Meta Platforms | Solutional Webdesign Antwerpen

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Meta Platforms, Inc. is a leading technology^[6] conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. It owns and operates a suite of popular digital platforms including Facebook^[7], Instagram^[8], Threads, and WhatsApp^[10]. As one of the top American information technology^[1] companies, Meta’s portfolio extends beyond social media^[4], with acquisitions in virtual reality^[3] (Oculus), mapping (Mapillary), brain-computer interface technology (CTRL-Labs), and a strategic investment in Jio Platforms. The company heavily relies on advertising^[5] for revenue. It went public in 2012, raising $16 billion in one of the largest IPOs in US history. In recent years, Meta has shifted its focus towards building a metaverse^[9], an integrated virtual environment, which led to its rebranding from Facebook in 2021. Despite facing challenges including data breaches, leadership changes, and changes in privacy^[11] regulations, the company continues to innovate in areas like artificial intelligence^[2] and new app development.

Terms definitions

1. ↑ information technology. Information technology (IT) is a broad term that encompasses the use of computers and other technologies to manage and process information. This field emerged from early discussions of computer science in institutions like MIT and Harvard, with pioneers such as Alan Turing playing key roles in the design of the first digital computers. IT has since evolved, with significant developments such as programmable computers, advances in semiconductor technology, and the rise of personal computers in the 1970s. Today, IT involves various components like computer hardware, software, and peripheral equipment. It also includes data processing and databases, which have revolutionized the way we store and retrieve information. As IT continues to permeate every aspect of our lives, it also raises ethical issues and challenges related to project management. But despite these challenges, IT remains a vital field that has transformed workforce, marketing, and commerce, among others.

2. ↑ artificial intelligence.

1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the field of computer science that aims to create systems capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence. These tasks include reasoning, learning, planning, perception, and language understanding. AI draws from different fields including psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and neuroscience. The field is prominent in developing machine learning models and natural language processing systems. It also plays a significant role in creating virtual assistants and affective computing systems. AI applications extend across various sectors including healthcare, industry, government, and education. Despite its benefits, AI also raises ethical and societal concerns, necessitating regulatory policies. AI continues to evolve with advanced techniques such as deep learning and generative AI, offering new possibilities in various industries.

2 Artificial Intelligence, commonly known as AI, is a field of computer science dedicated to creating intelligent machines that perform tasks typically requiring human intellect. These tasks include problem-solving, recognizing speech, understanding natural language, and making decisions. AI is categorized into two types: narrow AI, which is designed to perform a specific task, like voice recognition, and general AI, which can perform any intellectual tasks a human being can do. It's a continuously evolving technology that draws from various fields including computer science, mathematics, psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience. The core concepts of AI include reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, natural language processing, and perception. AI has wide-ranging applications across numerous sectors, from healthcare and gaming to military and creativity, and its ethical considerations and challenges are pivotal to its development and implementation.

Meta Platforms (Wikipedia)

Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta, and formerly named Facebook, Inc., and TheFacebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services. Meta ranks among the largest American information technology companies, alongside other Big Five corporations Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. The company was ranked #31 on the Forbes Global 2000 ranking in 2023.

Meta Platforms, Inc.
Logo used since 2021
Headquarters in Menlo Park, California
Trade name	Meta
Formerly	TheFacebook, Inc. (2004–2005) Facebook, Inc. (2005–2021)
Company type	Public
Traded as	Nasdaq: META (Class A) Nasdaq-100 component S&P 100 component S&P 500 component
Industry	Social media Social network advertising Consumer electronics Virtual reality
Founded	January 4, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-01-04) at Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Founders	Mark Zuckerberg Eduardo Saverin Andrew McCollum Dustin Moskovitz Chris Hughes
Headquarters	Menlo Park, California , U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Mark Zuckerberg (Chairman and CEO) Javier Olivan (COO) Susan Li (CFO) Andrew Bosworth (CTO) Chris Cox (CPO)
Products	Facebook Instagram Messenger Threads WhatsApp Meta Quest Horizon Worlds Ray-Ban Stories Mapillary Workplace Portal (discontinued) Diem (sold)
Revenue	US$134.9 billion (2023)
Operating income	US$46.75 billion (2023)
Net income	US$39.10 billion (2023)
Total assets	US$229.6 billion (2023)
Total equity	US$153.2 billion (2023)
Owner	Mark Zuckerberg (13.68% equity; 61.2% voting)
Number of employees	67,317 (2023)
Divisions	Reality Labs
Subsidiaries	Novi Financial

ASN	32934

Website	about.meta.com
Footnotes / references

Meta has also acquired Oculus (which it has integrated into Reality Labs), Mapillary, CTRL-Labs, and a 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms; the company additionally endeavored into non-VR hardware, such as the discontinued Meta Portal smart displays line and presently partners with Luxottica through the Ray-Ban Stories series of smartglasses. Despite endeavors into hardware, the company relies on advertising for a vast majority of its revenue, amounting to 97.8 percent in 2023.

Parent company Facebook, Inc. rebranded as Meta Platforms, Inc. on October 28, 2021, to "reflect its focus on building the metaverse", an integrated environment linking the company's products and services.

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