In a runup to its annual re:Invent conference, AWS on Sunday unveiled Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client virtual desktops in a bid to offer cheaper PC alternatives to price-sensitive enterprise customers.

The cloud-based Thin Client starts at$195 a piece, will use the same hardware as the Fire TV Cube, and is targeted at enterprises, including call centers and payment processing centers, which deploy large numbers of PCs, the company wrote in a blog post.

The pandemic and other macroeconomic uncertainties have forced enterprises to look at reducing expenditure in order to maintain a healthier balance sheet.

AWS, according to Melissa Stein, director of product for end-user computing at AWS, who oversaw the Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client project, can sell the devices at a low cost because they didn't have to design and build a new hardware stack for virtual desktops or cloud-based PCs.

The company simply designed a new software stack for the device, Stein said.

How to order and configure the WorkSpaces Thin Client?

The low-cost devices, which look identical to a Fire TV Cube, can be ordered via Amazon's business-to-business (B2B) marketplace.

"Companies can order pre-configured hardware and have it shipped quickly and securely to employees' homes or offices," the company said, adding this makes deploying virtual desktops at scale simple and secure.

Unlike the Fire TV Cube that connects to entertainment devices, the USB and HDMI ports on the device connect to peripherals needed for using the desktop, such as dual monitors, mouse, keyboard, camera, and headset among others.

The Thin Client's firmware currently supports operations via three AWS environments and services, such as the fully managed WorkSpaces virtual desktop service, the fully managed application streaming service dubbed AppStream 2.0, and WorkSpaces Web, which is a fully managed service to deliver web-based workloads and SaaS applications via web browsers.

Once the cloud-based PCs are ordered, an enterprise administrator can configure the PCs via the Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client.

"Administrators can easily create new environments for users or groups of users, distribute activation codes to them, and manage the environment via the Thin Client inside the AWS Management Console. They can set schedules for software updates and patches, verify compliance, and manage users over time," the company wrote in a separate blog post.

Availability and price

The WorkSpaces Thin Client, according to the company, is currently available in the US only and is expected to go on sale in other countries in early 2024.

The Thin Client Console, via which the devices are managed, has been made available across the US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), Asia Pacific (Mumbai), Canada (Central), and Europe (Frankfurt, Ireland, Ireland, London) Regions.

The devices themselves start at a price of$195 and go up to$280 with an optional hub that allows enterprise users to use a second monitor, the company said. There will also be a$6 per month fee to manage, maintain, and monitor each device.

Enterprises also have to pay for the underlying AWS services, such as the virtual desktop service or the application streaming service, they use, AWS added.

PC market set for recovery?

The launch of Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client comes at a time when the commercial PC market segment is showing early signs of recovery, according to market research firm IDC.

The commercial PC segment, which slowed down during 2022 and most part of 2023, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.4% till 2027, IDC reported.

This could bolster the sales of Thin Clients, especially at a time when rivals such as VMware, are in a state of transition due to merger and acquisition activity.

According to a Valuates Reports research report, enterprises are adopting virtualization at a large scale due to its cost-effectiveness.

Other factors such as the need for employee efficiency, data security, and demand for a workspace-as-a-service model are expected to further drive virtualization efforts, it added.