America Online (AOL), established in 1983, initially focused on providing online content and services through its proprietary software. AOL introduced its email service in the mid-1990s, which quickly gained popularity. By the early 2000s, AOL had become one of the largest online services, with millions of users. However, AOL struggled to adapt to the shift towards web-based email services, and its user base declined significantly. In 2009, AOL was spun off from its parent company, and in 2015, it was acquired by Verizon. Today, AOL's email service continues to operate, albeit with a much smaller user base.