Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform control 67% of the global cloud computing market. As cloud service providers (CSP), these third-party companies provide cloud computing services, like online storage and networking solutions. They own and operate numerous data centers globally, which house servers, hard drives, cooling systems, and other physical infrastructure necessary for cloud computing.
The top cloud service providers are reliable and offer numerous features. Yet, there are differences between them.
In this guide, we’ll introduce each provider before going over their regions, services, and pricing. Here is how they compare!
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s biggest cloud computing provider. It rolled out in 2006 initially to support the needs of Amazon’s e-commerce business. Then, in 2007, AWS was made available to others. Startups, enterprises, government agencies, and more are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is the second-largest provider. It was released in 2008 as an extension of Windows NT, a family of operating systems (OS), for developers building specific web applications. Azure became commercially available in 2010 and evolved over time. Today, it is trusted by enterprises, governments, and startups and used by more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies.
Luckily, Azure is not limited to Windows-based services. It supports open-source technologies, so people can use the tools and technologies they prefer.
Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is the third-largest provider. In 2008, Google released a preview mode of Google App Engine, a platform-as-a-service product that provides access to Google’s scalable hosting and tier 1 internet service. To gather the feedback necessary to make improvements, they made it accessible to 10,000 developers.
In late 2011, App Engine was pulled out of preview mode and made an official, fully supported Google product. Since then, Google has expanded the range of services offered under the Google Cloud Platform umbrella.
Regions and Availability
When choosing a cloud service provider, take into consideration its supported regions and availability.
- Amazon Web Services has 32 regions, 102 availability zones, 600+ points of presence, and 13 regional edge caches.
- Microsoft Azure has 60+ regions, with a minimum of 3 availability zones in each region.
- Google Cloud Platform has 39 regions, 118 availability zones, and 187 network edge locations.
Common Services
AWS offers 200+ services, Azure offers 200+ services, and GCP offers 150+ services. They all have:
- artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML),
- augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR),
- business analytics,
- compute services,
- database and storage services,
- DevOps,
- Internet of Things (IoT), and
- networking.
Pricing
All three use a pay-as-you-go pricing structure. This means people only pay for the individual services they need for as long as they need them. Pricing varies by product and usage, and there are no long-term contracts or complex licensing required!
Work With CC3 to Choose the Best Solution for Your Business
Increasingly, companies are choosing to work with multiple cloud providers to select the best cloud capabilities for their unique use cases. IBM Cloud, Salesforce, Oracle, and DigitalOcean are just some of the smaller providers.
With so many options available for cloud computing services, you may be wondering where to start. CC3 Solutions is here to help businesses of all sizes make this decision.
Our team has connections with over 300 data centers worldwide, so you have the best solution at the right location and price point. Contact us today to get started and see what the future of your business could hold!
