Amazon WorkSpaces now lets AI agents securely operate legacy desktop applications—without APIs or modernization—using IAM authentication, MCP support, and computer vision within existing security frameworks.

“ I have checked the documents of AWS for user onboarding and desktop provisioning via aws directory...

New features bring generative AI assistance and automation to cloud desktops for enterprise users.

Amazon WorkSpaces Applications now offers images powered by Microsoft Windows Server 2025, enabling customers to launch streaming instances with the latest features and enhancements from Microsoft’s newest server operating system. This update ensures your application streaming environment benefits from improved security, performance, and modern capabilities. With Windows Server 2025 support, you can deliver the Microsoft Windows 11 desktop experience to your end users, giving you greater flexibility in choosing the right operating system for your specific application and desktop streaming needs. Whether you're running business-critical applications or providing remote access to specialized software, you now have expanded options to align your infrastructure decisions with your unique workload requirements and organizational standards. You can select from AWS-provided public images or create custom images tailored to your requirements using Image Builder. Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2025 is now generally available in all AWS https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/regional-product-services/ where Amazon WorkSpaces Applications is offered. To get started with Microsoft Windows Server 2025 images, visit the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/appstream2/. For pricing details, see the https://aws.amazon.com/appstream2/pricing/.

A couple of editions ago I wrote about what I find so energizing about working with startups. Last week I got a fresh dose of it: I spent a few days with the AWS Startups team, listening to stories of founders talking about the problems they’re actually solving. One story that stayed with me came […]

Amazon WorkSpaces now publishes additional performance and session health metrics to Amazon CloudWatch, enabling IT administrators to gain deeper visibility into their virtual desktop workloads. These new metrics span network performance, compute and storage resource utilization, and session lifecycle events — all available at no additional cost. With these metrics, administrators can proactively identify and troubleshoot issues that impact end-user experience. For example, TCP retransmission rate and congestion window help pinpoint network degradation, GPU usage and CPU queue length surface compute bottlenecks, and storage metrics like disk I/O queue lengths and memory page hard faults provide visibility into disk saturation and memory pressure. Administrators can set CloudWatch alarms for rapid detection of performance issues, build custom dashboards for fleet-wide visibility, and reduce mean time to resolution. These metrics are available in all AWS Regions where Amazon WorkSpaces is supported. To get started, navigate to the Amazon CloudWatch console and observe these metrics or update your WorkSpaces custom dashboards. You can also monitor these metrics through WorkSpaces automatic dashboard. To learn more, visit the Amazon WorkSpaces documentation and the CloudWatch metrics reference.

My most exciting news of last week: Amazon Bedrock AgentCore previewed the first managed payment capabilities enabling AI agents to autonomously access and pay for APIs, MCP servers, web content, and other agents. Built in partnership with Coinbase and Stripe, it removes the undifferentiated heavy lifting of building customized systems for billing, credential management, and […]

AWS today announced Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances availability in US East (Ohio), Asia Pacific (Malaysia), Asia Pacific (Hong Kong), Middle East (UAE), and Europe (Spain), bringing Amazon WorkSpaces capabilities to these AWS Regions for the first time. WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances in these Regions is supported by partners including Citrix, Workspot, Leostream, and Dizzion. Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances simplifies virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) migrations with highly customizable instance configurations. WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances provisions resources in your AWS account, handling infrastructure lifecycle management for both persistent and non-persistent workloads. Managed Instances provide flexibility for organizations requiring specific compute, memory, or graphics configurations. With WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, you can use existing discounts, Savings Plans, and other features like On-Demand Capacity Reservations (ODCRs), with the operational simplicity of WorkSpaces - all within the security and governance boundaries of your AWS account. This solution is ideal for organizations migrating from on-premises VDI environments or existing AWS customers seeking enhanced cost optimization without sacrificing control over their infrastructure configurations. You can use a broad selection of instance types, including accelerated graphics instances, while your Core partner solution handles desktop and application provisioning and session management through familiar administrative tools. Customers will incur standard compute costs along with an hourly fee for WorkSpaces Core. See the WorkSpaces Core pricing page for more information. To learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, visit the product page. For technical documentation and getting started guides, see the Amazon WorkSpaces Core Documentation.

