Andreessen Leaving AOL Post
America Online Inc. on Friday said that Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen’s short-lived stint as chief technology officer is over, and that the chief strategist of AOL ally Sun Microsystems Inc. had agreed to take the role.
Dulles, Va.-based AOL said Andreessen--poster boy for the young-nerd-turned-Internet-millionaire phenomenon--will become a part-time strategic advisor on emerging Internet companies.
In Andreessen’s place, AOL said it named William Raduchel, Sun’s chief strategy officer and the lead architect from Sun’s side of the AOL-Netscape-Sun alliance that was a crucial leg of America Online’s acquisition of Netscape in March.
AOL’s hiring of Raduchel provides further evidence of the growing bonds between the two companies, which are collectively the industry’s leading suppliers of Internet services, computer hardware and software. AOL and Palo Alto-based Sun have worked in close partnership to sell Internet business software since AOL’s acquisition of Web pioneer Netscape closed earlier this year.
Raduchel, who joined Sun in 1988, had served as chief information officer, chief financial officer and human resources chief, becoming its chief deal maker in early 1998.
In taking over as AOL’s chief technologist, Raduchel will be the company’s technology strategist, focusing on AOL’s network design, technologies and strategic alliances. At Sun he was responsible for corporate planning and long-term strategy.
Andreessen will advise AOL on emerging technologies and new investments. He plans to split his time between working with start-ups and with AOL on technology issues and potential investments.
“The kinds of things that interest me are the things that are becoming possible as the Internet becomes more widespread,” Andreessen said in an interview with Reuters.
During his short tenure as AOL’s chief technologist, Andreessen had focused on developing “AOL Anywhere,” the company’s bid to expand beyond computers, offering AOL’s range of Internet services through TV, phone or hand-held computer. In a separate phone interview, Raduchel said he too would focus on developing the AOL Anywhere strategy.
AOL stock closed up 6 cents at $96.31 on the New York Stock Exchange. Sun rose $1.50 to close at $85.69 on Nasdaq.
