How APN Partners Can Prepare for New Tier Changes Taking Effect in 2019

Editor’s note: We are moving the launch of new APN Program requirements to April 1, 2019.

At AWS re:Invent 2018, the AWS Partner Network (APN) announced updates to the overall APN program. This includes updated APN Tier requirements and benefits for APN Partners.

A complete list of changes is available for download from APN Partner Central.

UPDATE 1/31/19: While the new benefits continue to be available to you, we are moving the launch of new 2019 APN Program requirements to April 1, 2019. This additional time will allow us to provide you with the best possible partner experience leading to the best possible long-term results.

What does this change mean for you?

• 2019 prescriptive funding benefits have already been allocated based on current tier and program attainment as of January 1. This will not be impacted as a result of the delay in launch of requirements.
• The Partner Central experience will remain unchanged until April 1, 2019.
• You now have until March 31, 2019 to complete an upgrade based on previous requirements.
• We will extend the compliance window into Q4. Specific compliance dates will be communicated soon.

Here’s what you can do today to help your organization prepare for the upcoming compliance deadline.

Identify Your Annual Membership Renewal Date

The Membership Renewal Date is the date on which your organization is evaluated, on an annual basis, for compliance at your current APN Tier level. This is also the date on which the annual APN Membership Fee is billed to your organization.

APN Partners with a Membership Renewal Date between January 1, 2019 and July 31, 2019 will be given until Q4 to become compliant with newly-announced requirements at their current APN Tier. Specific compliance dates will be communicated soon.

APN Partners with Membership Renewal Dates August 1 or later will be evaluated for compliance with tier requirements on their Membership Renewal Date.

The Alliance Lead for your organization can find the Membership Renewal Date in the Partner Scorecard Overview when logged into APN Partner Central.

Submit Opportunities via the Opportunity Management Tool

In 2019, APN Consulting Partners will be measured on the number of Opportunities they launch within the 12 months preceding their Membership Renewal Date. APN Technology Partners have the option of meeting either a Launched Opportunity or Direct Revenue Requirement under the new Experience category of the APN Program changes.

APN Partners can realize additional Opportunity-related benefits by applying to participate in the APN Customer Engagements (ACE) Program. The program also provides a series of best practices to help you make the most of the Opportunity submission process.

UPDATE 2/26/19: Through March 31, 2019, APN Partners can leverage the AWS Revenues tool in APN Partner Central to report Opportunities that launched between August 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018, but were not submitted via the APN Customer Engagements (ACE) platform. APN Partners should take this time to input all previously launched opportunities in order to receive Launched Opportunity credit for 2019 prior to the March 31 deadline.

Register for Access to APN Partner Central

Now is the time to make sure that all employees who support your AWS practice are registered for access to your APN Partner Central account. By entering their business email address (that uses the domain associate with your Partner Central account) each user will be automatically connected to your account. Your organization’s Alliance Lead can proactively invite new users to register from within APN Partner Central.

By registering for access to APN Partner Central, users have access to free online and heavily discounted in-person training.

In 2019, registering for access to your APN Partner Central account will be the primary means of connecting each user’s AWS training, AWS Accreditations, and AWS Certifications to your organization’s Partner Scorecard for the purpose of APN Tier eligibility and compliance.

Leverage AWS Training and Certification Account Email Field

Many users originally registered for an AWS Certification exam using their personal email address. In an effort to streamline and improve the overall AWS Certification reporting process, all users now have access to an “AWS Training and Certification Email” field within their APN Partner Central User profile.

Providing this information allows each individual’s training and certification data to be appropriately associated with the APN Partner for whom they work.

This field allows users to provide us with the email address originally used to create their AWS Training and Certification account. The APN Partner Central user profile can be accessed by selecting “View My Profile” within APN Partner Central.

Learn More About APN Tier Enhancements

These updates to the APN program will further recognize and support the growth, investment, and innovation of our evolving APN Partner community, and better align APN Partners to more structured program benefits. Enhancements include:

• Renaming the Standard Tier to Select Tier
• Structured benefits for APN Partners at each APN Tier
• Updating APN requirements to measure each APN Partner’s knowledge, experience, and customer success

Read our launch post about upcoming APN Tier changes >>

Next Steps

We are moving the launch of new 2019 APN Program requirements to April 1, 2019. This additional time will allow us to provide you with the best possible partner experience leading to the best possible long-term results.

If you have questions about any of these updates, please connect with your Partner Development Manager (PDM) or Partner Development Representative (PDR) to learn more.