There was some leaked corp doc from Amazon (Wikileaks maybe?) that showed significant chunk of their DC space had a recognizable name attached to it, it looked a lot like they often just buy this stuff in too.
Yes, Amazon buys space just like everyone else. I have been in lots of buildings or campuses where they were located.
They buy a lot of space, and they work with lots of providers, but they don't own very many sites. So I guess they don't "have a datacenter" for the purposes of this thread. No one I know in the business thinks this way in the year 2020.
Designing and operating datacenter facilities is specialized work, and it's about compliance, auditing, risk management, electrical, plumbing, hvac and other skilled trades. The datacenter industry actually has very little to do with computers, so there is a natural split between the facility and the server / network equipment it houses.
Basically all commercial datacenter providers operate as REITs, which is tax advantageous but extremely limiting in some ways. Amazon can benefit from this (with lower pricing) without dealing with it themselves.
Owning can offer some advantages, but it also means you're with that site for the long, long haul. Efficiencies of designs are always increasing, so operating in an old facility costs you money. If you built the site to your own spec, good luck exiting -- the next owner will have to do a total overhaul to get it to industry spec and get customers.
Even if you have a 10 year lease, there are always ways to get out if you want to. Especially if you're Amazon.
They build sites, but they also lease space from the same providers as everyone else.
It's also worth noting that sometimes when a company builds a datacenter in a green field situation, it may be working with a datacenter provider on that project. So the company may own it, but they're paying the provider to use their design elements and potentially to operate it.
They buy a lot of space, and they work with lots of providers, but they don't own very many sites. So I guess they don't "have a datacenter" for the purposes of this thread. No one I know in the business thinks this way in the year 2020.
Designing and operating datacenter facilities is specialized work, and it's about compliance, auditing, risk management, electrical, plumbing, hvac and other skilled trades. The datacenter industry actually has very little to do with computers, so there is a natural split between the facility and the server / network equipment it houses.
Basically all commercial datacenter providers operate as REITs, which is tax advantageous but extremely limiting in some ways. Amazon can benefit from this (with lower pricing) without dealing with it themselves.
Owning can offer some advantages, but it also means you're with that site for the long, long haul. Efficiencies of designs are always increasing, so operating in an old facility costs you money. If you built the site to your own spec, good luck exiting -- the next owner will have to do a total overhaul to get it to industry spec and get customers.
Even if you have a 10 year lease, there are always ways to get out if you want to. Especially if you're Amazon.