Yahoo
Yahoo is a well-known Web Portal, Search Engine, and Internet Service Provider founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 while they were graduate students at Stanford University. Initially known as "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web," it was renamed Yahoo! in 1994, a playful acronym for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle."
History
- Founding: Yahoo was incorporated in March 1995. Its first venture capital funding came from Sequoia Capital.
- IPO: In April 1996, Yahoo had its initial public offering (IPO), raising $33.8 million and valuing the company at $848 million.
- Expansion: Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Yahoo expanded its offerings through acquisitions like GeoCities, Broadcast.com, and Flickr. It also launched its own email service, Yahoo Mail, and messaging service, Yahoo Messenger.
- Challenges and Decline: Despite early success, Yahoo faced challenges in keeping up with competitors like Google in search technology and Facebook in social networking. Leadership changes, strategic missteps, and security breaches further impacted its standing.
- Acquisition by Verizon: In 2017, after years of struggling to redefine its business, Verizon Communications acquired Yahoo's core internet assets for $4.48 billion, integrating it into a new entity called Oath Inc., later renamed Verizon Media.
Services and Products
- Yahoo Search: Although once the market leader, Yahoo Search now uses Bing's search technology.
- Yahoo Mail: One of the oldest and most popular free email services, offering various features like spam filters and integrated calendar.
- Yahoo Finance: Provides financial news, stock market data, and personal finance advice.
- Yahoo News: An aggregation of news from various sources, with personalized news feeds.
- Yahoo Sports: Covers sports news, live scores, and fantasy sports.
- Yahoo Answers: A community-driven question-and-answer platform, which was closed in May 2021.
Corporate Structure and Leadership
Post-acquisition by Verizon, Yahoo has been part of Verizon Media. Leadership has seen several CEOs, including Marissa Mayer, who was brought in to revitalize the company but left after the acquisition by Verizon.
References
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