Chapter 615： Firefly Empire

AOL is a company founded by Steve Case and several partners, and Steve Case does not have an absolute controlling stake in AOL. Two years ago, after the firefly invested in AOL, it became the largest shareholder of AOL with 3% of the shares. This is why Steve Case insisted that Eric should not participate in AOL management for a period of time.

At this time, it was less than a year since the fireflies did not participate in the US online business for three years, but Steve Case felt that Eric did not care much about AOL’s management rights. The vision has always been placed on the broader industrial chain layout.

After weighing a moment, Steve Case tested: "Eric, I personally very much hope to join this alliance program, but I don't think there is a need for AOL to strip all of its online business, right? ?"

In the original time and space, AOL was stimulated by the highly fragile online business in the late Internet wave, completely deviating from its own development foundation, and devoted more energy to the network business such as portal websites, so that after the Internet bubble burst It was suddenly discovered that its technology development in the broadband field was even worse than that of traditional network service providers. This also led to the rapid loss of online users in the United States. After the bustling, the value of the bubble burst was over. The $100 billion expensive 'fireworks feast' has not yet adjusted the way forward for AOL, making this company a part of its wealth empire.

"Steve, although it is a few years later than AOL, but with Yahoo's current huge user advantage, it is not difficult for Yahoo! Networks to get involved in the network service provider field and surpass AOL, but it is not a last resort. I don't want to. I will choose to do this because I hope that Yahoo will be able to focus on its existing business and do it to the extreme. Similarly, I also hope that AOL can maximize the role of network service provider. I believe in Under the close cooperation of our three-party alliance, taking advantage of the rise of the Internet industry, AOL can only surpass the traditional service providers such as Att and Comcast in a few years. At that time, AOL could also adopt the M&A method. Expanding into the field of cable service providers, the Firefly Group can also provide cable content support for AOL." Here, Eric paused slightly, leaving Steve Case with a moment of thinking time, again The tone said solemnly: "So, now, become an industry giant and adhere to the most diversified development. After you can't do anything better between the two, which one do you choose?"

Steve Case gave a faint smile, and he heard that Eric did not give him a second choice. If you can't be an ally, you are likely to become an enemy. He also felt embarrassed about Eric's words. If he could become an industry giant with att, Comcast, and Time Warner, it would not be a tough choice to abandon online business.

"Eric, this matter is related to the future of AOL, I need to communicate with Bill, and..." Steve Case raised the alliance plan in his hands, saying: "America Online It has already generated profits, but the existing capital is not enough to support this plan. I hope that AOL can launch the ipo plan in advance."

usually. In a mature capital market, after a company goes public, as more investors join, equity will become more and more dispersed. The discourse power of shareholders is gradually weakened, and the corresponding management will also gain greater power. Although the mind has already tended to Eric's plan, Steve Case still does not want AOL to be a **** in the Eric industry layout, and he hopes to gain more control.

"In order to get more money after ipo, I hope that AOL will continue to maintain its original listing pace," Eric shook his head. Denying Steve Case's suggestion, he doesn't mind Steve Case's desire to gain more control, but at this time, AOL's market capitalization is less than $2 billion, even if it is publicly issued. % of the shares, the amount of financing will not exceed 200 million US dollars, but if you can push the time back one year, the same shareholding ratio, the funds can be doubled. Directly annihilating Steve Case's thoughts, Eric quickly stuffed a sweet date in the past: "As long as AOL agrees to the affiliate program, Firefly can provide AOL with $200 million in low-interest debt. Financing, and will not require any additional terms, as an ally, Yahoo! Networks will also use the platform such as the portal to actively promote advertising for AOL, and even become a network service distributor for AOL."

Steve Case’s heart has not had much resistance when he heard the promise of a $200 million low-interest debt financing. However, Steve Case asked questioningly: "Eric, Yahoo became the United States." What does an online distributor mean?"

Eric said: "Yahoo is about to release an application. I believe this software is as popular as online email service and browser software. If AOL is willing, Yahoo can build the US on this software. Online online login module, I believe this will greatly promote the promotion of AOL's online access business, and because the core of the business is not in this respect, Yahoo's required division only needs to be slightly higher than the maintenance cost."

At present, most operating systems do not have a dedicated network connection function. In order to access the Internet, in addition to the necessary hardware, it is also required to load the login software of the network service provider. This login method can provide an advertising promotion platform for the service provider. , earning a huge extra profit, so it has not completely disappeared after twenty years.

If Eric said the app is really as popular as browser software, Steve Case will certainly not reject the collaboration. When he continued to ask, Eric did not reveal more.

When it comes to this, the issue of AOL's franchise has basically been resolved, and the specific cooperation plan will be discussed after Steve Case's exact answer is given tomorrow. Eric then couldn't wait to chat with everyone about another plan to promote the construction of adsl broadband network, which is the most urgent thing at present. Eric’s request is not too high. At present, the Internet can only provide restrictions on text, pictures and a small amount of audio content. As long as the average speed is increased to a stable 512 kbps as soon as possible, and the charging mode is changed. Providing a cheap monthly package, Yahoo's development in recent years will no longer be limited by the network environment.

