Yahoo Overview

Running Head: YAHOO! OVERVIEW

Abstract

Yahoo! is one of the largest pure-Internet companies in the world, comprised of many strategic units and subsidiaries. Throughout its colorful 15-year history, it has been a pioneer in many web-related applications. Given the worldwide economic downturn, Yahoo! continues to leverage its strengths to flourish in this business environment. There are many challenges to Yahoo’s market share, especially from Internet companies like Google. Yahoo!’s new CEO, Carol Bartz, while headed in the right direction, based on recent quarterly numbers, still faces many challenges to sustain and grow its market share in its various divisions.

Yahoo! Overview:

History, Products, and Challenges

Yahoo! began as a hobby for Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Wang. Founded in 1994, the company has grown tremendously, becoming a pioneer in the way we communicate and share information. It has attracted millions of users to become one of the most visited sites on the Internet, through its content and services. It has a worldwide presence, offering services in more than 30 languages and over 25 countries. The company’s headquarters is in Sunnyvale, California.

Sites and Services

Yahoo! provides many online services for its users. Its main portal, www.yahoo.com, allows quick access to the latest news, entertainment, and sports information, and other services like Mail, Maps, Finance, Groups, and Messenger.

The company main divisions fall into 5 categories: Integrated Consumer Experiences (Yahoo! Home Page, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Toolbar, Yahoo! Local, and Connected TV over the Web, mobile, or TV), Applications (Communities - Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, and Flickr, and Communications – Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger), Search (Yahoo! Search), Media Products (Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports, and Yahoo! Entertainment & Lifestyles), and Solutions (Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports, and Yahoo! Entertainment &...