Storm's Impact On Amazon Data Center Renews Cloud Concerns

Federal agencies and regional data center operators, including one operated by Amazon Web Services, are still taking stock of the impact of widespread power outages that began Friday night and continue to leave large swaths of greater Washington, D.C., region without electrical power.

Many federal buildings are still without power as a result of unusually violent wind gusts Friday evening, prompting the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to give federal employees in the Washington, D.C. area the option to take unscheduled leave or work remotely. Among agencies taking advantage of the policy is the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where 7,000 of the agency's 10,000 employees now routinely telework at least one day a week, according to Danette R. Campbell, senior advisor, at PTO's Telework Office...