After years of operation, AOL has accumulated enough experience in network deployment and service operations. Cisco's industry-leading technology can also quickly solve the hardware equipment needed for new broadband network construction. Even able to provide a complete network solution for AOL, Firefox and Yahoo's advertising resources on the film and media and web portal will also solve the promotion of new network services, so a few people with a slightly excited mood chatted. Unconsciously, I have spent an entire night. The five people present are not even workaholics, but the work of overnight work often occurs. When the sky outside the window is gradually lit up, the five people do not have any sleepiness. They just go back to their personal rooms and wash them together. Go to the floor to have breakfast.

Throughout the night, perhaps more and more talked about the reason, Eric unconsciously revealed many Internet concepts that have not yet appeared, big data, cloud computing, e-commerce, anti-virus software... all in all, think of it I said nothing, until I noticed that the other four people have seen a noticeable change in their expressions. Eric quickly converges, but even so, Eric knows that his image in a few people's minds is estimated to be close to aliens.

Steve Case even raised the idea of ​​opening an American online-operated chain of Internet cafes in major cities in the United States because of Eric’s suggestion. Originally, there was no concept of Internet cafes in 1994. The impression of Internet cafes in Eric’s memory is not very good, but he knows that because of strict regulatory systems, Internet cafes in the West are not rampant, but as one theory says. Everyone can cook at home, but the restaurant is still everywhere, and the same is true for Internet cafes. The Internet cafes in the West should be more called Internet cafes. Most of them are the combination of Internet cafes and cafes, more similar to a leisure place.

Eric is also very much in favor of Steve Case's thoughts. The Internet cafes that appear in advance are like the free wifi provided by Google’s tech giants more than a decade later, allowing more ordinary people to access the Internet if the United States The online chain commerce business is really big enough, and it will also play a role in promoting the popularity of the network. but. All of these need to be upgraded in the US online after the implementation of adsl broadband technology, and, after the windos95 this more simple and easy to use operating system, with adsl high-speed broadband, then the feasibility of this plan is indeed very high.

Last night, Steve Case was originally planning to delay by discussing excuses with other partners, but this morning, influenced by the prospects of the vast Internet industry depicted by Eric, Steve Kay It’s a fanatical supporter of Erik’s information industry alliance plan, just by phone with other AOL partners and some executives, this matter is determined, John Chambers’s side Of course, there is no obstacle. Compared with AOL, Cisco's current equity has been more dispersed. Except for the largest 21% shareholding in Eric's hands, it has not found more than 1% of other shareholders. So John Chambers, who is ceo, can decide this.

That being the case, with Eric's current opportunity in Boston, several people directly started the discussion of the next phase of the cooperation program.

On the other side, Bill Gates, who came back to Boston many years later, was also quite beautiful. Speeches, interviews, and banquets from several universities and Boston local media celebrities came one after another. It was also obvious that I agreed to visit Yahoo’s headquarters with Eric. After being smashed by him, Eric was busy discussing the cooperation of the Information Industry Alliance with John Chambers and Steve Case, and hoped that the students would be able to have more 'scenarios' for a few days. By the time Bill Gates finally heard the news that Eric met with John Chambers and Steve Case, when he personally called, Yahoo and AOL, Cisco's alliance program has been basically drafted.

Eric Biel Gates’s style of action is too clear, so there is no idea to pull in the big classmates. This is a master who sees what business wants to blend together. Although it cooperated with IBM in the 1980s, because in recent years, Microsoft wants to get involved in the hardware business that coincides with IBM, the cooperation between the two parties has been There was a deep crack. If it wasn't too difficult to develop the processor chip, Eric believes that Microsoft definitely doesn't mind adding a foot to Intel's site. In the original time and space, involving all areas of the Internet industry, Microsoft basically has a attitude of seeing the geese flying over, regardless of whether they want to eat or not, portals, instant messaging, online mailboxes, etc. Haven't let go.

For the upcoming cooperation with Microsoft, Eric did not hide from John Chambers and Steve Case, and revealed some of the reasons and purpose of doing this, and this did not hinder the tripartite The alliance agreement, the cooperation program has been revised in some detail, Ian Gernier, John Chambers and Steve Case, respectively, on behalf of Yahoo, Cisco and AOL signed the agreement, then John Chambers and Steve Case quickly rushed back to the location of their respective companies and began preparations for the implementation of the alliance program.

Things go to this stage, such as instant messaging software and browser literal translation scripting language projects, there is no need to hide from Steve Case and John Chambers, in order to facilitate the scattered people in the United States can always plan for the alliance Communicating the implementation plan, Eric deliberately used the ycr instant messaging software still in the state of internal testing to set up the first official chat tribe in the history of instant messaging, pulling all the principals of these companies into, and For this ycr tribe has a very windy name for the Firefly Empire.

Until many years later, the world's most widely used instant messaging software ycr circle has been circulating a legend, in the huge ycr social network world, there is a mysterious tribe, this tribe does not even have a number, ordinary people can not Find it, and there is no qualification to join, even if the user wants to create a counterfeit tribe of the same name, it will be banned by the system. Any member of this tribe has a status of overwhelming clouds in their respective fields of industry. Any news from this tribe may cause economic fluctuations worldwide. Many people who have had the privilege of being exposed to the tribe's information on the scales of the tribe have said that it is not the ridiculous Rothschild who really has the ability to control the world, not the Jews, not the so-called Masonic, but the electronic tribe named the Firefly Empire. A group of people who truly control the lifeblood of the global economy. (To be continued.)