# Understanding the prerequisites for Amazon Chime SDK messaging
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You need the following to use Amazon Chime SDK messaging.
+ The ability to program.
+ An AWS account.
+ Permissions to configure IAM roles for the applications using Amazon Chime SDK messaging.

For the majority of cases, you also need:
+ **A client application** – Displays messaging UI, connects to web sockets using the Amazon Chime SDKs, manages state.
+ **A server application** – Manages identity and users.