AWS launches City on a Cloud challenge

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched a competition to reward cities and their application partners for projects that use the AWS cloud for the benefit of citizens.

As part of the City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge, the Amazon subsidiary will select three local government cloud projects to each receive around $54,500 (US$50,000) worth of AWS credits.

In addition, four application developers engaged in creating applications to solve local government challenges will be awarded US$25,000 worth of web credits.

In a blog post announcing the competition, AWS chief evangelist Jeff Barr said some cities are already using cloud computing for a number of innovative purposes, including improving emergency preparedness, ensuring open access to data and for global information system (GIS) applications.

AWS will take nominations for the awards until 12 May. Finalists will be announced at the end of the month, and the winners will be selected by a panel of experts.

Applications will be judged based on criteria including the impact of the solution, the likelihood of long-term success and the project's potential to help other local governments solve similar challenges. Only cities and developers using cloud services offered by AWS will be eligible for entry.

Winning companies will be announced on 25 June at the AWS Government, Education, and Nonprofits Symposium in Washington, DC.

Image courtesy of Hadi Zaher under CC