Amazon Web Services, the e-commerce giant's cloud computing arm, has unveiled a new service for launching out-of-the-box blockchain networks for the ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric protocols.

In a blog post published on Wednesday, AWS chief evangelist Jeff Barr wrote that the newly available "templates" allow clients to "launch an ethereum (either public or private) or Hyperledger Fabric (private) network in a matter of minutes and with just a few clicks."

He went on to explain:

The post provides detailed instructions for setting up an ethereum template, which supports mining, as well as an EthStats page that provides network metrics and an EthExplorer tool that displays the transactions and smart contracts entered into the ledger.

AWS is a fast-growing segment of Amazon's business, which saw sales increase 55 percent in 2016 and 43 percent in 2017. The division is in fierce competition with other tech giants' cloud computing arms, including Microsoft Azure, which showed an early interest in providing blockchain as a service when it partnered with the ethereum startup ConsenSys in 2015.

Google, according to a Bloomberg report published in March, is also working on a blockchain solution for its cloud business.

AWS announced back in 2016 that it would start working with blockchain startups, offering dedicated technical support and infrastructure for the firms involved.

"Today in financial services, distributed ledger technology is at the forefront of any discussion related to innovation," the company said at the time. "AWS is working with financial institutions and blockchain providers to spur innovation and facilitate frictionless experimentation."

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