With Amazon Web Services (AWS) due to open its data centres in the UAE in the first half of 2022, the global cloud provider revealed that partners are a key ingredient in ensuring customer success in the cloud.
Comprised of tens of thousands of system integrators (SIs), Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), Consulting companies, Managed Service Providers, and Technology Alliance Partners, members of the company’s partner ecosystem have evolved to become true enablers and value creators in the journey to the cloud.
“We work closely with our partners in serving customers of all types and sizes, to deliver solutions on a global basis, helping business leaders solve problems every day,” says Ramkumar Balakrishnan, Partner Lead, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
AWS engages with partners who participate in many different types of businesses. Companies within the AWS Partner Network (APN) are categorised into two primary areas namely Consulting Partners, which are firms that help customers of all types and sizes in designing, architecting, building, migrating and managing their workloads and applications on AWS, and Technology Partners, those that provide hardware or software solutions that are either hosted on or integrated with the AWS Cloud.
“These classifications help ensure that potential customers are matched with partners who truly understand their business and are best equipped to help them innovate, grow and improve,” explains Balakrishnan.
According to Balakrishnan, AWS encourages partners to align themselves with either one of these two paths. Alternatively, they can also flag their specific expertise via the AWS Competencies tool and position themselves as subject matter experts grouped by industry, use case, or specific services offered.
“We aim to provide our partners with the optimal levels of support that we can give them. In our view, part of this is helping potential partners define where they fit within the APN. This is why we engage and discuss with our partners directly on how they can uniquely position themselves, ensuring that they make the most out of becoming an AWS Partner,” he says.
Over the years, the APN network in the Middle East has grown significantly across Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. AWS Middle East partners include Accenture, Deloitte, Bespin Global MEA, Citrus Consulting, Cloud4c, Crayon, Du, Etisalat, F5, Integra Technologies, Keplerworx, Palo Alto Networks, Rackspace, Redington, SAP, Splunk, TCS, Trend Micro, VMWare, Wipro, and Zero & One.
These companies provide on-ground cloud expertise as well as business and technical support to help enterprise and public sector customers migrate to AWS and deploy mission-critical applications.
In 2020, the cloud services provider launched the AWS Marketplace and AWS Data Exchange in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. This expansion gives local ISVs, data providers, and AWS Consulting Partners the ability to access and market to AWS’s millions of customers around the world.
“Customers want a single click experience to procure enterprise software on terms that they are comfortable with. Partners in this journey act as trusted advisors to suggest the right ISV solutions for customers,” says Balakrishnan.
Enabling partners’ growth
AWS believes that partners play a crucial role in its growth over the years and are key to the success of its customers. This is why the company is committed to delivering robust enablement initiatives to help them to thrive in the digital era.
“Regardless of size, we look to provide our partners with the most innovative programs and services to build and grow their AWS-based businesses,” says Balakrishnan. “AWS offers Partners valuable business, technical, and marketing support within the Marketplace and the APN, to help Technology and Consulting Partners build, market, and sell their offerings.”
Balakrishnan further highlights that AWS recognises that today, specialisations are what can help drive the success of its partners in an increasingly competitive landscape. With customers increasingly looking for specialised companies to help them accelerate their cloud journeys, they don’t want a ‘one-size-fits-all’ partner. Instead, they are proactively on the lookout for best-of-breed partners that intimately know their business and the industry they operate in.
“Our partners are equipped with AWS certifications and specialisations, which are instrumental in driving their differentiation and growth. These certifications help partners compete and demonstrate to customers that they have been validated by AWS and have the proficiency and expertise to help customers achieve their goals,” he says.
Balakrishnan adds, “Whether it is in building a digital workplace, Internet of Things, or machine learning, specialised partners are chosen by customers over traditional partners. This is because partners that are considered as ‘specialised’ within a niche field are perceived to be more adept in handling and delivering more advanced, exciting and ‘bleeding edge’ projects.”
Moving forward, AWS is dedicated to continuously providing partners with the most innovative programmes and services to build and grow their businesses. The company is also committed to enabling them with the capabilities to be more efficient so they can quickly recognise and grow their profits.
In line with this, AWS is working closely with partners to develop joint, go-to-market propositions for their customers. A prime example is the APN Customer Engagements (ACE) Program, which enables partners to work with the AWS sales team. The partner benefits directly from sales motions to back their growing business, managing their opportunity pipeline to share customer success stories, receiving technical support and resources for AWS validated opportunities, and accelerating through the AWS partner journey.
AWS also supplies partners with dedicated marketing tools via the AWS Partner Marketing Central. Marketing Central is a portal full of self-service marketing tools allowing partners to customise and launch solution-based campaigns, search for an AWS-preferred agency that can provide cost-effective services, access digital courses to advance their marketing knowledge, or request the support of a virtual partner marketing manager.
“Part of our mission is to become the world’s best company to partner with. We will continue to listen to customers and partners to hear what they want from us and how we can continue to help them accelerate their businesses,” says Balakrishnan.
