取勝呢？
這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)斗堪稱(chēng)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)超級(jí)大戰(zhàn)，雙方將運(yùn)用“冷戰(zhàn)”談判、結(jié)盟、占領(lǐng)技術(shù)制高點(diǎn)等各種戰(zhàn)術(shù)。一方面，微軟和AOL在撥號(hào)上網(wǎng)、短消息服務(wù)和互動(dòng)電視等領(lǐng)域短兵相接；但另一方面，他們有很多領(lǐng)域沒(méi)有短兵相接，比如AOL沒(méi)有操作系統(tǒng)，而微軟沒(méi)有媒體公司。但是，恰恰是在這些沒(méi)有短兵相接的領(lǐng)域，冷戰(zhàn)顯得最為激烈。
目前，兩大巨人到處尋找盟友，試圖營(yíng)造新的勢(shì)力范圍。AOL時(shí)代華納的副總裁約翰。巴克利（John Buckley）辯稱(chēng)：“我們堅(jiān)信，消費(fèi)者在音樂(lè)播放等方面不應(yīng)該只有一個(gè)選擇。但是，消費(fèi)者在電子表格、文字處理及其它軟件方面卻只有一個(gè)選擇，那完全是微軟的選擇！”約翰的話(huà)語(yǔ)十分辛辣，卻十分沉重。
兩大對(duì)手勢(shì)均力敵
兩大超級(jí)巨人霸占了整個(gè)市場(chǎng)，消費(fèi)者能夠從中得利嗎？答案是肯定的。十多年來(lái)，AOL和微軟破天荒第一次遇到了真正的敵手，最終的結(jié)果將是誰(shuí)也無(wú)法在這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)斗中取勝，從而使數(shù)字媒體、電子游戲和有線(xiàn)電視等市場(chǎng)處于一個(gè)良性競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。
以媒體播放技術(shù)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)為例。AOL在媒體播放技術(shù)領(lǐng)域不是主角，但希望有除比爾。蓋茨和史蒂夫。巴爾默以外的其它人來(lái)扮演主角。所以，AOL與微軟的主演競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手RealNetworks建立了深厚的盟友關(guān)系。RealNetworks在市場(chǎng)上處于地位，擁有2億多注冊(cè)用戶(hù)。但是，該公司雖然擁有龐大的用戶(hù)，但一直無(wú)法向用戶(hù)收費(fèi)，特別是微軟在Windows操作系統(tǒng)中免費(fèi)搭配上Winfows Media Player以后，RealiNetworks更加難于向用戶(hù)收費(fèi)了。
AOL向RealNetworks公司提供了限度的支持。去年7月，AOL宣布在自己的最新版AOL6.0軟件中搭配安裝 RealNetworks公司的RealPlayer播放器，使RealNetworks直接面向AOL的3000萬(wàn)用戶(hù)。今年4月2日，AOL選定 RealNetworks公司作為即將推出的MusicNet音樂(lè)訂購(gòu)服務(wù)的合作伙伴。
MusicNet音樂(lè)訂購(gòu)服務(wù)是由時(shí)代華納音樂(lè)唱片公司、百代唱片公司（EMI）和BMG古典音樂(lè)世界三家公司聯(lián)合推出的，在 RealNetworks公司的技術(shù)支持下，向人們提供各種可供下載的數(shù)字音樂(lè)。據(jù)一名數(shù)字媒體專(zhuān)家表示，RealNetworks向人們提供了一個(gè)選擇余地，使Windows不能獨(dú)專(zhuān)。
游戲計(jì)劃
在線(xiàn)游戲是AOL和微軟垂涎三尺的另一個(gè)領(lǐng)域。視頻游戲一旦聯(lián)網(wǎng)，游戲機(jī)將成為一個(gè)類(lèi)似于PC的平臺(tái)，可以銷(xiāo)售廣告、音樂(lè)等服務(wù)。5月15日，AOL 與索尼達(dá)成了一項(xiàng)交易，允許索尼在PlayStion2下一代產(chǎn)品中安裝AOL的e-mail和即時(shí)短消息收發(fā)軟件。交換條件是，索尼將在游戲機(jī)中安裝上一個(gè)適配器，允許消費(fèi)者訪(fǎng)問(wèn)AOL的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)內(nèi)容以及在線(xiàn)游戲。今年年底，索尼將在硬盤(pán)上安裝RealNetworks的RealPlayer和 RealJukebox軟件，然后把硬盤(pán)直接安裝到PlayStation2游戲機(jī)上。
