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Windows on AWS

Why AWS for Windows Server?

Unmatched experience. Unparalleled performance.

AWS has helped customers migrate, optimize, and modernize Windows Server workloads to the cloud since 2008, longer than any other cloud provider. To help customers meet long-term innovation goals, AWS has accelerated the modernization of customers' Windows-based applications to cloud-based and open-source technologies such as Windows containers, .NET apps on Linux, and serverless, enabling customers to accelerate innovation and break free from software upgrade and refresh cycles.

Benefits of AWS for Windows Server

AWS offers the most secure, extensive, and reliable Global Cloud Infrastructure for you to run, optimize, and modernize Windows Server workloads. Powered by the AWS Nitro System, Amazon EC2 offers over 850 instance types for virtually every workloads and business need.

From licensing to infrastructure, AWS is focused on driving down your costs for running Windows Server workloads. For example, customers save 77% on Windows Server license costs with AWS Optimization and Licensing Assessment. With AWS Compute Optimizer, customers save up to 25% on infrastructure costs through continuous optimization and rightsizing.

AWS is always trying to reduce your licensing needs and complexity by providing flexible licensing options. You can either choose to bring your own licenses (BYOL) to Amazon EC2 Dedicated Hosts to maximize existing investments, or leverage the pay-as-you-go, license-included (LI) option to eliminate the hassle of managing license compliance.
AWS offers over 200 fully featured services, including Managed Active Directory, Amazon FSx for Windows File Server, AWS License Manager, Kubernetes production support for Windows containers, and many more to help you run and scale your Windows-based applications.

Your cloud journey is about transforming your business and driving agility through innovation—and there’s no better place to do that than AWS. Leverage proven, innovative services and programs, such as Experience-Based Acceleration (EBA), designed through modernizing thousands of customers' Windows-based applications to accelerate your modernization projects.

AWS for Windows Server by the numbers

77%

Cost savings on Windows Server licenses
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850+

Instance types for virtually every workload and business need
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17

Years of experience running Windows Server in the cloud, longer than anyone else
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14

Recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Strategic Cloud Platform Services for the 14th consecutive year
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Windows Server use cases on AWS

Lift and shift Windows Server to Amazon EC2 without any code changes to realize cost savings, improved performance, and scalability. Expedite your migration projects with programs such as AWS Windows Migration Accelerator and AWS Migration Acceleration Program for Windows.

Containerize Windows-based applications with minimal code changes for higher resource efficiency and lower TCO, while enabling DevOps agility for faster time to market. AWS supports Windows containers on Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS) and Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS). Leverage AWS App2Container to containerize and migrate existing applications.

Embark on Windows modernization pathways, such as decomposing monolithic applications to microservices with AWS Microservice Extractor for .NET and porting applications from .NET Framework to .NET on Linux with AWS Transform for .NET. This enables license freedom while increasing development velocity and agility.