Lee Enterprises, a major provider of local news and advertising in 73 U.S. markets, has announced its decision to use Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider. This move is part of the company's strategy to modernize its cloud infrastructure and develop generative AI platforms.

The collaboration with AWS will focus on two main areas: enhancing Lee Enterprises' cloud infrastructure for better scalability, flexibility, and speed, and creating innovative generative AI applications using AWS services. Among these services are Amazon Bedrock, which offers developers access to high-performing models from leading AI companies through a single API, and Amazon Redshift, a managed cloud data warehouse designed for cost-effective data analysis. Additionally, Lee Enterprises will utilize Amazon Nova foundation models available exclusively on Amazon Bedrock to deliver personalized news and information services.

Kevin Mowbray, CEO at Lee Enterprises, stated that working with AWS allows the company to "reimagine the future of local news and advertising." He highlighted AWS's leadership in cloud infrastructure and generative AI as crucial for transforming their business at scale.

Les Ottolenghi, Chief Transformation and Commercial Officer at Lee Enterprises, emphasized the importance of AWS's technology in building a modern technology backbone. He noted that tools like Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Redshift are vital for their generative AI platform strategy.

The use of generative AI is expected to revolutionize how news and advertising are delivered by curating content for subscribers and providing advertisers with enhanced targeting capabilities. Key components such as Amazon Redshift will integrate with Bedrock to offer robust data analytics capabilities.

Lee Enterprises plans to roll out new generative AI products within the next year as part of its multi-year digital transformation initiative. The partnership with AWS aims to position Lee Enterprises as a leader in leveraging technology within the local news media industry.