Amazon WorkSpaces, which offers virtual desktops, is now available for rent by the hour via the Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS cloud).
According to the service’s Web site, it “allows you easily to provision cloud-based virtual desks and provide your users with access to the documents and applications they need from any supported device including Windows and Mac computers and Chromebooks, iPads and Fire tablets.
WorkSpaces was previously only available to full-time users who had a monthly billing plan. This new option is for sporadic users.
AWS spokesperson Jeff Bar stated that this feature is useful for those who only require part-time access to their WorkSpace. AWS now offers hourly billing in addition to monthly billing. This allows you to save money on your AWS bills. This feature is great for part-time employees, road warriors, and those who need to share their job with others or work on short-term projects. It’s also great for remote administration, training, and education in corporate settings.
The hourly rent plan can be mixed with the monthly billing scheme, and different hardware and licensing options can be used. Prices range from 17 cents an hour to 57 cents an hour.
Barr also announced an increased root volume.
He said that “By popular demand, we have increased the root volume for newly launched WorkSpaces up to 80 GB to allow you to run more apps and store more data at no additional charge.” Your WorkSpaces Administrator is able to rebuild existing WorkSpaces to upgrade them to larger root volumes. (Read Rebuild a WorkSpace for more information). Rebuilding a WorkSpace will restore C: to the most recent bundle image that was used to create it. It will also restore data volume (D) from the last automatic snap.
