Amazon thinks it can save millions by extending the lifespan of its servers

Glowing server racks inside a data center.
Image Credit: Shutterstock (Image credit: Shutterstock)

In a move to ensure financial gains, as well as act in a more sustainable manner, Amazon has extended the lifespan of its server from five year to six.

The news comes around two years after the company upped its servers’ lifespan from four years to five, introducing a more “robust maintenance and repair program designed to increase component reuse and further reduce carbon emissions and waste across [its] supply chain.”

By extending server lifespans to six years, Amazon reckons it will draw in an additional $900 million in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Amazon servers now last longer

The announcement was made during the company’s most recent earnings call, where the company revealed a total revenue of $170 billion for the final three months of 2023, up from $149 billion in the same period of 2022.

Acknowledging that AI only contributes to a small proportion of AWS’s overall revenue at present, Jassy suggested that artificial intelligence could contribute tens of billions in revenue over the coming years.

Looking ahead, Amazon anticipates a surge in capital expenditure in order to support the growth of AWS by providing more infrastructure, and while the company’s decision to prolong its servers’ lifespans by one year won’t eliminate the need to invest in infrastructure, it will play an important role toward realizing sustainability goals.

In February 2023, Google revealed similar plans to increase the lifespan of some of its servers from four to six years. Microsoft followed suit in August 2023. Meta also announced plans to run its servers for five years, up from four, in early 2023.

Via The Register

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Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!