With the new power bundles, developers may want to take another look at Amazon WorkSpaces
Developers and users looking for a low-cost but extremely resource-heavy workstation should seriously investigate Amazon WorkSpaces. What first started out as a way to quickly launch entry-level workstations in the cloud has changed significantly with the introduction of the new Power Bundle.
Introduction to Amazon WorkSpaces
Before we discuss the new Power Bundle, let’s review Amazon WorkSpaces and how it can be beneficial to growing companies.
Amazon WorkSpaces enables a fully managed, Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform that runs in the AWS ecosystem. WorkSpaces allows you to easily deploy virtual, Microsoft Windows desktops for a growing number of users. Instantly gain access to documents, applications, and resources that are necessary to run your business from anywhere, on any device.
As is the case with most AWS services, you only pay for what you use. WorkSpaces offers either monthly or hourly plans, depending on your needs. This helps you save money compared to traditional desktops as well as most on-premises Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solutions.
New power bundle for Amazon WorkSpaces
When WorkSpaces was first released, one of the complaints about the platform was that the virtual desktops in use weren’t powerful enough to handle certain tasks for developers, analysts, and other tasks that required significant computing power. In response, Amazon WorkSpaces has released a Power Bundle that offers significantly more CPU power, memory, and storage. The new bundles feature four vCPUs, 275GB of storage, and 16 GB of memory – ensuring these virtual desktops are plenty powerful for almost any use.
Easier access to cloud-based data with Amazon WorkSpaces
Another benefit of Amazon WorkSpaces is that if your organization is already utilizing Amazon storage services such as S3, your virtual desktops will be able to more effectively analyze the data related to access time. This is possible because the data will be effectively considered local in relation to the WorkSpace itself. This helps improve productivity in the cloud as well as provides access to other AWS analysis tools, such as Amazon Redshift & Redshift Spectrum, Amazon Athena, and Amazon QuickSight.
Flexible billing with WorkSpace bundles
As is the case with most AWS services, WorkSpace bundles can be configured in what is known as an AlwaysOn or AutoStop billing configuration. The AlwaysOn mode is simple: Your WorkSpace is running all the time and you’re billed by the month. With AutoStop, your WorkSpace starts billing when you log in and automatically stops when you’re disconnected for a certain period of time. If you’re utilizing the AutoStop function, your administrator has the ability to configure the time after which your instance will automatically stop after you disconnect (1 to 48 hours).
Try out Amazon WorkSpaces for free
There are two options that allow you to try out Amazon WorkSpaces for free. You may be eligible for the AWS Free Tier which gives you access to Amazon WorkSpaces for up to 12 months, or, if you’re signing up for Workspaces directly, you can try out the service for two months for free. By trying out WorkSpaces, you can determine if the service is a good fit for your organization.
Reach out to CloudHesive to learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces
WorkSpaces is a versatile way to quickly provision virtual desktops in the cloud without the complex infrastructure required from in-house VDI solutions. To learn more about the benefits of a service like Amazon WorkSpaces, feel free to reach out to our team today at 800-860-2040 or through our online contact form. As Amazon partners, we’re well-versed in the latest AWS services and can help you determine the best way to migrate any or all of your operations to the cloud.
