AppStream 2.0 or Workspaces for CAD applications

Q1: As Amazon AppStream 2.0 is providing a managed NICE DCV server, do the customer is able to use the NICE DCV client from his/her laptop in addition to the web browser (to get a better user experience) or the web browser is well-managing it? If it is, do we have benchmark on it?

AppStream 2.0 has its own Windows native client. AppStream 2.0 does not support other OSes at this time, and the NICE DCV client will not work with AppStream 2.0. That said, in general, the web client provides a great experience. The AppStream 2.0 native clients are provided due to limitations from the browser, which are mainly: 1/ keyboard shortcuts (keys like alt get captured by the browser), 2/ device limitations (can't do USB redirection or printer redirection through a browser), and 3/ experience - our latest native client has 'native app mode' where the application looks native to the underlying OS which isn't possible through the browser.

Q2: By using Amazon Workspaces thanks to Graphics and GraphicsPro bundles available, do the customer has to install a NICE DCV server on each workspace to get benefits from NICE DCV protocol or our own Workspace client application is well-handling it (thanks to the PCoIP protocol)? If it is, do we have benchmark or relevant customer story on it?

Amazon WorkSpaces has its own client which provides richness and is fully managed. What's the benefit of installing yet another protocol on top of it, and having to manage it? WorkSpaces provides a connection broker, which DCV does not - the customer would have to manage IPs, or build their own connection broker, to protect the connections from the internet.

Q3: If Amazon AppStream 2.0 solution is the selected by the customer (thanks to the wide range of GPU at the customer disposal), what about cost? Indeed, CAD applications will incur a lot of data egress charges while data egress costs in Amazon Workspaces (for pixel streaming) are included in the bundles charges.

AppStream 2.0 pixel streaming charges are included in the price. Are you seeing something that says to the alternative?

That said, you really need to validate with the customer what is the experience that's wanted. WorkSpaces provides the user a fully persistent experience - every time they log in, it's the exact same instance, in the state they last left it - think of it as an engineering workstation replacement. AppStream 2.0 on the other hand is fully non-persistent - meaning, the user is basically getting a brand new engineering workstation every time they log in.

There's also management differences - WorkSpaces requires all the tools necessary to manage a laptop/desktop, while AppStream 2.0 is purely managed through the image.