AWS today announced Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, simplifying virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) migrations with highly customizable instance configurations. Utilizing https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/amazon-ec2-managed-instances.html at its foundation, WorkSpaces Core can now provision resources in your AWS account, handling infrastructure lifecycle management for both persistent and non-persistent workloads. Managed Instances complement existing WorkSpaces Core pre-configured bundles by providing greater flexibility for organizations requiring specific compute, memory, or graphics configurations. You can now use existing discounts, Savings Plans, and other features like On-Demand Capacity Reservations (ODCRs), with the operational simplicity of WorkSpaces - all within the security and governance boundaries of your AWS account. WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances is ideal for organizations migrating from on-premises VDI environments or existing AWS customers seeking enhanced cost optimization without sacrificing control over their infrastructure configurations. You can use a broad selection of instance types, including accelerated graphics instances, while your Core partner solution handles desktop and application provisioning and session management through familiar administrative tools. Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances is available today in all AWS Regions where WorkSpaces is supported. Customers will incur standard compute costs along with an hourly fee for WorkSpaces Core. See the https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces-family/core/pricing/ page for more information. To learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, visit the https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/core. For technical documentation, getting started guides, and the shared responsibility model for partner VDI solutions integrating WorkSpaces Core bundles and managed instances, see the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces-core/.

Amazon WorkSpaces Applications now offers images powered by Microsoft Windows Server 2025, enabling customers to launch streaming instances with the latest features and enhancements from Microsoft’s newest server operating system. This update ensures your application streaming environment benefits from improved security, performance, and modern capabilities. With Windows Server 2025 support, you can deliver the Microsoft Windows 11 desktop experience to your end users, giving you greater flexibility in choosing the right operating system for your specific application and desktop streaming needs. Whether you're running business-critical applications or providing remote access to specialized software, you now have expanded options to align your infrastructure decisions with your unique workload requirements and organizational standards. You can select from AWS-provided public images or create custom images tailored to your requirements using Image Builder. Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2025 is now generally available in all AWS Regions where Amazon WorkSpaces Applications is offered. To get started with Microsoft Windows Server 2025 images, visit the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications documentation. For pricing details, see the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Pricing page.

Amazon WorkSpaces now supports Idle Disconnect Timeout for Windows WorkSpaces Personal with the Amazon DCV protocol. WorkSpaces administrators can now configure how long a user can be inactive while connected to a personal WorkSpace, before they are disconnected. This setting is already available for WorkSpaces Pools, but this launch includes end user notifications for idle users, warning that their session will be disconnected soon, for both Personal and Pools. Idle Disconnect Timeout helps Amazon WorkSpaces administrators better optimize costs and resources for their fleet. This feature helps ensure that customers who pay for their resources hourly are only paying for the WorkSpaces that are actually in use. The notifications also provide improved overall user experience for both Personal and Pools end users, by warning them about the pending disconnection and giving them a chance to continue or save their work beforehand. Idle Disconnect Timeout is available at no additional cost for Windows WorkSpaces running DCV, in all the AWS Regions where WorkSpaces is currently available. To get started with Amazon WorkSpaces, see Getting Started with Amazon WorkSpaces. To enable this feature, you must be using Windows WorkSpaces Personal DCV host agent version 2.1.0.1554 or later. Your users must be on WorkSpaces Windows or macOS client versions 5.24 or later, WorkSpaces Linux client version 2024.7 or later, or on Web Access. Refer to the client version release notes for more details. To learn more, visit Manage your Windows WorkSpaces in the Amazon WorkSpaces Administrator Guide.

Amazon WorkSpaces for agents is now generally available, enabling AI agents to securely access and operate desktop applications through managed WorkSpaces environments. Enterprises run critical business processes on desktop applications (ERP systems, CRMs, mainframes, and proprietary tools) where years of customization, undocumented logic, and strict compliance requirements make them too critical to abandon and costly to modernize. WorkSpaces for agentsnow gives AI agents a managed cloud workspace where they can see the screen and operate these applications the way humans do, without requiring application modernization or custom integrations. WorkSpaces uses the same infrastructure for agents as organizations have trusted for over a decade to deliver secure, managed desktops at scale. Agents inherit the same identity controls, network isolation, and compliance boundaries as human users, so organizations gain automation without giving up governance. Organizations can automate workflows such as claims processing, patient record updates, trade settlement, and back-office operations. The service works with any agent framework using Model Context Protocol (MCP), and pricing scales based on active session time. Since launching in Preview, customer and partner feedback has shaped new capabilities. MCP tool forwarding allows agents to interact with applications and the desktop operating system through direct MCP calls rather than using computer use tools, improving accuracy, reducing latency, and lowering cost. Real-time session control gives operators live visibility into agent activity with the ability to revoke access mid-session. Domain-joined fleet support lets agents operate under existing Active Directory identities, extending the same access policies and audit attribution that apply to employees. To learn more, visit Amazon WorkSpaces for AI agents. To get started building, see the documentation and sample code on GitHub.

