mobile posts

As more and more consumers start to make their mobile devices their primary devices, AOL has adjusted to these changing times with new products and solutions for a mobile first audience. Mobile apps have been at the forefront of a number of product launches, creating unique mobile experiences like Editions, Engadget Distro, AOL.com for iPad, the soon to be released Huffington. and new versions of Winamp and Moviefone.

Leading the charge to make sure all of these products are effectively monetized with our brand advertisers is Head of Monetization for AOL Mobile, Mandar Shinde. AOL is the 4th largest mobile property in the US*, and the work of Mandar and the AOL Mobile team is responsible for that reach, and ensuring AOL capitalizes on the Mobile marketplace.

Why does AOL put such a focus on mobile? Mandar thinks the opportunity and the timing is finally right, which can be seen in its increasing popularity: "There are more than 100 million smartphones in the US already creating more broadband connections on these smartphones than home broadband connections. There are probably 40 to 50 million tablets that are continuously replacing home desktop usage."

Mandar is aware that as users move to these screens, its imperative advertising will move to these screens – at end of the day it's a reach and frequency game, and that will never change. Mobile also provides a new set of tools that will cause both branders and performance buyers to reach this audience and goal themselves differently. Tools that desktop never had like calling, calendaring, and mapping. For example, Mandar knows that Mapquest on desktop is a planning tool while on Mobile it's a navigational utility – each attracting a different set of advertisers (desktop being more CPG/Brand centric before the purchase cycle and Mobile being more local driven to find a local food chain or a local hotel chain).

In his role focused on monetization, it's imperative that products meet the needs of advertisers and marketers as well. "With a personal device that goes with the consumer everywhere, it's just a matter of time before advertisers will find the right mix to reach their audience on the go. Mobile users tend to have a specific purpose (directions, food, etc.) or snacky behaviors (airport, subway, etc.) along with their ability to know their location. Contextual , and emotionally driven advertising becomes a logical fit sooner than later."

What trends should we expect in 2012? Mandar is putting his money on the continued growth of the tablet as a dominant home device. "We can expect close to 125 to 140 million smartphones in the US alone by the end of 2012, and around 75 to 100 million tablets to go with them. I think the release of Windows 8 will make an impact with the amount of developer base they will bring to Mobile and finally put some pressure on iOS and Android."

Along with being intimately involved in the development of AOL's Mobile products, Mandar is an active user of them as well (along with his young son): "I love our Distro and Moviefone Apps for iPad. Distro is awesome. Being a geek and a follower of 'show me the new hottest thing', Distro is awesome for me to download every Friday, and then consume in mass quantities when I am flying up/down the coast. Moviefone on the iPad on the other hand is just a natural tablet design that makes one think if all products could be designed so.... simply! My 3 yea- old has even figured how to get movie trailers to play! We are in the middle of an industrial design change and Apple is really driving it but there will be more players"

As you can see, Mandar's family is extremely important to him. Ask him, and he'll tell you how they inspire him to be better: "I love spending time with my son - observing him learn and grow makes me wiser every day. He just started his pre-K and swimming classes, so there is plenty to keep me very happily busy."

"My wife taught me that one can follow their hobbies keenly while keeping their career path intact (she is an engineer manager by profession but managed to follow her hobby and made it a second career as a stock photography model before our first child). She really put the ball out of the park when she did her first half marathon after our child was born (for someone who hated running). She has taught me that there is always time for personal achievements and work/life balance remains key."

Learn more about the products and services Mandar and the rest of the AOL Mobile team work on at http://mobile.aol.com/.

*comScore Media Metrix - Mobilens, March 2012; based on custom category built by AOL

As New York City's digital presence continues to grow, Mayor Bloomberg recently unveiled the launch of the "Made in NY" Digital Map, a visual testament to the vibrant state of New York's digital industry that links job seekers to employment opportunities. We are proud to be one of 325 companies featured in "Made in NY", and of course, we are hiring!

In fact, we'd like to take this as an opportunity to tell you a bit more about AOL careers on other forms of social media, too!

Here on the blog, check our new AOL Blog series "Heroes Wanted," which aims to bring you some of the most exciting employment opportunities within the many teams at AOL. Our first post goes in search of heroes to join our Mobile development team, who build some of the most fun and well-regarded mobile products in the business.

We've also just added a way to find and apply for job opportunities at AOL, Patch, Huffington Post and all of our associated brands on our AOL Facebook page.

Either way, we hope you'll take a second to learn more about AOL's open positions all around the world!

.@AOL Featured on "Made in NY" Digital Jobs Map aol.it/JzWDV9

- AOL PR (@AOLPR) May 22, 2012

Hi, my name is Sabrina, and I'm a recruiter on the AOL Talent Acquisition team. I'm excited to be the first to contribute to a new series for the AOL Blog that we're calling "Heroes Wanted." The series aims to bring you some of the most exciting employment opportunities within the many teams at AOL. This first post goes in search of heroes to join our Mobile development team, who build some of the most fun and well-regarded mobile products in the business!

In a world where millions of people use our products every month*, we rely on the power and pluck of the mobile software engineers to save the day. You were put on this earth to make a difference and we want to harness, develop and foster your skills and talent to help you achieve that goal. We are focused on the future. We have a solid plan in place to become the largest online content provider in the world and we're making strides every day. But what I truly think differentiates us from other companies are our people. We collaborate and work as a team creating a real sense of community.

