Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating Web sites that use a search engine to generate and maintain extensive databases of Internet addresses and content in an easily searchable format (and known as Web search portals) or providing other information services not elsewhere classified. Establishments known as Web search portals often provide additional Internet services, such as email, connections to other Web sites, auctions, news, and other limited content. Illustrative Examples: News clipping services Telephone-based recorded information services Stock photo agencies Web search portals
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Information 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Information sector comprises establishments engaged in the following processes: (a) producing and distributing information and cultural products, (b) providing the means to transmit or distribute these products as well as data or communications, and (c) processing data. The main components of this sector are motion picture and sound recording industries; publishing industries, including software publishing; broadcasting and content providers; telecommunications industries; computing infrastructure providers, data processing, Web hosting, and related services; and Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services. The unique characteristics of information and cultural products, and of the processes involved in their production and distribution, distinguish the Information sector from the goods-producing and service-producing sectors. Some of these characteristics are: 1. Unlike traditional goods, an ''information or cultural product,'' such as an online newspaper or a television program, does not necessarily have tangible qualities, nor is it necessarily associated with a particular form. A movie can be viewed at a movie theater or through television broadcast, video-on-demand, or streaming services. A sound recording can be aired on radio, embedded in multimedia products, streamed, or sold at a record store. 2. Unlike traditional services, the delivery of these products does not require direct contact between the supplier and the consumer. 3. The value of these products to the consumer lies in their informational, educational, cultural, or entertainment content, not in the format in which they are distributed. Most of these products are protected from unlawful reproduction by copyright laws. 4. The intangible property aspect of information and cultural products makes the processes involved in their production and distribution very different from goods and services. Only those possessing the rights to these works are authorized to reproduce, alter, improve, and distribute them. Acquiring and using these rights often involves significant costs. In addition, technology has revolutionized the distribution of these products. It is possible to distribute them in a physical form, via broadcast, or online. 5. Distributors of information and cultural products can easily add value to the products they distribute. For instance, broadcasters add advertising not contained in the original product. This capacity means that unlike traditional goods distributors, they derive revenue not from sale of the distributed product to the final consumer, but from those who pay for the privilege of adding information to the original product. Similarly, a directory and mailing list publisher can acquire the rights to thousands of previously published newspaper and periodical articles and add new value by providing search and software and organizing the information in a way that facilitates research and retrieval. These products often command a much higher price than the original information. Excluded from this sector are establishments primarily engaged in custom design of software; mass reproducing software or other prerecorded audio and video material on magnetic or optical media; producing live artistic and cultural works or productions; and performing in or creating artistic and cultural works or productions as independent (i.e., freelance) individuals. |
| 519 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services subsector group establishments supplying information, storing and providing access to information, searching and retrieving information, and operating Web sites that use search engines to allow for searching information on the Internet. The main components of the subsector are libraries, archives, and Web search portals. |
| 5192 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services subsector group establishments supplying information, storing and providing access to information, searching and retrieving information, and operating Web sites that use search engines to allow for searching information on the Internet. The main components of the subsector are libraries, archives, and Web search portals. |
| 51929 | Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 519290. |
| 519290 | Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating Web sites that use a search engine to generate and maintain extensive databases of Internet addresses and content in an easily searchable format (and known as Web search portals) or providing other information services not elsewhere classified. Establishments known as Web search portals often provide additional Internet services, such as email, connections to other Web sites, auctions, news, and other limited content. Illustrative Examples: News clipping services Telephone-based recorded information services Stock photo agencies Web search portals |
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Classification References
- 01Providing wired broadband Internet access services using own operated telecommunications infrastructure--are classified in U.S. Industry 517111, Wired Telecommunications Carriers;
- 02Providing Internet access via client-supplied telecommunications connections--are classified in Industry 517810, All Other Telecommunications;
- 03Publishing and distributing content they create or own, including gaming site publishers--are classified in Subsector 513, Publishing Industries;
- 04Formatting content, provided by a customer, for streaming and providing hosting and infrastructure support on behalf of the content owner, generally on a contract or fee basis--are classified in Industry 518210, Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services;
- 05Operating news syndicates--are classified in Industry 516210, Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers; and
- 06Operating libraries and archives--are classified in Industry 519210, Libraries and Archives.
Index Items
Clipping services, news
Internet search portals
Internet search Web sites
News clipping services
Portals, web search
Press clipping services
Search portals, Internet
Stock photo agencies
Telephone-based recorded information services
Title search services (except real estate)
Web search portals
How Item Can Help
Item.com optimizes inventory accuracy and picking routes within physical distribution centers, reducing errors and speeding up order fulfillment for web search portals' retail and e-commerce clients.
The platform provides real-time visibility into customer orders across all channels, enabling seamless order routing, splitting, and automated tracking updates for diverse business operations.
TMS streamlines last-mile delivery logistics by optimizing routes and managing carrier costs, which is critical for the fast delivery expectations of information service portals.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 519290.
Internet & Mobile Association of Canada
Industry association representing digital and mobile technology service providers including search portals.
US Small Business Administration Industry Directories
Government page providing official classification and resources for small business information services.
ICANN
Non-profit organization responsible for the operation of the global DNS infrastructure used by web search engines.