Amazon WorkSpaces for agents is now generally available, enabling AI agents to securely access and operate desktop applications through managed WorkSpaces environments. Enterprises run critical business processes on desktop applications (ERP systems, CRMs, mainframes, and proprietary tools) where years of customization, undocumented logic, and strict compliance requirements make them too critical to abandon and costly to modernize. WorkSpaces for agentsnow gives AI agents a managed cloud workspace where they can see the screen and operate these applications the way humans do, without requiring application modernization or custom integrations. WorkSpaces uses the same infrastructure for agents as organizations have trusted for over a decade to deliver secure, managed desktops at scale. Agents inherit the same identity controls, network isolation, and compliance boundaries as human users, so organizations gain automation without giving up governance. Organizations can automate workflows such as claims processing, patient record updates, trade settlement, and back-office operations. The service works with any agent framework using Model Context Protocol (MCP), and pricing scales based on active session time. Since launching in https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/05/workspaces-ai-agents/, customer and partner feedback has shaped new capabilities. MCP tool forwarding allows agents to interact with applications and the desktop operating system through direct MCP calls rather than using computer use tools, improving accuracy, reducing latency, and lowering cost. Real-time session control gives operators live visibility into agent activity with the ability to revoke access mid-session. Domain-joined fleet support lets agents operate under existing Active Directory identities, extending the same access policies and audit attribution that apply to employees. To learn more, visit https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/ai-agents/. To get started building, see the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/appstream2/latest/developerguide/agent-access.html and https://github.com/aws-samples/sample-code-for-workspaces-agent-access.  

AWS announces USB redirection support for WorkSpaces running Amazon DCV protocol, enabling users to access locally connected USB devices from their virtual desktop environments. With this feature, customers can now connect a wide range of USB peripherals to their virtual desktops, including credit card readers, 3D mice, and other specialized devices. USB redirection addresses the need for direct access to USB devices that require specialized drivers or lack dedicated protocols. This capability is currently limited to WorkSpaces Personal with Windows desktops accessed from Windows client devices. Performance and device compatibility may vary, so testing with your specific USB peripherals is recommended before adding them to the allowlist. This feature is available in all AWS Regions where Amazon WorkSpaces is offered. For more information about USB redirection in Amazon WorkSpaces, see USB Redirection for DCV in the Amazon WorkSpaces Administration Guide, or visit the Amazon WorkSpaces page to learn more about virtual desktop solutions from AWS.

Amazon WorkSpaces, AWS's fully managed cloud desktop service, now enables AI agents to securely access and operate desktop applications through managed WorkSpaces environments. Many enterprises run critical business processes on desktop applications—mainframes, ERP systems, and proprietary tools—that lack modern APIs, creating a "last-mile challenge" for AI agents. WorkSpaces now allows organizations to automate everyday workflows at scale while maintaining full enterprise-grade governance and compliance. AI agents built on any framework and running anywhere—cloud-hosted, on-premises, or hybrid—can now connect to business applications with minimal code using industry-standard Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration. Builders gain fast time-to-value without standing up new infrastructure, while IT administrators maintain centralized permissions, logging, and auditing controls identical to human WorkSpaces environments. Enterprise observability features including screenshots and metrics provide full visibility into agent activities. Organizations can automate workflows spanning claims processing, trade settlement, candidate screening, and back-office operations across financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries—all without requiring application modernization. WorkSpaces delivers secure environments where agents can point, click, and navigate on desktop applications just like humans. With pay-as-you-go pricing and elastic scale built on AWS's global infrastructure, enterprises reduce IT overhead while expanding what's possible when people and AI work together. To learn more, visit the WorkSpaces documentation.

Amazon WorkSpaces Applications now supports Graphics G7 instances, powered by NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs and Intel Xeon Scalable (6th Gen) processors. G7 instances deliver up to 2.1× better performance for graphics-intensive workloads compared to previous generation G6 instances. With Graphics G7, customers can stream demanding professional applications such as CAD/CAM, 3D rendering, scientific visualization, video editing, and AI-assisted design workflows at higher fidelity and frame rates. G7 instances feature 32 GB of GDDR7 GPU memory per GPU and 2.67× faster memory bandwidth, enabling streaming of larger, more complex 3D scenes and models. Six instance sizes are available, with 1 to 8 GPUs, vCPUs ranging from 8 to 192, and system memory from 32 GB to 768 GB. Graphics G7 instances are available in US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), and US West (Oregon). Additional regions will be added as availability expands. To get started, select a Graphics G7 instance when launching an image builder or creating a new fleet in the https://aws.amazon.com/console/. For more information on available instance types, see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/appstream2/latest/developerguide/instance-types.html. To learn more about G7 GPU capabilities, visit the https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/g7/. For pricing details, see https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/applications/pricing/.

