The AWS Accelerator is a tool designed to help deploy and operate secure multi-account, multi-region AWS environments on an ongoing basis. The power of the solution is the configuration file that drives the architecture deployed by the tool. This enables extensive flexibility and for the completely automated deployment of a customized architecture within AWS without changing a single line of code.

While flexible, the AWS Accelerator is delivered with a sample configuration file which deploys an opinionated and prescriptive architecture designed to help meet the security and operational requirements of many governments around the world (initial focus was the Government of Canada). Tuning the parameters within the configuration file allows for the deployment of customized architectures and enables the solution to help meet the multitude of requirements of a broad range of governments and public sector organizations.

The installation of the provided prescriptive architecture is reasonably simple, deploying a customized architecture does require extensive understanding of the AWS platform.

A common misconception is that the AWS Secure Environment Accelerator only deploys security services, not true. The Accelerator is capable of deploying a complete end-to-end hybrid enterprise multi-region cloud environment.

Additionally, while the Accelerator is initially responsible for deploying a prescribed architecture, it more importantly allows for organizations to operate, evolve, and maintain their cloud architecture and security controls over time and as they grow, with minimal effort, often using native AWS tools. Customers don't have to change the way they operate in AWS.

Specifically the accelerator deploys and manages the following functionality, both at initial accelerator deployment and as new accounts are created, added, or onboarded in a completely automated but customizable manner: