Amazon, the online retailing giant, is now offering educators, researchers, and students the chance to apply for free access to its hosted computing, or “cloud,” services, the company announced this week. The services can be used to work with massive amounts of data that would jam a regular desktop computer.
The company is offering computer-usage credits, worth up to $100 per student, to instructors who wish to utilize its cloud services in the classroom. Grant applications are available through Amazon’s Web site. Amazon says its hosted services are already being used at institutions such as Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
For example, Oxford scientists at the Malaria Atlas Project—an effort to map the geography of the disease in order to drive prevention strategies—use Amazon’s hosted services to store, share, and analyze data. –Steve Kolowich
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.