# Announcing Open Source S3 Connector for Kafka® Connect
[Blog](/blog/)>[Technology](/blog/category/technical/)>Announcing Open Source S3 Connector for Kafka® Connect
Announcing Open Source S3 Connector for Kafka® Connect
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June 23, 2020 | By [ Paul Aubrey](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/author/paul-aubrey/)
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Instaclustr is pleased to announce the availability, as part of Apache Kafka® Connect Managed Service, of the open source Instaclustr Kafka Connect S3 connector. This connector is designed to enable Kafka users to easily store data to, and source data from, Amazon S3. The Kafka Connect S3 connector builds on the recent [general availability release of Kafka Connect](https://www.instaclustr.com/platform/managed-kafka-connect/) on the Instaclustr Managed Platform.
Kafka Connect Connectors
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By creating connectors, developers are able to simplify the integration of data sources or data sinks with Kafka. The connectors leverage the Kafka Connect API and the reliability and scalability benefits offered by Kafka Connect.
S3 Connector
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The primary use case of the S3 Connector is to allow backup and recovery. When implemented as both a sink and source to a single Kafka topic, the connector allows for the backup and recovery of [Kafka message](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/a-visual-understanding-to-ensuring-your-kafka-data-is-literally-in-order/) streams. The S3 Connector may also be used as a sink to write data to S3 for long term storage or analytical use.
Before commencing the development of our own S3 Connector, Instaclustr undertook a study of existing available connectors but determined they were either not under a true open source license, lacking in crucial features, or not actively maintained.
We have open sourced the [Instaclustr Kafka Connect S3 Connector](https://github.com/instaclustr/kafka-connect-connectors) under the Apache 2.0 license, removing any licensing concerns for our customers. As the first pre-built connector as part of our Managed Kafka Connect offering, the S3 connector will be fully supported and maintained by Instaclustr. Being a pre-built connector also means that setup of the connector is as simple as sending a configuration that you require to your Instaclustr Managed Kafka Connect cluster.
Full details of how to implement and configure the connector can be found on our [S3 connector support page](https://www.instaclustr.com/support/documentation/kafka-connect/bundled-kafka-connect-plugins/instaclustr-aws-s3-kafka-connect-plugins/).
If you want to know more about [Instaclustr Kafka Connect](https://www.instaclustr.com/platform/managed-kafka-connect/) and our S3 Connector, or if you have specific requirements around additional connectors, please contact our [Support](mailto:support@instaclustr.com) team.
### About the author
**[Paul Aubrey](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/author/paul-aubrey/)** | Director of Product Management
With a strong background in product management, Paul leads a talented team, driving innovation and excellence in the company's offerings. His expertise in open source technologies has been instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of the Instaclustr Managed Platform.
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