Amazon operates the AWS cloud platform and the Amazon online marketplace.
Amazon Web Services, commonly called AWS, provides computing power, storage, databases, networking, and other online infrastructure. The Amazon marketplace connects shoppers with products sold by Amazon and by independent third-party merchants.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore. The company expanded into many categories and developed logistics, digital media, devices, advertising, and cloud computing. AWS launched publicly in 2006 and became a major source of Amazon’s operating income.
Amazon is often listed among the world’s largest companies by market capitalization. Its value reflects several businesses rather than online retail alone. AWS and the retail marketplace also have different economics: cloud services sell computing infrastructure, while retail involves inventory, fulfillment, delivery, and customer transactions.