Easy-to-deploy, fully managed virtual desktop computing service in
the cloud at less than half the price of traditional, on-premises
desktop virtualization solutions
Limited preview starting today
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2013--
Today at AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com
company (NASDAQ: AMZN), announced Amazon WorkSpaces, a fully managed
desktop computing service in the cloud. Amazon WorkSpaces allows
customers to easily provision cloud-based desktops that allow end-users
to access the documents, applications and resources they need with the
device of their choice, including laptops, iPad, Kindle Fire,and Android
tablets. With a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, customers can
provision a high-quality desktop experience for their users at less than
half the cost of most traditional virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
solutions. To learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces, visit http://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/.
On-premises VDI solutions offer the benefits of centralized desktop
management and security at a high cost, requiring companies to invest in
network and storage infrastructure to support the delivery of a
high-quality virtual desktop experience. By migrating enterprise
desktops to the cloud, Amazon WorkSpaces eliminates both the up-front
investment and the ongoing management of infrastructure while still
offering all the security and efficiency of a centralized model. For a
low monthly fee, Amazon WorkSpaces provides a complete cloud-based
desktop computing service including compute, persistent storage, and
software applications.
“Over the past couple years, the new service customers have requested
most frequently is a virtual cloud desktop service,” said Gene Farrell,
General Manager of Amazon WorkSpaces. “They’ve been frustrated by the
available options – traditional desktops that are hard to manage and
keep secure, or virtual desktops that are expensive and deliver
inconsistent performance. Amazon WorkSpaces aims to address these issues
by offering secure, easy-to-manage, high-performance desktops in the
cloud at a fraction of the price of traditional VDI.”
Amazon WorkSpaces offers the following benefits:
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Fast, easy set up. Customers select from a range of Amazon
WorkSpace bundles that provide a choice of CPU, memory, storage and
applications – and launch any number of desktops with a few clicks.
Amazon WorkSpaces can integrate with a company’s existing Active
Directory to allow end-users to use their existing enterprise
credentials to access their Amazon WorkSpace.
-
Choice of desktops and devices. Customers can choose to install
their own applications or use applications available through Amazon
WorkSpaces, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader and Firefox.
Users can access Amazon WorkSpaces from PC and Mac desktops and
laptops, including laptops, iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets.
The Amazon WorkSpace client will be available for download from the
Amazon WorkSpaces desktop client download page, the Amazon Appstore
for Android, Google Play and the iTunes App Store.
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High-Quality User Experience. Amazon WorkSpaces includes
technology components licensed from Teradici, and leverages the PCoIP
(PC-over-IP) protocol to compress, encrypt and encode the users’
desktop computing experience and transmit ‘pixels only’ across any
standard IP network to users’ devices. In addition, the WorkSpaces
Sync client lets users sync their documents between their Amazon
WorkSpace and other computers so that they always have access to their
documents. This client will be downloadable at no charge from the
Amazon WorkSpaces client download page, and the Amazon App Store for
Android, Google Play and the iTunes App Store.
-
Cost-effective. Amazon WorkSpaces requires no upfront
commitment and offers monthly pay as you go pricing with a TCO that is
half the cost of most traditional virtual desktop infrastructure
environments.
“Our enterprise customers have been asking for us to deliver a virtual
desktop solution that is simple to manage, scales up and down as needed
and doesn’t require large capital investment or heavy operational
support. Until now that solution has not existed,” said Robert Groat,
Chief Technology Officer, Smartronix. “We're very excited to see a
solution for virtual desktops done the ‘Amazon Web Services way.’ Beyond
the productivity benefits, we believe enterprises will save over 40
percent of the life cycle cost for desktop services while also gaining
additional benefits such as built-in security, telecommuting
flexibility, high availability and simplified operations management.”
To learn more and sign up for the limited preview of Amazon WorkSpaces,
visit http://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/limited-preview/.
About Amazon Web Services
Launched in 2006, Amazon Web Services, Inc. began exposing key
infrastructure services to businesses in the form of web services -- now
widely known as cloud computing. The ultimate benefit of cloud
computing, and AWS, is the ability to leverage a new business model and
turn capital infrastructure expenses into variable costs. Businesses no
longer need to plan and procure servers and other IT resources weeks or
months in advance. Using AWS, businesses can take advantage of Amazon's
expertise and economies of scale to access resources when their business
needs them, delivering results faster and at a lower cost. Today, Amazon
Web Services provides a highly reliable, scalable, low-cost
infrastructure platform in the cloud that powers hundreds of thousands
of enterprise, government and startup customers businesses in 190
countries around the world. Amazon Web Services offers over 30 different
services, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon
Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and Amazon Relational Database
Service (Amazon RDS). AWS services are available to customers from data
center locations in the U.S., Brazil, Europe, Japan, Singapore and
Australia.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle,
opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s
Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything
they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the
lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of
unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books;
Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home
& Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health &
Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web
Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to
in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end
technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any
type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most
advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher
contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the
latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the
ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle,
features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX
features a stunning exclusive 7” or 8.9” HDX display, a quad-core 2.2
GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as
exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second
Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday
button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display,
high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com,
www.amazon.co.uk,
www.amazon.de,
www.amazon.co.jp,
www.amazon.fr,
www.amazon.ca,
www.amazon.cn,
www.amazon.it,
www.amazon.es,
www.amazon.com.br,
www.amazon.in,
www.amazon.com.mx,
and www.amazon.com.au.
As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include
Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates
otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly
from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to
competition, management of growth, new products, services and
technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international
expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and
data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements,
acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system
interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments
and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect
Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Source: Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
www.amazon.com/pr
