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Amazon will launch a corporate email and digital calendar service to rival Outlook and Gmail, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
The new service, called WorkMail, is powered by Amazon’s cloud-based computing unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company plans to price WorkMail competitively with Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google’s business-oriented services, which also include programs like word processing and spreadsheets.
Amazon didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
The move pushes Amazon further into the world of enterprise technology. The e-commerce giant has grown its cloud-based computing services into a major part of its business. AWS powers the technology behind prominent consumer brands, including Netflix, Pinterest and Airbnb, in addition to government entities, like NASA and the CIA. Amazon manages large amounts of company data on Amazon’s vast network of computer servers, freeing up those companies to focus on other parts of their technology, such as how the user interacts with their sites or apps. AWS also offers remote-working features for corporations, which lets workers sync their various devices.
Adding email means Amazon is expanding its business services, an area that Microsoft dominates. Google has been trying to get a piece of the pie as well, with both companies making very public moves to entice users.
Companies will be able to use Amazon’s WorkMail to run on the back-end of already existing email clients, like Microsoft Outlook. It also will offer encryption, which scrambles messages as they travel through Amazon’s network to thwart hackers who might want to intercept the emails.
