Amazon Chime to be charged per-use
Amazon has changed the way it charges for its cloud-based communication platform Amazon Chime, moving to a usage-based pricing model, instead of charging a flat monthly fee.
A blog post penned by Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief evangelist Jeff Barr explains that following the initial 30-day free trial where users have access to all Amazon Chime features, users can still chat with each other and attend meetings at no cost. However, in order to use the scheduling and hosting features once the trial is over, users must be connected to an AWS account.
The administrator must also enable the Amazon Pro Features function for the account as it won't be automatically available.
The usage-based model also means administrators do not have to purchase licences for individual users; instead they can use Active Directory settings and policy management within the Amazon Chime Console to set permissions.
On days where users host meetings, they will be charged $3 per-day, capped at $15 per month, starting from April 1, 2018.
"Based on historical usage patterns, this will result in an overall price reduction for virtually all Amazon Chime customers," the blog reads.
Amazon is also removing the Plus plan and adding the screen sharing and corporate directory features to the Basic plan, it said.
Chime is available on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows, and as meetings and chats are synchronised, users can join from any device and switch between devices during a meeting.
Amazon launched Chime in February last year, labelling it a "new unified communications service [which] delivers frustration-free meetings with exceptional video and audio quality", taking on the likes of Skype for Business and Cisco's WebEx.
Also on Tuesday, AWS announced the availability of Amazon Rekognition in the AWS Asia Pacific (Sydney) Region.
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