History and development
Yahoo, founded in January 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo, began as a directory of other websites, a kind of guide to the early Internet. It quickly developed into one of the leading Internet portals, offering a wide range of services, including a search engine, e-mail service, news, financial information and shopping. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Yahoo was one of the most visited websites on the Internet and played a key role in the early stages of Internet development before it was confronted with the rise of Google, Facebook and other technology giants.
Main services and offers
Yahoo’s best-known services include Yahoo Mail, one of the first major free e-mail services, and Yahoo News, a leading news source. Yahoo Finance offers extensive financial news, data and commentary, while Yahoo Sports provides sports news and coverage. Despite intense competition in these areas, Yahoo remains an important resource for millions of users worldwide who rely on its services for their daily information needs.
Challenges and changes
Over the years, Yahoo has faced numerous challenges, including a decline in advertising revenue, loss of market share in search and difficulties in adapting to the mobile Internet. Several changes of CEO and attempts to reposition the company were unable to halt its decline. In 2017, Yahoo’s core business was purchased by Verizon Communications and merged with AOL to form a new entity called Oath, later renamed Verizon Media. Despite these changes, the Yahoo brand will remain for many of its core services.
Future prospects
Yahoo’s future under Verizon Media is to concentrate on strengthening its core businesses, with a particular focus on news, sports, finance and email. The strategy focuses on using data and technology to improve the user experience and expand the advertising business. In addition, Yahoo could explore new growth areas, such as digital media, artificial intelligence and machine learning, to stay relevant in the rapidly changing digital landscape.
Overall, Yahoo remains a significant chapter in the history of the Internet, a pioneer that helped shape many of the services and technologies that are taken for granted today. Despite the challenges and changes over the years, the Yahoo brand remains an integral part of the digital ecosystem.
