AWS for Industries

Great MACH runs on AWS

Enabling Composable Commerce with Microservices based, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless (MACH) architecture

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, retailers need to adopt a modern tech stack that can deliver fast and seamless experiences to customers. To achieve this, many retailers are turning to MACH (microservices-based, API-first, cloud-native SaaS, and headless) architecture.

MACH architecture is a set of principles that provides a flexible and scalable way to design and build commerce solutions. It is based on microservices, which are small, independent modules that work together to form a larger system. API-first refers to the use of APIs to connect different services and applications, while cloud-native refers to the use of cloud computing to deploy and manage the system. Finally, headless means that the front end is decoupled from the backend so that retailers can deliver consistent, personalized, and seamless experiences across multiple channels.

Although MACH architecture offers many benefits, such as increased agility and scalability, it requires a robust cloud infrastructure to function efficiently. That’s where Amazon Web Services (AWS) comes in.

Formed in June 2020, the MACH Alliance is a not-for-profit industry body that advocates for open and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems. There are 82 member companies as of March 2023, categorized as ISVs, startup ISVs, System Integrators, and Enablers. Companies that wish to join as members must apply and be evaluated for compliance to the MACH tenets. Applying companies must not be selling any legacy products that don’t meet the MACH tenets.

Today, the main objective of the Alliance is educating the market on the benefits of MACH approaches, thus providing a voice for the industry. MACH maintains a presence at large events, such as the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s big yearly show and ShopTalk, as well as sponsored networking events in various cities.

AWS is in the Enabler category of the MACH Alliance (since January 2022). As the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, AWS provides retailers with a range of services, including compute, storage, database, and networking. It offers a highly secure and reliable infrastructure which can handle the demands of MACH architecture so that businesses can focus on innovating for their customers.

Amazon has a history of building MACH architectures that started as far back as 2002. Back then, Amazon.com’s early webstore was a monolithic system, making it difficult to develop and release new features quickly. The company’s IT team identified the root cause as tight component coupling and interdependent development groups. To address this, Amazon adopted an API-first design approach and the two-pizza team rule. This involved breaking down software features into smaller, independent units that could be managed by teams small enough to be fed by two pizzas. The approach, known as microservices, allowed the Amazon.com webstore to evolve quicker and improved the shopping experience for customers.

Taking these key learnings from Amazon.com, AWS became a longtime supporter of MACH and here are some ways in which we support great MACH architecture on AWS:

  • Scalability
    • AWS offers scalable infrastructure that can grow or shrink on demand—enabling MACH architecture to meet the changing demands of their customers on the fly.
  • High availability
    • AWS provides highly available infrastructure so retailers can deliver seamless experiences to their customers, even during peak traffic.
  • Flexibility
    • AWS provides flexible infrastructure that can adapt to the changing needs of retailers. We offer over 200 fully featured services that can be used to build and deploy MACH architecture—retailers can choose the best services that fit their requirements.
  • Security
    • AWS provides secure infrastructure that safeguards retailers’ data and applications. It offers a range of security services that can be used to secure the MACH architecture so retailers can focus on delivering great experiences to their customers.
  • Cost-effectiveness
    • AWS provides cost-effective infrastructure that can help retailers reduce their infrastructure costs. Using AWS, retailers pay only for the services they use—optimizing infrastructure costs.

Today, 70 percent of MACH members run on AWS, and we have a large and growing community of MACH Alliance members choosing to build great MACH on AWS.

Explore expert retail AWS Partners that are building great MACH on AWS

AWS, our partners, and the MACH Alliance

Download this infographic with AWS Partners in the MACH Alliance >>

Infographic Capture AWS MACH Partners 2024

How customers are using AWS Partner technologies to deliver MACH solutions on AWS

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Innovating Foodl, the Netherland’s first B2B food services marketplace

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Meet AWS at MACH Two | Amsterdam, June 13–14

If you’re considering replatforming to a composable stack, then this event is not to be missed. If you’re already on your journey, or would like to know more about the next big technological shift, this is for you. MACH Two is the community’s big stage to discuss progress, share ideas, and showcase real business impact.

Join leading retail innovators in the MACH space attending MACH Two, including IKEA, PUMA, ASICS, Philips, and AmerCareRoyal.

AWS is the headline sponsor of MACH Two and we invite you to meet our team in Amsterdam, to discuss the benefits of running MACH on AWS.

Register for MACH Two >>

The MACH Alliance hosts many events throughout the year to inspire, educate, and celebrate MACH journeys. Whether you’re a thought leader, a MACH enthusiast, or simply MACH curious, join the MACH Alliance events coming up.

Learn more about AWS joining the MACH Alliance >>

Marco Kormann Rodrigues

Marco Kormann Rodrigues

Marco Kormann Rodrigues is the EMEA Retail Partner Solution Lead at AWS. In his role he recruits, develops and markets partner solutions to the retail industry. Prior to joining AWS, Marco spent years as a consultant implementing SAP for CPG brands and retailers, and more recently analytics SaaS product development for retailers. He holds a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and an MSc in Information Systems Engineering from Ecole Centrale Paris.

Renata Melnyk

Renata Melnyk

Renata Melnyk leads global AWS Retail and Consumer Goods Industries Partner Marketing. In this role, she helps AWS industry business leaders and industry-specialized partners jointly plan, build, and run strategic go-to-market initiatives at a global scale. Renata's AWS experience spans over a decade of working across core business areas, including AWS Global Public Sector, AWS Startups, AWS Partner Network, and AWS Partner Marketing organizations.