With Amazon Web Services (AWS) reporting a record $14.8 Billion in net sales in the second half of 2021, it’s easy to understand why they are the market leader in cloud computing services. Amazon controls more than a third of the cloud market, almost two times that of its closest competitor. So, what exactly is it that makes them so lucrative in comparison to other providers?
AWS Market Share
AWS offers over 200 fully-managed products and services from servers, storage, networking, serverless computing and security. They operate globally, via 84 availability zones which span 245 countries and territories. Diversifying their geographic locations allows them to service customers internationally, without having to compromise on security.
The benefits of using AWS are countless, extending upon its availability, security and performance – so let’s take a deeper dive into exactly why we, here at Experience Digital, partner and utilise AWS’ products and services as the go-to for our customers.
Why Do We Use AWS?
Alongside the abovementioned benefits of using AWS, one of the main value propositions outlined by Jeff Bezos is its ability to drive companies away from physical computing technology and into the cloud. With serverless computing one of the services offered by AWS, the need for physical infrastructure is completely removed. This means organisations no longer need a large upfront cost to invest in their own data centre, but rather can utilise one of AWS’ within their 26 regions across the globe.
Our startup customers who require consulting services find this most enticing as it not only mitigates upfront cost but also allows them to leverage AWS’ state of the art security for their data. The level of control and visibility provided by AWS’ security model mitigates concerns in regard to user data and privacy. We service a range of large government clients with an imperative requirement for high-level security and the wide range of AWS security services cater to their needs.
Let’s explore how AWS serves our customer’s broad range of diverse needs, and what their provisioned architecture can help them achieve.
Advantages
The Economy of Scale & Cost Saving
We live in a world that rapidly evolves, as do your requirements. ‘Locking in’ to contracts is no longer a suitable option for most organisations utilising cloud infrastructure, especially those with new businesses who are unsure of the size, scale and longevity of their ventures. One of the major benefits of using AWS is that you can elect for a payment model whereby you pay only when you consume computing resources and pay for how much you consume.
Furthermore, as a large global organisation, one of the major benefits of utilising AWS is leveraging the economy of scale. Due to their sheer number of customers (over 1 million), AWS can offer competitive and flexible pricing. Therefore ultimately, you can achieve a lower variable, pay-as-you-go cost due to the aggregate cost for AWS to operate in the cloud.
Scalability & Adaptability
AWS offers a range of purpose-built services designed to promote the availability and scalability of your compute resources. Our customers often cite scalability as high importance on their projects which refers to the infrastructure’s ability to support growth, adapt to rapid increases and unplanned spikes in traffic. Furthermore, minimising potential downtime in the instance of a cyberattack or server failure is also a crucial requirement.
Amazon EC2 offers Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) with resizable compute capacity in the AWS cloud. Offering complete control of the computing services, EC2 is customisable to your needs. Instances are categorised into three separate categories based on expected use and cost. EC2 uses the AWS Management Console, the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), or AWS Software Developer Kits (SDKs) for instant scaling in accordance with your evolving needs and makes it simple to deploy virtual servers and maintain storage.
Amazon RDS operates as another AWS service known for its scalability, providing a cost-efficient way to easily set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. Using the power of automation, time-consuming administration tasks are streamlined, freeing up more time for you to focus on your business.
Security & Reliability
As touched on above, AWS is known for their high-level security protocols. AWS offers a wide range of notable tools in the realm of security – from data protection and IAM to compliance and data security.
AWS services are governed by the Shared Security Model, which arguably sets them apart from their competitors. The model devises security responsibilities between AWS and their customers with AWS managing security of the cloud, whilst the customer manages security in the cloud.
For our customers who host multi-tier web applications or a public-facing website and want improved security posture, AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) enables a connection between on-premises resources to AWS infrastructure through a virtual private network. Amazon VPC provides the ability to control inbound and outbound access for your resources in your own virtual private network. This ultimately provides more granular control of the cloud network and an extra layer of security for workloads and data.
Increased Business Optimisation & Productivity
Due to the availability of AWS regions and the vast array of purpose-built tools available at the click of a button, it’s extremely easy to deploy globally. This equates to lower latency and therefore an increased customer experience. Additionally, utilising tools to automate workflows lessens the workload on dedicated IT support staff, sparing your organisation both time and extra expense. This allows seamless optimisation of business operations and the capability to focus more on what matters to your core business growth.
Our Partnership
We’ve worked closely with AWS for almost a decade, offering AWS products and services to our loyal customer base. From Government clients to Enterprise and Startup organisations, we help our customers solve their hardest problems with the right digital solutions.
As an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, we leverage AWS’ diverse array of tools to build web applications, facilitate cloud migrations, achieve security and compliance requirements and much more. We’re involved in multiple AWS Partner Programs to expand upon our knowledge and capability within the space and continue to provide the best, most relevant and aligned offerings. Our involvement in Partner Programs allows us to provide multiple incentives to customers, not only adding value but also increasing security as well as selected financial benefits.
Reach out today to learn more about how we can help you leverage the breadth and depth of AWS and its broad selection of purpose-built products and services.
Understanding the basics
Not sure where to start? We have a range of blogs available to help you understand the broad range of AWS offerings available. Check out how leveraging the AWS Well-Architected Framework will help you reduce costs, how to drive innovation with AWS IoT offerings and how to navigate serverless architecture.
Need help navigating the digital landscape? As mentioned, there is a multitude of AWS purpose-built services designed to assist you. Check out our range of services and book your consult today. We’re here to help you.
