Organizations today want to enable a modern, flexible, global workforce, and help their users be productive from anywhere, using any device. To do this, they need to provide secure access to applications and data on many device types, and a consistent and high quality user experience. Unfortunately traditional on-premises solutions have proven to be expensive to buy, complex to deploy, and they require skilled expertise to manage. They don’t scale well, and organizations are often left to choose between a reasonable user experience and large capital investments in infrastructure.
AWS offers two managed end user computing services running on the AWS cloud - Amazon WorkSpaces and Amazon AppStream 2.0. With these services, you can move your desktops and applications to AWS, and get enhanced security, low cost pay-as-you-go pricing, on-demand scaling, and global availability. By using a hybrid approach, you can integrate these services with your existing infrastructure, which helps you simplify your IT. And because you can place your desktops and applications close to your users, they always get a consistent and high performance experience, on the device of their choice.
| What You're Trying To Do | Consider Using |
|---|---|
| If you want to offer a secure, powerful desktop with a access to a full set of applications and periphery support, on any device | Amazon WorkSpaces |
| If you want to simplify desktop management in the cloud, and streamline image management | Amazon WorkSpaces |
If you want to offer a branded desktop experience with pre-installed apps, tools, and settings to serve your customers |
Amazon WorkSpaces |
| If you want to provide ubiquitous, secure, instant-on access to any desktop apps from anywhere, on any device | Amazon AppStream 2.0 |
| If you want to run secure engineering simulation workflows, interactive pre-processing and post-processing, 3D graphics in the cloud | Amazon AppStream 2.0 |
| If you want to deliver any desktop applications as SaaS apps without rewriting them, to any device | Amazon AppStream 2.0 |
Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed, secure desktop computing service which runs on the AWS cloud. Amazon WorkSpaces allows you to easily provision cloud-based virtual desktops and provide your users access to the documents, applications, and resources they need from any supported device, including Windows and Mac computers, Chromebooks, iPads, Fire tablets, and Android tablets. With just a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, you can deploy high-quality cloud desktops for any number of users. With Amazon WorkSpaces, you pay either monthly or hourly just for the Amazon WorkSpaces you launch, which helps you save money when compared to traditional desktops and on-premises Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions.
Common Use Cases:
- Offer "Bring Your Own Device"
- Extending PC refresh cycles and using low-cost hardware
- Supporting contract and seasonal workers
- Rapid integration during mergers and acquisitions
- Compliance and securing sensitive applications and data
Amazon AppStream 2.0 is a fully managed, secure application streaming service that allows you to stream desktop applications from AWS to any device running a web browser, without rewriting them. Amazon AppStream 2.0 provides users instant-on access to the applications they need, and a responsive, fluid user experience on the device of their choice.
Amazon AppStream 2.0 gives you the benefits of native browser applications without the need to rewrite them. With Amazon AppStream 2.0, you can easily import your existing desktop applications to AWS and instantly start streaming them to an HTML5 compatible browser. You can maintain a single version of each of your apps, which makes application management easier. Your users always access the latest versions of their applications. Your applications run on AWS compute resources, and data never stored on users’ devices, which means they always get a high performance, secure experience.
Unlike traditional on-premises solutions for desktop application streaming, Amazon AppStream 2.0 offers pay-as-you-go pricing, with no upfront investment and no infrastructure to maintain. You can scale instantly and globally, ensuring that your users always have the best possible experience.
Common Use Cases:
- Run desktop applications on any device, anywhere
- Convert desktop apps to web apps with no rewrite
- Accelerate engineering workflows by completing pre and post processing in the cloud
- Deliver desktop apps via SaaS portals
- Meet compliance requirements and secure sensitive applications and data
