Software

Amazon Web Services (AWS): The Amazon Cloud behind Netflix, BMW & Co. – and the digital powerhouse that makes your life easier

August 20, 2025. Almost nothing on the Internet works without it: The Amazon Cloud – Amazon Web Service (AWS) – is the digital powerhouse of our time. While millions of people watch Netflix, store at Zalando or order food from Delivery Hero, the world’s largest cloud infrastructure is working in the background. A look behind the scenes of the digital control center.

Photo: Amazon

Who is behind AWS?

Amazon Cloud AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon and is one of the larger providers in the cloud computing sector and, according to Statista, has a share of over 30 percent of the global market. More than one million companies – from innovative start-ups to global corporations – rely on this invisible infrastructure every day.

But what exactly is behind this technology? And why does AWS play such a central role in your everyday digital life?

1. The digital construction kit for your ideas

Think of AWS as a giant toolbox that you can use to build digital projects – whether it’s an app, online store or voice assistant. You only take what you need: computing power, storage space or clever functions such as automatic translations or image recognition. The idea behind it: You don’t have to own anything yourself, but can use everything flexibly from the cloud – just like electricity from the socket.

Large brands have long relied on this modular system – not just because it is stable, but because it grows with you. And you probably use Amazon Cloud, AWS more often than you think – completely automatically:

Airbnb uses AWS to smoothly process millions of bookings worldwide.
Netflix streams billions of hours of video via AWS every day – reliably, even when millions are watching at the same time.
Pinterest processes and recommends billions of images every day – all in the Amazon Cloud.
Coca-Cola uses AWS to evaluate sales data in real time – so that your favorite drink is in the fridge on time.
Dropbox backs up user data on AWS.
BMW uses AWS to analyze vehicle sensors, production data and fleet information in real time – worldwide, securely and at scale.

2. AWS security: How secure is the Amazon Cloud? “How secure is my data actually?” The short answer: it’s in really good hands in the Amazon Cloud (AWS). AWS is one of the world’s most secure cloud providers – also in terms of data protection in Germany.

To ensure that your data is reliably protected, AWS relies on several layers of security:

Everything is encrypted, whether stored or transmitted – similar to online banking.

You decide who can access what, for example through secure logins with two factors.

The systems are monitored around the clock to detect attacks or anomalies immediately.

Independent audits regularly confirm that AWS complies with all important security standards (e.g. ISO 27001 or PCI security standards).

The data centers are distributed worldwide and strictly secured – not only digitally, but also physically.

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud, which is supported with an investment of 7.8 billion euros, is managed by European executives, independent control and its own Security Operations Center.

In short: Whether you store your vacation photos, sensitive company data or customer information – the AWS Cloud ensures that everything remains secure. You can find out more about this directly at AWS Security.

3. How environmentally friendly is the Amazon Cloud?

The Amazon Cloud (AWS) is not only powerful, but also focuses on sustainability:

100% renewable energy: In 2024, AWS will have covered the energy requirements of all data centers worldwide with renewable energy.
Investing in solar and wind power: Amazon has invested in over 600 renewable energy projects worldwide.
More energy-efficient infrastructure: AWS data centers are on average up to four times more efficient than conventional enterprise servers.
Water-saving cooling: AWS reduces water consumption in data centers with modern cooling systems.

Those who use AWS are not only opting for a scalable cloud, but also for a platform that reduces its environmental impact.

4. Using the future today – with Amazon Cloud

Whether for early cancer detection, autonomous cars or space travel – what once sounded like science fiction has long since been made possible by the Amazon Cloud (AWS). BMW is developing self-driving vehicles on AWS, NASA is analyzing space data and AI is helping researchers to detect cancer much faster. Here are a few exciting examples:

Early cancer detection with AI: AWS helps research centers evaluate genetic data in minutes instead of weeks.
Autonomous driving: BMW and other manufacturers are training their vehicle AI with millions of data points on AWS.
NASA & Space: AWS is helping NASA analyze massive satellite data and Mars missions.
Voice assistants like Alexa: Voice processing, machine learning and real-time response – all with AWS.
Smart buildings & cities: Optimize energy consumption, save CO₂ – AWS provides the data infrastructure.
Personalized content: Services like Netflix use AWS to recommend exactly the movies you like.
Cybersecurity with AI: Companies detect attacks at lightning speed thanks to machine learning on AWS.

Whether health, mobility or media – AWS makes technologies usable that make our everyday lives smarter, safer and more sustainable.

4. A powerhouse for everyone – flexible, secure, global

The Amazon Cloud (AWS) makes high technology usable for everyone – from start-ups to global corporations. You only pay for what you actually use (“pay-as-you-go”), without fixed contracts or basic fees. Thanks to the global infrastructure with over 37 regions, you can make new products or services available worldwide in just a few minutes. And the whole thing runs on a highly secure, fail-safe platform – with multiple redundant data centers, monitored around the clock. Ideal for anyone who wants to work quickly, securely and flexibly in the cloud.

5. How AWS helps others to improve the world

The Amazon Cloud is not only built to be sustainable – it also helps to actively implement sustainability. Through partnerships with NGOs, research institutions and cities, AWS enables data-driven action against environmental problems:

Ocean Cleanup: AWS provides the computing power to analyze ocean data – so plastic swirls can be specifically combated.
Urban Greening in L.A.: AWS uses AI and satellite images to analyze where new trees could improve the urban climate.
Climate protection with schoolchildren: In Zanzibar, children learn how to protect mangrove forests with the help of AWS satellite data.
Restoring wetlands: In Sweden, AWS is supporting a project to return millions of liters of water to nature.

What will the Amazon Cloud bring you in the future?

What if your fridge did its own shopping, your car thought like you – and your medical treatment was perfectly tailored to you? Sounds like a dream of the future? Not with the Amazon Cloud (AWS).

According to Amazon CTO Werner Vogels, we are on the cusp of a new era of cloud computing. AWS is becoming the engine for innovation – anywhere, anytime, for everyone.

What can you expect in the next few years?

AI systems that make your everyday life easier – from smart appointment scheduling to personal advice
Networked mobility where your car not only drives, but thinks ahead
Medicine that no longer works according to a formula, but fits you perfectly
Invisible technologies that you no longer notice – because they simply work

The Amazon Cloud has long been more than just a data platform – it is the digital operating system for the world of tomorrow. It combines security, efficiency and sustainability with global innovation.

What does this mean for you?

You don’t have to be a tech pro to benefit from AWS – you already do. And in the future, cloud computing won’t just simplify your life. It will change it.

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