AWS re:Invent 2021: A Review of Incremental Updates

AWS re:Invent 2021: A More Measured Approach

The annual AWS re:Invent conference concluded this week in Las Vegas. Traditionally a vibrant and energetic event for technology professionals, this year’s iteration presented a noticeably more subdued atmosphere.

Return to In-Person and a New Leader

This marked the first time the conference was held in Las Vegas following its virtual adaptation due to the pandemic. Attendance figures were lower compared to previous years. Furthermore, it was the inaugural re:Invent led by newly appointed CEO, Adam Selipsky.

Expectations were present that Selipsky would articulate a distinct vision for the division’s future. However, the keynote address proved to be more evolutionary than revolutionary, prioritizing stability over dramatic innovation.

Incremental Updates Rather Than Groundbreaking Announcements

Selipsky’s presentation was polished and professional, yet it lacked a significant announcement capable of generating substantial excitement, a hallmark of previous keynotes delivered by Andy Jassy. While several announcements were made, none possessed the “wow” factor of past events.

The overall impression was one of Amazon systematically addressing existing needs and refining its product roadmap, rather than unveiling groundbreaking technologies. Perhaps this approach was fitting given the circumstances.

Analyst Perspective: A Tamer Event

Holger Mueller, an analyst from Constellation Research with nine consecutive years of conference attendance, described it as “one of the tamest re:Invents” he could recall.

He noted the absence of a major database announcement, a common occurrence in prior years. Instead, AWS focused on transitioning numerous services to serverless architectures and implementing incremental improvements across its portfolio.

A Shift in Announcement Strategy

Unlike previous years dominated by announcements from Andy Jassy on the first day, this re:Invent distributed news across multiple keynotes. This allowed other executives to showcase tools relevant to their respective teams.

However, this decentralized approach may have contributed to a diminished overall impact. Keynotes were delivered by Selipsky, VP of AI Swami Sivasubramanian, and Amazon CTO Werner Vogels over three consecutive days.

Deep Dives into Technical Details

Vogels delivered a comprehensive lecture covering API management, identity and access management, and environmentally conscious operations. His keynote highlighted a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of AWS technologies.

Sivasubramanian provided an extensive overview of Amazon’s AI and ML capabilities, introducing a new no-code offering for SageMaker and data migration tools.

A Focus on Underlying Improvements

Amazon’s strategy appears to be evolving towards a model similar to Apple, where improvements are often implemented internally, enhancing the user experience without necessarily resulting in dramatic external changes.

The introduction of custom silicon, such as Graviton 3 and Trn1, exemplifies this approach. Amazon anticipates that these technical enhancements will continue to fuel customer growth.

Simplifying Operations for Customers

Vogels emphasized the company’s commitment to simplifying operations for its customers, responding to their specific demands. He playfully acknowledged the continuous creation of new EC2 instance flavors due to customer requests.

He highlighted substantial investments in data centers to deliver next-generation compute platforms. A new online game was presented as a demonstration of AWS’s cloud computing and intelligence capabilities.

Increased Competition in the Cloud Market

AWS faces growing competition from Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba in the cloud computing market. Its early market leadership has provided a significant advantage, but competitors are rapidly gaining ground.

Despite the competitive landscape, substantial opportunities remain for growth. However, the conference lacked clarity regarding Selipsky’s strategy for maintaining AWS’s competitive edge.

A Prudent Approach for a New Leader

It may be premature to expect bold pronouncements from Selipsky so early in his tenure. As Mueller suggested, he requires time to fully grasp the intricacies of the division before implementing his vision.

Therefore, a cautious and measured approach was adopted, delivering a well-organized and understated event that aligned with the prevailing circumstances.