Using Amazon Web Services For Business: Applications To Consider

Cloud computing has become an integral part of any business, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the go-to cloud platform for many companies. According to a report by Capacity Media, AWS dominates the cloud service market with a market share of 31%, outshining Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Many businesses choose AWS because it provides quick access to multiple servers from any location. This translates to zero costs on capital infrastructure and paves the way for businesses to scale for growth.

AWS users also enjoy other undisputed benefits of cloud computing, such as improved productivity and efficiency, reduced data loss risks, and better collaboration. Not to mention, AWS applications play a significant role in processing and storing sensitive data through integration. AWS applications also address the specific needs of companies by providing customized solutions. Below are a few applications you should consider when using AWS for your business.

Today’s businesses rely on data to make informed decisions. However, with large amounts of data available, storage becomes a major challenge for companies. To address big data management challenges effectively, invest in AWS big data solutions. AWS offers businesses of all sizes, tools and technologies to collect, analyze, and store datasets easily.

With collection solutions in place, your company can gather raw, structured, and unstructured data. Data collection in AWS relies on services like Amazon Kinesis Streams and Firehose that offer real-time data ingestion. AWS collection solutions also integrate seamlessly with a variety of data sources and services through an API or manually. To store big data, businesses need scalable solutions like Amazon’s simple storage services (S3). This storage solution can store large amounts of data before and after processing.

Without a good database or centralized location to store your business information, you’ll have no clue of what’s happening within your organization. For this reason, consider AWS database services to manage your business data effectively. Amazon Web Services provides a wide range of database management solutions, depending on the type of data your business handles and your pricing limit.

Types of database management systems on AWS include Amazon relational database services like Oracle, SQL server, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and Amazon Aurora, a proprietary high-performance database. You can also access managed NoSQL databases on AWS through Amazon DynamoDB. It’s worth noting all database solutions available on AWS have unique features and functions. For example, Amazon’s relational database services (RDS) offer resizable capacity, security, and high-performance database management while automating tasks like patching, data backups, hardware provisioning, and database setup.

Like other database systems, DynamoDB offers secure data. Moreover, it has more appealing features ideal for apps that require low latency access to data, including gaming apps, IoT, mobile, and web applications. According to this article, DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database that supports data in document and key-value format. Businesses that use DynamoDB can develop NoSQL databases at a global scale without having to invest or manage servers.

Besides collecting and storing data, businesses moving to the cloud need robust data backup systems. For secure storage and backup, Amazon Web Services offers Amazon S3 (simple storage services) and AWS backup. Using Amazon S3, businesses can store data for backup as S3 projects. The data files in S3 projects can reach up to five gigabytes and stay organized in S3 buckets. Amazon S3 helps businesses save money on data storage through services like the Infrequent Access class and Amazon Glacier, which offers long-term cold data storage.

AWS storage stores data on various distinct availability zones, meaning if one storage area fails, you can still access your business data in another zone. There are also a variety of AWS storage for object, file, and block data. Depending on your business needs, you can invest in Amazon S3, Amazon EFS, Amazon EBS, and FSx. To make the most of AWS storage services, research each option carefully and choose one that aligns with your business needs.

If you run an IT business, having reliable, scalable, and flexible developer tools is crucial for growth and success. With this in mind, in-house IT specialists can leverage command-line tools and software development kits (SDK) provided in AWS to set up and manage software and services. Examples of AWS developer tools are AWS command-line interface, serverless application model, and PowerShell.

The AWS command-line interface is Amazon’s proprietary code interface, while PowerShell enables developers to manage cloud services from Windows, Linux, and Mac environments. With the AWS serverless application model, developers can simulate the Amazon Web Services landscape to run code from 200 AWS services and SaaS applications through AWS Lambda. Developers in your IT department can also use AWS software development kits to create software for a variety of platforms using various programming languages like Python, PHP, Java, C++, Android, Ruby, and iOS.

The cloud service industry provides businesses with a variety of cloud platforms, like Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba, and AWS. However, many companies choose AWS because of its unique features and applications in any business model. Besides providing customers with multiple cloud options at affordable costs, AWS offers big data solutions, reliable data storage, developer tools, and a variety of database management systems.