| One of the most common problems that is prominent | | | | effective. Since its implementation in America in 2006, |
| online, both for businesses and individuals, is the need | | | | Amazon S3 has charged users a fixed rate of $0.15 |
| for high quality data storage. Many companies boast | | | | for each gigabyte of storage used, with no maximum |
| their reliability and ease of use, but most fail to | | | | amount of storage per person. From November 2008 |
| deliver across all requirements. Finally however, there | | | | however, Amazon realized that the service was |
| may be a facility that ticks all the boxes - Amazon's | | | | being used as a mass storage facility by many and |
| S3 service. | | | | began to provide pricing discounts for those users |
| Although relatively new to the majority of casual | | | | who stored more than 50 terabytes with S3. These |
| internet users, Amazon's S3 - full name Simple | | | | prices are in a tiered format, with the greatest |
| Storage Service - has been in service for over three | | | | discounted offered for users storing over 500 |
| years, launched initially in the United States in March | | | | terabytes of data, which reduces the monthly cost |
| 2006. Introduced to the European market in | | | | to $0.12 for each gigabyte. |
| November 2007, S3 was billed to offer unlimited | | | | It has to be noted that there are additional charges |
| storage for anyone, via access from a customer | | | | in place for the transfer of data, both in and out of |
| friendly user interface. | | | | the server and pricing varies in Europe, which sees a |
| As Amazon is seen to most as solely an online | | | | 20% increase in all prices. Although it may seem |
| shopping retailer, it is surprising for some to hear that | | | | rather substantial, Amazon claims that these |
| S3 is the latest in a long list of services offered by | | | | increased fees are only in place due to the increased |
| the Web Services branch of the Amazon brand. | | | | pricing imposed on them and are a direct reflection of |
| However, S3 is the first publicly available service | | | | any additional fees incurred by offering the service |
| provided, with all of the remaining products being | | | | outside of America. |
| aimed at developers to render as and how they see | | | | S3 is to many the epitome of quality data storage. |
| fit. | | | | Fast, reliable, inexpensive and simple, the service is by |
| The aim of S3 is, in Amazon's own words, "to | | | | no means perfect, but since its inception, minor flaws |
| provide scalability, high availability and low latency at | | | | have been ironed out and the service is fast |
| commodity costs" and with comments from several | | | | becoming second to none. |
| businesses who use S3, it appears that the service is | | | | One of the major benefits that comes with using |
| meeting its own claims and expectations. For | | | | Amazon S3 is the fact that any videos you host |
| example, a large online photo sharer has publicly | | | | there will stream smoothly with no hick-ups on your |
| stated that within seven months of using S3, they | | | | site or blog. However if you plan on streaming your |
| saved approximately $1,000,000 and have continued | | | | videos from within your WordPress posts, you'll need |
| to use the service, regardless of a few minor glitches | | | | a Amazon S3 WordPress Plugin and preferably one |
| in the service, primarily for the value for money that | | | | that allows a Secure connection. This way, no one will |
| S3 offers. | | | | be able to hot link to your videos. Very useful in |
| Compared to several other online data storage | | | | keeping your hosting fees low and protecting your |
| services, S3 is regularly said to be the most cost | | | | content. |