Los Angeles, CA (July 20, 2015) –  Thinkbox Software is rolling out a beta version of Deadline Cloud Wizard for Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). A new feature in  Deadline, Thinkbox Software’s scalable solution that manages compute resources across platforms on physical and virtual machines, Cloud Wizard for Amazon EC2 automates the configuration of render farms on EC2, completing the process in a one-time 30-minute task. 

“Deadline allows the cloud to act like local machines, giving users the ability to scale up quickly and efficiently. Our Deadline Cloud Wizard for Amazon EC2 takes that functionality a step further by enabling Amazon users to be cloud-ready with minimal effort and technical maneuvering,” said Chris Bond, founder, Thinkbox Software. 

Deadline Cloud Wizard for Amazon EC2 creates a basic virtual private network (VPN) connection between the user's workstation and cloud account using customers' Amazon Web Services account information for secure communication. Upon launch, demo Slave virtual machines and jobs are set up automatically. Currently, the wizard runs Deadline version 7.1, and ships with a trial of  NextLimit's Maxwell Render. Later this summer, the wizard is expected to support Deadline 8, which further simplifies the cloud setup with the addition of a new Proxy Server application that allows user to securely connect to the Deadline cloud infrastructure over public Internet using SSL, eliminating the need for a VPN. 

In addition to Amazon EC2, the Deadline Cloud Wizard is also available for Google Cloud Platform; Deadline itself supports cloud rendering on Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and OpenStack, among others. To request a free 30-day trial, please use the online form here:  http://www.thinkboxsoftware.com/cloud-wizard-overview

About Thinkbox Software

Founded by Chris Bond in 2010, Thinkbox Software develops production-proven tools for visual artists and backs each product with highly responsive support. Used across entertainment, engineering and design industries, Thinkbox’s products include Deadline® high-volume data management software used to render or process files and several other artist-driven software tools to create, visualize and modify datasets for visual effects, animation and digital simulations. For more information, visit  www.thinkboxsoftware.com or follow @thinkboxsoft on Twitter.