Why AWS leads the cloud
Rumors about Amazon Web Services falling from the podium were premature. In an effort to democratize cloud computing services, AWS has overtaken everyone since it was spun off from mega retailer Amazon in 2002 and launched major storage products S3 and EC2 in 2006. And that leadership remains. AWS grew rapidly, became a company that fundamentally transformed the IT industry and achieved a market leadership position, which remains - the most recent research linked to market share, made by Synergy Research , points to almost twice the market share of its closest rival Microsoft Azure, with 33% of the AWS market to 18% of Microsoft . Data from market consultancy IDC for the second half of 2019 also puts AWS in a clear lead: with 13.2% of the public cloud services market, slightly ahead of Microsoft with 11.7%. As with any business, Amazon's cloud success comes down to a confluence of factors: good timing, solid technology and a parent company with enough deep pockets to make aggressi...