AWS introduces programs and initiatives to support AWS Partner Network

At AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), introduced significantly expanded APN Partner benefits, new Managed Service and SaaS Partner Programs, and APN Partner-specific training for its AWS Partner Network (APN) program. In addition, AWS announced the 2015 Premier Consulting Partners, a designation that recognizes 28 APN Partners that provide superior customer service and expertise in building and migrating customer solutions on AWS. AWS also announced the AWS Marketplace has grown to more than 1,900 software products that are pre-configured for the AWS Cloud and available across 23 different categories that customers can purchase and launch, many with 1-Click functionality.

As businesses and organizations of all sizes move to AWS for a wide variety of use cases – from building new applications leveraging analytics and real-time data, to reinventing their digital and website strategies, to migrating entire mission-critical data centers – customers are increasingly relying on APN Partners for solutions and services that solve their business needs. The AWS Partner Network (APN) program, which provides technical, business, and marketing support for this ecosystem, has grown over 75 percent in the past year. Similarly, the AWS Marketplace has added hundreds of new software products across categories including security, network infrastructure, and business intelligence. Customers around the world are running more than 70 million hours of AWS Marketplace software each month.

“The growth in the APN program over the last year and in the capabilities of our APN Partners highlights just how critical APN Partners are to our customers’ success,” said Terry Wise, Director, Worldwide Partner Ecosystem, AWS. “As the cloud increasingly becomes the default platform for businesses of all sizes, there has never been a better time to be an APN Partner. Moving into 2015, we plan to more than double our investments in our APN Partners with the most significant set of updates, enhancements, and new benefits to the APN since its inception. We are very excited to work with our ecosystem to help them grow their businesses, differentiate their offerings, and drive success for our joint customers.”

New AWS Programs for APN Partners
AWS is providing additional offerings to APN Partners to help expand their AWS solutions and accelerate customer engagements. As part of this, AWS is providing best practices guidance for cloud transformation as well as funding for qualified customer proofs-of-concepts. Additionally, AWS will fund up to half of professional services fees for eligible Advanced and Premier Partners, and all of their AWS usage fees for eligible customer proof-of-concept projects. Further, AWS is now providing eligible APN Partners with free usage credits for solution development, as well as marketing benefits to help them promote their solutions to customers.

New APN Programs for Managed Services Providers and SaaS Partners
The APN includes several programs to support APN Partners in key areas of their AWS business. These programs, including the AWS Channel Reseller Program, the APN Competency Program, the AWS Direct Connect Program, and the AWS Government Partner Program, provide additional tools, training, and benefits for qualified APN Partners. Today, AWS is introducing two new programs. The AWS Managed Service Program is designed for APN Consulting Partners who are skilled at cloud infrastructure and application migration and deliver value to customers by offering proactive monitoring, automation, and management of their customers’ environment. APN Partners who join the AWS Managed Service Program will be eligible for specialized technical support, training, and marketing benefits. The AWS SaaS Partner Program is designed to provide training, marketing support, and a community of peers for APN Technology Partners who are leveraging AWS for their global Software as a Service offerings.

Expanded Training, Offerings, and Delivery for APN Partners
AWS is committed to helping APN Partners create thriving businesses that offer AWS-based solutions and practices. To further this commitment, AWS is significantly expanding the training options available to APN Partners to include:
· A new AWS Certification Prep Bootcamp to help partners meet new APN certification requirements in 2015.
· An AWS Professional Services Bootcamp to help Premier Consulting Partners learn best practices and methodologies from AWS experts and their peers.
· A Windows on AWS Bootcamp to help Premier and Advanced Partners learn to migrate and run Windows-based products and applications.
· A free online AWS total cost of ownership (TCO) and Cloud Economics accreditation course to help partners provide their customers with guidance on TCO and cloud economics.

Twenty-Eight Consulting Partners Named 2015 Premier Partners
The AWS Premier Consulting Partner designation highlights the top APN Consulting Partners globally that have distinguished themselves by investing significantly in their AWS practice, providing exceptional customer service, helping a large number of customers run their applications on AWS, and developing a broad bench of employees with deep AWS skills. Premier Partners include: 2nd Watch, Accenture, Aquilent, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bulletproof Networks, Capgemini, Classmethod, Cloudnexa, Cloudpack, Cloudreach, Cognizant, CSC, Datapipe, Dedalus, DLT Solutions, Infosys, Matrix IT, Melbourne IT, Minjar Cloud Solutions, Nomura Research Institute, NORDCLOUD, Serverworks, Slalom Consulting, Smart421, Smartronix, Storm Reply, tecRacer, and Wipro.

AWS Marketplace Momentum
The AWS Marketplace provides a channel for ISVs, SIs, and VARs to sell their software as tightly integrated solutions on AWS to customers around the globe and build a strong recurring revenue stream with AWS. It offers a wide array of enterprise, open source, and business software products, and simplifies the licensing, purchasing, and deployment of software to the AWS Cloud. New and recent additions to the AWS Marketplace include: Barracuda Networks, Cavirin, CheckPoint, Cisco, CloudBasic, Dynatrace, Fortinet, HyTrust, Imperva, Informatica, KeyNexus, Logi Vision, Lumeta, NetApp, Palo Alto Networks, Progress Software, SAP, Sophos, Tibco-Jaspersoft, Townsend Security, WS02, and YellowFin.

To assist sellers in growing their business on AWS Marketplace, AWS introduced several programs and features throughout 2014, including automated CRM capabilities, a Marketing Dashboard with analytics tools, sales and marketing enablement programs, and the ability to offer annual subscriptions for products in the AWS Marketplace.