New APN Programs: Announcing the New AWS Managed Service Partner Program and the AWS SaaS Partner Program

The same way our customers seek guidance from us on finding APN Partners with specific solution or vertical capabilities (which we are addressing with our APN Competency Program), we strive to provide our customers with the guidance they need to find APN Partners who can deliver various solutions via different delivery models, such as Software as a Service (SaaS) and Managed Services. To that end, we are proud to announce the launch of both the AWS Managed Service Program and the AWS SaaS Partner Program for APN Partners. These new programs will complement the existing AWS Channel Reseller program, which enables AWS Channel Resellers to resell AWS as part of their valued added solutions and services. New AWS Channel Reseller Program announcements can be found here.

What is the AWS Managed Service Program?

We increasingly hear from customers who are looking for APN Partners with end-to-end-capabilities to help them migrate to the AWS Cloud, and to provide them with ongoing support and optimization. The AWS Managed Service Program will provide you with new opportunities to learn cloud management best practices, expand your cloud managed portfolios, and receive recognition and rewards from AWS that reflects the experience created for customers.

Customers should know what to expect when engaging an APN Managed Service Partner.The key to the AWS Managed Service Program is that it does what you, our APN Partners, have been asking for: it develops high standards related to cloud managed services, measures your firm against these standards, and then promotes your value to our field teams and customers directly. This program gives our customers assurance of the high quality of our APN MSP Partners, by providing a published set of validation requirements that each AWS Managed Service Partner will be assessed against. The validation process examines a core set of managed service capabilities that all Managed Service Providers must possess, and then evaluates specific technical and business capabilities to further showcase your unique value. Additional capability identifiers include:

• Application Migration & Management
• Hybrid IT (ability to mix and automate AWS Cloud Services with legacy infrastructures and wrap managed services around all)
• Custom Application Development for Managed Environments (sometimes known as “self-healing applications”)
• Ability to meet Industry Compliance standards on an ongoing basis in a fully managed environment

The AWS Managed Service program provides your firm with technical, business, and marketing benefits beyond the new APN program benefits to help you grow your managed service practice, including but not limited to 1) extensive promotion and messaging to end-customers and the AWS field teams, 2) access to Managed Service-focused technical resources, best practice guides, and white papers, 3) recommendations on APN Technology Partner solutions to meet customer goals related to managed services, and 4) pre-launch NDA briefings of new AWS services that would benefit your Managed Service business. To learn more about the AWS Managed Service program, click here.

What is the AWS SaaS Partner Program?

The world is moving to Software as a Service, or SaaS. The AWS SaaS Partner Program is designed to join best of breed enterprise software with the innovative global infrastructure platform from AWS, to provide revolutionary SaaS offerings to the global market. This program provides support for APN Technology Partners through their journey to production SaaS offerings, and APN Technology Partners at any tier of the APN program are eligible to join. There are three stages to the program, with unique benefits at each step.

Stage One: Collaborate

At the beginning stage, you join an exclusive community of APN SaaS Partners which allows you to communicate, collaborate, and share best practices with other Technology Partners who have common infrastructure platform needs. You’re also provided additional access to AWS technical experts as you begin to map out your solution.

Stage Two: Build

This stage supports APN SaaS Partners in the development phase of your new solution. The program provides qualified APN SaaS Partners with access to funding for development environments, discounted training, and access to SaaS-specific technical content.

Stage Three: Grow

During the final stage of the program, eligible APN SaaS Partners can qualify for marketing funds and lead generation campaigns.

Launch APN Saas Partners include: Acquia, Altair, Appian, Autodesk, Infor, Pegasystems, SumoLogic, and Trend Micro.

To learn more about the AWS SaaS Partner Program, click here.