I.T.’s On in Ohio

When Amazon officially flipped the on switch this week to its latest region of data centers in Ohio for its world-leading cloud business, Amazon Web Services (AWS), it represented a major win for our state’s economy and sent a clear message that we have arrived as a global Information Technology (IT) center. This was an opportunity for Amazon and Ohio to celebrate the multitude of investments that will ultimately bring more than 2,200 new jobs to our state.

The AWS Cloud serves some of the world’s biggest companies and organizations such as Capital One, Expedia, Netflix, GE, Case Western Reserve University, Intuit, Hertz and more. The global IT leader provides cloud services to more than a million active customers across 190 countries and operates four AWS Cloud Regions, made up of multiple data centers, across the United States. Ohio is its first location in the central U.S.

These strategic and substantial investments in Ohio include multiple data centers and a wind farm. When built, the 100-megawatt Amazon Wind Farm US Central will deliver wind energy to the same grid that powers its data centers. These investments speak volumes to Amazon’s confidence in Ohio as a hub leading technology expansion. Our work with one of the fastest-growing IT companies in the world is a testament to Ohio’s focus on the future.

“As technology continues to migrate toward greater use of cloud computing, having the world leader in that field—Amazon Web Services— here in Ohio demonstrates the critical role our state is playing in the future of the world’s economy. Ohio is not just embracing the new knowledge economy, we’re helping create it.” Ohio Governor John Kasich said.

Why are tech’s biggest names branching out in Ohio? As digital innovators explain in this video, our state has created a culture that cultivates innovation and collaboration, setting IT companies up for success. Ohio also offers access to global customers and a massive number of top tech talent, to the tune of 5,000 IT graduates every year – all without the Silicon Valley price tag.

AWS and the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) have agreed to work together to explore Amazon Direct Connect access to Ohio’s 100-gigabit research backbone network enhancing the digital connection between colleges, schools, medical research hospitals and state government across Ohio. By using OARnet’s unique high-speed backbone, institutions can readily take advantage of network speeds nearly 3,000 times faster than the national average to further advance research and discovery.

AWS allows entrepreneurs, companies and schools of any size to access nearly infinite computing capability and global scale on demand, in a pay-as-you-go fashion without the upfront capital investment in a single server. Moreover, cloud computing like what AWS provides offers startups, enterprises, government agencies, and non-profit organizations world-class security features that scale as applications grow. This empowers the smallest company or school to make their mark on the world with faster innovation and scale by focusing on their products and services, not their IT budgets.

We are excited to work with Amazon on such strategic and diverse projects that will impact customers and companies of all sizes in Ohio and across the world. Welcome to Ohio!