Infinitive Splitter

On the cutting edge, as always:

AOL LLC said today it will offer e-mail and other online services for free to all broadband customers and it will end its efforts to recruit new dial-up subscribers, as part of a major strategy shift to build its business around online advertising.

The Dulles company said it expects to cut $1 billion through the end of next year, mostly by scaling back marketing efforts related to its dial-up Internet service. The company plans to instead recruit more visitors to sign up as members on its Web site, aol.com, by luring Internet users who left AOL within the past two years to get their old e-mail addresses back.

“Now we offer AOL services for free, there is no reason for anyone to leave AOL,” said Jeff Bewkes, president and chief operating officer of AOL parent company Time Warner Inc.

Welcome to the 21st Century, where email is free and AOL is totally obsolete.

Remind me: how well did giving away instant messenger access — your one useful service — help you hold on to those millions of paying customers?

Send the answer to my Gmail address.