AOL is conducting internal tests on a new version of Aol Mail, two sources tell us.
SIlicon Valley product boss Brad Garlinghouse is supervising the project, code-named "Phoenix."
The name is appropriate, because Aol Mail needs a rise from the ashes.
From a top position, AOL Mail has fallen to fifth in overall market share. Unique visitors to AOL Mail are down 32% year-over-year. ComScore ranks it behind Yahoo, MSN, Google, and MySpace.
The stat AOLers are passing around internally: The average consumer now has 2.4 email addresses – not including “other inboxes” like Facebook and Twitter. The number is rising.
AOL began fixing Aol Mail earlier this year by removing 60% of the ads splattered across the product. AOL also began recycling old email addresses, allowing new users to get the addresses they really want.