S3 — Simple Storage Service
Definition: Amazon's object storage product, now the de facto API for cloud blob storage. S3 is the backbone of most data lakes, backups, and static asset delivery on AWS.
Example
In engineering planning, you'll often hear something like: "Let's pull the latest S3 numbers before we make a call" — shorthand for simple storage service.
When you'll hear it
S3 shows up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. When someone uses it, they're usually referring to simple storage service — and they expect the room to already know what that means.
FAQs
What does S3 stand for?
S3 stands for Simple Storage Service.
What does S3 mean in technology and engineering?
Amazon's object storage product, now the de facto API for cloud blob storage. S3 is the backbone of most data lakes, backups, and static asset delivery on AWS.
Where will I hear S3 used at work?
S3 comes up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. It's used as shorthand for simple storage service, so people assume you already know the term.