AWS (Amazon Web Services) might be getting rid of Chime, its central UCaaS offering, but that doesn’t mean it’s giving up on business communications. Contact center leaders can still access omnichannel customer service solutions through Amazon Connect, and if you’re looking for secure messaging and collaboration, AWS Wickr is a strong contender.
While Wickr hasn’t gained as much attention as other AWS products in recent years, demand for this solution is likely to increase as businesses double down on security and compliance. The end-to-end encrypted messaging platform is specially designed for businesses, governments, and other organizations that need to keep their communications under lock and key.
Whether it’s one-on-one chats, group messages, voice or video calls, file sharing, or even screen sharing, everything sent through AWS Wickr is protected. You even get access to comprehensive controls, data retention policies, federation, and guest access options.
What is AWS Wickr? The Basics
AWS Wickr’s story starts in 2012, when a group of privacy-focused developers built an app designed to make truly secure messaging possible. The Wickr app was initially intended for everyday users who wanted to keep their chats private. It offered end-to-end encryption, expiring messages, and a simple, user-friendly interface.
In June 2021, AWS acquired Wickr, adjusted its features for business users, and launched the solution as an enterprise-level communication service in 2022. The enterprise-focused option offers two deployment options: a cloud-native solution and a self-hosted service.
Today, countless organizations, including the US Army, Operation Recovery, and Focal Forensics, rely on Wickr to streamline collaboration without compromising data privacy and security. AWS also continues to upgrade this service with new features, like an enhanced admin interface.
AWS Wickr: The Core Features
So, what exactly can AWS Wickr do? The short answer: a lot. But what makes it stand out is its focus on security and simplicity. Although it’s not exactly the same as Amazon Chime, Wickr does share some similarities that make it ideal for team collaboration, such as:
Secure Messaging and Calling
Looking for an omnichannel communication option? Wickr has you covered. Though it was initially focused entirely on secure messaging, AWS Wickr now supports a range of channels. You can tap into features for:
- Group and one-to-one messaging: Send secure messages to individual team members, or create group chats with anyone in your directory or contact list. You can even set expiration times to automatically delete messages and files after a specific period.
- File sharing: Users can share files up to 5GB in size through the app, leveraging end-to-end encryption either in a direct message or an AWS Wickr room.
- Audio messaging: Record and share encrypted audio clips up to one minute in length, or send audio messages directly to individual users.
- Secure calling: Host end-to-end encrypted voice or video calls with up to 100 participants. You can also experiment with presenter mode and video calls with screen-sharing for up to 500 participants at once.
For external collaboration, Wickr supports federation rules (so you can restrict access to features for select vendors, customers, partners, and so on). There’s also guest user access, which you can enable or disable for specific security groups in the Wickr admin portal.
Security and Compliance
End-to-end encryption isn’t the only thing that makes AWS Wickr a secure solution for business collaboration. The solution is built with a zero-trust architecture, which means it doesn’t automatically trust any specific device or user. You get advanced cryptography for one-to-one chats, group messaging, voice and video calling.
Plus, AWS Wickr Open access connects to global proxy servers, allowing companies to build efficient and safe paths for data. Beyond that, the solution also offers:
- User Key Verification: Automatic digital signature verification, with data encryption at rest, access controls, and customizable authentication options.
- Data Retention: Companies get complete control over a private data store that they can optimize with unique data retention policies. These policies can run wherever Docker workloads are supported, including on-premises and via virtual machines.
- Accreditation: Wickr has been authorized for DoD Impact levels 4 and 5, ISO 27001, SOC 1, 2, and 3, and FedRAMP. It also meets HIPAA compliance standards for healthcare teams.
Teams can also integrate Wickr with Active Directory, Okta, and other single sign-on services.
Flexible Deployment Options and Integrations
As mentioned above, AWS gives companies various options for deployment. You can choose a cloud-native solution and manage everything from a secure AWS console. Alternatively, highly regulated companies can set up an Enterprise network that they host themselves.
Plus, AWS allows companies to customize their experience with a range of integrations and APIs. AWS Wickr bots can link your collaboration tools with third-party systems. You can also create your own bots with the Wickr bots SDK.
The AWS Wickr APIs allow you to create rooms and users, and access statistics and insights from aligned data across the enterprise. AWS also offers the Wickr ATAK plugin, so you can link your tools to the geospatial situational awareness abilities of the Android kit.
AWS Wickr Pricing: How Much Does it Cost?
One of the great things about AWS Wickr for privacy and security-focused teams is that it’s an incredibly affordable tool. There’s a free version of the app included in the AWS Free tier, which supports up to 30 users for 3 months. Paid plans start at $5 per month for the “Standard” service, or $15 per month for the Premium service.
The Premium service includes custom data retention policies, unlimited admin controls, 5GB file attachments, and data expiration timers. There are also “add-on” options available, which allow users to add guests to their plan for $2 per month, per user.
Alternatively, companies can contact the AWS team directly for a custom quote for the organization’s Enterprise plan.
Getting Started with AWS Wickr
AWS Wickr isn’t really intended to be a replacement for Chime. It’s a specialist solution built for companies with specific security and privacy needs. If you’re part of a government, healthcare, or finance organization, Wickr could be an incredible option for your team. It can also align with other AWS tools, like Connect for customer service.
Notably, though, as AWS shuts down Chime, many businesses that want to avoid shifting into an entirely new landscape might decide to migrate to Wickr. The good news is that transitioning to Wickr is pretty simple. If you’re just getting started, we recommend taking some time to:
- Assess your needs: Map the features your employees already use in tools like Chime, and how they align with the capabilities of AWS Wickr. Remember, Wickr still supports messaging, voice calling, video, and file sharing.
- Choose your deployment strategy: Decide whether you want to take advantage of the cloud-based services offered by Amazon, or take the self-hosted approach. The latter might be a good option if you need end-to-end control over data storage.
- Plan your migration: Figure out a timeline and strategy for moving your users and data into Wickr. If you are already investing in AWS tech, you should be able to contact the team for migration support and training resources.
Once you’re ready, you can head into the AWS Management Console and create your Wickr network. Start adding your users, creating policies, and enabling integrations.
Secure Communications with AWS Wickr
Looking ahead, AWS is clearly investing in Wickr as a cornerstone of its secure communications strategy. Given the recent sunsetting of Amazon Chime, it’s safe to say AWS Wickr is going to earn more attention.
We can likely expect deeper integrations with services like Amazon WorkSpaces and even AI-powered threat detection tools in the near future. There’s also potential for more mobile and cross-platform improvements, as secure hybrid work becomes the norm.
If you’re ready to dive in, take advantage of the free version of Wickr and start experimenting. If you want to learn more about the other communication tools from AWS, check out our ultimate guide to Amazon Connect.
