Recently, AWS announced new initiatives at its re:Invent 2024 event to change how partners engage with AWS and provide enhancements that focus on helping partners grow their relevance, reach, and relationships with their customers.
The new initiatives are focused on partners of all sizes and aim to guide these partners on maximizing co-sell opportunities with AWS, enhancing collaboration opportunities, accelerating selling partner solutions in the AWS Marketplace, and leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to drive growth.
SaaS co-sell benefits
Starting in January 2025, AWS is expanding SaaS co-sell benefits (or SaaS Revenue Recognition) to all Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Accelerate Partners who transact in the AWS Marketplace. The benefit was previously invite-only for large technology solutions partners.
AWS is also introducing a GenAI tool for AWS Sales teams to help match partners to specific customer opportunities. The tool will allow AWS Sales teams to assess customer needs, find qualified partners, and connect them with customers through AWS-originated opportunity sharing.
Further, AWS is adding new AWS Partner Central features that do the following:
- Enable partners to do upfront co-sell strategy business planning with AWS.
- Facilitate faster communication between partners and AWS sellers to accelerate co-selling by requesting dedicated Slack channels.
- Collaborate on multi-partner deals using Partner Connections.
- Leverage AWS Partner Central APIs to integrate their CRM systems with AWS Partner Central for streamlined co-selling.
“SaaS Revenue Recognition is the mechanism through which our teams in the field see their AWS counterparts incentivized to collaborate,” said Helen O’Hara, Cloud Partnerships Director at Contentsquare. “This builds a confidence in the mutual benefit of co-sell for Contentsquare, AWS, and our shared customers that represents an exciting new chapter for our partnership.”
Accelerating cloud modernization and leveraging GenAI
AWS also announced that it has recently launched Amazon Elastic VMware Service (Amazon EVS) to run VMware-based workloads alongside other applications in AWS.
Amazon EVS is a native AWS service that allows customers to run VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) within their Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC). It will allow customers to take advantage of VCF license portability entitlement to run their VMware-based workloads alongside other applications in AWS.
Further, AWS announced the launch of Amazon Q Developer Transformation for VMware (QT for VMware). This solution is the first GenAI-powered solution that accelerates and simplifies the migration and modernization of VMware workloads to AWS. This will reduce the timeline for migrating VMware workloads and reduce migration delivery costs for partners.
Expanding AWS Marketplace features
Over the past year, AWS has introduced a slew of features to make it easier for customers to find, buy, and use partner software, data, and services to drive innovation in the cloud.
Now, AWS is introducing a new integration: EC2 Image Builder components are available in AWS Marketplace. This will assist customers in finding and subscribing to Image Builder components from ISVs in AWS Marketplace or the Image Builder console and incorporating the components into golden images through Image Builder.
The cloud provider is also launching Buy with AWS, a service that allows partners to create solution discovery and buying experiences on their own websites that are powered by AWS Marketplace. By adding the Buy with AWS button to their websites, partners that sell or resell products in AWS Marketplace can make it easier for website visitors to discover and purchase products.
Additionally, AWS is launching a new Targeted Transformation Modules (TTM) pilot as part of its AWS Partner Transformation Program. This pilot will assist AWS Public Sector Services Partners in standing out in the AWS Marketplace and accelerating their revenue growth.
New Consumer Goods and Security AWS Specializations
AWS is launching five AWS Specializations, including security categories, bringing its total portfolio of AWS Specializations to over 118, which will help partners capitalize on new opportunities.
Among the new specializations is the AWS Consumer Goods Competency, which highlights top AWS partners who provide consulting services and software solutions for an end-to-end transformation of the Consumer Goods Company’s Operating Model across one or more of six solution areas. Those areas include marketing, supply chain, manufacturing, product development, unified commerce, and IT and digital transformation.
AWS also announced that it was launching four security specializations with unique Go-to-Market (GTM) benefits. These specializations will provide partners with a clear security framework and roadmap that positions security as a business enabler and updates existing AWS Security Competencies.
The specializations include:
- AWS Security Lake Service Ready Specialization– Allows partners to validate integrations for compatibility with Security Lake.
- AWS Digital Sovereignty Specialization– Validates and promotes AWS partners with demonstrated skills, solutions, and experience in helping organizations address their digital sovereignty for commercial and public sector partners.
- Security AI Category in the Security Competency– For both software and services partners, this new competency helps customers identify and engage trusted AWS partners with deep expertise in protecting AI applications and targeting AI applications, or leveraging AI for advanced cyberattack tactics, techniques, and procedures.
- AWS Security Incident Response Service Ready for ISVs and Service Delivery Specializations for SIs—This competency triages threat findings, helps customers coordinate AWS-native response tooling during incidents, and provides 24/7 access to security experts. It helps customers leverage various partners via tools or security professionals to assist incident response across AWS, multi-cloud, and on-prem assets.
The Small Business Acceleration Initiative
AWS is launching the Small Business Acceleration Initiative on January 1, 2025. AWS Partner Territory Managers will support partners serving customers and drive customer awareness through AWS demand generation channels.
Additionally, as part of the initiative, AWS is introducing the Small Business Acceleration Package– a one-stop shop for all SMB GTM materials, including marketing campaigns, sales plays, packaged solutions, and more features to boost SMB business growth.
Solution validation and GTM support for startups
AWS is extending SaaS co-sell benefits beginning in January to assist in converting leads to active customers with the support of AWS sellers. This benefit will be extended to eligible startups—those making co-selling with AWS a core part of their GTM strategy are eligible for the benefit.
According to AWS, startup partners have repeatedly requested assistance with getting their products to market, so establishing this benefit will be a key initiative in 2025.
AWS support for MSP partners
AWS is launching new benefits for MSPs to provide further enablement support for organizations seeking to build managed service practices and grow managed services revenue streams.
In addition to these new benefits from MSPs, AWS is expanding their MSP Day from a single-day event to four regional events to provide guidance specifically to MSPs. They’re further scaling the MSP Build workshops to support more partners in 2025 and to additional regions. Further, AWS will add MSP Sales and MSP Technical Accreditations to bring AWS expertise to a larger population of AWS MSPs.
AWS also launched new benefits in July 2024 to provide even more enablement support to organizations seeking to build managed service practices and grow managed services revenue streams.
Looking forward to 2025
Going into the new year, AWS is focused on enhancing collaboration and expanding opportunities to work with partners to better serve customers.
“We’re empowering partners to deliver exceptional value to customers across all industries,” AWS said. “As you embrace these new initiatives, you’ll be well-positioned to unlock new revenue streams, expand your reach, and stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape.”
AWS also cited that it would continue to listen to feedback from partners to enhance the experience of working with AWS, streamlining processes, improving communication, and facilitating collaboration.
It’s been a big year for AWS and its partnerships, which have reshaped the future of cloud services. Read more about how partnerships and strategic moves defined AWS’ 2024.