AWS Public Sector Blog

Year in review: Top ten posts from the AWS Public Sector Blog

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019 AWS Public Sector BlogTop 10 Blog Posts of 2019 AWS Public Sector Blog

Welcome to 2020! In 2019, the AWS Public Sector Blog featured stories from the education, nonprofit, government, and healthcare sectors, showcasing topics from customer-centric healthcare to cloud degree announcements to technical how-tos. As we look back on 2019, let’s recap our top ten posts of the year:

Will you run Windows on AWS or Microsoft Azure? IDC’s new TCO report weighs in

IDC interviewed AWS customers running Windows workloads in the AWS Cloud to find out what the benefits were from running Windows on AWS, and the results are telling. IDC’s “The Business Value of Efficiently Running Windows Workloads on AWS” released in July 2019, interviewed AWS customers that averaged 28,579 employees, and represented multiple industries. Read this story and check out more stories on Microsoft on AWS.

Innovation across Canada: An AWS Public Sector Summit Ottawa recap

To support our Canadian customers, we continue to grow our presence across Canada from offering new services to hosting events. Recently, we hosted the second annual AWS Public Sector Summit in Ottawa where we shared the latest AWS updates for the public sector in Canada. Read this story, and check out more stories about AWS in Canada and other AWS summits.

The scoop on moving your Microsoft SQL Server to AWS

Microsoft SQL Server® is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. AWS offers you the flexibility to run Microsoft SQL Server on Amazon EC2 or Amazon RDS. Using SQL Server on Amazon EC2 gives you complete control over every setting, just like when it’s installed on premises. And Amazon RDS is a fully managed service that takes care of all the maintenance, backups, and patching for you. Learn more by reading this story and check out more stories on Microsoft on AWS.

Secure, citizen-centric cloud services: AWS awarded PROTECTED certification in Australia

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) awarded PROTECTED certification to AWS. This is currently the highest data security certification available in Australia for cloud providers on the Certified Cloud Services List (CCSL). With this new certification, public sector organisations can easily store their most highly sensitive workloads in the AWS Cloud. Read this story and read more stories from Australia.

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 and Northern Virginia Community College, 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 degree to a four-year bachelor degree in the cloud, providing a clear path to high-demand careers in cloud computing at AWS partners and customers. Read this story and check out more stories on cloud degrees and workforce development.

Detect vulnerabilities in the Docker images in your applications

With cyberattacks on the rise against higher education institutions, it is critical to detect vulnerabilities in the Docker images that may run your applications. This involves not just vulnerability scanning of the applications, but of the OS packages installed in a Docker image as well. Read this how-to.

2019 AWS Imagine Grant open

Calling all nonprofits with technology-driven projects! AWS accepted applications for the 2019 AWS Imagine Grant Program from eligible 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the United States. New this year, organizations had 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. Read this story, learn about the AWS Imagine Grant 2019 winners, and check out the AWS Imagine Grant documentary series. Stay tuned for details on the 2020 AWS Imagine Grant.

Call for proposals for the 2019 Amazon Research Awards

Amazon announced the 11 focus areas of the 2019 Amazon Research Awards, a program that provides up to $80,000 in funding and up to $20,000 in AWS Promotional Credits to academic researchers investigating topics related to machine learning (ML). Read this story and check out more stories about open data on AWS.

Announcing the Winners of AWS Educate’s Alexa Skills Challenge

In early 2019, AWS Educate hosted the Alexa Skills Challenge for student members in the U.S. Students built solutions to address challenges in the academic setting related to student life, learning, and the community. Participants learned and built solutions using a variety of AWS technologies such as machine learning and conversational artificial intelligence. With AWS Educate’s resources and support, participants delivered helpful Alexa Skills. Read this story and check out more stories about Alexa for education and Alexa skills.

Achieving healthcare interoperability

As patients navigate the healthcare system, their records should be easily transferable between all organizations to ensure continuity of care. Value-based payment programs and increasing consumerism have driven the need for prompt and complete access to clinical information in healthcare systems around the world. Similar to how the ATM, now 52-years-old, changed the banking account concept for the industry and consumers, AWS believes it can help revolutionize medicine. Read this story and check out more stories about healthcare.

 

Check out the top posts from throughout the year: January 2019, February 2019, March 2019, April 2019, May 2019, June 2019, July 2019, August 2019, September 2019, October 2019, November 2019, December 2019. And in 2020 stay tuned to the AWS Public Sector Blog for the latest news, use cases, technical how-tos, and more!