The entire computer industry is chasing Amazon and its enormous and profitable cloud-computing business, Amazon Web Services.
With its latest earnings released on Thursday, net sales for the quarter hit just over $2 billion, up 78%, with $521 million in profits.
So far this year, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has brought in $5.4 billion, dropping $1.7 billion of profits to the bottom line.
For context, Amazon's North American retail business did $528 million in operating income over the same period.
The North American retail business is Amazon's core business.
AWS is now earning just as much money, but growing at a faster pace. It's a flat-out incredible business.
AWS is used by startups, big companies like Netflix, and government agencies like the CIA.
When it started reporting revenues and profits on its cloud business in the first quarter, it was on track to pull in about $6 billion for the year.
Unless something unexpected happens in the fourth quarter, it will exceed that by a mile.
The fourth quarter tends to be the biggest quarter of the year for selling stuff to enterprises.
| AWS | Q3 2015 | Q3 2014 | YTD 2015 | YTD 2014 | |||||||||||||
| Net sales | $ | 2,085 | $ | 1,169 | $ | 5,474 | $ | 3,224 | |||||||||
| Segment operating expenses (1) | 1,564 | 1,071 | 4,297 | 2,804 | |||||||||||||
|
Segment operating income (loss) |
$ | 521 | $ | 98 | $ | 1,177 | $ | 420 | |||||||||
