Top AWS Services that Small Businesses Can Use Today
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Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing division of Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), has grown into a major pillar of the company's overall business strategy. A recent report revealed that this division of Amazon achieved $25 billion in net sales, in the first quarter of 2024. It's still one of the most popular platforms in the cloud space today.
It helps all the major companies across the globe, build complex solutions and innovate, from Apple to Netflix—they rely on AWS . Do you know why it’s so popular? And more importantly, is it a good fit for small business owners?
In this article, we’ll learn about AWS services to give you a better idea of whether it’s cost-effective and beneficial for small businesses or not.
In this article, we’ll cover what AWS services are, how Amazon Web Services can benefit small businesses, and explore some of its popular services.?
So, let's get started. ?
What is AWS?
AWS is made up of several services, including servers, storage, networking, compute, and databases. With over 300 integrated services, it is the biggest cloud service provided on the planet.? In addition, you will find over 100 AWS products that are free to use. It also offers free tier services with limited access.?
Millions of companies, from the fastest-growing startups to the largest enterprises and leading tech firms, rely on AWS for their cloud needs . It is particularly favored by organizations in sectors like healthcare, fintech, and government, where the highest levels of security are essential.
AWS supports over 100 security standards and compliance certifications.
In short, AWS main offering is IaaS, though it is hard to classify services as SaaS, Paas or IaaS. If you don't what these terms are, let's look at this picture to understand these terms.
AWS for Small Businesses: How Beneficial is it??
There’s a significant barrier between small business innovation and productivity, and that is their infrastructure, which is where their operations run.
Scaling servers, hardware, computing systems, networks, and storage isn't always easy.
AWS provides everything from simple storage services to cutting-edge solutions for developing complex applications and securing sensitive data. However, migrating services to AWS can sometimes hit your budget hard.?
To manage this, you can consult a professional AWS consulting company that can analyze your infrastructure and create a blueprint for how to innovate and cut costs by migrating the right services to AWS.
Since this platform can be quite overwhelming, it offers both premium and low-cost services. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose the right services and understand them well. By migrating certain services to this platform, you can further enhance your productivity. This platform is virtually unlimited in its scalability.
Let's explore what benefits it provides to businesses.
Top Benefits of AWS for Small Business
1. Unlimited Scalability
With AWS, you will get virtually unlimited scalability as it can scale automatically and accommodate the rapid surge in traffic.
AWS is an undisputed leader in the cloud space, providing world-renowned companies — X, Apple, Airbnb, Disney – with an infrastructure that enables them to handle many petabytes of data easily.
From Netflix and Pinterest, several companies have leveraged AWS services to scale their infrastructure.?
2. Cost Effective
You'll gain access to a high-performing computing system and an infrastructure that would be out of reach for most small businesses to build on their own. As we discussed in a previous article about how AWS development benefits businesses, you'll get enterprise-level features at an affordable monthly cost, and best of all, you're only charged for what you actually use.
Now, imagine the expense of creating an entire infrastructure from scratch—setting up high-end hardware and high-speed connectivity. With AWS, you get secure access to a top-tier infrastructure that would otherwise be extremely challenging for a small business to manage.
AWS provides free access to select services with certain limitations, allowing users to familiarize themselves with the platform. Additionally, it offers both high-tier and low-tier services to meet the needs of small businesses.
AWS is especially popular among startups and small businesses, which is why it includes low-tier and free-tier services.
These low-tier options enable smaller businesses to take advantage of cloud services while allowing for gradual scaling as their needs evolve, ensuring they only pay for what they use. Given the platform's complexity, businesses can consult an AWS expert who can create a customized, cost-effective solution by selecting the right services.
Want to know what an AWS consultant does and their role in your cloud journey? Check out our guide on how AWS consultants can help businesses get started with cloud computing.
3. Highly Secure Infrastructure
AWS offers businesses a multi-layered infrastructure with strong security measures to safeguard data in the AWS cloud. It utilizes advanced security protocols, high-grade encryption, continuous monitoring, and logical access controls while complying with various industry standards and certifications, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS.?
This level of assurance is essential for sectors such as healthcare, finance, and government, where data protection is critical. However, compliance is a shared responsibility between AWS and its customers.? Customers can trust the security controls implemented by AWS on its infrastructure, allowing them to operate and build with confidence.
Below is a partial list of the assurance programs with which AWS complies:
4. Serverless Computing
AWS offers serverless compute services such as AWS Lambda, allowing professionals to focus on their key areas instead of investing time in managing the infrastructure. AWS provides a wealth of integrated services (like API Gateway, DynamoDB, and S3). This mean developers can build complex applications with minimal configuration. Below are the few benefits of using AWS serverless architecture.?
5. Global Infrastructure
AWS (Amazon Web Services) has data centers around the world, organized into 108 availability zones across 34 geographic regions.
This extensive network ensures that small businesses can run their applications reliably, even if one data center experiences an issue.
For instance, if a server goes down in one location, your business can still operate smoothly using another server in a different region. This setup not only minimizes downtime but also helps businesses serve their customers faster.?
Additionally, because AWS charges based on usage, small businesses can access powerful technology without breaking the bank. Overall, this combination of reliability and cost-effectiveness makes AWS an excellent choice for small businesses looking to grow and succeed.
Amazon Web Services for Small Business
For small businesses looking to leverage AWS without diving into heavy or overly complex tools, there are several light, cost-effective services that can provide significant value. Here’s a consultant-style breakdown of useful AWS tools, when to use them, and how they can benefit your business.
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