Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched Amazon AppFlow, a fully managed service that provides an easy, secure way for customers to create and automate bidirectional data flows between AWS and SaaS applications without writing custom integration code, the company announced on Thursday.

“It can be difficult to manage the flow of data between AWS and these applications,” said Kurt Kufeld, vice president, AWS. “Amazon AppFlow provides an intuitive and easy way for customers to combine data from AWS and SaaS applications without moving it across the public Internet.”

Amazon AppFlow’s interface will be able to build and execute data flows between sources in minutes to securely orchestrate the data transfer. Amazon AppFlow console, customers can configure multiple types of triggers for data flows, including one-time on-demand transfers, routine data syncs scheduled at predetermined times.

In addition, customers will be able to pull logs and metric data from monitoring tools for deep analytics in Amazon Redshift, or send customer engagement data for sentiment analysis. The solution will enable customers to transform and process the data by combining fields, filtering records, masking sensitive data and validating field values.

Amazon AppFlow will automatically encrypt data at rest and in motion using AWS or customer-managed encryption keys, and will enable users to restrict data from flowing over the public Internet for applications that are integrated with AWS PrivateLink to reduce exposure to security threats.

“With Amazon AppFlow, our customers bring together and manage petabytes, even exabytes, of data spread across all of their applications – all without having to develop custom connectors or manage underlying API and network connectivity,” added Kufeld.

One of AWS’ customers, Salesforce, a cloud-based software company that provides customer-relationship management service and also sells a complementary suite of enterprise applications focused on customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development has integrated the solution to improve business operations.

“With Amazon AppFlow integrating directly with Salesforce Private Connect, joint customers will be able to establish a secure, private connection for passing data back and forth between the Salesforce and AWS platforms,” said Sarah Franklin, EVP & GM Platform, Trailhead & Developers, Salesforce. “And because these connections can be set up by Salesforce admins in just a few clicks, companies can cut down on costly and timely engineering resources, and begin doing more with their data faster than ever before.”

About Amazon Web Services

For 14 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 175 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 73 Availability Zones (AZs) within 23 geographic regions, with announced plans for 12 more Availability Zones and four more AWS Regions in Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Spain. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs.

Unisys Corporation has enhanced automation to its ClearPath Forward ePortal and ClearPath Application Integration Services software solutions to boost the company’s ability to further the digital transformation of business and IT infrastructure, Unisys announced on Thursday.

“Organizations need access to agile, modern application development tools and services to keep up in an environment where the well-being of people and businesses can literally be at stake. Our enhanced ePortal and Application Integration Services solutions can help them weather crises and set up their IT environments for long-term agility and success,” said Vishal Gupta, senior vice president, Products and Platforms and chief technology officer, Unisys.

The enhancements in the new ePortal version 10.0 have included full automation to facilitate development of applications without line-by-line coding. The applications have enabled calls on both internal and external business processes to help create an enterprise-wide application ecosystem.

Unisys’ solutions in ePortal 10.0 and in Application Integration Services (AIS) Release 5.0 have enabled users to implement new application environments that rely on easily integrated microservices. The enhancements will change and augment applications in real time, without having to stop or recompile business-critical programs.

Both ePortal and Application Integration Services will leverage capabilities of Microsoft VisualStudio, so developers that have been acclimated with contemporary tools can easily program in the ClearPath Forward environment. The software will also include Outbound Web Service Communication.

The communication service will simplify the process of applications created through ePortal and legacy applications written in older languages to interoperate and an enhanced user interface for the ePortal Manager Website. The feature will also enhance the user experience and enable improved role management, authorization and user feedback on long-running processes.

In addition, AIS Release 5.0 has included enhancements that advance the development of distributed applications for the ClearPath and Microsoft Windows environments. Dynamic IP configuration in the new release will eliminate manual tasks and facilitate interaction between ClearPath Forward applications using Unisys Data Exchange cross-platform data-integration software and applications in the Windows environment.

The ePortal 10.0 will provide further enhanced security. It will support Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connections and provide a mechanism to encrypt data between ePortal applications and Unisys Agile Business Suite (AB Suite) users model-driven development environment.

Organizations will additionally be able to complement those products with ClearPath Application Enrichment Services to enable organizations to build a clear, actionable strategy that outlines how to evolve applications in response to new demands.

The addition to Unisys’ software enhancements complements the company initiative to digitally transform Unisys’ offerings. In April 2020, Unisys announced that it has been accepted to provide Cloud Transition Services based on Unisys CloudForte to New Zealand government agencies through Marketplace.

“The New Zealand government has committed to making it easy for citizens to engage with the government using secure, smart and seamless digital services. This includes a requirement to use public cloud services in preference to traditional IT systems,” said Shirley Harrod, vice president, Public Sector, for Unisys Asia Pacific.

Marketplace will connect suppliers with the government, simplifying the procurement process for both sectors. The Marketplace will expedite the initial primary procurement process and reduce the obstacles for suppliers that work with the government.

Unisys’ Marketplace Cloud Transition Services will include cloud strategy, architecture, migration planning, transition execution, cloud optimization and operational handover of current end user services into a public or hybrid cloud environment. The company’s CloudForte will supply a comprehensive array of services designed to successfully transform client organizations to a cloud environment.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing.

The chairmen and ranking members of House and Senate Armed Services Committees have asked the Federal Communications Commission to retract its approval of Ligado Networks’ application saying the company’s proposal poses a threat to the country’s GPS capabilities, economy and national security.

“The problem here is that Ligado’s planned usage is not in the prime mid-band spectrum being considered for 5G — and it will have a significant risk of interference with GPS reception, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration,” the lawmakers wrote in an opinion piece published Wednesday on Defense News.

The FCC on Monday cleared Ligado’s application to use the L-band spectrum to field a low-power terrestrial network in support of 5G and internet-of-things services.

The lawmakers urged FCC to work with NTIA, the departments of Defense and Transportation and other federal agencies to seek ways on how to safeguard national security assets ad back commercial broadband expansion. They also asked the commission to address DoD’s concerns prior to moving forward.

SASC Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate panel, co-wrote the op-ed with HASC Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), ranking member of the House committee.

A group of 16 senators has called on congressional leaders to allocate more funds for the Office of Management and Budget’s U.S. Digital Service and the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Service to help state and local governments address information technology challenges as they administer federal assistance programs to citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawmakers want Congress to include in any upcoming measure a $50 million emergency appropriation for the OMB IT Oversight and Reform Fund to help USDS recruit additional skilled technologists and $25 million for the Federal Citizen’s Services Fund to support TTS’ recruitment efforts, the senators wrote in a letter dated Wednesday.

The letter was signed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), a three-time Wash100 Awardee, Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and 13 other lawmakers. They also urged Congress to streamline or waive regulatory restrictions that prevent TTS and USDS from working with state and local governments as well as encourage the two tech agencies to prioritize projects related to COVID-19.

About The Wash100

This year represents our sixth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement, and vision.

Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.

NASA is planning to establish an organization that will handle commercial cargo and crew mission management as part of the agency’s efforts to restructure its industry engagement strategy, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.

Doug Loverro, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA, said at a recent webinar that the proposed organization will fall under his office and manage commercial efforts including the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which handles the national lab portion of the International Space Station.

Loverro noted that Alex MacDonald, chief economist at NASA, will serve as program executive for the organization that will oversee the agency’s activities with CASIS.

The unit’s creation serves as part of NASA’s reorganization strategy for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, according to the report.

Loverro’s comments come after NASA solicited proposals for low-Earth orbit commercial technologies under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships program.