Will the pyramid
remain standing?

AOL is seeing online ad sales slowing down, casting more doubt on its decision to move from a subscription service to an ad-supported portal, reports The New York Times.

Pressure to keep ad prices competitive, combined with lower expected search usage, contribute to the slow in ad income growth.

In the third quarter of this year income grew at 13 percent which, while an increase, is less of an increase than in '06.

Part of the pessimistic outlook is due to the assertions that, according to AOL, many high-spending companies are coming to the end of their contracts. The loss of great chunks of income will not help matters.

This week AOL confirmed its intention to acquire Quigo, its fourth ad platform purchase this year.