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Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) today presented Maxar Technologies with the 2020 Public Sector Partner Award for Best High Performance Computing (HPC) Solution. Over the past year, Maxar’s WeatherDesk team collaborated with AWS and created a HPC solution for running the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FV3GFS weather model to produce a detailed global weather forecast. Maxar’s HPC solution creates the forecast 58% faster than NOAA’s supercomputer.

Using the HPC architecture, Maxar’s WeatherDesk™ creates multiday graphics showing weather pattern anomalies, giving end users quick insight into weather impacts that might affect their industries.

AWS chose Maxar’s solution based on selection criteria that included the innovativeness of the solution, engagement and success with the AWS Partner Network, and delivery of results in a customer-obsessed way. The award was given earlier this week at the AWS Public Sector Online Partner Advisory Council virtual meeting.

"Maxar’s WeatherDesk team knew there was a better, faster and less capital-intense way to generate NOAA's forecast, and I’m proud of the team for harnessing the latest cloud technology from the team at AWS to prove it was possible,” said Jeff Culwell, Maxar’s Chief Product Officer. “Being recognized with this award demonstrates the value of bringing geospatial data and expertise together with cutting-edge cloud computing for faster business-critical insights.”

Maxar and AWS have worked together for years on innovative projects that have advanced the use of cloud storage and computing in Earth Intelligence, including: being the first customer to transfer data from on-prem to the cloud using the AWS Snowmobile; beta-testing Amazon SageMaker for optimizing data storage and extracting insights from high-resolution satellite imagery; and demonstrating the transfer of a satellite image from collection in space to the cloud using AWS Ground Station in under a minute. Most recently, in December 2019, Maxar was in the first group of AWS customers to earn the AWS Public Safety and Disaster Response Competency, which recognizes that Maxar provides proven data, technology and expertise for helping customers leverage the power of AWS to protect the public, and prepare for, respond to and recover from natural or man-made emergencies and disasters.

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