Amazon's Influence
News and features on how Amazon influences technological, economic and social change, and how it competes, innovates and automates and disrupts the status quo in every industry. We look at Amazon markets, logistics, e-commerce strategy, AI, culture, customer experience, overall workplace issues, failures and successes, among our breadth of topics.
Top Stories
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Feature
27 Sep 2022
Top 9 most in-demand tech jobs of 2022
For job seekers in 2022, it's important to find a role that will be in high demand both now and in the coming years. Here are nine of the most promising jobs in technology. Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2021
Amazon GDPR fine signals expansion of regulatory focus
Amazon's $887 million GDPR fine likely stems from consumer consent and may indicate the EU is moving beyond data breaches and zeroing in on data practices. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Jun 2022
Compare EKS vs. self-managed Kubernetes on AWS
AWS users face a choice when deploying Kubernetes: run it themselves on EC2 or let Amazon do the heavy lifting with EKS. See which approach best fits your organization's needs. Continue Reading
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Quiz
02 Jul 2021
In search of AWS Solutions Architect preparation?
Think you're ready for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification exam? Test your knowledge with these 12 questions, and assess your test readiness. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 May 2021
When should you use AWS IAM roles vs. users?
Access management is critical to securing the cloud. Understand the differences between AWS IAM roles and users to properly restrict access to AWS resources. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Apr 2021
Experts raise privacy concerns over Amazon fleet surveillance
Amazon said its van monitoring system is designed solely for driver safety. But many industry experts have concerns regarding the program and its wider privacy implication. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Apr 2021
Here's why Amazon's global expansion won't come easy
Amazon would like to strengthen its global footprint, but the e-commerce giant faces roadblocks and challenges today that did not exist in the company's formative years. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Apr 2021
How Amazon became a force in SMB lending
Amazon has upped its game with small business lending and credit options for its top merchants, showing more willingness to partner with financial services' biggest names. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2021
Amazon Care expands as demand for big tech regulation grows
Amazon expands its healthcare delivery service Amazon Care against the growing interest in telehealth and the growing intensity of big tech regulation. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Feb 2021
Is construction Amazon's next target for disruption?
Amazon has already made inroads into the construction industry and experts speculate that there will be more to come. Construction companies, among the digital laggards, must adapt to the digital era to survive. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Jan 2021
Amazon's impact on publishing transforms the book industry
Amazon changed the way we publish, purchase and read books. Publishing experts said they expect more industry disruption to come. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Nov 2020
How Amazon and COVID-19 influence 2020 seasonal hiring trends
Retail and logistics companies must adapt their hiring strategies to compete with Amazon and respond to the pandemic's effect on shopping habits. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Sep 2020
New Amazon grocery stores run on computer vision, apps
Amazon dives deeper into the grocery business with its first 'new concept' grocery store, driven by automation, computer vision and sensors. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Aug 2020
Amazon's sustainability initiatives: Half empty or half full?
Amazon's public perception and investment profile are at stake as altruism and self-interest mix in its efforts to become a more sustainable company. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Aug 2020
How Amazon launched the warehouse robotics industry
In 2012, the warehouse robotics industry consisted of Kiva Systems, the sole supplier to serve all e-commerce companies. When Amazon devoured Kiva, a wellspring of startups bubbled up in response. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2020
Learn the scope of Amazon subscription services
Prime is just one of Amazon's many membership offerings. Learn the features and fees of Amazon subscriptions to understand this business unit. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jun 2020
Amazon healthcare initiatives wake up an industry slow to change
Amazon's entrance into healthcare pushes established healthcare businesses to address and improve longstanding logistical and technological issues. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 May 2020
What Amazon's culture and practices can teach your company
Amazon has set a standard for workplace innovation that many firms aim to emulate. But experts advise executives to adjust insights from Amazon to fit their organizations' needs. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 May 2020
Break down the components of Amazon's retail business
