AWS News Blog #
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Last week, we announced a public preview of Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI, built on a customized version of OpenAI’s Agents API engineered to be AWS-native and integrated with AWS resources. You can now build agents optimized for OpenAI models that run entirely inside AWS with the identities, permissions, and governance controls you already use.
You can choose an execution environment: self-hosted compute to use an existing development machine, container, or compute environment or Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Runtime, for managed runtime sessions and configurable storage in your AWS account. To learn more, visit the Amazon Bedrock documentation.
In addition, we are adding new frontier models on Amazon Bedrock to expand your model choices:
- OpenAI GPT-6.1 Sol : An upgrade to GPT-6 Sol, GPT-6.1 Sol delivers exceptionally strong performance on agentic coding, computer use, and professional work. According to OpenAI, it approaches GPT-6 Astra across demanding evaluations at roughly one-fifth of the cost, giving developers more room to build and run capable agents at scale. To learn more, visit theGPT-6.1 Sol model card .
- OpenAI GPT-6 Astra UltraFast mode : Ultrafast is a premium speed tier for GPT-6 Astra, built for workloads where speed matters most. According to OpenAI, Ultrafast delivers up to 6x faster inference in the API, with up to 300 tokens per second. The Amazon Bedrock inference engine delivers the performance, security, and reliability required for production workloads. To learn more, visit theGPT-6 Astra model card .
- Anthropic Claude Sonnet 5.5 : Claude Sonnet 5.5 is a smarter, more efficient Sonnet and a step up from Sonnet 5, making it a natural upgrade for teams already building on Sonnet. It’s stronger for coding, completing well-scoped tasks as part of a larger coding strategy such as building and fixing features with Claude in the same session or verifying output against requirements. To learn more, visit theClaude Sonnet 5.5 model card .
- SpaceXAI Grok 4.7 : Grok 4.7 builds on Grok 4.6 with better mixed-document handling, more dependable repo-scale coding with planning and error recovery, and enhanced browser-use agents for form fills and portal navigation. To learn more, visit theGrok 4.7 model card .
Last week’s launches
Here are some launches that got my attention:
- AWS Well-Architected Agent (preview) : You can use an AI-powered agent service that analyzes your AWS environment to deliver targeted, contextual recommendations for improving your applications’ cost, security, performance, and resilience. The agent analyzes your infrastructure, understands your unique business goals, and delivers contextual recommendations.
- Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL supports direct querying of Apache Iceberg and Parquet data : You can directly query operational data together with data stored in data lakes in Apache Iceberg and Parquet formats using your existing PostgreSQL applications and tools, without extract, transform, and load (ETL) pipelines or data duplication.
- Amazon S3 Tables support all Apache Iceberg V3 data types : Amazon S3 Tables add support for geometry, geography, unknown, and nanosecond timestamp data types, along with column default values, as defined in the Iceberg V3 specification. You can now store geospatial coordinates and nanosecond-precision event times natively instead of encoding them in strings or integers.
For a full list of AWS announcements, be sure to keep an eye on the What’s New with AWS page. AWS service availability updates
When the availability of an AWS service or feature changes, we provide customers guidance in [AWS Product Lifecycle Changes](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/09/aws-service-availability/?trk=d8ec3b19-0f37-4f8c-8c12-189f913e205c&sc_channel=el) on available alternatives and support for migration so that disruptions to your operations are minimized. The following lifecycle changes were updated on September 29, 2026.
Services moving to Maintenance (no longer accessible to new customers starting October 29, 2026):
Services entering Sunset:
- Amazon Managed Blockchain (end of support September 29, 2027)
- Amazon DevOps Guru (end of support September 30, 2027)
- AWS Backint Agent for SAP ASE (end of support September 29, 2027)
- AWS Infrastructure Composer (standalone console end of support December 7, 2026)
Services reaching End of Support (as of September 29, 2026):
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
We understand that changes in availability can impact your operations. For specific guidance, consult the relevant service documentation or contact AWS Support.
Other AWS news
Here are some additional projects and news items you may find interesting:
- Introducing Kiro workflows : Kiro workflows enable you to carry out complex tasks from start to finish with multiple agents and less supervision. We’ve been building Kiro itself with workflows, including the new cloud configuration, cloud sessions, and most of the workflow experience.
- Introducing Strands Decider : Strands Decider is one of a new class of decision models or system one models, a type of model that has been gaining significant attention since TypeSafe AI’s launch of Jev earlier this month. Strands Decider 2B is a small, open source, decision model optimized for fast experimentation, local development, and innovation.
- New FDE pathways for AWS Partners : On June 30, AWS announced the Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) organization, backed by a $1 billion investment, and extended this hands-on delivery approach to AWS Partners through the Partner-Led FDE motion. Now, AWS Partners have a structured way to build and validate that depth with three new Partner FDE pathways and credentials that recognize the applied proficiency required to deliver production agentic AI.
For a full list of AWS blog posts, be sure to keep an eye on the AWS Blogs page. Learn more about AWS, browse and join upcoming AWS-led in-person and virtual events, startup events, and developer-focused events, including upcoming AWS re:Invent and AWS Community Days. Join the AWS Builder Center to connect with builders, share solutions, and access content that supports your development.
That is all for this week. Check back next Monday for another Weekly Roundup!
— Channy