Amazon owns AWS, the cloud-computing division that helped transform an online bookstore into a technology giant.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, and the company began as an online bookstore. It opened its website to customers in July 1995, initially operating under the name Cadabra before adopting Amazon. The business soon expanded into many retail categories.
Amazon Web Services launched in 2006 with services that let organizations rent computing power, storage, and other infrastructure over the internet. This model reduced the need for many customers to purchase and maintain all their own physical servers. AWS became a major source of Amazon’s operating income and an important reason the company is valued as more than a retailer.
Amazon has also developed logistics, advertising, digital media, devices, and subscription services. Its market capitalization reflects investor expectations about these businesses, not simply the value of products held in warehouses.