Amazon Web Services (AWS) is expanding on it's already announced NZ$7.5 billion Cloud Region investment for Auckland by creating an AWS Local Zone in the city.
According to the company, AWS Local Zones are a "new type of cloud infrastructure that brings computer storage, database, and other select services close to customers, without the need to own and operate their own data centre infrastructure".
That gives businesses in Aotearoa the ability to offer single-digit millisecond performance designed to suit remote real-time gaming, media and entertainment content creation, live video streaming, augmented and virtual reality and more.
The Local Zones are managed by AWS, which means there's no additional infrastructure operating and maintenance costs for the business.
Tiffany Bloomquist, country manager for commercial at AWS in New Zealand, said the company was excited to bring the edge of the cloud closer to more customers in New Zealand.
"AWS Local Zones will empower more public and private organisations, innovative startups, and AWS Partners to deliver a new generation of leading edge, low-latency applications to end users," she said.
"This new AWS Local Zone is a continuation of our investment to support customers of all kinds and commitment to accelerate innovation by bringing cloud infrastructure to more locations in New Zealand."
During the company's Cloud Region announcement in September last year, it said 1000 local jobs were expected to be created as part of the investment in New Zealand.
AWS defines a 'Region' as a physical location where data centres are clustered, with each group called an Availability Zone (AZ).
The New Zealand-based Region will have three AZs each isolated and physically separate from others. They're expected to open in 2024.
The new Local Zone in Auckland will join 16 existing Local Zones across the United States and an additional 31 AWS Local Zones planned to launch in 25 countries around the world over the next two years, the company said.
Fellow tech giant Microsoft revealed in 2020 that it is going to open a data centre in New Zealand, with the value of the investment put at over $100 million.