Scan this overview of Amazon's various retail business units, from online platforms to brick-and-mortar stores, to understand what makes the company a dominant force in retail. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Apr 2020
AWS ARM-based chips could shift microprocessor market
Amazon confronts cloud rivals with microprocessor designs. AWS ARM-based A1 instances offer high processing for lower costs and improved utilization. Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
COVID-19 ups the fight against Amazon package 'porch pirates'
Many unlucky online shoppers have fallen prey to 'porch pirates' who steal packages from outside their homes. It's a problem that could be exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Apr 2020
Amazon bets big on last mile delivery service improvements
Amazon has made a significant investment in building out its last mile delivery services to grab a piece of the growing grocery delivery market. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Apr 2020
Amazon moves into autonomous vehicle market
Amazon aims to lower transportation costs and complete the last mile of delivery with autonomous technology. COVID-19 could accelerate its adoption. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2020
Amazon in Europe -- German retailers demand better terms
German third-party sellers have challenged Amazon business practices. Here's how it may lead to changes that influence Amazon's growth across Europe. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Mar 2020
Amazon smart devices to expand in homes and businesses
Amazon's smart devices range from kitchen appliances to AI-powered assistants. Find out how the tech giant plans to extend its reach into more settings and capabilities. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Mar 2020
Coronavirus disruption frays Amazon supply chain
Even as orders increase, disruption from the new coronavirus outbreak could have big consequences for smaller, third-party sellers on Amazon, as they will be punished for stock outages. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Mar 2020
5 stories on the Amazon effect across industries and society
Amazon drives economic, tech and social change. See our coverage of the company's broad impact and growth strategy with these five stories. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Feb 2020
Amazon grocery strategy could shake up food retail industry
Amazon is a small player in the grocery store industry but one with increasing influence. It already has considerable technical innovations under its belt that have forced competitors to respond. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Feb 2020
Amazon's environmental impact delivers climate change concerns
Consumers are accustomed to free and fast delivery from Amazon and other e-tailers, but the convenience of online shopping comes at a cost to the environment. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jan 2020
New themed Amazon pop-up stores built on consumer data
In its never-ending quest to establish unique physical locations, Amazon has plans to launch a chain of themed pop-up stores that will focus on a specific product category or trend. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
AWS security faces challenges after a decade of dominance
After a decade of dominating the public cloud market and influencing cloud security, AWS is faced with new challenges stemming from old problems and increasing competition. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
31 Dec 2019
AWS month in review: An AWS re:Invent recap of overlooked roll outs
It's almost impossible to keep up with all the services and capabilities AWS trots out for its annual re:Invent conference. Catch up on Amazon cloud updates you missed with this AWS re:Invent recap. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Dec 2019
AWS AI tools focus on developers
AWS sells many AI products, tools and services aimed at developers, including several for AI newcomers, such as DeepRacer, DeepLens and DeepComposer. Continue Reading
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Video
27 Dec 2019
Set up a Jupyter notebook on AWS with this tutorial
AWS machine learning capabilities relies on the Jupyter Notebook tool. Follow this video tutorial to learn how to set up a Jupyter notebook on Amazon EMR. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Dec 2019
Perform an AWS security assessment with these tips and tools
Cloud security is an ongoing process that demands regular checks for potential vulnerabilities. Use tools such as Amazon Inspector to perform frequent and thorough cloud security assessments. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Dec 2019
Follow these experts' advice on AWS migration best practices
Before you migrate to the AWS cloud, learn from those who've made the move before. These migration best practices cover resource planning, costs, testing and more. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Dec 2019
Compare AWS CDK vs. CloudFormation, and the state of IaC on AWS
Infrastructure as code has become an essential part of the cloud development process. Learn how the AWS CDK addresses the weaknesses of CloudFormation and improves automation on AWS. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Dec 2019
Amazon healthcare strategy is built on pilot projects
Amazon may be known as an online retail giant. But the company has its sights set on something else: healthcare. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Dec 2019
AWS monitoring best practices extend beyond CloudWatch
