Innovative Solutions is a systems integrator and independent software vendor (ISV) providing services and software to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and startups. The company offers cloud migration and managed services for customers interested in AWS products, and Innovative is a premier tier AWS services partner. Channel Insider spoke with CEO Justin Copie to learn more about his approach to SMB cloud needs, the power of AWS technology, why he’s all in on the AWS ecosystem, and more.
AWS partnership fueled by shared commitment to innovation and customer success
Innovative has been focused on AWS offerings for the past several years after transitioning away from another hyperscaler in 2019. Copie pointed to innovation and a focus on customer outcomes as the key reasons that spurred on the transition and continue to provide confidence today.
“What has always excited me about AWS is their technical competence and constant innovation, and also how obsessed they are with customer satisfaction,” said Copie.
Once Copie and his team decided to fully jump on board the AWS train, he worked quickly to ensure his team had the proper certification and capabilities to best support current and future customers.
“We jumped right in, and we were getting everyone certified, and I remember that I wanted us to be the fastest to reach premier tier services partner status, and ultimately we were. We got up and running pretty quickly.”
Now, the Innovative team is an AWS Premier Tier Services partner with competencies in Generative AI, Migrations, DevOps, and Networking and provides cloud migration and management services to customers all over North America. Copie said the shared values between Innovative and AWS leadership have remained consistent over time and driven success and value for their clients.
“AWS has always been about choice, and letting customers, with their partners, choose what is right for their business and then working that around AWS solutions,” Copie said. “AWS has constructed their programs in really interesting ways, offering financial incentives to make migration possible for businesses. In turn, the partner community is really important in this model, because we help ensure our clients are ready and able to take advantage of this.”
Innovative team dedicated to SMB and startup cloud demand, plus GenAI needs of the future
Innovative’s customer base is composed entirely of SMBs and startups, some of whom are technology developers themselves but who need the full IT support that many cannot afford to hire and retain in-house. This is, according to Copie, still a massive market with a ton of opportunity for growth.
“We view the SMB and startup space as a massively growing segment for AWS and partners in general,” Copie said.
The Innovative team focuses on understanding the business needs of its customers and then finds a way to use IT services and AWS products most effectively to achieve those needs. In the SMB and startup segment, this often means ensuring businesses are choosing the right technology at the right time with the right goals in mind.
In 2024, and especially looking forward to 2025, these needs have centered around GenAI adoption and all of the data requirements that come with it. In particular, Copie has seen the way businesses approach their data change drastically over the past few years, and his team is focused on helping their customers get the most out of their investments.
“We’ve seen almost a 1900% increase in demand for GenAI solutions, and I think GenAI management and support might be almost 40 percent of our business in the next few years,” Copie said, noting that customers are starting to heavily consider how they will utilize their data in the future to automate workflows.
SMBs and startup businesses aren’t only focused on GenAI, of course. There is still a large demand in the sector to migrate infrastructure to the cloud and utilize integrators like Innovative as strategic advisors on other IT services.
“We’ve seen an over 200% increase in interest in AWS migrations year over year, and I don’t think that will slow down,” Copie said. “Most SMBs and some startups don’t necessarily have a lot of tech expertise available in-house, and they call on us to augment that IT knowledge and support.”
Copie excited by AI adoption and the next generation of tech talent
For Copie, GenAI isn’t just a buzzword or even solely a business opportunity; it’s a new way of using technology in the workplace and in personal life, and it’s exciting to watch the technology develop in real time.
“I get the privilege and the opportunity to see this technology in real-time on the frontlines with our customers,” Copie said, highlighting he and his team also incorporate GenAI into their internal workflows to understand how businesses can build strong use cases for the technology.
“By using Gen AI and things like chatbots and agents to better understand conversations and potential strategies, we’re able to piece everything together in more impactful ways for our customers.”
Copie also said he is excited by the next generation of workers, Gen Z, in his team and beyond, and what they bring to the table in terms of experience and expectations.
“I absolutely love working with the next generation of talent, and I’m so excited by what they bring to the table. I remember being the young one when I started, and how out of place I kind of felt at times. I always encourage our team, especially the younger members, to bring their ideas to the table,” Copie said. “They’ve grown up with technology more than anyone else, and how they want to prioritize it in their lives is important to know, since we’ll be serving this generation as customers as they become buyers and leaders.”
MSPs and other channel partners are actively planning for 2025. Read more about why many are focusing on AI, data and security as growth opportunities next year.