Is AWS getting into networking?

Report claiming public cloud giant will launch a range of switches sends Cisco shares tumbling

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is considering a move into the networking space by selling its own switches, according to a report by The Information.

The San Francisco-based news site claims that AWS has plans to sell switches to business customers, citing two sources. One of these sources, it said, has been briefed on the matter.

Cisco's share price fell over six per cent after the report was published on Friday, while Arista's fell by more than five per cent and Juniper's by more than three per cent.

The report claimed that the switches will be whiteboxed, and designed to make it easy for businesses to shift IT systems between on-premises infrastructure and the public cloud.

AWS will look to undercut incumbent vendors in the space by between 70 and 80 per cent, The Information added, claiming the hardware could be available within the next 18 months.

CRN has contacted AWS for comment.

AWS' has typically taken the stance that the public cloud is viable for all workloads, but recently acknowledged that most businesses will opt for a hyrbid approach for the time being - proven by its recently announced partnership with VMware.