Amazon operates the Amazon online marketplace and AWS cloud-computing service.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore. The company broadened its selection over time, turning its website into a large marketplace where Amazon and independent sellers offer goods to customers around the world.
Amazon Web Services, usually called AWS, became a second major engine of the company. It provides on-demand computing infrastructure and services to businesses, governments, developers, and other organizations. AWS helped popularize the use of rented cloud resources instead of company-owned data centers.
Amazon also operates logistics, advertising, streaming, devices, and subscription businesses. A common mix-up is treating Amazon’s retail marketplace and AWS as separate companies; both are major divisions of Amazon.com, Inc.