Forbes September 24, 2021
In 2006, when Amazon launched Simple Storage Service (a predecessor to Amazon Web Services), remote computing had a humble value proposition: store electronic files off-site—better known today as ‘in the cloud.’ At the time, leading technology companies did not appear to register the competitive threat created by cloud computing, perhaps believing that the performance and security features of its on-premise technology would remain the first choice of corporate CIOs. Neither the founding of Box that same year nor the launch of DropBox in 2007 made national news. More broadly, large parts of the consumer economy paid little attention to this sleepy corner of the technology sector, reflecting confidence in the strategies long employed by executives to sustain successful consumer franchises:...