Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is offering a Linux-based open sourced system that sounds like a blockchain.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) released Bottlerocket on 31 August 2020. AWS’s engineers built Bottlerocket to run containers. Amazon’s description of Bottlerocket reminds me of blockchain.
“Bottlerocket includes only the essential software to run containers, which improves resource usage, reduces security attack surface, and lowers management overhead,” an AWS FAQ states. “It also integrates with container orchestrators (such as Amazon EKS and Amazon ECS) to further reduce management and operational overhead while updating container hosts in a cluster.”
Is Bottlerocket a Blockchain-Alternative?
Moreover, Bottlerocket contains automatic updates to infrastructure. I think automatic updates are decentralized applications (DApps). A DApp is a digital robot they build into a program to perform specific tasks. Many blockchain applications including smart contracts are DApps.
In contrast to blockchain, Bottlerocket has a low resource footprint, fast boot times, and small security attack service. Thus, Bottlerocket could be a blockchain alternative rather than a blockchain.
To elaborate, many of today’s blockchain are slow, cumbersome, and resource hogs. Additionally, Amazon claims Bottlerocket is minimally disruptive.
An Alternative to Amazon Linux?
I suspect AWS intends Bottlerocket as an alternative to Amazon Linux. Unlike Bottlerocket, Amazon Linux is a general purpose operating system that runs with the RPM Package Manager or container.
Amazon Linux runs on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). In fact, they design Amazon Linux to provide a stable, secure, and high performance execution environment for applications. Hence, Amazon Linux also operates like a blockchain.
I have to wonder if the existence of Amazon Linux and Bottlerocket means Amazon (AMZN) wants to enter the software business. Thus Amazon could come for Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) business.
I predict Amazon’s operating system efforts will raise more anti-trust questions about the Everything Store.The argument will be that Amazon can monopolize software in the same way it monopolizes e-commerce and retail.
Investors and others need to watch Amazon Linux and Bottlerocket closely because they show Amazon could be moving into a new business.
Originally published at https://marketmadhouse.com on September 15, 2020.
