Amazon, founded in 1994, operates Amazon Web Services and the online store Amazon.com.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in July 1994, and the company began as an online bookstore. It expanded into many retail categories before developing major businesses in cloud computing, digital media, advertising, logistics, and consumer devices.
Amazon Web Services, usually called AWS, launched in 2006. It provides on-demand computing, storage, databases, networking, and other internet services to companies, governments, and developers. AWS is operated by Amazon but is separate from the retail website that most consumers know.
Amazon’s corporate headquarters are in Seattle and Arlington, Virginia. The company’s name is sometimes incorrectly treated as a reference to the online store alone. Amazon.com is a major product and sales channel, while Amazon.com, Inc. is the public company that owns AWS and the broader portfolio.