AWS WorkLink to streamline secure enterprise network access through mobile
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced Amazon WorkLink, a fully-managed service designed to streamline access to corporate systems and internal websites via mobile devices.
On Wednesday, the Amazon subsidiary said the service will "enable companies to provide their workforce with secure one-click access to internal websites and web applications from their mobile devices without connecting to virtual private networks (VPNs) or using custom browsers."
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According to AWS, the Amazon WorkLink app can be used to enable access to content via existing mobile browsers.
IT staff will choose what internal content can be made available through the app, and the system provides "a non-cached, fully functional, graphical representation of the web content to the user."
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Amazon WorkLink, which costs $5 per active user per month, creates a secure access tunnel to smartphones or tablets outside of corporate firewalls.
The system renders content in a browser running in a secure container in AWS. Information is converted into "fully interactive" simple vector graphics (SVG) graphical representation which is then sent to the user's standard browser on their device.
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No information or content is stored or cached on the mobile devices being used to access corporate resources, and as employees never directly connect to company networks, the cloud service provider says this "reduces the risk of information loss or theft."
"When talking with customers, all of them expressed frustration that their workers don't have an easy and secure way to access internal content, which means that their employees either waste time or don't bother trying to access content that would make them more productive," said Peter Hill, Vice President of Productivity Applications at AWS. "With Amazon WorkLink, we're enabling greater workplace productivity for those outside the corporate firewall in a way that IT administrators and security teams are happy with and employees are willing to use."
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Amazon WorkLink can be configured from the AWS Management Console and the app is available in the Apple iOS Store for smartphones or tablets running iOS 12+.
Android mobile device users will have to wait a little longer, though, with a compatible app being made available "soon" for devices running Android version 6 and above.
The service is available in the US and Europe, with new additions due to be added to the roster over the coming year.
Earlier this month, AWS launched AWS Backup, a centralized backup service for backing up data both on-premise and across AWS services, including databases, block and object storage, and file systems.