AOL still exists and Verizon might want to buy it for some reason

[RoadWarrior]

Verizon has approached AOL about a possible acquisition or joint venture, Bloomberg reported today, citing "people with knowledge of the matter."

"Verizon’s primarily interested in AOL’s programmatic advertising technology—the automated buying and selling of ads online—which two people said could be paired with a future online-video product," Bloomberg wrote. "With a takeover it would also gain Internet properties including The Huffington Post and subscribers who pay for Internet access."

That's right—some Internet users still pay AOL for dial-up service though the company's profits have been declining for years. AOL previously was part of a giant merger with Time Warner in 2000, but the pairing failed spectacularly, and the companies parted ways a decade later.

AOL still has 2.3 million paying members, Bloomberg wrote, but that's not the only value in the company. "A venture would allow Verizon to focus on the advertising technology as the company seeks expertise in three areas: online content, mobile video, and advertising," Bloomberg wrote. "The company also has held talks with several of AOL’s peers about how to bolster those businesses."

Verizon has not made a formal proposal, "and no agreement is imminent." Verizon and AOL declined to comment to Bloomberg. We contacted Verizon, and a spokesperson said the company is not commenting on the AOL rumor.