(1) For Meta's now-defunct video calling device, see
Meta Portal.
(2) A website that provides interactive services. For example, a website that stores a user's personal data may be called a portal such as a banking, cellular carrier or medical portal.
The original meaning of portal is a Web "supersite" that provides search, news, blogs, discussion groups and shopping. Portals such as Yahoo! and AOL also offer email, and some portals allow the home page to be personalized (see
personal portal).
The "Vortal" Vertical Portal
A portal term used for a while was the "vortal," which is a vertical portal for trade magazines, associations and special interest groups. Vortals provide news and articles applicable to their industry, and although it may include top news stories and weather, the search capability is typically limited. See
corporate portal,
business intelligence portal and
portal server.