Amazon Undertakes $7.8 Billion Expansion of Ohio Data Operations

Amazon Web Services (AWS) says it is upping its investment in its Ohio data center operations.

The company announced Monday (June 26) that it will spend an estimated $7.8 billion to expand its data centers in the state by 2030.

The investment, building on AWS’ nearly 7-year-old effort in the Buckeye State, “will bring hundreds of direct jobs and support thousands of additional jobs at local businesses through the construction, operations, and maintenance on-site at AWS facilities,” the company said in a news release.

A separate announcement Monday from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine notes that the data center project marks the second-largest single private sector investment in the state’s history.

“As more of the world relies on cloud computing, this investment will build on Amazon’s current infrastructure in Ohio to help new and existing businesses grow, allow residents to securely connect to friends and family, and provide access to online educational resources and entertainment,” DeWine said.

PYMNTS looked at some of the applications for cloud computing recently in a conversation with Dondi Black, executive vice president and chief product officer at payments company TSYS, and Eitan Ahimor, global payments business development at AWS.

Black stressed that the concept of payments orchestration is “the big value driver” for shifting data and analytics programs to the cloud, as it gives insights into multiple, integrated portfolios.

“It actually is feeding across a complex distribution channel, then suddenly you start to see improved experiences that our clients are leveraging to cultivate organic loyalty,” Black added.

With these benefits in mind, it’s clear that outdated systems can keep organizations stuck in the past and hurt future growth, Black said, calling cloud “the future of the industry.”

“There’s an obvious recognition and appreciation for the value that hosting data and analytics platforms in the cloud brings,” she said.

News of the AWS Ohio data center investment comes just days after the company debuted a program to help customers speed their implementation of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

“The Generative AI Innovation Center is part of our goal to help every organization leverage AI by providing flexible and cost-effective generative AI services for the enterprise, alongside our team of generative AI experts to take advantage of all this new technology has to offer,” Matt Garman, senior vice president of sales, marketing and global services at AWS, said in a news release June 22.