AOL達(dá)成的一系列交易只有一個(gè)目的，那就是阻止微軟長(zhǎng)驅(qū)直入，挫敗微軟的銳氣。11月6日，微軟即將推出Xbox新一代游戲系統(tǒng)，號(hào)稱(chēng)要投資5億美元打一場(chǎng)閃電戰(zhàn)。據(jù)波士頓CIBC市場(chǎng)調(diào)查公司的一名分析家說(shuō)：“游戲并不是AOL和RealNetworks公司的核心業(yè)務(wù)，但他們不想對(duì)微軟拱手相讓?！?BR> 在AOL的勢(shì)力范圍（如有線(xiàn)電視），微軟采取的是防御性結(jié)盟戰(zhàn)略，盡管微軟保持低調(diào)，稱(chēng)與AOL結(jié)盟具有重要的戰(zhàn)略意義。微軟的發(fā)言人說(shuō)：“我們采取依靠第三方支持的戰(zhàn)略向前推進(jìn)。但是否與AOL合作，關(guān)鍵要看AOL希望與微軟達(dá)成怎樣的合作關(guān)系?！弊?997年，微軟已在Comcast公司和 AT&T公司分別投資了10億和50億美元，以保證自己在互動(dòng)電視的發(fā)展中保持強(qiáng)大的勢(shì)力。
據(jù)波斯頓調(diào)查公司Yankee Group的一名分析家說(shuō)：“微軟一直致力于在有線(xiàn)電視領(lǐng)域取得一席之地。目前，業(yè)界已推舉微軟是互動(dòng)電視領(lǐng)域的兩大競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者之一?！蔽④浀耐顿Y雖然不能直接撼動(dòng)時(shí)代華納公司在有線(xiàn)電視的霸主地位，但畢竟給AOL構(gòu)成了一定威脅。
AOL助推Sun微系統(tǒng)公司
與此同時(shí)，AOL熱心于團(tuán)結(jié)反微軟陣營(yíng)中的其它公司。1月份，AOL向微軟的死對(duì)頭Sun微系統(tǒng)公司購(gòu)買(mǎi)了價(jià)值4億美元的產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)，在銷(xiāo)售如此不景氣的情況下著實(shí)推了Sun微系統(tǒng)公司一把。目前，AOL擁有4000多臺(tái)Sun服務(wù)器。
反過(guò)來(lái)，微軟于最近考驗(yàn)了AOL的3000萬(wàn)撥號(hào)上網(wǎng)用戶(hù)對(duì)AOL的忠實(shí)度。AOL在5月份把服務(wù)價(jià)格上漲了9%，而MSN的價(jià)格卻保持不變，同時(shí)向新用戶(hù)提供三個(gè)月免費(fèi)服務(wù)，而且微軟投資了5000萬(wàn)美元用于市場(chǎng)促銷(xiāo)。到目前為止，AOL宣稱(chēng)提價(jià)還沒(méi)有造成傷害。
很明顯，由這些巨人主宰的數(shù)字世界還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不能稱(chēng)其為完全敞開(kāi)的市場(chǎng)，但值得慶幸的是，這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)在兩大巨人之間展開(kāi)，他們擁有大量的現(xiàn)金、足夠的創(chuàng)新和爭(zhēng)勝精神。如果沒(méi)有AOL的幫助，RealNetworks可能只有落得個(gè)像Netscape一樣的命運(yùn)；相反，微軟的雄厚資金阻止了AOL獨(dú)霸撥號(hào)上網(wǎng)業(yè)務(wù)。兩大超級(jí)巨人可能誰(shuí)也無(wú)法取勝，只有消費(fèi)者可能漁翁得利。
Two titans are left standing in the wake of the dot-com collapse. There's AOL Time Warner （AOL ） spanning media， Internet access， and cable television. Equally formidable is Microsoft， cutting its impressive swath through the software world. Talks between the two recently broke down over how Microsoft's much-anticipated XP operating system would interact with AOL's Internet services. That has fueled much speculation over which company will emerge victorious in the battle for the loyalty of a new generation of Netizens.
Billed as the ultimate cyberwar， it's likely to be a complicated affair with a lot of Cold War sparring， alliance-building， and grabbing of strategic tech territory. While Microsoft and AOL compete directly in such areas as dial-up access， instant messaging， and interactive TV， there are many others where they don't. For instance， AOL doesn't have an operating system， and Microsoft isn't a media company. It's in these no-contact zones where the Cold War is most active.
