亚马逊推出新服务，挑战微软与思科

Amazon Web Services再次向软件行业巨头发起挑战。

最近，该云行业巨头宣布了基于云的软件Chime，支持企业客户通过手机或桌面设备进行语音或视频通话，在聊天室中进行交流以及举行网络会议等。

在所谓“统一通信”领域，亚马逊（Amazon）面临许多成熟公司的竞争，例如微软（Microsoft）和思科系统公司（Cisco Systems），这两家公司分别推出了Skype企业版和思科Spark。另外两家竞争对手则是谷歌（Google）的Hangouts和目前拥有GoToMeeting的LogMeIn。

AWS企业应用副总裁吉尼•法雷尔告诉《财富》杂志：“我们听到客户最大的抱怨是，他们的语音和会议软件很难使用，体积庞大、价格昂贵，而且没有一款工具能够满足所有任务需求。”

他声称Chime让通话设置变得更容易，可以查看在线参与者，以及哪些与会者的连接受到了背景噪声的干扰。如果有人的背景声中有广播的声音，会议管理员可以一键将其话筒静音。

Brooks Brothers一直在使用该款产品的早期版本，互联网电话提供商Vonage和Level 3 Communications均将向其企业客户销售Chime。

轶事证据确实证明，另外一款网络会议产品思科Webex和GoToMeeting均需要多个设置步骤和/或下载才能使用。此外，Skype企业版用户连接到Skype用户的体验，让人不敢恭维。

所以，如果Chime确实非常易于使用，并且使用户可以以最少的麻烦进行通话、聊天、举行小组会议和分享屏幕，它将在市场中占据优势。法雷尔并未说明这款产品来自收购，还是内部开发的结果，但有报道称，AWS在去年收购了专营协作软件的旧金山初创公司Biba。

Chime只是AWS推出更高水平服务的最新示例。AWS在2006年成立，主要销售基本存储、计算和网络服务。随着时间的推移，亚马逊开始与更传统的软件公司展开竞争，其中有些公司使用了亚马逊的基本基础设施。

这些更高水平产品的其他例子包括亚马逊WorkDocs文件存储与共享软件、 WorkSpaces虚拟桌面，以及WorkMail电子邮件与日历。这些产品的目标客户是企业最终用户，而不是科技行业从业人员。

目前尚不清楚WorkDocs或其他产品在市场中的表现，但亚马逊表示，它们的市场反馈良好。

亚马逊Chime现已上市，可提供高分辨率视频和优质语音通话。企业客户有多个版本可供选择，包括免费入门级产品，提供基本通话和通信功能。更高级（价格也更高）的版本增加了屏幕共享、可集成客户的内部通讯录，能够支持高达200人的会议。（财富中文网）

译者：刘进龙/汪皓

Amazon Web Services is ruffling the feathers of the software establishment again.

Recently, the cloud giant announced Chime, cloud-based software designed to let business customers make voice or video calls, converse in chat rooms, and hold web conferences from their mobile or desktop devices..

In this so-called "unified communications" arena, Amazon faces several established players such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems, which offer Skype for Business and Cisco Spark, respectively. Google Hangouts and LogMeIn, which now owns GoToMeeting, are two other contenders.

"The biggest thing we heard from customers was that their voice and conferencing software was not easy to use, clunky, and expensive and no one tool works for all tasks." Gene Farrell, AWS vice president of enterprise applications tells Fortune.

He claimed Chime, on the other hand, makes it easy to set up calls, see which participants are on the line, and which of those people's connections are muddied by background noise. And the call administrator can mute the mic of the person who's got a radio playing in the background with a button click.

Brooks Brothers has been using an early version of the product and Vonage, an Internet telephony provider, and Level 3 Communications, will sell Chime to business customers.

Anecdotal evidence backs up the contention that products like Cisco Webex, another web conference product, and GoToMeeting require multiple steps and/or downloads to set up. And, connecting a Skype for Business user to a Skype user is not for the faint of heart.

So if Chime really is drop-dead easy to use—and lets users call, chat, hold group conferences, share screens with minimal angst—it could have an advantage. Farrell would not say if this product grew out of an acquisition or from internal development but AWS reportedly bought Biba, a San Francisco startup specializing in collaboration software last year.

Chime is just the latest example of AWS—which started out in 2006 selling basic storage, computing, and networking services—adding higher level services. As the years progressed, Amazon started to compete with more traditional software companies, some of which use its foundational infrastructure.

Other examples of these higher-level products include Amazon WorkDocs file storage and sharing software; WorkSpaces desktop virtualization; and WorkMail email and calendar. These products target corporate end users rather than tech professionals.

It's unclear how well WorkDocs or these other products have done in the market although Amazon says they've gotten good traction.

Amazon Chime is available now, offering high-definition video and audio quality. Business customers have several versions to choose from, including a free entry-level product for basic calling and messaging. Higher-tier (and higher priced) options add screen-sharing, integration with the customer's in-house directory, and support for meetings of up to 200 people.