Month: March 2014

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My Twitter Digest for 03/27/2014

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#CALIcon14 explained in 3 Tweets

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My Twitter Digest for 03/26/2014

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My Twitter Digest for 03/25/2014

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AWS Announces General Availability of Amazon WorkSpaces

Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed desktop computing service in the cloud. Amazon WorkSpaces allows customers to easily provision cloud-based desktops that allow end-users to access the documents, applications and resources they need with the device of their choice, including laptops, iPad, Kindle Fire, or Android tablets. With a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, customers can provision a high-quality desktop experience for any number of users at a cost that is highly competitive with traditional desktops and half the cost of most virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions.

via AWS | Amazon WorkSpaces.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Amazon Workspaces promises to deliver a full Windows 7 desktop experience to practically any device1» . Workspaces offers standard and performance bundles that vary in hardware resources and allow you to bring your own licenses for things like Microsoft Office. The standard plus and performance plus bundles add Office 2010 and other utilities. Pricing starts at $35 per month per desktop for the standard bundle.This services provides a number of opportunities for law school IT departments. Faculty and student desktops could be provisioned with specific software and made available to faculty and students anywhere, anytime, on most devices. Think about that for a second. A consistent, edu-centered learning machine available in the classroom, in the library, or in Starbucks. Sounds very cool to me.

The same notions go for law practice. Consistent desktops and applications available to every lawyer, everywhere, in secure environment. Just make the tools part of the background instead of the focus.

It will be interesting to see where this goes. I recommend this blog article on the AWS blog for a quick start guide.

A cursory read through of the various blog posts and announcements indicates that there are desktop clients for Mac and Windows (yes, run a virtual Win7 desktop on your Mac) and mobile clients for Kindle Fire, Android and iOS. No mention of Linux desktops.Powered by Hackadelic Sliding Notes 1.6.5
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Amazon Web Services Launches City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge

Cloud computing can help local governments to spur economic development, expand citizen services, and break through siloed bureaucracy by providing innovative & scalable services without wasting taxpayer funds on expensive and inflexible hardware infrastructure.
We’ve already seen a lot of amazing work, including GIS applications, emergency preparedness and response, open access to data, mobile applications, and more.
Our new City on a Cloud Innovation challenge is designed to recognize and reward the technologists responsible for putting the cloud to use for the benefit of local governments in eligible countries around the world.

via Amazon Web Services Blog: City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge.

Prizes totaling $250,000 in AWS credits will be awarded to winners in best practices in local government and application developer partners in innovation categories.

Sounds like a great opportunity for recognition of folks working to make local government better. Get all the details on the City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge page.