I’ll bet when you are browsing the Internet, chatting to a friend over Skype, or spending time on your favorite website, you don’t give much thought as to who owns it.
I’ll bet when you are browsing the Internet, chatting to a friend over Skype, or spending time on your favorite website, you don’t give much thought as to who owns it.
In fact, there are only a few major companies within the Internet market; it has become popular for large companies – such as Expedia or Microsoft – to own several smaller companies such as Hotels.com or Skype.
In fact, before Skype was owned by Microsoft, eBay bought them out. It is very common for internet companies to pass from owner-to-owner… it can be hard to keep up!
I could sit here all day telling you about all the different Internet brands, their stories and who owns them but, for simplicity’s sake, I will just focus on Trivago and Hotels.com.
The Rise of Expedia
Expedia started from humble beginnings as a single entity, helping consumers compare prices across different travel companies.
By using its search algorithm, Expedia compares prices for flights and hotels and delivers the lowest ones straight to you, including special Expedia offers, which the company is famous for.
Expedia’s primary goal is to expand through acquisition and, over the years, it has taken over other Internet giants such as Trivago and Hotels.com.
That’s not all, though; Expedia has acquired nearly twenty different travel-related companies since its inception.
You may be wondering why Expedia would want to acquire companies which offer a very similar service… it’s quite simple – Expedia wants to dominate the industry as a monopoly.
This is a common occurrence, especially for Internet companies. Microsoft, Google, eBay and Verizon have all spent money on acquiring several other big-name brands and websites to become the leaders in their industries.
Click on the image below to have a look at our infographic and discover the major players which are monopolizing their industries.
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