AWS Acquires Encrypted Collaboration Platform Wickr

Amazon Web Services (AWS), has acquired Wickr, a maker of an online collaboration platform that is secure, for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition was announced Friday and would place AWS squarely in the face of Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack, as well as other collaboration and messaging services. These services have seen a dramatic rise in popularity and importance since the remote work surge that was caused by the pandemic.
Wickr, a New York-based company, is known for including public sector organizations such as the U.S. Military and police departments. Its website describes its offerings in this manner:
Wickr is an encrypted, ephemeral collaboration platform that protects all communications. Wickr is designed for highly sensitive communications, data and file transfers within and between government agencies. All communications are protected with the same privacy and security as face-to-face conversations.
It offers several types of its platform, including Wickr RAM, which has been accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense. Wickr RAM is said to be the “only collaboration service with full functionality to satisfy all security criteria outlined in the National Security Agency.”
The product is available in enterprise, pro, and consumer versions.
Stephen Schmidt, AWS vice-president and chief information security officer, acknowledged Wickr’s “advanced cybersecurity features not available with conventional communications services,” especially as remote work has exposed security vulnerabilities in the way employees communicate and share data.
“The demand for secure communications is increasing.” Schmidt explained that hybrid work environments are becoming more common due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that enterprises and government agencies want to be able to protect their communications from remote locations. “Wickr’s secure communication solutions help enterprises adapt to this change in workforces. It is a welcome addition of the growing number of collaboration and productivity services AWS offers customers.
Schmidt stated that Wickr customers who are already Wickr customers can continue to use it uninterrupted. Schmidt also noted that AWS is now offering Wickr services.