AWS Roundup: Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation & Exciting New Features

Amazon Web Services (AWS) marks its 20th anniversary this year, celebrating two decades of revolutionizing cloud computing. For Windows users and administrators, AWS has become an indispensable platform, offering seamless integration with Windows Server, .NET applications, and enterprise workloads. This milestone comes with exciting new features that further enhance the Windows experience on AWS.

A Look Back at 20 Years of AWS Innovation

Launched in 2006, AWS began with just one service (Amazon S3) and has since grown to offer over 200 fully featured services. Key milestones for Windows users include:

  • 2008: Launch of Windows Server on EC2
  • 2012: Introduction of AWS Elastic Beanstalk for .NET
  • 2016: AWS Lambda support for C# and PowerShell
  • 2020: Launch of AWS Bottlerocket for Windows containers
  • 2023: General availability of Amazon EKS for Windows

New Features for Windows Workloads

1. Enhanced AI Integration with Windows Server 2025

AWS is introducing new AI capabilities specifically optimized for Windows Server 2025:

  • Amazon Bedrock integration: Simplified deployment of generative AI models
  • SageMaker Windows client: Native Windows support for ML workflows
  • AI-powered monitoring: CloudWatch now offers predictive analytics for Windows workloads

2. Amazon MSK for .NET Developers

The managed Kafka service now offers:

  • First-class .NET client support
  • Seamless integration with ASP.NET Core applications
  • Windows authentication compatibility

3. Kinesis Client Library 3.0 for Windows

The latest version brings:

  • 40% faster processing for Windows-based consumers
  • Native .NET 8 support
  • Improved checkpointing for stateful Windows applications

Windows Server 2025 on AWS: What's New

AWS is rolling out several optimizations for the upcoming Windows Server 2025:

  • EC2 instance types: New memory-optimized instances (r7iz) for SQL Server workloads
  • Storage options: EBS io2 Block Express volumes with 256K IOPS for high-performance Windows apps
  • Security features: Integration with AWS IAM Identity Center for Active Directory

Migration Tools for Windows Workloads

AWS continues to improve its migration offerings:

  • AWS Application Migration Service: Now supports in-place upgrades during migration
  • Database Migration Service: Enhanced SQL Server 2022 compatibility
  • End-of-support protection: Automatic patching for legacy Windows Server versions

The Future of Windows on AWS

Looking ahead, AWS is investing in three key areas for Windows users:

  1. Hybrid cloud: Expanded Azure AD integration and improved Outposts support
  2. Developer experience: More Visual Studio tooling and PowerShell modules
  3. Cost optimization: New Savings Plans for Windows-based EC2 instances

Getting Started with AWS for Windows

For those new to AWS, here's a quick start guide:

  1. Create an AWS account with your Microsoft credentials
  2. Launch a Windows EC2 instance using the Quick Start guide
  3. Explore AWS Management Tools for Windows (Systems Manager, OpsWorks)
  4. Consider AWS training specifically for Windows administrators

Conclusion

As AWS celebrates 20 years of cloud innovation, Windows users stand to benefit from deeper integration, improved performance, and exciting new capabilities. Whether you're running legacy applications or building cutting-edge AI solutions, AWS provides a robust platform for all your Windows workloads.