Magento is an open-source Content Management System for E-Commerce websites. The software was originally developed by Varien Inc., a US private company headquartered in California. Varien Inc. published the first general-availability release of their software on March 31, 2008. Later sold shares of the company to eBay, which is now the sole owner of Magento. Now Magento has more than 240,000 merchants worldwide.