Category: Announcements

Public sector regulatory agencies are at an inflection point as digital assets have emerged in the private sector in the form of cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). To inform this process, AWS has collaborated with industry analyst firm, Constellation Research, to write a new research report available to the public. “The CIO Imperative for Digital Assets in the Public Sector” presents an exploration of the requisite topics to get CIOs and their teams up-to-speed and ready for this journey.

The AWS Open Data Sponsorship Program makes high-value, cloud-optimized datasets publicly available on AWS. Through this program, customers are making over 100PB of high-value, cloud-optimized data available for public use. As April 22 is Earth Day, the AWS Open Data team wanted to highlight some new datasets from our geospatial and environmental communities of practice, as well as the other new or updated datasets available now on the Registry of Open Data on AWS and also discoverable on AWS Data Exchange.

In Virginia, where AWS has an important and growing presence, AWS is investing significantly in supporting skills and education programs to promote a thriving workforce. The AWS Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Certificate Course is one of the programs AWS runs locally to help individuals get the skills necessary to repair and install fiber optic cables. Recently, AWS held a training at the AWS Skills Center in Arlington in collaboration with Northern Virginia Community College. Learn more about how programs like these are supporting the local workforce in Virginia.

AWS announced the 13 global space startups selected to participate in the 2023 AWS Space Accelerator, a technical, business, and mentorship program to help startups advance their space solutions and accelerate their growth using the cloud. These startups are developing inspiring and innovative solutions that address various challenges associated with space sustainability. From 3D-printed space vehicles to orbital robots, satellite solutions built on artificial intelligence (AI), and space-based initiatives that can help us better use Earth’s valuable resources, these emerging startups are leveraging AWS as they develop the next generation of exciting space technology.

According to a new economic impact study (EIS) from AWS, AWS has invested ZAR 15.6 billion through 2022 to meet customer demand for cloud computing services. Thousands of South African customers have used AWS technologies to transform their businesses and accelerate their innovation, agility, and cost savings since AWS launched the AWS Africa (Cape Town) Region in 2020. According to the EIS, AWS operations will add an estimated ZAR 68 billion more to South Africa’s GDP by 2029. AWS’s investment impacts other parts of the South African economy as well, helping develop the next generation of workforce, digitally transform businesses, and promote sustainability throughout the country.

AWS launched new tiered support for the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program. The AWS Nonprofit Credit Program works with TechSoup to provide 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations such as charities, libraries, and museums, across the globe with access to AWS Promotional Credit. Promotional credit enables organizations of all sizes to scale their operations, reduce costs, and deliver more impact on their mission and the communities they serve. With this update to the program, the value of promotional credit an organization can receive will be based on the size of their annual operations budgets, extending opportunities for nonprofits of all sizes to accelerate their missions with cloud technology.

Climate change is a significant factor in many health-related issues, from the increase of pest-related illness, to food scarcity, access to clean air and water, and beyond. Recognizing the power the cloud has to amplify technologies that mitigate many of these issues, AWS is sponsoring a new fellowship with Halcyon, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit supporting impact-driven startups. Designed for entrepreneurs seeking to build climate resilience across Latin America and the Caribbean, the Halcyon Climate Resilience Intensive Fellowship aims to combat the compounding effects of climate change on poverty, food insecurity, health disparities, and displacement.

To support defence and national security customers, AWS is launching the AWS European Defence Accelerator. The AWS European Defence Accelerator’s goal is to support startups with AWS Cloud technologies to provide energy resilience, secure information sharing, sensing and decision making, quantum, and cyber resilience solutions to support a range of customer mission needs. The accelerator is open to startups globally who are interested in doing business with defence and national security organizations across Europe. Learn more and apply now.

AWS announced the release of the Operational Readiness Review (ORR) program as a custom lens for the AWS Well-Architected Tool, which is designed to help you review the state of your applications and workloads against architectural best practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and track progress over time. Creating a custom lens for the Well-Architected Tool with the ORR program can help supplement Well-Architected reviews by including lessons learned that are specific to your business, culture, tools, and governance rules. Learn how to set up the ORR as a custom lens in this walkthrough.

The 2023 IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference brought together hundreds of nonprofit leaders, technologists, and innovators to learn and share how AWS Cloud technology can drive a positive impact for people and the planet. Chelsea Clinton, author, advocate, and vice chair of the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, spoke with Francessca Vasquez, AWS vice president of technology and customer solutions, about their passions for data and leadership during a fireside chat. Plus, AWS announced new initiatives to support nonprofits with funding and more. Discover some of the top moments from IMAGINE: Nonprofit.