The challenge: rigid licensing and complex scalability
Previously, IT teams deploying Access Server on AWS faced limited flexibility in licensing. AWS-billed AMI instances required businesses to choose from a fixed set of concurrent connection options. If their needs changed, they had to provision a new instance, migrate users, and update configurations — a time-consuming and disruptive process.
Access Server PAYG changes all that.
The solution: Access Server PAYG — flexible VPN scaling in minutes
With Access Server PAYG, IT teams can now purchase Access Server connections directly through AWS Marketplace as a monthly or yearly contract. This allows businesses to adjust their VPN capacity based on the connections they need at any time without needing to deploy new instances or manage complex migrations.
OpenVPN CEO Francis Dinha says, "OpenVPN is committed to continuous innovation that meets our customers’ needs. The Access Server PAYG model is a direct response to customer feedback, designed to provide flexible pricing and scalable deployment to remove barriers to secure remote access.”
Key benefits of Access Server PAYG
Unlike others in the market, OpenVPN now offers customers the option to modify their instance’s concurrent connections limit during contract renewal — all through their AWS bill. Here are some of the benefits you can expect from this unique solution:
- Adjustable concurrent connections – Modify connection limits without spinning up new instances. You can upgrade the contract to higher connection numbers and be given a prorated credit for your existing contract. Note: You can only decrease the number of connections at contract renewal.
- AWS-billed convenience – Consolidate VPN and infrastructure costs into a single AWS invoice, simplifying procurement and vendor management.
- Flexible pricing – Choose between monthly or yearly contracts, ensuring you only pay for what you need.
- High availability & scalability – Share a contracted connection pool across multiple Access Servers to increase load capacity, prevent single points of failure, and support enterprise-scale deployments.
- Automatic renewals – When you purchase through AWS Marketplace, you can agree to automatic renewal of the contract terms. You can modify the renewal settings any time.
- Exact number of connections – If the preset number of connection options for the contract does not meet your needs, contact your AWS account manager or OpenVPN’s Sales Team (sales@openvpn.net) to get a custom contract.
How Access Server PAYG works
- Purchase the monthly or annual contract for the desired number of concurrent connections from the AWS Marketplace listing. If the number of connections you need is not available, please contact your AWS account manager or sales@openvpn.net.
- You will be redirected to openvpn.net to create an account.
- Use the CloudFormation template from the Access Server portal to deploy as many Access Servers as you need. All Access Servers will share the number of contracted connections.
- Log in to the Administration Portal of the deployed Access Server to manage and configure it.
What this means for IT teams
For IT administrators managing a dynamic workforce, Access Server PAYG offers a seamless way to scale VPN capacity to meet evolving business needs — whether accommodating seasonal demand, office expansions, or hybrid workforces. With no increase in tech stack complexity and no need to manage multiple vendors, IT teams can ensure secure, zero-trust remote access, site-to-site connectivity, and SaaS security with minimal disruption.
Get started with Access Server PAYG
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