Amazon Web Services (AWS) is not only one of the largest and most popular cloud service providers but also a real veteran in this field. With a 33% share of the cloud infrastructure services market in 2023, AWS is like Godzilla in the world of clouds – big, powerful, and unbeatable. But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility, and AWS is no exception1.
AWS was established in the early 2000s when Amazon built Merchant.com, an e-commerce-as-a-service platform that allows external sellers to develop their online stores2. In July 2002, AWS launched its first web services, opening the Amazon.com platform to all developers. The developers’ unexpected interest surprised Amazon, convinced him that developers were “hungry” for access to its infrastructure, and began working on AWS as a separate product3.
Strengths
Maturity and Reliability
AWS has been in the cloud game for a long time, and it shows. They’ve had years to refine their services, resulting in a robust and reliable platform trusted by businesses of all sizes. AWS’s infrastructure is spread across 77 Availability Zones within 24 geographic regions worldwide, with announced plans for more Availability Zones and Regions in Indonesia, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland. This extensive global presence means that AWS can offer significant stability and redundancy to its customers, leading to superior uptime and reliability4.
Wide Range of Services
AWS has a service for everything, from computing power and storage to machine learning and analytics. This wide range of services makes it a one-stop shop for businesses looking to move their operations to the cloud. As of 2023, AWS offers over 200 fully-featured services from data centres globally, including compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile services, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management5.
Reputation and Support
AWS has a strong reputation in the cloud services industry, backed by a large network of partners and many certified professionals. As of June 2023, more than one million active AWS Certifications grew more than 29% over the past year. More than 650,000 individuals hold associate, professional, or speciality AWS certifications6. This vast network of certified professionals and partners attests to AWS’s reputation and ensures that businesses using AWS can easily find qualified professionals and support.
AWS also offers extensive support services to its customers. AWS Premium Support includes 24/7 access to a team of technical support engineers, a response time of less than 15 minutes for critical issues, and support for a wide range of AWS services7. This level of support can be crucial for businesses that rely on their cloud services for critical operations.
Weaknesses
Complexity
With so many services, AWS can be overwhelming for new users. Knowing where to start can be difficult, and the learning curve can be steep. The sheer breadth of AWS’s service offerings, while a strength, can also be a weakness. It can be challenging for users to understand which services best fit their needs, how to configure those services optimally, and how to manage costs effectively. AWS’s service names and categorization can sometimes be confusing, adding to the complexity.
High Price
While AWS offers much value, it’s not always the most affordable option. Other cloud service providers may offer more competitive pricing depending on your needs. However, as Mariusz Juszczyk from Hostersi points out,
AWS can be more expensive compared to other providers, especially for certain types of resources. However, there are ways to pay for AWS services cheaper than the official price list – from several to even several dozen percent. How to do it? For example, buy through significant AWS partners who have the possibility of reselling AWS services, like Hostersi. Additionally, AWS is one of the most generous providers when it comes to migrating to the cloud or supporting startups. It has dedicated programs like AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP), AWS Activate, or others available only to partners, within which you can fully finance migration costs and enjoy free infrastructure for a full year.
Conclusion
AWS, born from the e-commerce giant Amazon.com, understands the needs of e-commerce platforms like no other. Its focus on performance optimization and cost efficiency aligns perfectly with the requirements of e-commerce businesses. AWS offers a robust and reliable service, a wide range of features, and an extensive global infrastructure. However, its complexity and pricing can be challenging for some. Despite these, challenges can be mitigated with strategies like buying through significant AWS partners or taking advantage of AWS’s great migration and startup support programs. Given these factors, AWS is a powerful ally for any e-commerce business unless there are other important considerations.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Need a consultancy?
If you have a project you’d like to share with us, or even just a quick question, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch below!
Click Here