All news in category "Vendor and Hyperscaler Watch"

Amazon DocumentDB 8.0 Adds MongoDB 8.0 Compatibility

⚡ Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility) version 8.0 adds support for MongoDB API drivers 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 while delivering up to 7x improved query latency and up to 5x better compression. The release introduces Planner Version3, new aggregation stages and operators, dictionary-based Zstandard compression, text index v2, and parallel vector index builds. Upgrades from 5.0 instance-based clusters are supported via AWS Database Migration Service, and DocumentDB 8.0 is available in all Regions where the service is offered.

Amazon RDS Adds Support for PostgreSQL Major Version 18

🚀 Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL now supports PostgreSQL major version 18.1, bringing community improvements to managed RDS instances. Key performance updates include skip scan for multicolumn B-tree indexes, parallel GIN builds, and better OR/IN handling, while UUIDv7 adds ordered UUIDs for high-throughput systems. Observability and extension support are expanded, and upgrades can use Blue/Green, in-place, or snapshot restore options.

Amazon EventBridge: Enhanced Visual Rule Builder Console

🔧 Amazon EventBridge introduces an enhanced visual rule builder that integrates a comprehensive event catalog with the EventBridge Schema Registry to simplify building event-driven applications. The schema-aware, console-based drag-and-drop canvas lets developers browse and subscribe to events with sample payloads and schemas, and visually construct filter patterns to reduce syntax errors. The feature is available today in all regions where the Schema Registry is launched and is accessible via the EventBridge console at standard usage charges.

AWS Lambda Supports Java 25 for Serverless Applications

🚀 AWS Lambda now supports Java 25, using the latest long‑term support distribution from Amazon Corretto. The runtime is available as a managed runtime and as a container base image, and AWS will automatically apply updates to each as they are released. The release introduces new language features and performance improvements, including Ahead‑of‑Time caches and adjusted tiered compilation defaults. Lambda Snap Start and Powertools for AWS Lambda (Java) support Java 25, and the runtime is available in all Regions, including GovCloud (US) and China.

AWS CloudFormation Hooks Add Granular Invocation Details

🔍 AWS CloudFormation Hooks now supports granular invocation details, allowing hook authors to attach per-control findings, severity levels, and remediation guidance to their evaluation responses. The Hooks console displays these details at the individual control level within each invocation so developers can drill down from the summary to see which controls passed, failed, or were skipped. Available in all commercial and GovCloud (US) regions, this follow-up to the September 2025 Hooks Invocation Summary accelerates troubleshooting and streamlines compliance reporting with actionable, control-level insights.

Rust in Android: Faster Development and Fewer Bugs

🦀 Rust adoption in Android is delivering both security and speed gains, with 2025 data showing memory-safety flaws falling below 20% of total vulnerabilities. Android reports a ~1000x reduction in memory-safety vulnerability density for Rust versus C/C++, plus 20% fewer revisions, 25% shorter code review time, and a ~4x lower rollback rate. Expansion includes kernel, firmware, and first-party apps; a near-miss CVE was fixed pre-release and led to improved allocator crash reporting and additional unsafe-Rust training.

Fortinet Named Google Unified Security Recommended Partner

🔒 Fortinet has been named the inaugural Google Unified Security Recommended partner for network protection, recognizing FortiSASE and FortiGate NGFW running natively on Google Cloud. The collaboration delivers a cloud-native SASE that unifies networking and security with global PoPs on Google’s private backbone, centralized policy and telemetry via FortiManager, and AI-enhanced threat protection from FortiGuard Labs. Customers can deploy through Google Cloud Marketplace and expect lower TCO through a consolidated architecture and simplified operations.

Looker Conversational Analytics Reaches General Availability

💬 Google Cloud has made Looker Conversational Analytics generally available, bringing natural-language data queries to all Looker users. Built on the Looker semantic layer and powered by Gemini and Google’s agentic frameworks, the feature provides instant, explainable answers and supports multi-turn exploration across up to five connected Explores. Analysts can build and share agents, use LookML for fine tuning, and rely on a governed foundation that surfaces “How was this calculated?” explanations. Admins can enable the capability now to accelerate data discovery and improve self-service across teams.

Fortinet Named Google Unified Security Recommended Partner

🔒 Fortinet has been named the inaugural Google Unified Security Recommended partner for network protection, integrating FortiSASE and the FortiGate NGFW to run natively on Google Cloud. The integration delivers unified policy and shared telemetry with Google Security Operations, combining FortiGuard Labs and Google threat intelligence for AI-driven detection and response. Customers gain consolidated management, improved performance via Google’s backbone, and simplified procurement through the Google Cloud Marketplace.

Google Announces Unified Security Recommended Program

🔒 Google Cloud is launching the Google Unified Security Recommended program to validate deep integrations between its security portfolio and third-party vendors. Inaugural partners CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and Wiz bring endpoint, network, and multicloud CNAPP capabilities into Google Security Operations. Partners commit to cross-product technical integration, a collaborative support model, and investment in AI initiatives such as the model context protocol (MCP). Qualified solutions will be available via Google Cloud Marketplace for simplified procurement and consolidated billing.

