Training the Warfighter on the Cloud

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) charted their path to the cloud back in 2012 with the cloud directive. Since then, they have made strides in accelerating the adoption of cloud computing throughout the department. Critical to the success of cloud adoption is training the warfighter on how to use the new technology.

By equipping military men and women with cloud computing capabilities and the confidence to take on new responsibilities, agencies invite fresh ideas, a place to test them, and the potential to solve complex issues affecting the environment in which they operate.

What better way to train soldiers in the cloud, than through a “born-in-the-cloud” startup. The Data Incubator is a growing startup and AWS Partner Network (APN) member who not only uses AWS, but also trains defense agencies, as well as Fortune 500 companies, on how to use AWS tools in the cloud across all data classification levels.

Their mission began six months ago when they were tasked with developing and creating a long-term delivery course on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in Charleston, SC. They conducted group training on AWS customized to the Navy’s needs, covering topics from data analytics to machine learning. Through their workshops, they taught the latest cloud techniques and technologies so the squadron could start using the tools they learned immediately.

With the agility, reliability, and speed of the cloud, teams can quickly build, experiment, and launch new services to provide immediate value to the warfighter. The Data Incubator works to give them the skills and confidence to leverage these new tools to accelerate their mission and fuel innovation.

“We are at a transition point in the adoption of cloud services in the military. They are open and are eager to learn how to leverage these tools to their fullest potential,” said Mike Anderson, Chief Strategy Officer, The Data Incubator. “AWS opens up a whole new world for them in terms of innovation and cutting-edge technology, and we are here to help facilitate that transition.”

As a small business, The Data Incubator migrated to AWS to help better deploy their curriculum, expand their offerings, and solve their consumption issues. AWS services and solutions are built on open standards and designed to enable virtually any use case, which encourages innovation and interoperability.

“It is not just about the AWS technology, but we have found value in the entire ecosystem. From small businesses to large enterprises, AWS has a large collaborative community of technology vendors that makes it easy for us to use the technology and also teach the technology,” said Mike. “With AWS, we have access to the tools and other partners to be able to deliver a complete solution. We would not be able to go at this alone.”

Learn more about cloud computing for defense here.