Amazon owns Amazon Web Services, or AWS, the company’s cloud-computing division.
AWS began offering services in 2006, initially providing simple storage and computing tools that businesses could rent over the internet. It expanded into databases, networking, machine learning, analytics, security, and developer services.
Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as an online bookstore. It later expanded into a broad marketplace, logistics network, digital entertainment business, and device maker. AWS became especially important because its infrastructure services generated substantial operating income and supported customers ranging from startups to governments.
Cloud-market rankings can vary depending on whether analysts measure infrastructure, platform, or software services. AWS is commonly described as the largest cloud infrastructure-services provider by revenue, but that status is separate from Amazon’s total market capitalization, which includes all of its businesses.