AWS showcased their most noteworthy updates and launches at their 10th annual AWS re:Invent Conference on Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2021 in Las Vegas, NV (and virtually). In addition to product announcements, Amazon offered keynote sessions as well as training/certification options for attendees. The Foghorn team was eager to attend this event of the year.

AWSelfie!

The newest CEO of AWS, Adam Selipsky started off the conference bolstering the idea that the cloud is here to stay, stating in his keynote:

“The cloud has become not just another tech revolution, but an enabler of fundamental shift in the way that businesses actually function. There’s no industry that hasn’t been touched and no business that can’t be radically disrupted, and every one of us here today is part of that movement.” 

And make no mistake, the Foghorn team is committed to helping you become a part of that movement!

Though the launches were a little less robust than in years past, the conference had its fair share of news to keep the attendees energized and looking ahead at the future of AWS. Amongst the most significant are a few newsworthy software launches/updates: 

• AWS Private 5G – Amazon now helps you easily deploy, manage and scale a private cellular network with this all-inclusive package. Your business now has the opportunity to set up your own scalable network within days. 
• “Sustainability Pillar – AWS Well-Architected Framework” – This brand-new whitepaper provides detailed guidance on design principles, best-practices, improvement plans and even questions to ask yourself as you build out your cloud workloads. This paper is a must-read for anyone using AWS. 
• Graviton3 – The newest processors provide better compute performance, higher floating-point performance and faster cryptographic workload performance compared to their previous rollout of Graviton2, according to Amazon. They also boast competitive pricing for a wide range of workloads. 
• AWS Amplify Studio – You can now create full-stack apps with minimal coding. This new development environment lets you build and launch web/mobile apps in only hours. 
• Control Tower AFT – With Control Tower Account Factory for Terraform, you can now leverage Terraform to configure this portion of your Landing Zone.  As a product launch partner, Foghorn Consulting can assist!

Reinforcing the idea that the cloud is here to stay, the V.P. of Amazon Machine Learning, Swami Sivasubramanian announced in his keynote that AWS is providing $10million in scholarship funds to underrepresented populations in machine learning (ML). Amazon is investing in the sustainability of their cloud services with a commitment to renewable energy and lowering their carbon footprint, along with encouraging all businesses that use AWS to do the same.  

Overall, Amazon put on a gripping and motivating conference, uniting those working in the cloud tech space and beyond. Peter Roosakos, Foghorn’s very own CTO, summarized the in-person conference experience: 

“A return to “normalcy” and seeing friends, new and old, in person once again was incredibly fun and rewarding,” shares Peter. “Team Foghorn left energized and ready to continue the work of changing the world for the better, one business at a time.”

If you are interested in a more thorough summary of the event, consider watching the recording of The Cloud Pod’s recap of the conference here.