AWS announces USB redirection support for WorkSpaces running Amazon DCV protocol, enabling users to access locally connected USB devices from their virtual desktop environments. With this feature, customers can now connect a wide range of USB peripherals to their virtual desktops, including credit card readers, 3D mice, and other specialized devices. USB redirection addresses the need for direct access to USB devices that require specialized drivers or lack dedicated protocols. This capability is currently limited to WorkSpaces Personal with Windows desktops accessed from Windows client devices. Performance and device compatibility may vary, so testing with your specific USB peripherals is recommended before adding them to the allowlist. This feature is available in all AWS Regions where Amazon WorkSpaces is offered. For more information about USB redirection in Amazon WorkSpaces, see USB Redirection for DCV in the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/latest/adminguide/group_policy.html, or visit the https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces-family/workspaces/ page to learn more about virtual desktop solutions from AWS.

AWS today announced Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances availability in US East (Ohio), Asia Pacific (Malaysia), Asia Pacific (Hong Kong), Middle East (UAE), and Europe (Spain), bringing Amazon WorkSpaces capabilities to these AWS Regions for the first time. WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances in these Regions is supported by partners including Citrix, Workspot, Leostream, and Dizzion. Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances simplifies virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) migrations with highly customizable instance configurations. WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances provisions resources in your AWS account, handling infrastructure lifecycle management for both persistent and non-persistent workloads. Managed Instances provide flexibility for organizations requiring specific compute, memory, or graphics configurations. With WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, you can use existing discounts, Savings Plans, and other features like On-Demand Capacity Reservations (ODCRs), with the operational simplicity of WorkSpaces - all within the security and governance boundaries of your AWS account. This solution is ideal for organizations migrating from on-premises VDI environments or existing AWS customers seeking enhanced cost optimization without sacrificing control over their infrastructure configurations. You can use a broad selection of instance types, including accelerated graphics instances, while your Core partner solution handles desktop and application provisioning and session management through familiar administrative tools. Customers will incur standard compute costs along with an hourly fee for WorkSpaces Core. See the WorkSpaces Core https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces-family/core/pricing/ for more information. To learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, visit the https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/core. For technical documentation and getting started guides, see the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces-core/.

AWS today announced Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, simplifying virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) migrations with highly customizable instance configurations. Utilizing EC2 Managed Instances at its foundation, WorkSpaces Core can now provision resources in your AWS account, handling infrastructure lifecycle management for both persistent and non-persistent workloads. Managed Instances complement existing WorkSpaces Core pre-configured bundles by providing greater flexibility for organizations requiring specific compute, memory, or graphics configurations. You can now use existing discounts, Savings Plans, and other features like On-Demand Capacity Reservations (ODCRs), with the operational simplicity of WorkSpaces - all within the security and governance boundaries of your AWS account. WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances is ideal for organizations migrating from on-premises VDI environments or existing AWS customers seeking enhanced cost optimization without sacrificing control over their infrastructure configurations. You can use a broad selection of instance types, including accelerated graphics instances, while your Core partner solution handles desktop and application provisioning and session management through familiar administrative tools. Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances is available today in all AWS Regions where WorkSpaces is supported. Customers will incur standard compute costs along with an hourly fee for WorkSpaces Core. See the WorkSpaces Core pricing page for more information. To learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces Core Managed Instances, visit the product page. For technical documentation, getting started guides, and the shared responsibility model for partner VDI solutions integrating WorkSpaces Core bundles and managed instances, see the Amazon WorkSpaces Core Documentation.

Amazon WorkSpaces now supports the WorkSpace Migration feature for all Linux operating systems that Amazon WorkSpaces offers. This allows customers to seamlessly migrate WorkSpaces from one Linux operating system to another, automating the process to migrate to newer operating system versions or to move from one Linux operating system to another. When customers migrate their WorkSpaces from one operating system to another, the user data on a Linux WorkSpace’s home directory is now automatically moved to the new WorkSpace. Customers can seamlessly migrate WorkSpaces without having to manually copy data between WorkSpaces. This streamlines the process to upgrade Linux WorkSpaces to take advantage of the latest Linux operating systems without disrupting end users with manual migration steps. The WorkSpace Migration feature is now supported for all Linux operating systems in AWS commercial and AWS GovCloud (US) Regions where Amazon WorkSpaces Personal is supported. For more information, see the Migrate a Linux WorkSpace section in the Amazon WorkSpaces Administration Guide.

