AOL to close Seattle office |
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AOL to close Seattle office
AOL -- which is making the transition to an independent company this week after its failed merger with Time Warner-- plans to close its Seattle office over the next four months. About 30 people -- many of whom work on mobile products such as Mobile Mail and Mobile AIM -- are losing their jobs as a result of the closure, according to a source familiar with the plans.
Representatives at AOL did not return emails or calls seeking comment. But the decision does raise questions about AOL's commitment to mobile initiatives now that one of the core offices providing those technologies is shutting down.
Our source -- who asked that his name not be used -- indicated that AOL's mobile plans are now up in the air.
AOL established a beachhead in Seattle after purchasing the text input startup Tegic Communications in 1999. It later added to the office through the purchase of Wildseed in 2005, a deal that didn't quite work out as planned.
Employees were notified of the closure late last month, with a handful being offered relocation packages to Silicon Valley.
At one point, more than 150 people worked in the Seattle office though that number has dwindled over the years after AOL divested the Tegic and Wildseed assets.
John Cook is co-founder of TechFlash. Follow on Twitter @johnhcook.
About John Cook
John Cook is co-founder and executive editor of TechFlash. He has been covering the technology beat for nearly a decade, writing about startups, entrepreneurs and venture capital, most recently serving as a reporter/blogger at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
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