威瑞森電信將以44億美元收購美國在線

Verizon Communications agreed Tuesday to buy AOL for $4.4 billion in an all-cash deal that will see today's king of Mobile acquire the one-time king of media. Instead of aiming at desktop computers, Verizon and AOL want to put content and new advertising technology on today's most ubiquitous computing device, the cellphone.

週二，威瑞森電信(Verizon Communication)同意以44億美元（約合273億元人民幣）的價格收購美國在線(AOL)，這筆全現金交易將見證當今的移動通訊之王收購曾經的媒體之王的過程。威瑞森電信和AOL沒有瞄準臺式電腦，而是打算將內容及新的廣告技術用於當今最普遍的計算裝置——手機中。

Verizon is betting that by adding a layer of entertainment, advertising and services to its vast network of smartphones, it can attract more customers and find new sources of revenue.

威瑞森希望，通過向其龐大的智能手機網絡加入娛樂、廣告及服務，該公司能夠吸引更多顧客，找到新的收入來源。

“Verizon's vision is to provide customers with a premium digital experience based on a global multiscreen network platform,” Lowell C. McAdam, Verizon's chief executive, said in a statement. “This acquisition supports our strategy to provide a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers to deliver that premium customer experience.”

“威瑞信希望爲用戶提供基於全球多屏網絡平臺的優質數碼體驗，”威瑞信首席執行官洛厄爾·C·麥克亞當(Lowell C. McAdam)發表聲明稱。“這一併購交易支持我們的戰略，即爲用戶、創造者和廣告主提供一種跨屏連接，從而爲用戶帶來優質的客戶體驗。”

With its purchase of AOL, Verizon is redoubling its push to become a leader in so-called over-the-top video, shorthand for television content distributed through the Internet.

通過收購AOL，威瑞信正加倍努力成爲所謂的OTT視頻領域的領跑者，OTT視頻指的是通過網絡傳播的電視內容。

“The world is going mobile, and it is going there really quickly,” said Tim Armstrong, AOL's chief executive. “The combination will be a big chair at a big table. We have assets that can cleanly plug in and scale on top of Verizon's platform.”

“世界正在向移動化發展，而且速度非常快，”AOL首席執行官蒂姆·阿姆斯特朗(Tim Armstrong)說。“因此產生了一個巨大的機遇。我們擁有足夠的資產，可以依託於威瑞森的平臺，輕易地抓住這個機遇，並加以擴大。”

He will stay with AOL after the acquisition and said that by doing so, he would be positioned to help build the phone company's growing content business.

收購完成後，他將繼續留在AOL，還表示這樣做有助於這家電話公司發展正在壯大的內容業務。

In acquiring AOL, Verizon is buying more than websites that host streaming content. AOL also manages a dwindling but profitable dial-up Internet business, providing online access for those who live in areas too remote to have broadband, or who never canceled their subscriptions.

通過收購美國在線，威瑞森購買的不僅是提供流內容的網站。AOL還在運營數量不多、但利潤較高的撥號上網業務，爲那些因爲地處偏遠而無法安裝寬帶或從未取消註冊的人提供上網服務。

Verizon will pay $50 a share for AOL, a 17 percent premium over the company's closing share price of $42.59 on Monday. Verizon will fund the deal with cash and short-term debt.

威瑞森將以每股50美元的價格收購AOL，比公司週一42.59美元的收盤價高了17%。威瑞森將用現金和短期債務來爲此次交易籌資。

AOL comes with plenty of distractions, most notably the fate of The Huffington Post. Details of The Huffington Post's business have not been disclosed, but late last year Armstrong said Huffington Post sites brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

隨AOL而來的還有一些煩心事，其中最引人注目的就是《赫芬頓郵報》(The Huffington Post)的命運。關於《赫芬頓郵報》業務的細節尚未公佈，但阿姆斯特朗去年表示，它的網站帶來了數億美元的年收入。

Asked if Arianna Huffington, who runs the network of domestic and international news sites, was planning to work for Verizon, Armstrong said: “Yes, definitely.”

當被問到阿里安娜·赫芬頓(Arianna Huffington)——公司的國內和國際新聞網站網絡的負責人——是否計劃爲威瑞森工作時，阿姆斯特朗說：“當然會。”

Huffington declined to comment.

赫芬頓拒絕置評。

The closing of the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected this summer.

此次交易需接受監管機構審覈，預計將於今年夏天完成。