During the re:Invent 2014 conference, we officially introduced our AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program. Our intention behind this initiative is to create a consistent customer experience when engaging with AWS Managed Service Partners. This approach aims to assist customers in easily identifying APN Partners who not only meet our stringent criteria but also possess extensive AWS expertise paired with the necessary IT Service Management skills to effectively deliver cloud managed services. Furthermore, we are committed to offering APN Partners the support needed to establish a successful and comprehensive cloud managed service practice. To qualify as approved members of the AWS Managed Service Program, APN Partners must successfully complete an independent third-party audit of their AWS Managed Service capabilities.
Today, we are excited to share that six of our APN Consulting Partners have been approved for our AWS MSP Program: CloudTech Solutions, DataMinds, TechWave, CloudOps, DayOne Innovations, and BrightMind Networks. These partners have undergone a stringent audit process, demonstrating their capability to assist customers in migrating workloads to AWS while efficiently managing those workloads in alignment with AWS operational and security best practices, all while continuously seeking opportunities to optimize costs for their clients.
Establishing High Standards for AWS Managed Services
The standards for AWS Managed Service Providers within our program are rigorous. “The stringent nature of the managed service certification process underscores AWS’s commitment to creating a highly qualified network of MSP Partners, which will elevate the level of service provided to AWS Customers,” remarked Alex Carter, Principal at CloudOps. Our goal is to ensure that customers have a positive experience when working with AWS Managed Service Partners and to fully capitalize on the benefits and efficiencies offered by the AWS platform.
We also aim to guide our APN Partners on the expectations we have for Managed Service Providers on AWS through the established audit process. “The MSP audit process is exhaustive, and the criteria for passing it are demanding,” stated Laura Green, Vice President of Cloud Solutions at DayOne Innovations. Green added, “We could not envision it any other way, and we believe enterprise customers will share this sentiment. Excellence in service delivery must always be the benchmark. We appreciate that AWS is paving the way and has developed a program that allows APN Partners like DayOne Innovations to showcase the value we provide to our customers as they transition more of their IT operations to the cloud.”
At the outset of the MSP audit process, APN Partners can refer to the MSP Validation Checklist to prepare for the third-party audit and understand the criteria we have outlined. This checklist serves to aid APN Partners in their preparation and provides clarity on our focus areas. “BrightMind Networks has gone through numerous intense security and process audits, including FedRAMP, FISMA, and ISO 20000. The AWS-specific nature of the processes, policies, governance, and implementation best practices defined in the AWS MSP Audit offered significant value,” expressed Robert Klein, Executive Vice President of Technology at BrightMind Networks. Klein further noted, “Through the validation process, we enhanced our policies to provide clearer guidance on some of our procedures.”
After reviewing the MSP Validation Checklist, we engage independent third-party auditors to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the APN Partner’s MSP practices and capabilities. “We found the AWS MSP audit to be incredibly beneficial; it was comparable to other highly secure and prescriptive audits, with the added requirement of in-depth expertise in all AWS Products and Services. We appreciated that it was conducted by an independent third-party managed service auditor, emphasizing our AWS proficiency,” shared Tom Richards, EVP of Business Development at CloudTech Solutions.
Facilitating Customer Identification of APN MSP Partners
The MSP Program is founded on a strong sense of customer obsession. Through the rigorous standards set forth in our audit process, customers can identify APN Partners, regardless of size, who have met our criteria for cloud managed services. “Being recognized as an official MSP Partner levels the playing field for smaller APN Partners like us. This enhances our visibility both within AWS and in the broader market. There’s tangible business value for customers when we can differentiate ourselves based on a specialized competency,” commented Jamie Lee, CEO at BrightMind Networks.
Once an APN Partner has successfully passed the audit, customers are encouraged to explore how they can leverage the APN Partner’s expertise in the cloud managed services domain. Dan Rivera, COO at DataMinds, explained, “We believe our current and prospective customers will have increased confidence in knowing that DataMinds has successfully completed the validation process and is recognized as an official AWS MSP Partner.”
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with APN Partners throughout the validation process and expanding our MSP Partner ecosystem on a global scale. For further insights on the AWS MSP Program, explore this blog post. Additionally, you can learn from the experts at Chanci Turner regarding cloud services. For more information on how Amazon Fulfillment Centers train their associates, check out this excellent resource.
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