How to Start Your AWS Storage Journey with the APN Storage Navigate Track

By Jeanna James, Storage Partner Development Manager at AWS

Storage-3 Cloud services help customers scale their business up and down based on market demand, and this is certainly the case with Amazon Web Services (AWS) storage.

Storage is a foundational component to every technology solution because data is a company’s most strategic asset. With cloud storage on AWS, organizations ensure their company data is available 24×7 anywhere in the world.

To help AWS Partners accelerate their storage transformation journey and meet this critical need for their own customers, we are excited to launch the APN Storage Navigate Track.

In this track, we focus on moving primary storage to AWS, moving backup data to AWS, rethinking disaster recovery (DR) in the cloud, and infinite archive storage. The APN Storage Navigate Track helps partners prepare for the AWS Storage Competency, a designation that highlights AWS Partners’ technical proficiency and proven customer success.

APN Navigate is a partner’s path to specialization, guiding organizations large and small to establish fundamental building blocks that help them build successful practices with AWS.

The APN Storage Navigate Track creates a prescriptive journey for AWS Partners and provides resources to understand the pillars of building storage solutions on AWS.

AWS Partners who are actively seeking to build solutions based upon the following use cases should embark on a journey with the APN Storage Navigate Track:

Backup on AWS
Disaster recovery on AWS
Archive on AWS
Primary storage from on-premises to AWS

Get started with the APN Navigate Storage Track >>

Why AWS Storage Partners Should Take this Navigate Track

AWS Partners helping customers with data management solutions will benefit from the APN Navigate Storage Track as they explore and deepen their knowledge of the AWS Storage Services Platform.

Most companies globally have been accumulating data for a long period of time. In many cases, they already use strategic Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Systems Integrator partners to help them run their business and want to continue leveraging those investments with AWS.

Companies need help with strategies to protect important data, keep it secure, and be able to access and use it when they need it. Many ISVs and Systems Integrators are transforming their offerings with AWS, and the APN Navigate Storage Track will help more partners build storage practices with AWS, understand the fundamentals of working with the AWS Storage team, and ultimately prepare for the AWS Storage Competency.

Partner Success Stories

Here are several stories of AWS Partners who have completed the APN Navigate Storage Track, and how this process prepared them for business success.

Veeam Software

Veeam Software is an AWS Advanced Technology Partner and recently achieved the AWS Storage Competency. Veeam started in 2006 and was originally focused on simplifying backups for virtual machines on-premises. Over the past year, they have been reinventing their offerings to support more AWS services and hybrid cloud.

“Preparing for the AWS Storage Competency takes time, and APN Navigate organizes steps into smaller pieces and checkpoints,” says Bhushan Taravade, Director of Global Cloud Alliances at Veeam.

“AWS provides free training as part of this track, and we’re planning to leverage the APN Storage Navigate Business Fundamentals and Technical Fundamentals training to help us fast-track training our sellers so they can speak to both the Veeam components and the AWS Cloud solution to our joint customers.”

Presidio

Presidio is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner that helps customers harness technology innovation and simplify IT complexity to digitally transform their businesses and drive return on IT investment.

Presidio already holds the AWS Migration Competency and is working to achieve the AWS Storage Competency through the APN Navigate Storage Track.

“Presidio has been helping clients with technology solutions in the on-premises data center for 17 years. In the past three years, we’ve been helping clients modernize their IT infrastructure with AWS,” says Dwight Moore, Business Development Manager for Presidio. “The APN Storage Navigate Track is guiding us in the process with in-depth training modules for our solutions architects and sales specialists,

“We see storage as a foundational element to all of our customers’ solutions. Disaster recovery and data protection strategies are clearly enhanced with AWS Cloud for offsite data storage and recovery. The AWS Storage Competency is complementary to our Migration Competency and helping us deliver AWS-vetted solutions to our customers.”

Replix

Replix was founded in 2017 and is an AWS Select Technology Partner. They offer real-time disc-level replication for databases, Kubernetes stateful applications, and other digital assets into AWS with a Zero Recovery Point Objective (RPO) to better support critical workloads on AWS and hybrid environments.

“When we first approached AWS, we were focused on the technology and building the Replix platform. AWS Partner Solutions Architect Isaiah Weiner gave us valuable insight on the AWS Well-Architected Review process and changes we needed to make to best support AWS services. We took that feedback to heart and made those changes,” says Roey Libfeld, Head of Marketing at Replix

“Now, the APN Storage Navigate Track is helping us ready our go-to-market with AWS. APN Navigate is guiding my team with marketing programs and tools that tell the Replix and AWS story from a customer obsessed viewpoint. All of these pieces, helping us with build, market, and sell, are of strategic importance to Replix as a new business entering the market.”

Getting Started with APN Navigate

The APN Storage Navigate Track is designed to help both AWS Consulting and Technology Partners build, market, and sell with AWS.

The APN Storage Navigate Track includes a Technical Baseline Review, AWS Well-Architected Review best practices, and enablement training resources that are foundational in the build process.
Market components include templates and how-to guides for building key collateral such as solution briefs, landing pages, joint campaigns, and case studies.
Selling with AWS is unique and partners leveraging APN Navigate are guided with field ready enablement kits on how to enable AWS sellers on partner offerings.

All of these steps help AWS Partners on their path to achieving the AWS Storage Competency, which designates AWS endorsement of the partners’ solutions.

To get started, check out the APN Navigate Storage Toolbox in APN Partner Central.