Amazon Web Services: the secret to the online retailer's future success

AWS was launched as little more than a way to buy space and time on Amazon's computers. Now it powers Netflix, Airbnb and the Ministry of Justice

Amazon is big. In its last financial quarter, it sold $32bn (25.6bn) worth of stuff worldwide, including $6bn of media, $10bn of sales outside North America, and $23bn of electronics "and other general merchandise". That "other" category encompasses everything from crucifixes to sex toys, board games to plyboard, and mousemats printed with the faces of obscure TV and Radio personalities.

It has also diversified beyond its simple shopping business: the company will sell you something to be delivered in less than one hour, food from restaurants, and even digital content to be watched on your TV or listened to on your phone. And, of course, it has a hardware business which many other companies would kill for, producing ebook readers and tablets, and single-handedly creating the product category of "smart speaker" with the Echo.