Amazon’s new thin client looks like a Fire TV Cube… and that’s by design. The company announced this morning the launch of new $195 devices that allow business users to access virtual desktop environments, such as Amazon WorkSpaces, over the Internet. The devices are housed in Fire TV Cube hardware, a decision Amazon made to leverage the existing expertise of the retail giant’s arm that makes streaming media players.
The company explained that its decision to build new hardware was driven by customer feedback about a desire to reduce IT spending by replacing desktop and laptop computers with less expensive hardware. Today, many of Amazon’s enterprise customers log in to virtual desktops based on AWS end-user computing services, such as Amazon WorkSpaces, WorkSpaces Web, or Amazon AppStream, but they tend to do so through desktops or laptops that They cost your employer between $600 and $1,200 each. Amazon says.
The new thin clients will dramatically lower that price, although they won’t have all the capabilities of a dedicated PC. Still, the idea was to offer customers a way to get up and running with new end-user hardware more quickly and at a more cost-effective price. And when it came time to design the hardware, Amazon decided not to reinvent the wheel.
“We have an entire division in our company that already makes devices,” said Melissa Stein, product manager for End User Computing at AWS, who oversaw the Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client project, in a advertisement about new technology. “Combining the expertise of the Amazon Devices group with the logistics of Amazon Business and the power of the AWS cloud is a strong combination for customers,” she added.
Although Stein’s team built a new software stack for the device, they did not have to build the new hardware, allowing them to keep costs down.
The resulting thin client offers low-cost computing by offloading much of its processing power to the cloud, specifically the AWS cloud. That means the device itself stores no data and only runs approved software implemented by IT, for added security. If a device is lost or stolen, company data remains safe in the cloud.
But unlike the Fire TV Cube, where consumers connected their entertainment devices such as a television, the thin client’s USB and HDMI ports support the connection of peripherals such as dual monitors, a mouse, keyboard, camera, headphones, and further. Inside, the team created new firmware and software, including an operating system for employees to access their company’s cloud applications.
Image credits: Amazon
IT departments can also manage devices remotely, allowing them to support customers or upgrade the device for a new employee. They can access the AWS Management Console to check things, such as which devices are active and what version of software a device is running. Or they can remotely reset a device or associate it with a new profile. Additionally, administrators can configure device groups with their own policies, permissions, and access controls to save time.
Thin clients also support on-device authentication and integration with Amazon virtual desktop services, including WorkSpaces for persistent desktops, AppStream for non-persistent applications, and browser-only access with WorkSpaces Web.
The devices will be sold through Amazon’s B2B marketplace and can be ordered pre-configured so customers can be up and running in about 5 minutes, Amazon promises. This is faster than the time it takes to set up company laptops or computers, which can often take hours or days of IT time, she says.
