What Is AWS? The Cloud Platform Powering Today’s Technology

Key takeaways

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is an industry leader in cloud computing, providing businesses across all industries access to reliable cloud solutions.

• The global cloud computing industry is set to reach a $1.9 trillion market valuation by 2030 [1].

• AWS stands out from other cloud solutions providers thanks to its strong security, usability, and accessibility in many regions around the world.

• You can pursue careers such as cloud architect and data engineer by earning AWS certifications. 

Learn more about AWS and how you can use it to improve various aspects of your information technology (IT) process. Afterward, enroll in the AWS Fundamentals Specialization to start learning how to migrate workloads from on-premises to AWS. As a beginner-friendly program, this Specialization can help you develop key skills in database systems, cloud security, and storage, as well as discover the many capabilities of AWS.

Introduction to AWS: What is AWS technology?

AWS, short for Amazon Web Services, is Amazon’s popular cloud computing platform used globally by organizations of all sizes. AWS provides customers with IT services over the internet, enabling you to pay periodically for the services you need, rather than investing in physical hardware you would otherwise require. The global cloud computing market is seeing massive growth and projects to reach a $2.16 trillion market valuation by 2030, and AWS is leading the way as it holds the largest share of the industry at 29 percent as of the third quarter of 2025 [1, 2]. 

What are AWS services? 

AWS offers a long list of services that you can combine with one another to best fit the unique needs of your business; the categories of services (and an example of AWS services within each) include the following:

• Analytics (Amazon Athena)

• Application integration (Amazon MQ)

• Blockchain (Amazon Managed Blockchain)

• Business applications (Amazon Chime)

• Cloud financial management (AWS Cost Explorer)

• Compute services (Amazon Lightsail)

• Customer enablement (AWS Managed Services)

• Containers (Amazon Elastic Container Registry)

• Databases (Amazon MemoryDB)

• Developer tools (AWS CodeBuild)

• End user computing (Amazon WorkSpaces applications)

• Front-end web and mobile (AWS Amplify)

• Game tech (Amazon GameLift Servers)

• Internet of Things (IoT) (AWS IoT Button)

• Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) (Amazon Augmented AI)

• Management and governance (AWS Control Tower)

• Media (AWS Nimble Studio)

• Migration and transfer (AWS Migration Hub)

• Networking and content delivery (Amazon CloudFront)

• Quantum technologies (Amazon Braket)

• Satellite (AWS Ground Station)

• Security, identity, and compliance (AWS Artifact)

• Storage (AWS Backup)

Standout features and service offerings that make up the AWS Cloud

Features that help make AWS popular across all industries include its user-friendly design, strong security measures, scalability, and reliability. Additionally, AWS is customizable to your needs, allowing you to select the tools that accompany your AWS environment, like the database, programming languages, and operating system. The widespread adoption of AWS Cloud is possible through AWS Regions and Availability Zones, where data centers operate at physical locations around the world for enhanced availability and scalability. 

What does AWS do?

Simply put, AWS offers a wide range of cloud services to help businesses adapt swiftly to changing market conditions and operational needs. By offering a scalable, low-cost infrastructure platform in the cloud, AWS also facilitates firms’ digital transformation initiatives. For example, AWS enables Epic Games to automatically scale compute capacity based on player participation for its popular game Fortnite.

How you can use AWS

Implementing AWS Cloud solutions can give you the ability to solve complex problems, develop a competitive advantage, and better manage risk, regardless of the industry you work in. Explore some real-world examples that demonstrate the ways you can use AWS:

• Manufacturing: AWS provides solutions to assist with supply chain management and sustainability as well as improve equipment efficiency by using IoT data and machine learning. Additionally, it offers end-to-end visibility into your supply chain, minimizing the risk of too much or too little stock.

• Financial services: You can access AWS Cloud solutions for your finance needs in banking, capital markets, insurance, and payments. With benefits like forecasting and cost optimization, AWS helps you manage expenses for a more profitable business.

• Retail: By implementing AWS for retail, you can optimize your supply chain operations, generate insights about your customers, improve your marketing campaigns, and make informed merchandising decisions using advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.

What is an AWS job?

AWS jobs describe the many cloud computing careers you can pursue with AWS certification, such as test engineer, cloud administrator, data scientist, machine learning engineer, and application architect.

Why choose AWS?

AWS is a good choice for your cloud infrastructure needs due to its artificial intelligence capabilities, flexibility, and strong security features, as Amazon prioritizes keeping your systems and the data within them safe. Because AWS offers such a diverse range of cloud tools, you can find the solution you need based on your industry and the goals you’re trying to reach. 

What makes AWS stand out from other cloud platforms?

The reasons AWS stands out from other platforms are attributable to several factors, including the global infrastructure that ensures availability, high performance, and the ability to provide cloud access to users in more regions around the world than any other provider. AWS has been around for longer than other popular providers, such as Microsoft Azure and the Google Cloud Platform, giving it the edge in experience as the industry leader in developing cloud services. 

Additionally, because AWS offers so many types of services, it gives you the ability to use just one platform to meet your needs even as your organization scales. Since AWS is widely used, it also means you have the benefit of a large network of other users, along with training resources and documents to make sure you’re able to implement your AWS Cloud solutions effectively. 

Benefits and potential limitations of AWS

AWS provides you with many benefits, including its user-friendly platform and cost-effectiveness. However, it’s important to also understand some of AWS’s limitations and challenges, such as the need for high-quality data for maximum benefit from your cloud solutions. 

Benefits

As of 2026, the AWS Cloud infrastructure consists of 123 Availability Zones spread across 39 Regions, with announced plans for seven more Availability Zones in two more regions (Saudi Arabia and Chile) [3]. The primary benefits of using AWS for managing your workloads are: 

• User-friendly interface

• Scalability

• Security and reliability

• Customizable features and applications

• Cost-effectiveness 

• Extensive range of services

• Seamless migration with existing applications

Limitations

Hosting data in AWS Regions located abroad can introduce challenges related to data governance. Other downsides to utilizing the AWS Cloud may include the following: 

• Has a complex billing structure 

• Necessitates specialized knowledge and ongoing training in AWS

• Requires steady internet connection

• Dependent on high-quality data availability

AWS career path

If you’re looking to use AWS to help you progress in your career, earning an AWS certification is an effective way to help you make progress, with several levels of certifications available as your skill set improves. Explore some of the careers you can pursue with these specialized certifications.

Cloud architect

As a cloud architect, you will help your business come up with designs for their cloud solutions based on specific needs, and you’ll continue to optimize infrastructure as the company changes in scale over time, making it important to stay current with the latest cloud applications. You can earn the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate certification to help advance your cloud career. 

Cloud developer

If you’re interested in developing cloud applications, becoming a cloud developer could be the path for you. You can develop, debug, and maintain cloud platforms using programming skills, and make improvements based on performance metrics. For this role, consider earning an AWS Certified Developer - Associate certification.

Data engineer

As a data engineer, it’s your job to design and develop the systems that your business will ultimately use to store and process its data so that it’s accessible for analysis. An AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate certification is an effective way to demonstrate your abilities in data model design and data life cycle management.

Explore our free cloud computing resources

Join our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, to keep track of popular trends, tools, and certifications. Learn more about cloud computing with the following digital resources:

• Watch on YouTube: Your Guide to a Cloud Computing Career 

• Take the quiz: Which AWS Course Should You Take? Find Out in 1 Minute

• Discover AI trends: Reimagining Work and Learning with AI: Expert Insights from Dr. Jules White

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