model, it has gradually evolved as a general portal with different content, webmail services, search engine, chat, and a web community.

According to Audiweb in November 2015, half of all Italian web surfers visit the portal each month — over 13 million users.

Today, Virgilio still provides information content organized into vertical thematic channels; with Webmail, search, chat, and community products.

[3] The portal was owned by Matrix S.p.A., founded in 1995 by Paolo Ainio, Carlo Gualandri and Marco Benatti, which since 1999 was controlled 66% by the SEAT Pagine Gialle group along with De Agostini, and then in 2001 came under the control of TI Media and finally in August 2004 by Telecom Italia.

The merger of the two companies gave birth to Italy's leading Web portal,[4] which in early 2013, will take the name of Italiaonline S.p.a.,[5] becoming a Società per azioni.