Both giants are busy forming alliances to create new spheres of influence. And the propaganda is hot and heavy， too. "We fundamentally don't think that consumers should be left with the same choice in music players or anything else that they're left with in spreadsheets， [word-processing] programs， and other……software. That's a choice of MS or nothing at all，" argues John Buckley， AOL Time Warner's vice-president for corporate affairs.
WORTHY OPPONENTS. Do consumers stand a chance in a market carved up by two corporate superpowers？ Surprisingly， the answer may be yes. For the first time in a decade， AOL and Microsoft each face an adversary with real clout. Ultimately， an unwinnable war may keep competition healthy in important emerging markets， such as digital media， electronic games， and cable.
Witness the battle over streaming-media technology. AOL doesn't make a media player —— but it wants to make sure that someone besides Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer does. So it's building a strong alliance with RealNetworks， Microsoft's competitor in streaming technology. The Seattle-based company is the market leader， with more than 200 million registered users. But RealNetworks， founded by former Microsoft employee Rob Glaser， has had a tough time spinning cash from those users. That's particularly true since Microsoft gives its similar Windows Media Player away free as part of its ubiquitous Windows operating system.
AOL is giving RealNetworks maximum backing. Last July， AOL announced that it would bundle RealNetworks' RealPlayer into the newest version of AOL， 6.0， giving RealNetworks access to AOL's 30 million-strong subscriber base. On Apr. 2， AOL chose RealNetworks as a partner for its upcoming music-subscription service， MusicNet.
The service， a partnership between Time Warner Music， EMI， and BMG， will offer a wide collection of downloadable and streaming music backed by RealNetworks' technology. "Whether it's a portable device， a game machine， or something else， if you don't want to be sucked into the world of Windows， you need another alternative，" says one digital-media expert. "Clearly Real is becoming a tool of companies that don't want to do everything with Windows."
GAME PLAN. Online gaming is another area both AOL and Microsoft covet. Once video games are routinely connected to the Net， the console becomes a valuable platform， much like the PC， from which ads， music and， of course， video games can be sold. On May 15， AOL struck a deal with Sony to include its e-mail and instant messaging programs in the next version of PlayStation 2.
In exchange， Sony will build an adapter into the game console that allows consumers to access AOL Internet features and play Net-enabled games. By yearend， Sony also will include RealNetworks' RealPlayer and RealJukebox software on hard drives that can be added to PlayStation 2 consoles.
The furious dealmaking by AOL is all aimed at blunting Microsoft's steady move into the market. On Nov. 8， Gates & Co. will launch the new Xbox game system in a $500 million marketing blitz that is sure to cause damage. Gaming "isn't a core area for either AOL or RealNetworks， but neither wanted to cede it to Microsoft，" says John Corcoran， an analyst at CIBC Markets in Boston.
Microsoft is likewise making defensive alliances in areas of AOL strength， such as cable TV， though it plays down the notion that keeping AOL in check is of strategic importance. "We're moving ahead with a strategy that relies a lot on third-party support. But it's up to AOL to decide how they want to partner with Microsoft，" says company spokesman Jim Cullinan. Since 1997， Microsoft has invested $1 billion in Comcast （CMCS ） and $5 billion in AT&T （T ） to ensure that it keeps a big hand in the development of interactive TV.
"Microsoft is working hard to become a player in the cable industry. And the industry has anointed Microsoft as one of the two players in the interactive-TV space，" says Michael Goodman， a cable analyst at the Boston research firm Yankee Group. While such investments don't directly undermine Time Warner cable properties， they help keep rival cable operators on the digital edge.
BOOSTING SUN. Meanwhile， AOL is keen on building solidarity with other companies in the anti-Microsoft camp. In January， AOL gave Microsoft archrival Sun Microsystems （SUN ） a big boost in a time of slumping sales by purchasing $400 million in products and services. That's on top of the $500 million worth of equipment it AOL bought in 1998. AOL now uses more than 4，000 Sun servers.
More recently， Microsoft moved to test the loyalty of AOL's 30 million dial-up network users. When AOL hiked its prices by 9% in May， MSN's prices stayed flat， and it offered three months of free service to new customers. Gates & Co. also spent $50 million in the market push. So far， AOL claims the price hike hasn't hurt it.
Clearly， a digital world dominated by these titans is a long way from the wide-open markets that many analysts were predicting only 18 months ago. The not-so-bad news is that the new battle for the Net is between two well-oiled machines， with lots of cash and plenty of incentive to innovate and keep their competitive edges sharp. Without AOL， RealNetworks might have gone the way of Netscape. Microsoft's deep pockets keep AOL from dial-up domination. While neither superpower may win， the consumer just might.