AWS users can choose from a range of native tools to monitor their environments -- but, ultimately, a combination of these services will produce the best results. Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2019
How Amazon HR influences hiring trends
Amazon recently reached the 750,000 employee mark. As the company gets larger, so does its potential to shape wages and hiring. But its HR influence is a matter of debate. Continue Reading
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News
19 Dec 2019
AWS storage changes the game inside, outside data centers
Long-term influence of Amazon storage centers on S3 API for object systems and extends to pricing, data durability and IT infrastructure planning and decision-making. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Dec 2019
AWS security groups vs. network ACLs and other AWS firewalls
Protect your AWS cloud environment with these Amazon firewall services. Learn how security groups and network ACLs work, along with other key AWS firewall options. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Dec 2019
Use EventBridge to unlock AWS event-driven architecture
Amazon EventBridge improves serverless capabilities on AWS. Learn the differences between EventBridge and CloudWatch Events and how to get the most out of event-driven applications. Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
How Amazon customer experience became e-commerce standard
Amazon made personalization, one-click shopping, quick shipping and easy returns de facto standards for all B2C and now, B2B businesses. Read about how the company did it, and what's next. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Government Amazon antitrust inquiries scrutinize market dominance
The federal government and states are examining whether Amazon stifles competition and violates antitrust laws. The inquiries could result in action such as breakup of the tech giant. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Amazon's growth strategy could target 5 key markets
Amazon could move well beyond its core e-commerce and cloud services businesses in pursuit of growth, targeting markets such as publishing, health care and travel. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2019
Set up a data lake on AWS with Lake Formation
Modern businesses must organize an unprecedent amount of information. Find out how AWS Lake Formation can help your business manage and analyze high volumes of data. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Amazon supply chain model disrupts entire industry
Amazon has conditioned consumers to get goods as quickly as possible, which has affected the global supply chain industry from top to bottom, including inventory management and logistics. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Dec 2019
Amazon stores struggle to move from the cloud to solid ground
Looking for new kingdoms to conquer, Amazon is aggressively moving into physical retail locations. This time the e-commerce giant may face tougher competition. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Dec 2019
Prepare for an AWS outage with these preventative steps
Set up the proper data protection and recovery measures before a cloud outage hits. Follow these backup and disaster recovery tips to keep workloads running during and after an outage. Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2019
AWS seeks niche in the cloud UC market
AWS could play a bigger role in the cloud UC market in 2020 and beyond by targeting developers and existing AWS customers. Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
National Australia Bank cashes in on AWS training and certification
Structured training got nearly 1,000 National Australia Bank employees certified on AWS, while AWS-honed tactics such as two-pizza teams can help enterprises build up cloud know-how. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Dec 2019
Overcome these VMware Cloud on AWS migration challenges
Plan ahead for a VMware-to-AWS cloud migration with this breakdown on common challenges organizations face during the move to VMware Cloud on AWS, and how to avoid them. Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
New AWS cost management tool, instance tactics to cut cloud bills
AWS users like Lyft and Salesforce have figured out how to keep their cloud costs as low as possible, and a new cloud management tool from Amazon aims to help others do the same. Continue Reading
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Conference Coverage
04 Dec 2019
A complete guide to AWS re:Invent 2019
AWS re:Invent is one of the biggest cloud and IT events of the year. Use this AWS conference guide to get the latest news and expert analysis before, during and after the show. Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2019
AWS Outposts brings hybrid cloud support -- but only for Amazon
AWS hybrid cloud support has arrived with the release of Outposts, but Amazon takes a different tack on multi-cloud and forbids co-branding partners from so much as using the term. Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2019
AWS moves into quantum computing services with Braket
Amazon joined IBM, Google and Microsoft in the emerging quantum computing market this week with the Amazon Braket managed service along with a new quantum computing research center. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Nov 2019
AWS month in review: Explore the CloudFormation CLI, Savings Plans
This month, Amazon added the AWS CloudFormation CLI and registry, which should increase the scope of resources supported in CloudFormation. The cloud provider also added a Savings Plan pricing ... Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Nov 2019