Amazon EC2 I8g storage-optimized instances expand to EU/Asia

🚀 Amazon Web Services has made Amazon EC2 I8g storage-optimized instances generally available in Europe (Stockholm) and Asia Pacific (Osaka). Built on the AWS Nitro System and using third-generation Nitro SSDs, I8g delivers up to 65% better storage performance per TB, plus lower I/O latency and reduced latency variability versus I4g. The family spans up to 48xlarge and one metal size with up to 1.5 TiB memory, 45 TB local NVMe storage, and up to 100 Gbps network performance, targeting transactional databases, NoSQL, real-time analytics, and LLM pre-processing workloads.

AWS Transform Generates LZA Network Configurations

🔁 AWS now enables AWS Transform for VMware to automatically generate network configuration YAML files that are directly compatible with the Landing Zone Accelerator on AWS (LZA). Building on Transform’s existing infrastructure-as-code outputs for AWS CloudFormation, AWS CDK, and Terraform, the capability converts VMware network environments into LZA-ready YAML that can be imported into LZA’s deployment pipeline. The feature is available in all AWS Transform target Regions and is intended to reduce manual effort and deployment time while improving consistency across multi-account environments.

Amazon EC2 I7i Instances Expand to Additional Regions

🚀 Amazon Web Services has expanded availability of Amazon EC2 I7i Storage Optimized instances to AWS Europe (Ireland) and Asia Pacific (Seoul, Hong Kong). Powered by 5th‑generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors and 3rd‑generation AWS Nitro SSDs, I7i delivers up to 23% better compute and notable storage-performance and latency improvements versus I4i. Available in eleven sizes, including bare metal, these instances are aimed at I/O‑intensive, latency‑sensitive workloads that require very high random IOPS and multi‑TB dataset access.

AWS IoT Core Adds Location Resolution for Sidewalk Devices

📡 AWS IoT Core Device Location now resolves approximate positions for Amazon Sidewalk-enabled devices using inputs such as WiFi access points, GNSS, and Bluetooth Low Energy. The service converts those inputs into geo-coordinates and delivers them to AWS IoT rules or MQTT topics to support asset tracking and geo-fencing without GPS hardware. To get started, install Sidewalk SDK v1.19 or later, provision devices in AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk, and enable location during provisioning. This capability is available in the AWS US-East (N. Virginia) Region; the Amazon Sidewalk network is available only in the United States.

Amazon Connect adds completion metrics for agent evaluations

📊 Amazon Connect now provides metrics that track completion of agent performance evaluations, helping managers verify that required reviews (for example, five per agent per month) are finished. The capability displays real-time analytics in the Connect UI and exposes the same signals via APIs for integration with reporting workflows. Teams can also compare scoring patterns across managers to identify evaluation consistency and accuracy improvements.

Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL: New Minor Versions Available

🐘 Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL now supports minor versions 17.7, 16.11, 15.15, 14.20, and 13.23; AWS recommends upgrading to address known security vulnerabilities and receive community bug fixes. The release adds the pgcollection extension for RDS PostgreSQL 15.15 and above (including 16.11 and 17.7), providing an ordered, efficient key-value collection type usable inside PostgreSQL functions to speed in-memory data processing. Extension updates include pg_tle 1.5.2 and H3_PG 4.2.3, and operators can use automatic minor version upgrades or Blue/Green deployments to minimize disruption during upgrades.

AWS Health Adds Multi-Region EventBridge Resilience

🔁 AWS Health now sends events simultaneously to the impacted AWS Region and US West (Oregon), enabling customers to create multi-region, redundant Amazon EventBridge rules or a simplified single-rule path that captures all commercial-partition Health events. US West (Oregon) serves as the backup for all commercial regions, with US East (N. Virginia) as the backup for US West. In China and AWS GovCloud the service delivers events to their respective paired regions. The update is available in all AWS regions.

Google Sues to Disrupt China-Based SMS Phishing Operation

📱 Google has filed suit in the Southern District of New York to unmask and disrupt 25 unnamed operators tied to Lighthouse, a China-based phishing kit that has victimized over one million people across 120 countries. The complaint alleges Lighthouse powers a “Smishing Triad” that spoofs trusted brands, blasts mass text lures, and automates enrollment of stolen cards into mobile wallets using one-time verification codes. Google asserts trademark infringement and RICO claims and seeks to dismantle the coordinated groups behind the service.

Google Cloud expands Hugging Face support for AI developers

🤝 Google Cloud and Hugging Face are deepening their partnership to speed developer workflows and strengthen enterprise model deployments. A new gateway will cache Hugging Face models and datasets on Google Cloud so downloads take minutes, not hours, across Vertex AI and Google Kubernetes Engine. The collaboration adds native TPU support for open models and integrates Google Cloud’s threat intelligence and Mandiant scanning for models served through Vertex AI.

Finding Salt failures: blaming commits to speed releases

🔍 Cloudflare explains how they accelerated triage and reduced release delays for Salt-managed configuration changes across thousands of servers. They implemented a local job cache on minions to retain job results, built a Salt Blame execution module to correlate failed highstates with commits, releases and external outages, and automated hierarchical triage from chat. These changes removed repetitive SSH-and-log workflows, made root-cause attribution self-service for SREs, and yielded a measurable >5% reduction in time lost to Salt-related release delays while enabling ongoing analytics and feedback.