參考譯文
隨著微軟進(jìn)軍互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，AOL-TW遭遇到前所未有的強(qiáng)大敵手?；ヂ?lián)網(wǎng)上，一場(chǎng)冷戰(zhàn)打響了。
兩大巨人依然屹立在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)坍塌的廢墟中。一個(gè)巨人是AOL時(shí)代華納公司，勢(shì)力范圍包括媒體、互聯(lián)網(wǎng)接入和有線(xiàn)電視；另一個(gè)巨人是微軟，它是軟件業(yè)的霸主。最近，兩大巨人在微軟XP操作系統(tǒng)與AOL在線(xiàn)網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)如何互動(dòng)的問(wèn)題上沒(méi)能取得一致，雙方談判失敗。談判失敗營(yíng)造出一個(gè)懸念：AOL和微軟在爭(zhēng)奪新一代網(wǎng)民的戰(zhàn)斗中，誰(shuí)將最后取勝呢？
這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)斗堪稱(chēng)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)超級(jí)大戰(zhàn)，雙方將運(yùn)用“冷戰(zhàn)”談判、結(jié)盟、占領(lǐng)技術(shù)制高點(diǎn)等各種戰(zhàn)術(shù)。一方面，微軟和AOL在撥號(hào)上網(wǎng)、短消息服務(wù)和互動(dòng)電視等領(lǐng)域短兵相接；但另一方面，他們有很多領(lǐng)域沒(méi)有短兵相接，比如AOL沒(méi)有操作系統(tǒng)，而微軟沒(méi)有媒體公司。但是，恰恰是在這些沒(méi)有短兵相接的領(lǐng)域，冷戰(zhàn)顯得最為激烈。
目前，兩大巨人到處尋找盟友，試圖營(yíng)造新的勢(shì)力范圍。AOL時(shí)代華納的副總裁約翰。巴克利（John Buckley）辯稱(chēng)：“我們堅(jiān)信，消費(fèi)者在音樂(lè)播放等方面不應(yīng)該只有一個(gè)選擇。但是，消費(fèi)者在電子表格、文字處理及其它軟件方面卻只有一個(gè)選擇，那完全是微軟的選擇！”約翰的話(huà)語(yǔ)十分辛辣，卻十分沉重。
兩大對(duì)手勢(shì)均力敵
兩大超級(jí)巨人霸占了整個(gè)市場(chǎng)，消費(fèi)者能夠從中得利嗎？答案是肯定的。十多年來(lái)，AOL和微軟破天荒第一次遇到了真正的敵手，最終的結(jié)果將是誰(shuí)也無(wú)法在這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)斗中取勝，從而使數(shù)字媒體、電子游戲和有線(xiàn)電視等市場(chǎng)處于一個(gè)良性競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。
以媒體播放技術(shù)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)為例。AOL在媒體播放技術(shù)領(lǐng)域不是主角，但希望有除比爾。蓋茨和史蒂夫。巴爾默以外的其它人來(lái)扮演主角。所以，AOL與微軟的主演競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手RealNetworks建立了深厚的盟友關(guān)系。RealNetworks在市場(chǎng)上處于地位，擁有2億多注冊(cè)用戶(hù)。但是，該公司雖然擁有龐大的用戶(hù)，但一直無(wú)法向用戶(hù)收費(fèi)，特別是微軟在Windows操作系統(tǒng)中免費(fèi)搭配上Winfows Media Player以后，RealiNetworks更加難于向用戶(hù)收費(fèi)了。
AOL向RealNetworks公司提供了限度的支持。去年7月，AOL宣布在自己的最新版AOL6.0軟件中搭配安裝 RealNetworks公司的RealPlayer播放器，使RealNetworks直接面向AOL的3000萬(wàn)用戶(hù)。今年4月2日，AOL選定 RealNetworks公司作為即將推出的MusicNet音樂(lè)訂購(gòu)服務(wù)的合作伙伴。
MusicNet音樂(lè)訂購(gòu)服務(wù)是由時(shí)代華納音樂(lè)唱片公司、百代唱片公司（EMI）和BMG古典音樂(lè)世界三家公司聯(lián)合推出的，在 RealNetworks公司的技術(shù)支持下，向人們提供各種可供下載的數(shù)字音樂(lè)。據(jù)一名數(shù)字媒體專(zhuān)家表示，RealNetworks向人們提供了一個(gè)選擇余地，使Windows不能獨(dú)專(zhuān)。
