Amazon Web Services joins blockchain with Amazon Managed Blockchain

Amazon, the company that is often compared to Bitcoin (since both had their prices beating during a bubble and then fell later) has updated its blockchain technology.

At the end of November, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's cloud computing arm, has ushered in a new service that will allow customers to create their own cloud-based blockchain using Hyperledger Fabric or Ethereum as a base.

The new product, Amazon Managed Blockchain, is much more impressive and ambitious than most of the partnerships that the company had with R3 and ConsenSys before. Now, Amazon has its successful blockchain technology product.

Rahul Pathak, the general director for big data a Amazon Web Services, who will create and oversee the new project, said Amazon knows that the blockchain is not a "panacea", however, they believe that the technology is suitable for some specific things and want to make a good product that can help people who have need.

Another product, Amazon Quantum Ledger Database, has also been shown to the world. This is basically an immutable but centralized ledger. Amazon Managed Blockchain is the decentralized solution for people who do not like the other product.

The most singular aspect of Amazon's relationship with the blockchain is this "sense of pragmatism", as described by Coindesk, who also reported on this story. Amazon knows that some companies simply do not need or want a blockchain. They do not believe that blockchain technology will change the world and decentralization will prevail over everything.

Amazon is simply offering choices for its customers. Do you want the blockchain? Great. You want something else, then they understood them too.

The CEO Andy Jassy said that most of the blockchain could easily be resolved with normal databases. For this reason, the company's focus is mainly on offering excellent products for the needs of each company. Both Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum will be used as a basis for people wishing to create their new blockchains on the program.

Partnership with Blockchain company

Amazon recently had two important blockchain partnerships: with R3 and ConsenSys. While R3 offered Amazon the blockchain Corda technology, which allowed Amazon customers to develop decentralized apps on Rope, ConsenSys offered other products.

Another important partnership was made with a company called Kaleido, which also offered some blockchain solutions for Amazon. All blockchain products were initially available at the AWS workshop.

Despite the partnerships, the AWS team was 100% responsible for the development of this new product. It was the core team that developed everything, as the company decided it was a better idea to have its own product (even if based on open source blockchain technology) rather than relying so much on other companies.

Centralization and lack of trust

While Amazon offers what can surely be considered a very solid product now, there are certainly concerns of centralization among customers, especially those who are fond of long-standing blockchain.

Blockchains are generally decentralized and, while the new product offered by Amazon is certainly, the company obviously does not have the "decentralized interests" of the community. After all, Amazon is a very centralized company that follows the traditional model.

The company has also been criticized for not allowing users to manage the nodes. This means that the nodes will be managed by Amazon. While this makes things much easier for users who simply do not want the hassle of running runes, they can make them too centralized. Projects could also be hosted at AWS, but critics say more decentralization may still be needed

In short, the new Amazon product is actually very exciting and can bring interesting things to the table, but it is not decentralized enough to satisfy the hardest members of the community.