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Expedia Inc. is an American online travel agency owned by Expedia Group, which is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. When Microsoft Corporation launched Expedia on the Microsoft Network in October 1996, it was the first online travel service to be offered by a major technology company, allowing consumers to make air, car, and hotel reservations online and to browse a library of multimedia travel guides. Expedia was founded on October 22, 1996, inside Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, led by Richard (Rich) Barton and a small team who saw an opportunity to bring transparent airfare, hotel, and car booking directly to consumers without travel agents. The name "Expedia" is a portmanteau of the words "exploration" and "speed."