AWS – The Lotus Notes of Public Cloud
As we are looking at the post-Thanksgiving tradition of AWS re:Invent starting tomorrow, I watched this excellent breaking Analysis from Dave Valente. Dave shared some great insights about how AWS is looking to compete with the likes of Data Bricks for dominance of data analytics. I think Dave missed the combination of the “Citizen Data Analyst” and the “Citizen Developer” powered by AWS Lambda.
Dave is correct that one day we’ll see AWS analytics customers include Pizza shop owners. Dave then discusses how AWS will service technical users with its IaaS offerings. I’ve championed a bigger view over the years. I believe AWS and other cloud providers will democratize application development as well.
What we see as AWS Lamdba Functions today will evolve into an application development platform aimed at the Pizza shop owner. Similar to how Lotus Notes enabled thousands of business-like developers to create applications that power business processes. Lotus Notes proved hard to kill. Not because email was hard to migrate to SaaS. Lotus Notes was hard to kill because businesses relied on applications developed within individual departments.
Ultimately, I believe the goal of AWS is to be as simple and addictive as Lotus Notes applications. The Pizza Shop owner will be both a data analyst and application developer creating new applications that enable new business opportunities.
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Keith Townsend is a seasoned technology leader and Chief Technology Advisor at Futurum Group, specializing in IT infrastructure, cloud technologies, and AI. With expertise spanning cloud, virtualization, networking, and storage, Keith has been a trusted partner in transforming IT operations across industries, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, government, software, and financial services.
Keith’s career highlights include leading global initiatives to consolidate multiple data centers, unify disparate IT operations, and modernize mission-critical platforms for “three-letter” federal agencies. His ability to align complex technology solutions with business objectives has made him a sought-after advisor for organizations navigating digital transformation.
A recognized voice in the industry, Keith combines his deep infrastructure knowledge with AI expertise to help enterprises integrate machine learning and AI-driven solutions into their IT strategies. His leadership has extended to designing scalable architectures that support advanced analytics and automation, empowering businesses to unlock new efficiencies and capabilities.
Whether guiding data center modernization, deploying AI solutions, or advising on cloud strategies, Keith brings a unique blend of technical depth and strategic insight to every project.
