3. Amazon.com Basics
Amazon.com sells lots and lots of
stuff. The direct Amazon-to-buyer
sales approach is really no different
from what happens at most other
large, online retailers except for its
range of products.
4. Amazon Technology
The massive technology core that keeps
Amazon running is entirely Linux-based. As of
2005, Amazon has the world's three largest
Linux databases, with a total capacity of 7.8
terabytes (TB), 18.5 TB and 24.7 TB respectively
[ref]. The central Amazon data warehouse is
made up of 28 Hewlett Packard servers, with
four CPUs per node, running Oracle 9i database
software.
5. Amazon E-commerce
Amazon.com has always sold goods out of
its own warehouses. It started as a
bookseller, pure and simple, and over the
last decade has branched out into
additional product areas and the third-party
sales that now represent a good chunk of
its revenue .
6. Amazon Tools, Marketing and
Community
The goal is pretty straightforward: "To be
Earth's most customer-centric company
where people can find and discover
anything they want to buy online." The
implementation is complex, massive and
dynamic.
7. More Great Links
Amazon.com: Amazon Web Services
ISP Glossary: Database Management System
CNET News: How Amazon puts Linux to the test
Technology Review: Amazon: Giving Away the Store
Wired News: Amazon Knows Who You Are
8. Sources
"After Many Years, Turbolinux Finally Goes Public." The Linux Beacon, Volume 2, Number 36. September 27, 2005.
http://www.itjungle.com/tlb/tlb092705-story05.html
"Amazon Knows Who You Are." Wired News. http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,67034,00.html
"Amazon lauds Linux infrastructure." ComputerWeekly.com. http://www.computerweekly.com/Article127751.htm
Amazon.com: Amazon Web Services. http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/002-9074061-5706435?
%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=3435361
Amazon.com Help: Is it safe to enter my card number online? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/518224/104- 4492038-
0437536#secure
Amazon.com Media Kit http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-mediaKit
"AMR Research on OracleBI 10g." Oracle. http://h50055.www5.hp.com/tw/Campaign/Downloads/HP_IT64_Forum/6_Track_E/E3.pdf
Kleinschmidt, Cory. "The Book on Amazon.com's A9 Search Engine." Traffick.com. http://www.traffick.com/article.asp?aID=161
Roush, Wade. "Amazon: Giving Away the Store." Technology Review.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/01/issue/roush0105.asp
Shankland, Stephen. "How Amazon puts Linux to the test." CNET News.com. http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-5145482.html
Sharma, Dinesh C. "Amazon opens second development unit in India." ZDNet. http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9588_22-5905899.html
Terdiman, Daniel. "Amazon looks to solve problems that stump computers."
ZDNet.http://news.com.com/Amazon+looks+to+solve+problems+that+stump+computers/2100-1007_3-5942800.html
Winter, Richard and Auerbach, Kathy. "Contents Under Pressure." Intelligent Enterprise.
http://www.intelligententerprise.com/print_article.jhtml?articleID=18902161