Break down CloudFormation vs. Terraform for AWS deployments
CloudFormation is AWS' native infrastructure-as-code tool but many devs -- especially those working in multi-cloud environments -- prefer Terraform. Learn the differences between the two. Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
AWS rejects Elasticsearch trademark lawsuit claims
AWS' response to Elasticsearch's trademark infringement lawsuit denies the allegations, but experts say a settlement is likely and justifiably in the cards. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Nov 2019
Get to know these AWS hybrid cloud storage and architecture services
Use this breakdown to build a hybrid cloud strategy. Learn the ins and outs of AWS' hybrid cloud capabilities, from AWS Snowball devices to AWS Outposts and VMware Cloud on AWS. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Nov 2019
AWS SysOps certification exam guide outlines admin responsibility
In this book excerpt from "AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate All-in-One Exam Guide," review the best practices for OS and application security on AWS. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Nov 2019
AWS data lake and data warehouse options for the cloud
Get ready for data analytics in the cloud. Learn the best ways to handle your data on AWS. Distinguish between data lakes and data warehouse services on AWS and how they work. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2019
AWS should address these key challenges at re:Invent 2019
AWS has flooded its catalog with services, but enterprises still struggle with the gaps that remain. Find out which pain points cloud experts want AWS to address at re:Invent this year. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Nov 2019
Experts expect AWS re:Invent 2019 to spotlight AI, security and more
Re:Invent 2019 will yet again be heavy on product rollouts. Get ready for the show with a rundown on the topics and technologies our experts predict AWS will spotlight. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Nov 2019
Amazon SNS vs. other push notification services
It can be difficult for developers to enable push notifications across platforms. These messaging services from AWS, Google and Microsoft meet that need but have different strengths. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
31 Oct 2019
AWS month in review: Amazon rolls out RDS on VMware, loses JEDI deal
This month, AWS expanded its hybrid cloud capabilities with RDS on VMware but lost out on the JEDI cloud contract. It also added new EC2 instances with larger network and memory capacity. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Oct 2019
Use CloudWatch Container Insights to troubleshoot ECS, EKS
Ensure container-based apps run properly in AWS with CloudWatch Container Insights. Discover how to set up and use this feature for detailed assessments of ECS or EKS workloads. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Oct 2019
How can you prevent a cloud data breach in your AWS environment?
Get a cloud expert's take on the technical factors involved in the Capital One data breach that exposed sensitive data of millions of the bank's customers. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Oct 2019
How AWS VPC Traffic Mirroring works
Solve cloud network traffic issues with VPC Traffic Mirroring. Breakdown how traffic mirroring works and how it can boost monitoring and security practices in your AWS environment. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Oct 2019
How to get the most out of AWS re:Invent 2019
Get the lowdown on this year's re:Invent before you go. With tips on travel logistics, session reservations and social outings, you'll be ready to maximize your time in Las Vegas. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Oct 2019
How VPC networking changes affect AWS Lambda
AWS' old approach to connecting an enterprise's VPC to Lambda was inefficient and added complexity. Learn how the updated model attempts to address those shortcomings. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Oct 2019
Compare CloudWatch vs. Datadog and New Relic for AWS monitoring
Amazon CloudWatch continues to be a go-to monitoring tool for AWS resources, but hybrid cloud users can benefit from third-party options, such as Datadog and New Relic. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Oct 2019
Reduce AWS operational issues with OpsCenter
Centralize operations on AWS with Systems Manager OpsCenter. Learn how to create OpsItems, connect them to AWS resources and solve operations issues in your AWS environment. Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2019
AWS launches RDS on VMware as hybrid cloud picture evolves
VMware customers can now run AWS' Relational Database Service in their on-premises clusters, in a move that provides another option for hybrid cloud computing. Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2019
AWS' open source entreaties now include cloud credits
AWS will offer promotional cloud credits to open source project maintainers that meet certain criteria. The move comes after repeated tensions with some companies. Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2019
Amazon wraps Oracle to AWS migration, looks to poach workloads
Amazon has moved its consumer division's IT operations off of Oracle's database and onto AWS services, a towering effort that gives it a calling card to attract highly critical enterprise workloads. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Oct 2019
What AWS testing tools and services are available?