游戲計(jì)劃
在線(xiàn)游戲是AOL和微軟垂涎三尺的另一個(gè)領(lǐng)域。視頻游戲一旦聯(lián)網(wǎng)，游戲機(jī)將成為一個(gè)類(lèi)似于PC的平臺(tái)，可以銷(xiāo)售廣告、音樂(lè)等服務(wù)。5月15日，AOL 與索尼達(dá)成了一項(xiàng)交易，允許索尼在PlayStion2下一代產(chǎn)品中安裝AOL的e-mail和即時(shí)短消息收發(fā)軟件。交換條件是，索尼將在游戲機(jī)中安裝上一個(gè)適配器，允許消費(fèi)者訪(fǎng)問(wèn)AOL的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)內(nèi)容以及在線(xiàn)游戲。今年年底，索尼將在硬盤(pán)上安裝RealNetworks的RealPlayer和 RealJukebox軟件，然后把硬盤(pán)直接安裝到PlayStation2游戲機(jī)上。
AOL達(dá)成的一系列交易只有一個(gè)目的，那就是阻止微軟長(zhǎng)驅(qū)直入，挫敗微軟的銳氣。11月6日，微軟即將推出Xbox新一代游戲系統(tǒng)，號(hào)稱(chēng)要投資5億美元打一場(chǎng)閃電戰(zhàn)。據(jù)波士頓CIBC市場(chǎng)調(diào)查公司的一名分析家說(shuō)：“游戲并不是AOL和RealNetworks公司的核心業(yè)務(wù)，但他們不想對(duì)微軟拱手相讓?！?BR> 在AOL的勢(shì)力范圍（如有線(xiàn)電視），微軟采取的是防御性結(jié)盟戰(zhàn)略，盡管微軟保持低調(diào)，稱(chēng)與AOL結(jié)盟具有重要的戰(zhàn)略意義。微軟的發(fā)言人說(shuō)：“我們采取依靠第三方支持的戰(zhàn)略向前推進(jìn)。但是否與AOL合作，關(guān)鍵要看AOL希望與微軟達(dá)成怎樣的合作關(guān)系?！弊?997年，微軟已在Comcast公司和 AT&T公司分別投資了10億和50億美元，以保證自己在互動(dòng)電視的發(fā)展中保持強(qiáng)大的勢(shì)力。
據(jù)波斯頓調(diào)查公司Yankee Group的一名分析家說(shuō)：“微軟一直致力于在有線(xiàn)電視領(lǐng)域取得一席之地。目前，業(yè)界已推舉微軟是互動(dòng)電視領(lǐng)域的兩大競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者之一?！蔽④浀耐顿Y雖然不能直接撼動(dòng)時(shí)代華納公司在有線(xiàn)電視的霸主地位，但畢竟給AOL構(gòu)成了一定威脅。
AOL助推Sun微系統(tǒng)公司
與此同時(shí)，AOL熱心于團(tuán)結(jié)反微軟陣營(yíng)中的其它公司。1月份，AOL向微軟的死對(duì)頭Sun微系統(tǒng)公司購(gòu)買(mǎi)了價(jià)值4億美元的產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)，在銷(xiāo)售如此不景氣的情況下著實(shí)推了Sun微系統(tǒng)公司一把。目前，AOL擁有4000多臺(tái)Sun服務(wù)器。
反過(guò)來(lái)，微軟于最近考驗(yàn)了AOL的3000萬(wàn)撥號(hào)上網(wǎng)用戶(hù)對(duì)AOL的忠實(shí)度。AOL在5月份把服務(wù)價(jià)格上漲了9%，而MSN的價(jià)格卻保持不變，同時(shí)向新用戶(hù)提供三個(gè)月免費(fèi)服務(wù)，而且微軟投資了5000萬(wàn)美元用于市場(chǎng)促銷(xiāo)。到目前為止，AOL宣稱(chēng)提價(jià)還沒(méi)有造成傷害。
很明顯，由這些巨人主宰的數(shù)字世界還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不能稱(chēng)其為完全敞開(kāi)的市場(chǎng)，但值得慶幸的是，這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)在兩大巨人之間展開(kāi)，他們擁有大量的現(xiàn)金、足夠的創(chuàng)新和爭(zhēng)勝精神。如果沒(méi)有AOL的幫助，RealNetworks可能只有落得個(gè)像Netscape一樣的命運(yùn)；相反，微軟的雄厚資金阻止了AOL獨(dú)霸撥號(hào)上網(wǎng)業(yè)務(wù)。兩大超級(jí)巨人可能誰(shuí)也無(wú)法取勝，只有消費(fèi)者可能漁翁得利。