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The Role of A Services Partner to A Large Technology Firm
Ed Meyer
Like so many things in life, this story started in a bar. My team was in San Francisco to meet with AWS and customers. By this stage in my career, I had transitioned from biotech & academic neuroscience into the world of technology services. After working with 100’s of customers – my business paradigm shifted so far into the technology services world that jargon terms like “Partner Sales” and “Partner Services” were just thrown around (by me, and others). I had forgotten not everyone thinks about business the same way. I forgot to frame who I am, who BUILDSTR is, and how we relate to AWS (ideally, without any industry jargon) so that they customer understands how my work adds value to what they do with AWS. I jumped right into the “cool” technology things we do as an “AWS Advanced Tier Partner”. It will surprise no one, that I had lost them. They stared blankly, just waiting for me to say something that made sense. Probably thinking to themselves, ‘what is an AWS partner?’ or ‘what is an Advanced tier?’ – I had to reframe the conversation. So let’s do that now...
What is an AWS Partner
An AWS Partner is an organization that works with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide cloud-based solutions, products, skills training, and/or technology services to customers. AWS Partners are part of the AWS Partner Network (APN), which was created to empower partners to better serve AWS customers. There are 5 AWS partner types:
1) Services
2) Hardware
3) Software
4) Training
5) Resell
BUILDSTR is a Services partner that is dedicated to providing engineering services on AWS.
What is an Advanced Tier?
There are 3 tiers for Services partners in the APN:
-Select
-Advanced
-Premier
Once you become eligible as an APN registered partner, it is difficult to obtain Advance tier status. This requires delivering service projects in concert with AWS, tracking customer satisfaction, obtaining AWS certifications, and more. In keeping with our depth of experience and focus on providing value, the BUILDSTR team made Advanced tier 7 months after becoming eligible. This is fast when you take into account that it can normally take 2 years (or more) to go from first registering as a partner to obtaining Advanced tier. Many amazing partners keep Advanced tier status and choose to diversify to provide services on other clouds (e.g., Azure, GCP, etc.). The only difference in Advanced and Premier tiers, is the numbers on the partner checklist are slightly larger for Premier tier status. Today, we are more than half-way through obtaining Premier status.
Why do customers benefit from working with an AWS Partner?
This is a very good and common question! Partnerships between large technology firms (e.g., AWS) and companies solely focused on services (e.g., BUILDSTR) have become essential to accelerate value for customers. I think this is an emergent property that has manifest with the increasing complexity of technology:
-There are hundreds of services developed, maintained, and hosted by AWS
-There are many guidelines and details spread across the 6-pillars of the Well-Architected Framework that customers should adhere to in order to get the most value on the AWS platform
-The size and scope of what AWS offers can be overwhelming! (For example, with the unparalleled global footprint of AWS data centers)
-It can be difficult to know which region you should start in and why
-AWS will always be a primary source of trust advisors to guide you, however, AWS Solution Architects and technology advisors do not put hands on keyboards in your environment.
Regardless of the environment you are deploying your solution to – using technology can be complicated. Customers need to be able to focus on what they are best in the world at. With focus, you deploy your superpower to grow your business and best serve your end customers; you do what your business was brought into this world to do. Orchestrating the set-up of your
AWS environment, identifying which services to use, and managing the infrastructure, services, and deployment best practices can distract from your business becoming excellent for your customers. As technology (i.e., what is now possible to do using technology) has evolved and increased in complexity, the Customer::Technology Firm::Service Provider ecosystem
emerged. This collaboration enables businesses of all sizes to:
-Access best-in-class services and infrastructure developed and
maintained by AWS:
-At the click of a button
-Without long procurement cycles
-Without the need for
-Large capital investments
-Long planning cycles
-Massive teams hired just to manage hardware
-No need to invest brain-share solution basic mechanisms of how to do business or get a scalable technology to market – just so that you can start doing the real work of YOUR business.
-Access to services firms that have invested the time an energy to learn the best practices of deploying the service and infrastructure built and maintained by AWS
-Ability to focus your team’s skills and energy on their specific business – doing the work you are best in the world at.
Being a services partner to a major technology firm, like AWS, is not just about delivering technical solutions; it’s about building a bridge between the needs of end customers and the technology firm’s capabilities. This role requires a deep understanding of the AWS environment, a commitment to customer success, and the ability to adapt to a constantly evolving
landscape.
BUILDSTR, an Advanced Tier AWS Services Partner
BUILDSTR embodies the principles of partnership with the world’s leading cloud provider, AWS (Gartner Quadrant Report):
1. Customer Obsession
At the heart of why we get up every day, the BUILDSTR team is committed to helping businesses be excellent and better serve their end customers. We do that by harnessing the power of AWS to help customers achieve their goals, through building scalable applications, modernizing infrastructure, and creating innovative data platforms.
2. Breadth of Services
AWS offers an unparalleled range of cloud services, including compute, storage, machine learning, analytics, and security. BUILDSTR leverages expertise with the comprehensive AWS portfolio to design and implement solutions tailored to our customers’ unique business needs.
3. Expertise and Certifications
Achieving Advanced tier status required rigorous validation of expertise. BUILDSTR’s team holds AWS certifications, we have deployed best-in-class services for AWS customers, these customer like us and continue to use BUILDSTR to scale their team’s ability to grow their business.
4. Focus on Modernization
Modernization is a cornerstone of what AWS and BUILDSTR bring to our customers:
- App modernization
- Infrastructure upgrades
- Future forward data platforms
We help clients make the leap from legacy systems to cutting-edge AWS solutions that improve performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency.
The Value of AWS Partnerships to Customers
For businesses, working with an AWS Services Partner means tapping into a trusted advisor that can:
-Accelerate Cloud Adoption
-Unlock Scalability
-Enhance Security
-Drive Innovation
Conclusion
In the past, a business would have to hire technology experts, invest huge amounts of money to acquire hardware, buy/build/customize software, and then ultimately maintain all of that just in order to start working on providing business value to their end customers. That is a big hurdle to clear, in order to do business. The emergent relationship between Customers::AWS::Services Partners allows a customer to put effort straight into being excellent at their business, much early with a lower hurdle to clear. In short customers can quickly provide the most value possible to their customers.
Being a services partner to AWS is both a responsibility and an opportunity. BUILDSTR fosters collaboration with customers and AWS; we drive toward customer success; we leverage cutting-edge technology to deliver transformative results. For BUILDSTR, being an AWS Advanced tier services partner exemplifies our commitment to customer obsession, technical excellence, and innovative thinking. Together with AWS, we’re enabling businesses to build for the future—today.
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