There are many tools available on the AWS Marketplace for QA testing, making it difficult to determine where to begin. What should an enterprise look for when choosing among QA tools? Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2019
Amplify improvements streamline AWS mobile app development
Once just an open source Java library, AWS Amplify is now a full-fledged AWS mobile app development platform. Learn how it works and how it compares to Google Firebase. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2019
AWS ups the ante to win SAP cloud ERP workloads
New AWS high-memory instances geared for SAP ERP implementations reflect an ongoing push by hyperscalers for these lucrative workloads. But many SAP customers are early in their move to the cloud. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Oct 2019
A go-to AWS migration checklist for DevOps-ready enterprises
Follow this checklist to prepare for a cloud migration and optimize DevOps practices. The steps include advice on tools and practices to support the move to an IaaS model or higher-level AWS offerings. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Oct 2019
Compare AWS CodePipeline vs. Jenkins for CI/CD
Jenkins has more than a thousand third-party integrations, whereas AWS CodePipeline ties you closer to Amazon's cloud. Compare Jenkins and CodePipeline for cost, usability and versatility. Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2019
AWS faces Elasticsearch lawsuit for trademark infringement
In a new lawsuit, Elasticsearch alleges that AWS committed trademark infringement and false advertising in connection with services associated with Elasticsearch, the popular search and analytics platform. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
30 Sep 2019
AWS updates: Amazon QLDB hits, S3 expands, new instances arrive
This month AWS finally went live with Amazon QLDB. The AWS ledger database is another way for users to tailor data storage to their needs on the platform. AWS also introduced same-region S3 ... Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2019
AWS Ground Station aims to lower satellite data costs
AWS Ground Station is Amazon's foray into satellite communications. Learn how one data and analytics company is using this satellite data transmission service. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2019
Tailor and create compliance rules with this AWS Config tutorial
Get started with this guide to AWS Config rules. Learn how to customize AWS Config managed rules with CloudFormation and create new rules with AWS Lambda. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Sep 2019
What AWS users can learn from the Capital One breach
Don't want to be on the nightly news? Protect sensitive data with cloud security best practices gleaned from what Capital One did wrong -- and what it got right -- during the breach. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Sep 2019
Evaluate AWS Glue vs. Data Pipeline for cloud-native ETL
There's more than one ETL option for AWS-hosted apps. Choose between Glue's managed service, Data Pipeline's range of supported data sources and Batch's asynchronous operations. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Sep 2019
Set up continuous compliance on AWS with Config managed rules
It's difficult to meet cloud compliance demands with manual practices. Establish a continuous compliance posture with AWS Config managed rules and best practices. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Sep 2019
When to use AWS OpsWorks vs. CloudFormation or Elastic Beanstalk
There are multiple ways to define and deploy resources on AWS. Break down when to use the different AWS configuration management tools and how they integrate together. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Sep 2019
Review latest investments to AWS' machine learning platform
Improved deep learning capabilities lead this machine learning roundup. Learn how AWS is targeting both machine-learning-savvy developers and data scientists. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Sep 2019
Set AWS security automation in motion with these practices
Enterprises need to continuously improve their cloud security posture. Catch up on the latest expert advice on AWS security tools and practices. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
New details emerge about AWS Outposts as launch nears
AWS Outposts will ship later this year. In advance of that launch, AWS has given customers a sense of what they can expect from the first release of the private, on-premises version of its public cloud infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Video
10 Sep 2019
Follow this AWS Fargate tutorial to deploy a containerized app
New to containers on AWS? Learn how to navigate the Amazon ECS Management Console to configure the proper container orchestration in this simple AWS Fargate example. Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Sep 2019
Prepare for cloud security and shared responsibility
Organizations that move to the cloud must prepare to adapt their security playbooks. Learn how AWS' shared responsibility model complicates cloud security. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
30 Aug 2019
AWS month in review: AWS time series forecasting service is GA
In August, Amazon Forecast, an AWS time series forecasting service, and Lake Formation became available to all users. The services should improve users' machine learning and data lake capabilities ... Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2019
Unlock hybrid cloud with this AWS Transit Gateway integration
AWS Direct Connect should be a much more attractive service for enterprises due to some recent changes. See how these upgrades can simplify your hybrid architecture. Continue Reading
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Video
28 Aug 2019
How to use batch operations to process S3 objects
AWS ops pros can use Amazon S3 Batch Operations to process and move high volumes of objects between buckets. Find out how Batch Operations on AWS works with this video tutorial. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2019
Kick-start AWS cost reduction with these tools and techniques
Never turn your back on a cloud deployment. Learn how to tame AWS bills through capacity planning and governance practices, relying on CloudFormation, Cost Explorer and other AWS products. Continue Reading
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Infographic
27 Aug 2019
Navigate AWS storage options through the years
Storage services were foundational to AWS' early success and remain central to customers' cloud strategies today. Visualize the growth and usage of AWS storage with this infographic. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Aug 2019
Know the performance hang-ups of AWS' IaC tool
AWS customers and industry experts have reported a range of CloudFormation concerns. Take a closer look at the issues surrounding the native IaC tool and AWS' response to frustrations. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Aug 2019
Implement serverless architecture on AWS without Lambda
Serverless on AWS isn't all about Lambda. In fact, many of the services developers use often -- such as S3, Aurora and others -- can fit into serverless orchestration patterns. Continue Reading