We're searching for developers that are passionate about mobile technology. We have a dynamic team full of creative, ingenious AOLers that work hard and play hard. They've already made amazing products like my personal favorites Moviefone for iPad, Engadget Distro and AOL Play. To win the war on bad applications, we are on a mission to find the few, the proud, the super-talented. Our goal is to build intuitive and engaging mobile applications that even your parents can use. This means solving complex, unique and large-scale problems, working with a passionate team and creating compelling apps for the Android and iOS platforms. You'll battle dark forces daily and continually improve processes and tools to make the web a better place for all civilians.

Think you have what it takes? Can you answer Yes to all of the following questions?

• I have built high quality web applications that were published in the Android Market/Google Play and/or the Apple AppStore. I'll tell you all about them.
• When I build applications, I always consider how to create a great end-user experience because if I don't look out for those little guys, who will?
• I have a passion for mobile device technologies and a desire to increase my cadre of technology powers.
• I enjoy working within a league of other code heroes. Building apps is a team sport and I excel at communications – especially with team members and product or business owners.
• Also? I have a B.S. in Computer Science or a related field. My coding superpowers extend to Java and Android development and/or Objective-C/C++/C, Cocoa Touch and iOS development. Plus, I have hands-on experience developing software using object-oriented programming and killer design skills. Duh, obviously. I am a code superhero after all.

Interested in joining us? Visit our careers page to find out more, and visit our Heroes Wanted category on the AOL Blog for more great jobs!

*Internal mobile data

about.me now has an app for the iPhone. Built in collaboration with the AOL Mobile team, the app helps ensure your online identity goes wherever you go by delivering the about.me experience as well as access to exclusive mobile features that take advantage of location awareness. The new "Check Out" option lets you view pages of nearby users who are also using the feature, making it easier to connect meaningfully with new acquaintances offline.

More key features of the app include the ability to:

• Create your own about.me page
• Browse "Featured" and random pages and then email the user or share their page
• Search and add pages to your "Favorites" list
• View and update your own page

These join existing Web features that let you:

• Link to disparate social media pages (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
• Add discovery tags to help find like-minded people

Download the free application here.

.@aboutdotme launches mobile app aol.it/HjKjwh

- AOL PR (@AOLPR) April 6, 2012

This is the second post in our series profiling incredible women at AOL in honor of "Women's History Month."

An AOLer for over fifteen years, Christa Zambardino, VP of Sales for AOL homepages, has seen it all. Over her long career at AOL, Christa has witnessed first-hand the evolution of AOL into a company and brand, but also the progression of the industry as a whole.

We sat down with Christa to discuss a wide variety of topics including advertising trends, the importance of volunteerism and her thoughts on what differentiates the AOL homepage from its competitors. "For our users, it all starts here. Our homepage is really America's homepage. By integrating our unique canvases, our video assets like the 'You've Got...' series and featuring heart-warming stories, the homepage has a more personal feel that users identify with and want to wake up to in the morning and end their days with in the evening."

When Christa came aboard AOL there was no sales strategy for the homepage and she quickly identified that a category focus was needed. By working with marketing, her team created sales materials and messaging that catered to brands in all industries.

Combined with continuing technological advancements and a focused editorial strategy, the AOL homepage has seen huge growth in revenue, and a substantial increase in video views and video content displayed since 2010.¹ Providing personalization for users with different tactics like an emphasis on local offerings has also led to growth. "We introduced the local page, which uses your zip code to pull relevant information, whether its news from your local Patch town, directions for your neighborhood from MapQuest or movie times and listings from Moviefone, we use geo-targeted data to make our users' lives easier."

Discussing advertising trends that will impact 2012, Christa cites the importance of mobile and video. "We're working with our mobile team to take advantage of these added advertising opportunities. Over the next quarter we will continue to integrate rich media into our mobile offerings and possibly incorporate targeting capabilities to create a more complete experience."

One of the things that sets Christa apart is her commitment to helping others. At AOL, "We are in the business of helping people. Period" and Christa lives this value every single day. After volunteering in 2009 at the Ronald McDonald House New York during AOL's day of service, Monster Help Day, Christa made a personal connection to the house and wanted to look for new ways to continue to support the organization. After spending more time at the house, it was clear to Christa that they needed a new media room. Suggesting demolishing the house's dated computer room and starting fresh, Christa presented her proposal to the executive team and immediately received support for her project, engaging 20 different departments from designers to engineers to assist her along the way.

One year later, AOLers celebrated the room's completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with patients, their families and Kevin Jonas. The new AOL Media Room now includes brand new computers and digital equipment set up for one-on-one tutoring, and group learning scenarios for children in treatment, as well as their siblings staying at the House. The house was so thankful to Christa for all of her hard work that they recently asked to join the house's board of associates.

This year, in an effort to raise money for her NY marathon run, Christa created an AOL team that will run under the Ronald McDonald House name. All donations will go toward enhancing the house's music room, on behalf of Rory Wheeler, Christa's AOL colleague and marathon runner, who passed away from cancer late last year.

Christa's amazing accomplishments have not gone unnoticed at AOL. At this year's sales conference, Christa was recognized in front of all of her peers when she was honored with the Rory Wheeler Courage Award for her tireless philanthropic work both professionally and personally. "Cancer has been such a big part of my life, and I love showing people that giving back is an easy thing to do and does not take a lot of time. Being acknowledged in front of my peers and the whole company was incredible. I was so honored and proud to be part of AOL."

Source: AOL Internal Data

Christa Zambardino Talks AOL.com, America's Homepage and Giving Back aol.it/zQ4pnO

- AOL PR (@AOLPR) March 14, 2012