America Online Appoints Dr. Terry Crane Vice President for Education Products.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2000

Educational Technology Veteran to Manage AOL@SCHOOL

and Other Education Initiatives

America Online, Inc. (NYSE: AOL), the world's leading provider of interactive services, today announced the appointment of Therese "Terry" K. Crane, Ed.D. as Vice President for Education Products, responsible for AOL's education initiatives, including the soon-to-be-launched AOL@SCHOOL.

With more than 27 years of experience as an educator, business executive and technology expert, Dr. Crane has been widely recognized as one of the nation's most innovative leaders in educational technology. She previously served as President of CompassLearning, formerly Jostens Learning Corporation, one of the largest educational software companies in the world, where she oversaw the management of the company's core K-12 software business and served as the key liaison to the education community.

Barry Schuler, President of AOL Interactive Services, said, "The interactive medium can transform education, making it easier than ever to share knowledge and expertise across boundaries of every kind. AOL is committed to helping the education community take advantage of these opportunities by providing convenient and easy to use interactive solutions for teachers and students. Terry Crane brings proven leadership and a record of achievement to this important effort."

Dr. Crane said, "With its unparalleled reach, tremendous technological and human resources, and incredible track record at making the Internet easy for people, no company is better positioned to make a significant impact on education than AOL. With AOL@SCHOOL and other initiatives, we can make the Internet a better, more useful resource for learning."

Prior to joining Jostens Learning in January 1997, Dr. Crane led Apple Computer's highly successful, multibillion-dollar education division. As Apple's senior executive in charge of worldwide strategic marketing, she developed long-term strategies for the consumer, education, publishing and scientific-technical customer markets.

Dr. Crane began her career in the classroom, serving the Richardson (TX) Independent School District as first an elementary school teacher and, later, intermediate principal. Intrigued by the possibilities personal computers held for her gifted and talented students, Dr. Crane designed and implemented the district's first technology plan in 1983.

Dr. Crane is co-chairman of the national CEO Forum for Education and Technology. The forum publishes a yearly report on the state of technology in U.S. schools. She is a trustee and past chairman of the National School Boards Foundation and has served on the Software and Information Industry Board. In 1999, eSchool News selected Dr. Crane as one of the "Impact 30"--top movers and shakers for educational technology for the decade.

A native of Texas, Dr. Crane has a doctoral degree in administrative leadership and a masters in early childhood education from the University of North Texas. Dr. Crane earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education and mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.

AOL@SCHOOL, slated for release later this month, is a revolutionary new teaching tool designed to harness the Internet's power in the classroom by offering a variety of age-appropriate educational content and special safety tools. Developed in conjunction with parents, teachers and a wide range of education organizations, AOL@SCHOOL will be available free to schools nationwide. Dr. Crane joins AOL's Executive Director of Education, Mark A. Nixon, in managing AOL@SCHOOL.

About America Online, Inc.

Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies, and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates: two worldwide Internet services, America Online, with more than 22 million members, and CompuServe, with more than 2.5 million members; several leading Internet brands including ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the Netscape Navigator and Communicator browsers; AOL MovieFone, the nation's #1 movie listing guide and ticketing service; and Spinner.com and NullSoft's Winamp, leaders in Internet music. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems, the company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end e-commerce and enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy