Which AWS services are best for your business?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a vast cloud computing platform that provides businesses with tools and means to make the most of cloud computing, data storage, customer relationship management, advanced technologies (like IoT and machine learning), and many more aspects of running an online business. In this article, we will examine five of the most useful and versatile solutions for your company.

AWS – what does it offer?

When you take a look at the whole AWS ecosystem, it can be overwhelming. The list of potential uses and solutions seems endless. After all, we have:

• Amazon EC2: A service that provides compute capacity through virtual servers.
• Amazon S3: It’s scalable object storage with backup, analytics, and archiving features.
• Amazon RDS: Services for creating and managing databases. 
• Amazon Migration Hub: Helps move your digital assets to the cloud.
• Amazon VPC: It’s a service used to manage your virtual network.

And the list goes on to Amazon DynamoDB, AWS Lambda, Amazon Lightsail, Amazon SageMaker, and many more features and services available within Amazon AWS. In fact, you can use AWS not just for cloud computing but also to work with modern technologies (such as blockchain, IoT, machine learning, VR/AR, quantum technologies, and even robotics).

But when you are at the beginning of your cloud adventure, you don’t need all the functions of AWS. We understand that perfectly. That’s why, in this article, we listed the most versatile and useful services within AWS that will quickly make a difference, even if you’ve just started.

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)

For many users, EC2 is the essence of AWS. This service allows users to create VMs (virtual machines) that represent a physical server and enable them to deploy and run various applications. Why is this service so beneficial? Primarily because you don’t have to buy your own hardware – you can use infrastructure provided by Amazon. Mind you, the number of virtual machines you can create is almost unlimited so EC2 can help you with literally any workload.

EC2 uses different types of virtual servers (Amazon calls them instances) for running users’ apps. The most popular types are:

• General purpose: As the name suggests, they are the most versatile ones. They come with a large number of CPU cores and on-demand storage.
• GPUs: This abbreviation stands for graphics processing units. If you work with heavy graphic apps or interfaces, that’s your best bet.
• Memory-optimized: When you need quick access to your data and high performance.
• Micro: Typically, you can use this server type for low throughput applications.

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)

One of the biggest advantages of the cloud is the possibility to store big data in an efficient and safe environment. Amazon S3 provides you with the means to move your on-premises data to S3, store it there, and access it at any time for diverse purposes, e.g., to use it in future AI projects or analytics. S3 provides users with top-notch security and performance, and since everything is stored in the cloud – you have quick access to your digital assets from any place on Earth.

image source: https://aws.amazon.com/s3/

Amazon VPC

This service comes in handy when you want to isolate your IT infrastructure and create a private cloud to which only you (and the people you authorize) have access. With VPC, you can build a private virtual network that offers full control over your networking environment, including resource placement and storage, connectivity, and security. In general, this virtual network works pretty much the same as your traditional on-premises network, but through the virtual private cloud, you have quick and secure access to all your resources and applications, and you can enjoy full scalability without the need to invest in additional IT infrastructure.

AWS IAM

If you’re planning on storing sensitive data in AWS, this service is your must-have. IAM stands for Identity and Access Management, and, shortly put, it provides access control across all of your AWS services. With IAM, you can decide who can access what in your cloud IT environment. Therefore, there is no risk of a data breach.

image source: https://aws.amazon.com/iam/

Amazon CloudFront

In general, CloudFront is Amazon’s content delivery network (CDN). These networks facilitate the delivery of content to your end-users (e.g., via websites, web and mobile apps, video streaming, etc.). CDNs are made of networks of distributed servers that store files accessed by end-users. And since they are scattered all over the world, a specific server is used depending on the user’s location. CDNs are especially useful for complex websites that function in several languages or are intended to use by customers from many countries. CloudFront streamlines access to cloud-based data. As a result, your customers or users see a significant increase in your website’s/app’s performance and loading speed. 

image source: https://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/

Today, we barely scratched the surface of AWS and its usability in your business. If you want to find out more, reach out and tell us something more about your work. We will help you find the best services in AWS for you and implement them for you.