# Alexa Internet

> former American web traffic analysis company

**Wikidata**: [Q230051](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230051)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexa_Internet)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/alexa-internet

## Summary

Alexa Internet was an organization in the Internet industry. Its products included the Alexa Toolbar.It was dissolved on May 1, 2022.[1].

## Summary
Alexa Internet was a former American web traffic analysis company founded in April 1996 and dissolved on May 1, 2022. Operating as a subsidiary of Amazon, the company specialized in commercial web intelligence and data collection, primarily through its Alexa Toolbar. It was established as an enterprise and database organization focused on tracking Internet traffic.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** April 1996
- **Dissolution:** May 1, 2022
- **Type:** Business, enterprise, and database
- **Headquarters Location:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Owner:** Amazon (American multinational technology company)
- **Founders:** Brewster Kahle and Bruce Gilliat
- **Key Product:** Alexa Toolbar (former browser extension for tracking Internet traffic)
- **Website:** https://www.alexa.com/
- **Aliases:** Alexa, alexa.com, Alexa Internet, Inc.
- **Sitelink Count:** 73

## FAQs
**When did Alexa Internet operate and cease operations?**
The company was founded in April 1996 and remained active until its dissolution on May 1, 2022.

**Who founded Alexa Internet?**
The company was founded by American computer engineer Brewster Kahle, who also founded the Internet Archive, and American businessman Bruce Gilliat.

**What was the primary function of Alexa Internet?**
It functioned as a web traffic analysis company and database, tracking Internet usage through a browser extension known as the Alexa Toolbar.

**Which company owned Alexa Internet?**
Alexa Internet was owned and operated by Amazon, the American multinational technology company headquartered in Seattle.

**Where was Alexa Internet based?**
The company was located in San Francisco, California, within the United States.

## Why It Matters
Alexa Internet served as a significant organizational unit in the field of web analytics, providing a structured database of Internet traffic data. As an enterprise benefiting from autonomy in resource allocation, it played a specific role in the commercial analysis of global web usage. Its operations contributed to the broader ecosystem of the Internet, a global system of connected computer networks, by offering metrics derived from user activity via the Alexa Toolbar. The company's eventual dissolution in 2022 marked the end of a specific era of browser-based traffic tracking tools.

## Notable For
- Being founded by Brewster Kahle, a notable digital librarian and computer engineer.
- Developing the Alexa Toolbar, a former browser extension specifically used for tracking Internet traffic.
- Operating as a subsidiary under Amazon, a major technology company with over 1.5 million employees reported in 2023.
- Maintaining a conceptual connection to the Library of Alexandria, one of the largest libraries of the ancient world.
- Operating for over 25 years before being dissolved in May 2022.

## Body

### History and Status
Alexa Internet was established in April 1996 as an American web traffic analysis company. It functioned as a business and enterprise, specifically defined as an organizational unit producing goods or services with a degree of autonomy in decision-making. The company operated until its dissolution on May 1, 2022. Throughout its existence, it was also known by the aliases Alexa, alexa.com, and Alexa Internet, Inc.

### Ownership and Parent Company
Alexa Internet was owned and operated by Amazon. Amazon is an American multinational technology company founded on July 5, 1994. The parent company is headquartered in Seattle, specifically at 410 Terry Avenue North, with the postal code 98101. Amazon operates as a massive entity in the retail, web hosting service, and e-commerce industries. By 2023, the company reported a workforce of 1,500,000 employees, having grown significantly from 154,100 employees in 2014.

### Products and Technology
The company developed and utilized the Alexa Toolbar, a former browser extension used specifically for tracking Internet traffic. This tool allowed Alexa Internet to gather data to populate its database, an organized collection of data in computing. The technology was integral to the company's operations, enabling the analysis of web traffic across the Internet, which is a global system of connected computer networks based on IP addressing and routing protocols that originated in 1969.

### Key People
The entity was associated with two key figures:
*   **Brewster Kahle:** An American computer engineer, digital librarian, entrepreneur, and archivist. Born on October 22, 1960, he is also noted as the founder of the Internet Archive.
*   **Bruce Gilliat:** An American businessman and computer scientist. Born on May 30, 1959, he held citizenship in the United States.

### Location and Geography
Alexa Internet was physically located in San Francisco, California, a consolidated city and county in the United States. San Francisco was incorporated on September 9, 1850, and is part of the state of California, which joined the United States on the same date. The United States, the country of origin for the company, declared independence on July 4, 1776, and had its independence recognized by the Treaty of Paris in 1784.

### Business Classification and Context
As a business, Alexa Internet was classified under the category of organizations undertaking commercial, industrial, or professional activity. It shared conceptual relationships with other entities such as the Library of Alexandria, an ancient library located in Alexandria, Egypt. The company's structure involved elements of a branch office, defined as an outlet of an organization that does not constitute a separate legal entity but is physically separated from the main office.

## References

1. [We will be retiring Alexa.com on May 1, 2022](https://support.alexa.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410503838999)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Alexa Internet
4. [Source](https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/alexa.com/)
5. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
6. Quora