Amazon Web Services or AWS is the suite of cloud computing services offered by Amazon over the internet. AWS offers more than 165 services in areas of computing, storage, networking, database, analytics, application services and much more. While there is no dearth of cloud solutions in the marketplace, AWS happens to be the undisputed leader with a staggering 34% market share.
In this blog, we will discuss the key benefits of Amazon Web Services you can avail for your business.
1) Cost-effective Pricing
Amazon operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing structure which means there are no long-term commitments or upfront expenses; you pay only for what you consume. Such a flexible pricing structure allows businesses to improve their bottom-line by around 70%. As you can start and stop instances at will, you pay only for what you actually use. The ability to tweak storage and Dedicated Server Hosting levels up and down allows you to avoid overspending on capacity and infrastructure.
2) On-demand Scalability
Amazon cloud services allow automatic scaling of resources depending on the workload of the client. As the workload crosses a pre-defined threshold value, Amazon server hosting automatically scales up resources in order to balance the load. The administrator doesn’t need to intervene. The workload gets evenly distributed between the existing servers. As the workload scales down, redundant servers get removed automatically and only the necessary resources continue the operations.
Because AWS is a massive platform, organizations don’t have to put up with the constraints of physical infrastructure. Access to resources is available on demand.
3) Unsurpassed Security
Amazon manages a gigantic support network which offers real-time insights on suspicious activities and potential vulnerabilities. Amazon cloud services allow users to configure firewall rules in order to monitor access to instances. It offers tools such as Identity & Access Management (IAM) that keep a track of activities carried out by different users.
In addition to this, Amazon holds several well-recognized certifications and complies with privacy laws from all across the world. It enjoys a network of well-guarded server farms besides multiple availability zones that offerhigh resilience in the event of a disaster.
4) Accelerated Content Delivery
Content Delivery Network or CDN accelerates the delivery of content from AWS web server to the end-users. This is accomplished through a territorial separation of content between servers housed in different locations. So, a user from India will get content from the server nearest to him (i.e. a server based in India) and not from one based in Europe or the USA. CDN also improves the odds of content delivery during DDoS attack on a web application.
AWS implements CDN through its CloudFront tool that seamlessly integrates with other AWS services and supports static content (e.g. images, text) as well as audio and video streaming.
5) Unlimited Cloud Storage
Another key benefit of Amazon cloud services is the unlimited cloud storage it offers. AWS S3, a cloud-based file object storage allows users to store any number of files on Amazon disk space. Besides, users can access AWS S3 from any server, including the ones not deployed in AWS infrastructure.
AWS S3 offers traditional cloud storage, backups and long-term file storage (glacier storage). While in traditional cloud storage and backups, you can extract files anytime you need, this isn’t the case with glacier storage. Glacier storage is a special kind of long-term, affordable file storage where the user needs to wait for a few minutes to extract files.
6) Accessibility
AWS allows users to access information from any corner of the world through its OpenVPN program that works in association with AWS EC2.
Organizations that have offices in different locationsoften aim to integrate these locations into a single network by connecting local networks. This can be easily achieved through OpenVPN. OpenVPN establishes a VPN connection between office routers, without requiring action from the end-users. In case these employees need to access an information resource from any corner of the world, it can be accomplished through a Remote Access VPN.
The information resource can be accessed only when a VPN connection is established directly from the client’s device. Besides, the exchange of data occurs through an encrypted tunnel. This obviates the risk of unauthorized access.
7) Robust Monitoring System
Through its remote monitoring and alerting solution, AWShelps clients monitor their AWS applications in real-time, allowing these applications to run without interruption. The monitoring solution consists of two technologies: AWS CloudWatch and SNS.
Deployed in conjunction with Amazon EC2, AWS Cloud Watch offers metrics related to CPU usage, request counts and latency. The statistics and reports offered by AWS CloudWatch help clients track resource usage, application performance and operational bottlenecks. CloudWatch also initiates auto-scaling whenever required.
SNS or Simple Notification Service offers an easy way to organize internal corporate and mobile messaging. SNS allows clients to send bulk messages anywhere across the world. While CloudWatch determines what action needs to be taken, SNS chooses the appropriate channel for notifying the users.
8) Automated Scheduling
Amazon cloud services allow clients to start and stop instances at prescheduled times. AWS Instance Scheduler enables users to configure start and stop schedule for Elastic Compute Cloud instances. With automated scheduling, these instances run only during regular business hours and not throughout the day. Such an arrangement allows businesses to reduce their operational expenses by up to 70%.
The Bottom Line
AWS offers a wide a range of remote computing services that allow businesses to augment productivity, weed out inefficiencies and bolster profits. Plus, these services are highly customizable, so regardless of the industry you operate in, you get will a solution that addresses your specific needs.
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