July 9, 2023 | By Greg Dougherty
Amazon Web Services (AWS) supports IT departments looking to provide excellent and reliable service to their companies at the lowest cost. One way it does this is by making it possible to run your company’s Windows workloads AWS.
Why might you consider transitioning your Windows workloads to AWS?
There are many reasons to modernize applications with an AWS data base. Here are a few…
AWS Has Deep Experience with Windows Workloads
AWS has been running Windows workloads since 2008. It has over twice as many server instances of Windows running on it as Microsoft’s own cloud solution (Azure). Many of the world’s most successful companies choose to run their Windows workloads on AWS. These include McDonald’s, Unilever, and Amgen. AWS is highly available and reliable.
AWS is constantly innovating and providing more Windows-related services to companies running their Windows workloads on AWS. AWS has made it easier than ever to migrate your on-premises Windows workloads to AWS.
Cost Savings and Flexibility
Running your Windows-based applications on AWS can provide you with significant cost savings. One study found that the TCO of running Windows workloads was 56% lower over a 5-year period after migrating Windows to AWS from on-premises servers.
AWS can also give you tremendous flexibility. AWS works on a “pay as you go” basis. It is somewhat like a utility in that way. Once you have migrated to AWS, there is no longer any need to spend your budget on large hardware purchases. Instead, you can very quickly and easily scale up or scale down the computing resources you are using based on your business’s needs.
Ease of Maintenance
Running your Windows-based applications on AWS means that AWS is maintaining the server hardware. There is no longer any need for your team to maintain on-premises servers.
Security and Compliance
AWS maintains rigorous security protocols. Under Amazon’s Shared Responsibility Model, AWS maintains the physical infrastructure and its security. The customer handles the security of what it puts in the cloud. Many times, companies improve their security posture once they migrate to AWS. This is because AWS has more resources to invest in security. AWS and its third-party providers also make many tools available to help customers with security.
Using AWS to run your Windows workloads is helpful if you must meet compliance standards like HIPAA or FISMA. AWS has over 89 compliance certifications. You can easily obtain a compliance certificate from AWS on demand to prove your own compliance.
You Maintain Control
When you migrate your Windows workloads to AWS, you maintain control of your network. You can architect it as you want. You can continue to use Active Directory. AWS also supports you by including network monitoring and providing a variety of storage and backup solutions.
There is really no downside to running your company’s Windows applications on AWS. And there are so many upsides. It’s a great option for most companies.
Funding
There are a number of funding vehicles available through AWS that can offset the costs associated with your project.
Want to learn more about how you can migrate your Windows applications to AWS? Please reach out! We’d love to hear from you.