ICT
Case Study: Amazon Web Services
As technology becomes more imbedded in our day-to-day activities, massive amounts of data are required to operate and innovate. As the GCC market grows and diversifies, more companies will require access to data, particularly in sectors where latency is critical to development. With that, companies are beginning to recognise the opportunities available in the region, and especially Bahrain’s role as a hub from which to access those opportunities.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the latest in a number of international companies that have set up operations in the Kingdom, announcing plans to launch an infrastructure Region to service the wider MENA region.
AWS will be offering customers flexible, secure, scalable and cost effective IT infrastructure on a ‘pay as you go’ basis. Businesses will be able to securely store and manage data without the need to own and maintain expensive mainframe servers or other IT hardware, reducing the cost to run their infrastructure. Additionally, the arrival of AWS will reduce latency, speeding up time-sensitive transactions to enable companies to complete their mission quicker.
The presence of AWS will also have an impact on the advancement of technology education and the development of cloud computing skills, as well as the growth of entrepreneurship and new businesses, supported by the company’s various education and training programs.
Bahrain stood out as AWS’ destination of choice for a number of reasons. The government’s forward leading stance on data regulation and making cloud friendly policies was a key driver for AWS’ expansion into the Kingdom. Another important criteria for AWS was the opportunity to power their infrastructure Region with renewable energy. AWS chose Bahrain in part due to the country’s focus on executing renewable energy goals and its proposal to construct a new solar power facility to meet AWS’ power needs. Lastly, the availability of diverse, redundant, resilient and cost effective international cables providing added protection for data carriers strengthened the business case.
When launched, AWS’ infrastructure will equip the region’s businesses with both the tools and the confidence to capitalise on the abundance of opportunities waiting for them.