15 Highlights from the 2019 AWS Public Sector Summit Keynote

As cloud transforms the public sector, every organization has the ability to think big and transform their ability to achieve their mission. From enabling the workforce to securing data to finding the right tool for the right job, organizations can design for a future of continual innovation, enabled by AWS.

See below for the 15 highlights, speakers, and announcements from the Tuesday Keynote at the AWS Public Sector Summit in Washington, DC.

GOVERNMENT

Intelligence Community solves complex problems with the cloud

In 2013, the Intelligence Community made a decision to invest in a modern information technology system for the community. With the cloud, they were seeking efficiency and looking to better handle big data. “It’s one of the best decisions we made, and it will, I think, be one of the decisions that’s considered a leap forward,” said Sue Gordon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “We are faster. We can ask more questions, and the cost to ask those questions is almost nothing. We take on much more complex problems than we did before.”

Get started on your path to an ATO

Authority to Operate (ATO) on AWS is an AWS Partner Network (APN) program, which provides resources to solution providers running on AWS who need assistance in their pursuit of a compliance authorization. This includes the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), and many other compliance programs. Learn more.

The US Department of Defense turns to the cloud for urgent change at significant scale

In order to support our troops, the US Department of Defense  took an inventory of what they had, what they needed, and how they could adapt. The answer: the cloud.  “What’s really impressive is we didn’t go and build a cloud. We built a process and a platform to onboard people to commercial cloud instead of build our own cloud,” said Kenny Bowen, CIO, US Department of Defense for Special Programs. “We now have access to the most state of the art cloud we have seen.” Using the cloud for mission-critical solutions allowed the agency to compress time to delivery from years to days.

CloudEndure Migration is now available at no charge

CloudEndure, an AWS company, now offers CloudEndure Migration to move applications from any physical, virtual, or cloud-based infrastructures to AWS at no charge. This offer is available to all AWS customers and partners. Learn more.

Migration Acceleration Program open for business for the public sector

The AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) is designed to help organizations that are committed to a migration journey achieve a range of benefits by migrating existing workloads to AWS. MAP has been created to provide consulting support, training, and services credits to reduce the risk of migrating to the cloud, build a strong operational foundation, and help offset the initial cost of migrations. It includes a migration methodology for executing legacy migrations methodically, as well as a robust set of tools to automate and accelerate common migration scenarios. Learn more.

State of Arizona uses modern technology to solve government problems

Arizona does not have earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes, but what they do have is dust. In July 2013, a dust storm lasting multiple days caused an outage of their biggest data center, which shut down critical systems. With the governor challenging government leaders to innovate and transform Arizona’s IT, the state created a bold vision with a cloud-first policy. “When we started, we had no idea how successful we would be, especially as a public sector organization. We aimed to migrate 25-50% to AWS, but after the dust settled, we had moved 75% to AWS,” said Morgan Reed, CIO of the State of Arizona.

Over 220 new services and features in AWS GovCloud (US)

Since announcing the opening of the second AWS GovCloud (US) Region last year, we have continued to focus on driving innovation and access to new services and infrastructure. This year, we launched over 220 services and features in the AWS GovCloud (US) Regions. At the Summit, we announced four new services available in AWS GovCloud (US) Regions – AWS CodeBuild, AWS DataSync, AWS Serverless Application Repository, and AWS Secrets Manager. Learn more.

NIH uses the cloud to accelerate cures

From genomic data to electronic health records to Fitbit data, the data deluge is strong within healthcare. One of the missions of National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to sustain high-value research, while securing medical data. “If we are to speed advances, we need to transform how we conduct research, share results, and insert these discoveries into patient care,” said Andrea Norris, Director for the Center for Information Technology and the Chief Information Officer, NIH. “And we are at the moment of science where our knowledge, science, and dedicated and coordinated efforts can generate a leap forward.” The NIH is working on many initiatives including Kids First, the Brain Initiative, and the All of Us Research Program.

NONPROFIT

Funding opportunity! 2019 AWS Imagine Grant open

Calling all nonprofits with technology-driven projects! We are now accepting applications for the 2019 AWS Imagine Grant Program from eligible 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the United States. New this year, organizations have the opportunity to receive up to $100,000 in unrestricted funding and up to $100,000 in AWS Promotional Credits, in addition to other capacity-building resources, including AWS training and implementation support. Learn more.

Ride and raise funds to obliterate cancer with the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center

We are supporting the Fred Hutch Obliteride to help accelerate the lifesaving work at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. At the Summit, for every mile completed by event attendees on stationary bikes, $100 will be donated to Fred Hutch by our sponsors Intel, Worldwide Technology, and Booz Allen Hamilton (big thanks to our sponsors for raising over $30,000 with over 300 miles rode on Tuesday!).

EDUCATION

George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College announce the region’s first bachelor’s degree for cloud computing with AWS Educate

George Mason University (Mason) and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), in collaboration with AWS Educate, announced a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) pathway in cloud computing. This degree offers students a seamless transfer pathway from a two-year associate’s degree to a four-year bachelor’s degree in the cloud, providing a clear path to high-demand careers in cloud computing with AWS partners and customers. Learn more.

Announcing the first international implementation of AWS Educate’s Cloud Degree program with Career Colleges Trust in the UK

The Career Colleges Trust announced it is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to integrate AWS Educate and its Cloud Degree program into a new, two-year cloud qualification which will provide thousands of students with the opportunity to pursue technology careers in the cloud computing industry. The programme of study will launch in early 2020 and will be rolled out in further education institutions and universities across the UK. Learn more.

SENAI bringing cloud skills to Brazil

Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (SENAI), a nonprofit in Brazil, is working with AWS to provide cloud curriculum. Brazilian professionals will have access to “Amazon Web Services: Journey to the Cloud,” which includes 40 hours of training on concepts, techniques, tools, and best practices.

Looking for more? Don’t miss today’s Fireside Chat with AWS CEO, Andy Jassy at 11:15 AM.