Amazon WorkSpaces Applications now supports Graphics G7 instances, powered by NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs and Intel Xeon Scalable (6th Gen) processors. G7 instances deliver up to 2.1× better performance for graphics-intensive workloads compared to previous generation G6 instances. With Graphics G7, customers can stream demanding professional applications such as CAD/CAM, 3D rendering, scientific visualization, video editing, and AI-assisted design workflows at higher fidelity and frame rates. G7 instances feature 32 GB of GDDR7 GPU memory per GPU and 2.67× faster memory bandwidth, enabling streaming of larger, more complex 3D scenes and models. Six instance sizes are available, with 1 to 8 GPUs, vCPUs ranging from 8 to 192, and system memory from 32 GB to 768 GB. Graphics G7 instances are available in US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), and US West (Oregon). Additional regions will be added as availability expands. To get started, select a Graphics G7 instance when launching an image builder or creating a new fleet in the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications console. For more information on available instance types, see WorkSpaces Applications Instance Families. To learn more about G7 GPU capabilities, visit the EC2 G7 Instance Types page. For pricing details, see Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Pricing.

Amazon WorkSpaces Personal now allows you to route streaming traffic privately between your Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and WorkSpaces virtual desktops using https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vpc/latest/privatelink/what-is-privatelink.html, without the data ever traversing the public internet. With this new capability, you can now stream your WorkSpaces through private IP addresses within your VPC, or from on-premises environments using AWS VPN or AWS Direct Connect. The feature helps you to meet your compliance requirements by keeping streaming traffic within the trusted networks. To get started using PrivateLink with WorkSpaces, create a WorkSpaces VPC endpoint for DCV streaming protocol in the chosen Amazon VPC, then specify the VPC endpoint when creating a new WorkSpaces Personal directory or modifying an existing one. Your users will then use the VPC endpoint when they stream their DCV WorkSpaces. The feature is available for WorkSpaces Personal running DCV protocol in all AWS Regions https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/regional-product-services/, except China (Ningxia) Region. You can configure this feature through the AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), or Amazon WorkSpaces APIs. For detailed configuration instructions and requirements, please refer to the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/latest/adminguide/creating-streaming-vpc-endpoints.html.  

Amazon Web Services today announced support for https://ciq.com/products/rocky-linux/ on Amazon WorkSpaces Personal, a fully managed virtual desktop offering. With this launch, organizations can provide their end users with an RPM Package Manager compatible environment, optimized for running compute-intensive applications, while helping to improve IT agility and reduce costs. Now WorkSpaces Personal customers have the flexibility to choose from a wider range of Linux distributions including Rocky Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Ubuntu Desktop. With Rocky Linux on WorkSpaces Personal, IT organizations can enable developers to work in an environment that is consistent with their production environment, and provide power users like engineers and data scientists with on-demand access to Rocky Linux environments as needed - quickly spinning up and tearing down instances and managing the entire fleet through the AWS Console, without the burden of capacity planning or license management. WorkSpaces Personal offers a wide range of high-performance, license-included, fully-managed virtual desktop bundles—enabling organizations to only pay for the resources they use. Rocky Linux on WorkSpaces Personal is available in all https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/regional-product-services/ where WorkSpaces Personal is available, except for AWS China Regions. Depending on the WorkSpaces Personal https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/latest/adminguide/running-mode.html, you will be charged hourly or monthly for your virtual desktops. For more details on pricing, refer to https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces-family/workspaces/pricing/. To get started with Rocky Linux on WorkSpaces Personal, sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the https://console.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/.  For more information, see the https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/latest/adminguide/amazon-workspaces.html.  

Amazon WorkSpaces Personal now allows you to route streaming traffic privately between your Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and WorkSpaces virtual desktops using AWS PrivateLink, without the data ever traversing the public internet. With this new capability, you can now stream your WorkSpaces through private IP addresses within your VPC, or from on-premises environments using AWS VPN or AWS Direct Connect. The feature helps you to meet your compliance requirements by keeping streaming traffic within the trusted networks. To get started using PrivateLink with WorkSpaces, create a WorkSpaces VPC endpoint for DCV streaming protocol in the chosen Amazon VPC, then specify the VPC endpoint when creating a new WorkSpaces Personal directory or modifying an existing one. Your users will then use the VPC endpoint when they stream their DCV WorkSpaces. The feature is available for WorkSpaces Personal running DCV protocol in all AWS Regions where Amazon WorkSpaces is supported, except China (Ningxia) Region. You can configure this feature through the AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), or Amazon WorkSpaces APIs. For detailed configuration instructions and requirements, please refer to the Amazon WorkSpaces documentation.