Opti9 recently announced it was recognized by Amazon Web Services (AWS) as an authorized MSP within its vast ecosystem. We spoke with Opti9’s Cloud Alliances Director, Drew Jenkins, about the lengthy process and how specializations drive customer value.
Opti9 recently named to a select group of authorized AWS MSPs
The services provider announced its MSP Partner Program designation in July, following what Jenkins calls a very thorough application and audit process.
“This designation is the most intensive of all the audits we’ve gone through, and it required a lot of planning on our part,” Jenkins said.
To submit for authorization, Opti9 collected a variety of evidence to demonstrate its capabilities across several categories deemed relevant by AWS. Then, a third-party auditor spent a full day with Opti9 reviewing the materials and making any necessary recommendations before passing their analysis on to the AWS team for final approval.
“Our audits have typically gone very well, including this one. We felt confident about it as we were doing it, in the way you can feel confident about an audit as you complete it, but ultimately you never know until AWS comes back,” Jenkins said.
The authorization is highly selective; of the multiple thousands of partners in AWS’ ecosystem, Jenkins estimates under 200 are awarded the designation.
“Achieving AWS MSP Partner Program designation is a big milestone for us and a testament to the incredible work our team puts in every day,” said Leon Thomas, chief strategy officer for Opti9, in a press statement. “We’ve built a group of passionate, skilled people who genuinely care about helping our customers get the most out of AWS, and this recognition reinforces that.”
Why AWS specializations and authorizations remain part of Opti9’s overall strategy
In addition to the MSP authorization, Opti9 has also been awarded multiple competencies in the AWS tech ecosystem. To Jenkins, the designations all serve as an important way to introduce their expertise to new clients.
“Let’s say we’re doing an introductory presentation with a prospect, it certainly doesn’t hurt to touch on it,” Jenkins said. “It’s also helpful with AWS as we work with them, to know that we’ve put in the work to be this accomplished with them. None of this changes the fact, though, that our customers have to be satisfied.”
Jenkins, who worked at AWS before his current role managing the AWS alliance for Opti9, believes the provider’s sole focus within AWS enhances its ability to serve customers across their diverse needs.
“I just think it’s very valuable to have that expertise and be a specialist. Especially to specialize in the leading hyperscaler, there’s a lot of value there,” Jenkins said. “The multi-cloud absolutely has its own value, and I’m not knocking any other providers, but for us, being all-in on AWS means all of our team can speak one language and move with efficiency in one system.”
How the provider enables businesses with security and resilience top of mind
Opti9 leverages vendors, including Veeam, to round out its full-service portfolio across backup and disaster recovery, security, and its cloud services business.
Jenkins highlights recent IDC research showing that the IT skills shortage continues to widen, as demand for technology talent far outpaces the available supply. He also notes that while it may be easy to assume most companies have transitioned to the cloud by now, Opti9 still receives a large number of migration requests from on-premises environments into the AWS cloud ecosystem.
“The opportunities just in migration aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and we continue to see strong demand there,” Jenkins said. “Plus, with the skills shortage, the need for companies like Opti9 continues to increase.”
He also told us that the provider, like many others, is continuing to invest in AI strategies to better support its customers’ data-driven tech demands moving forward.