Windows workloads have been at the core of business operations for decades now. While the time tested platform has served well over the years, the emergence of cloud based enterprise services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) has changed the landscape. There is enough evidence to prove that migrating Windows workloads to AWS can produce a notable increase in profitability. Examining the quantitative and qualitative benefits of migrating Windows workloads to AWS Cloud, IDC conducted an analysis in 2019, which projected an ROI of 442 percent over a period of 5 years upon migrating Windows workloads to AWS. Let’s take a closer look at the top benefits of migrating your Windows workload to AWS.
1. Improved reliability and performance
AWS can reduce unplanned downtime by 98% and improve productivity by 26%, resulting in 71% faster deployment. Additionally, AWS also boasts 77 Availability Zones across 24 regions, with 99.99% availability for each Amazon EC2 region. This helps AWS produce twice the performance as compared to the next major cloud services provider.
2. Robust Security
Whether you are using a managed Windows server or have in-house infrastructure, security is always a major concern. Offering about 230 security, compliance, and governance services and many other key features, Amazon Web Services checks all vital boxes when it comes to web security. It also offers encryption across 116 different AWS services, which is five times more than the next largest cloud-based enterprise-level services provider.
3. Reduced Costs
One of the biggest perks of migrating Windows workloads to AWS is the reduction in costs, thanks to a variety of EC2 instances and unique pricing models. Organizations can save more by moving their Microsoft licenses to dedicated AWS servers. Licensing terms are included in the cost of AWS instance. As a result, it not only reduces your overall licensing cost, but also reduces the management overhead required to maintain the licenses. In fact, Amazon’s unique Spot pricing model can provide you with up to a 90 percent discount on Windows licensing costs. It also reduces cost for SQL Server workload by 62%.
4. Higher availability
As mentioned earlier, AWS Cloud has 77 Availability Zones (AZ) across 24 regions around the world. It also has over 350 Amazon EC2 instances. Such high availability of service ensures that your workloads stay up and running 24X7. In 2018, it was observed that AWS provides 7X more uptime as compared to the next largest cloud provider. A company that provides IT managed services in South Sudan can help you migrate your Windows workload to the cloud by actively monitoring the transition period to ensure minimal interruptions to your business activities.