A closer look at the wide range of things that people accomplish with Amazon’s web (cloud) services cloud computing services
Whether or not you realize it, there are some really big companies that are using cloud computing (courtesy of Amazon’s web services) to accomplish some very interesting things, most of which we use everyday (and probably take for granted). For example, there are numerous companies which utilize one or more cloud services out of Amazon’s 9 types of offerings.
Those 9 areas are as follows: cloud computing services
- Application Hosting
- Backup and Storage
- Content Delivery
- E-Commerce
- High Performance Computing
- Media Hosting
- On-Demand Workforce
- Search Engines
- Web Hosting
Application Hosting
For those businesses that are not looking for a complete cloud-based IT solution, there is the option of simply using it to drive specific apps or tools. Of course that doesn’t mean that more extensive hosting capabilities aren’t possible with application hosting, only that a fair number of organizations are using it to drive things like browser add-ons and social media-based interactive applications.
Backup and Storage
If there’s one type of cloud service that is among the “must-haves” it’s got to be backup and storage. Arguably, no other type of infrastructure – computing / networking method is able to offer as much to users as cloud computing-based backup and storage, and Amazon is considered to be one of the best in this category. Who uses the Amazon backup and storage service? Nasdaq OMX is among one of the users of this particular service; just in case you didn’t already know this, Nasdaq OMX is the largest exchange business in the world (that’s pretty significant, don’t you agree?).
Content Delivery
From providing supplemental content for live concerts (Madonna) to ensuring the delivery of content for various high-traffic sites, Amazon’s content delivery service is a great all-purpose solution for getting things where they need to be quickly and smoothly.
E-Commerce
Makes processing payments much easier and accessible to a larger variety of users and is compatible with various other services as well. E-commerce through Amazon gives you the tools to create more attractive ways to reach out to customers.
High Performance Computing
Amazon’s ability to deliver high performance computing simulations is one of the coolest things imaginable. They’ve been able to assist companies with the development more efficient jet engines, market / credit evaluations, NASA projects, genome analysis, etc…If you want proof of the power inherent to cloud computing, it is embodied in Amazon’s high performance computing service client list. So many globally significant businesses rely on the incredible power of Amazon’s cloud.
Media Hosting
Most organizations that use Amazon’s cloud services to host their media and content are seeking a static place to park their current and incoming data streams. However, some forward-thinking companies are also using this service to stream live events as well. For instance, if you were watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, you should know that it was through a cloud computing-based solution.
On-Demand Workforce
This area of cloud service has been primarily used to enable situations where computing and processing meet human processing and interaction. Mechanical Turk (transcription) is the most immediate and basic example of what Amazon’s on-demand workforce service has been used to achieve.
Search Engines
Some companies in the search engine market use Amazon’s web services to index and store large amounts of data. Likewise, Amazon-enabled search services are also aiding biologists who use the technology to link relevant articles to specific types of DNA sequences.
Web Hosting
Finally, there is web hosting, one of the most encompassing and direct cloud services out there. Under the banner of web hosting, virtually any or all of Amazon’s other cloud services can be leverage to create a complete enterprise-ready solution. The point is, regardless of what you need to do, there are multiple solutions available through Amazon’s cloud-powered web hosting services.
What do you need in order to take advantage of Amazon’s web services?
While there are certain types of hosting packages available which don’t require a user to have their own IT staff, many of the people entering the cloud market already have their own technological assets in place. Right now, it’s imperative that professionals (who are serious about the future of their organization) educate themselves about cloud computing. Naturally, the folks in IT will want to gravitate toward more advanced certification programs, while non-IT professionals should strongly consider looking into cloud foundation training. Those companies that have personnel on hand who know how to maintain and best utilize certain cloud technologies will likely find themselves “ahead the pack” in terms of market competition. Often times, it is through the merging of several individual cloud services that a business is able to create more useful and profitable products; however, you can’t really achieve this if you don’t have people on board who truly understand cloud computing, can you?
Click here to learn more about cloud computing education and certification.