AWS Unveils New Partner Competencies

AWS Unveils New Partner Competencies

Amazon Web Services (AWS) introduced three new AWS Partner Network (APN) Competencies at re:Invent 2015, targeting partners who have demonstrated expertise and success in DevOps, cloud migration and the Internet of things. The new APN DevOps Competency launched with 27 qualified partners offering software, services, and solutions. Both the new APN Migration Competency and the APN IoT Competency will launch in the coming months, said AWS.

APN Migration Competency will support partners who have deep expertise and experience helping customers migrate applications and entire data centers to AWS. These partners will offer technologies and services for infrastructure and application discovery, server migration, service monitoring, mass infrastructure migration, data migration and synchronization, enterprise application security and availability, and authentication management.

The APN IoT Competency includes partners who provide IoT platforms, analytics, connectivity infrastructure, developer tools, operating systems, professional services, and vertical-focused IoT solutions.

Partners who qualify for APN Competencies are eligible for marketing, business, and technical benefits, including preferred access to AWS private betas, AWS roadmap briefings, and preferred access to market development and customer proof-of-concept funding.

The company also announced the 2016 Premier Consulting Partners, recognizing 46 APN partners that provide superior customer service and expertise in building and migrating customer solutions on AWS. The AWS Marketplace has expanded to more than 2,300 software listings that are pre-configured for the AWS Cloud.

Symantec Enhances Partner Program

Cyber-security company Symantec launched Secure One, an enhanced channel partner program designed to help security-focused partners grow their businesses. Symantec Secure One offers partners simplified competency and certification requirements, and a more profitable Growth Accelerator Rebate (GAR). The rebate program sets one goal on net new business and pays out from the first transaction, and once a partner reaches the platinum tier in any of the Integrate competencies threat protection, information protection or cyber-security services), they participate in a predictable, profitable GAR across the entire security portfolio, including Core Security, the company said. A new distributor program will also be included under the Secure One program.

OpenText Revamps Global Partner Program

OpenText, a provider of enterprise information management (EIM), announced a new Global Partner Program that includes a marketing development fund, and loyalty and referral programs. The partner program will provide “clear levels of partner support,” providing distinct programs, benefits and investments to three core partners—resellers, service providers and (hardware and software) technology partners. Each of the three new tiers—Silver, Gold, and Platinum—offer enhanced commercial benefits and program rewards as partners move through the tiers after meeting predefined targets. The company also offers three new partner incentive programs, including OpenText Market Development Fund Program, OpenText Partner Loyalty Program and OpenText Referral Program.

CompTIA Releases Latest Server+ Exam

CompTIA released the latest edition of the CompTIA+ certification exam that places a new focus on security, storage, and virtualization skills. The exam covers a broad range of skills related to server and data storage administration, including virtualization, big data, cloud storage, security, scalability, hardware, software, storage, best practices, disaster recovery and troubleshooting.

Four in 10 businesses cited the need to close a gap in server and data skills, according to CompTIA research. Target IT professionals include server support technicians, server administrators, IT and server technicians, storage administrators, and storage and server systems administrators with 18 to 24 months of on-the-job experience.

Avnet Adds Alert Logic

Avnet expanded its portfolio to include security-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings from Alert Logic, a provider of managed cloud security and compliance solutions. Under the agreement, Alert Logic’s services, which include fully managed and monitored security and compliance solutions for cloud, hybrid, and on-premise infrastructures, will be available to Avnet’s VAR, managed service provider (MSP) and independent software vendor (ISV) partners in the United States and Canada through Avnet Cloud Solutions, and with its cloud-computing platform,AWS. 

Asigra Offers Free Data Protection Tool

Asigra, a cloud backup, recovery and restore software provider, announced the beta availability of Asigra AWS EBS Snapshot Manager, which allows service providers and application administrators to quickly create a snapshot schedule through a Web-based GUI that automates taking snapshots of one or more AWS EC2 instances.

Asigra said it is the first enterprise data protection software provider to offer native support for AWS snapshot management. MSPs and application managers or IT administrators can register for the free beta program at http://www.asigra.com/asigra-introduces-aws-ebs-snapshot-manager. Asigra AWS EBS Snapshot Manager will be available to MSPs free of charge, including no cost self-service co-branding.