Channel Needs to Navigate the AWS Cloud With Care

thumbnail Channel Needs to Navigate the AWS Cloud With Care

AWS Channel Needs to Navigate the AWS Cloud With Care As the size and scope of Amazon Web Services (AWS) increases, solution providers across the channel will need to carefully navigate threats and opportunities. Size of AWS AWS generates $13 billion in annual revenue with a growth rate of 55%. The AWS global infrastructure is […]

Written By: Michael Vizard
Jan 9, 2017
Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

AWS

1 - Channel Needs to Navigate the AWS Cloud With CareChannel Needs to Navigate the AWS Cloud With Care

As the size and scope of Amazon Web Services (AWS) increases, solution providers across the channel will need to carefully navigate threats and opportunities.

2 - Size of AWSSize of AWS

AWS generates $13 billion in annual revenue with a growth rate of 55%. The AWS global infrastructure is comprised of 42 Availability Zones across 16 geographic regions worldwide, with another 2 AWS regions (and 5 Availability Zones) in France and China expected to come online in the coming months. In 2017, AWS will add four more availability zones to create a total of 18 around the world. Each zone consists of multiple distributed data centers.

3 - Size of the MarketplaceSize of the Marketplace

AWS Marketplace features more than 3,500 software listings from over 1,100 independent software vendors. Customers are using more than 300 million hours a month of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) to run AWS Marketplace products. More than 300 new ISVs joined AWS Marketplace in the past year.

4 - Service Delivery ProgramService Delivery Program

AWS aims to promote APN Consulting and Technology Partners, now that both have passed technical reviews and have a validated track record of customer success with specific AWS services. The AWS Services Delivery Program has more than 150 APN partner solutions and practices validated across 15 categories.

5 - Hybrid Clouds With VMwareHybrid Clouds With VMware

In 2017, AWS is committing to launching a VMware Cloud on an AWS Partner Program that will reward partners for deploying and operating the VMware Cloud on AWS. VMware, of course, has its own channel program.

6 - Hybrid Clouds with GreengrassHybrid Clouds with Greengrass

AWS is extending its reach into on-premise IT environments via a Greengrass platform that’s capable of running compute functions locally via an AWS Lambda serverless compute platform. Initially, Greengrass will focus on internet of things (IoT) applications.

7 - Focus on Government AccountsFocus on Government Accounts

AWS has created the Public Sector Partner Program to address the government market. At launch, there were 350 partners in the program.

8 - New AWS CompetenciesNew AWS Competencies

The AWS Competency Program covers 16 different workloads and verticals. The two newest competencies are AWS Financial Services and the AWS IoT Competency.

9 - Global Channel MomentumGlobal Channel Momentum

More than 10,000 new partners have joined the APN in the past 12 months, with 60% of APN partners headquartered outside the U.S. AWS has also launched an AWS Partner Solutions Finder to help partners market their services more successfully.

10 - Competition With OracleCompetition With Oracle

AWS has launched a Postgres database service capable of running applications designed to run on Oracle’s database. It also provides an Oracle database service. But it’s clear AWS wants to move workloads away from Oracle databases that are significantly more expensive to deploy than open-source database platforms. AWS is also making it possible to launch SQL queries directly against data stored in its S3 cloud storage service.

11 - New Compute ServicesNew Compute Services

Beyond AWS offering the latest generation of Intel processors, customers have the option to extend x86-based applications using graphical processing units (GPUs). The company is also providing a new field-programmable gate array (FPGA) service.

12 - AWS Managed ServicesAWS Managed Services

AWS is extending the number of managed services it offers around IT operations. The latest offering includes an implementation of the open-source Chef IT automation engine; AWS Batch, a managed batch processing service; AWS X-Ray, an application visualization service; and AWS Code Build, an application testing service. Most of the machine learning algorithms are also exposed as a managed service delivered by AWS.

thumbnail Michael Vizard

Michael Vizard is a seasoned IT journalist, with nearly 30 years of experience writing and editing about enterprise IT issues. He is a writer for publications including Programmableweb, IT Business Edge, CIOinsight, Channel Insider and UBM Tech. He formerly was editorial director for Ziff-Davis Enterprise, where he launched the company’s custom content division, and has also served as editor in chief for CRN and InfoWorld. He also has held editorial positions at PC Week, Computerworld and Digital Review.

Recommended for you...

Video: Q2 2025 Channel Insights and Trends with the Channel Insider Editorial Team

A fast-paced editorial recap of Q2 2025 in the IT channel covering leadership shakeups at Kaseya, layoffs at Intel, federal obstacles pausing major acquisitions, AI adoption slowdowns, quantum security threats, evolving partner programs, and global economic tensions.

Katie Bavoso
Jul 17, 2025
XTIUM CEO and EMEA Leader on Global Business Opportunities

Global MSP XTIUM formally expands into EMEA with HQ in the Netherlands, unifying services for regional growth and global IT support.

Video: Inside MSP Owners Group: Juan Fernandez’s Vision for MSP 5.0, Rollups, and Employee Ownership

Juan Fernandez shares why he started the newly formed MSP Owners Group and what makes his rollup MSP different from others.

Katie Bavoso
Jul 2, 2025
Video: How Servix Solved Brado’s Remote Logistics IT Challenges with Scale Computing Edge Clusters

Discover how Servix and Brado tackled remote IT infrastructure challenges using Scale Computing edge solutions.

Katie Bavoso
Jul 1, 2025
Channel Insider Logo

Channel Insider combines news and technology recommendations to keep channel partners, value-added resellers, IT solution providers, MSPs, and SaaS providers informed on the changing IT landscape. These resources provide product comparisons, in-depth analysis of vendors, and interviews with subject matter experts to provide vendors with critical information for their operations.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.