SmartSimple is now an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Technology Partner

SmartSimple is pleased to announce that we have achieved the prestigious rank of Advanced Technology Partner on the Amazon Partner Network. 

SmartSimple has been using Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud, also known as Amazon EC2, to host many of our clients’ SmartSimple systems since 2012. We’ve also taken advantage of Amazon’s GovCloud service to ensure we meet FedRAMP standards for our U.S. government clients.

What does all that mean?

To really understand what all these acronyms and terms are all about, let’s start with the basics of what exactly cloud computing is.

Cloud Computing

At its most basic level, cloud computing is defined as any computer service hosted over the Internet. Cloud computing enables organizations to use computing resources much as they would any utility – for example electricity – rather than having to build and maintain their own servers. Cloud computing services can be private – using an in-house system for specific internal users only – or public, where a third-party provider delivers service over the Internet. This is particularly beneficial for organizations like ours that provide Software as a Service to our clients, because we have the flexibility to work with whichever hosting solution works best for them.

What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

SaaS means that, instead of installing and maintaining software, you simply access it through a web browser. So, for example, SmartSimple is a software solution that you run on Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari. We manage access to the application, including security, availability, and performance. That means our clients don’t have to install, maintain or update their SmartSimple system on their own.

Now, let’s talk about Amazon EC2, GovCloud and FedRAMP.

Amazon EC2 Is a service that provides resizing computing capacity, making it much easier for developers working in cloud computing with a global reach with millions of potential users, which is what our developers do here at SmartSimple. Amazon EC2 also simplifies the process we use to create and enhance features for your organization, without compromising data integrity.

Amazon’s GovCloud is designed to provide extra protection for US government agencies and customers working with sensitive material in the cloud by meeting their specific regulatory and compliance requirements. FedRAMP is a U.S. government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services.

So what does SmartSimple’s partnership with Amazon mean to me?

Good question! The advantages for you as a SmartSimple client are the high level of security for your data, as well as dependable access to your information in through a leading edge, best in class service provider. Amazon provides the power, servers and scalability that give you the power to do as much good as possible without worrying about data integrity. This means your SmartSimple system operates with optimum speed and accessibility, providing all the great features you and your user community rely on to manage and do your work.

With AWS, all your work is stored safely in the cloud on Amazon’s proven network of data servers. That means that, no matter what happens, your information is always secure, available to you when you need it, and accessible from wherever you happen to be.

AWS servers are securely located in 11 different locations around the world, including the U.S., Asia, Europe, Brazil and Australia. These web service locations jointly make up the Amazon.com cloud computing platform.

To learn more about Amazon, and other SmartSimple service partners, be sure to visit our website. There’s also plenty of information available on our Wiki, our blog and, as always, our Support Team is here to help as well.