As Amazon VGT2 Las Vegas wraps up, it’s evident that generative AI continues to be a focal point for AWS Partners and customers alike, with innovation accelerating at an unprecedented rate. From unveiling new Nova foundation models for Amazon Bedrock to advancements in Amazon SageMaker, there was an abundance of new services and features for AWS Partners to explore.
In this recap, we’ll highlight important announcements from the event and provide insights on how AWS Partners can engage customers with these updates. Additionally, we’ll introduce the latest cohort of AWS Generative AI Competency Partners and discuss their strategies for harnessing AI to benefit their clientele.
During keynotes by AWS CEO Mark Thompson, AWS VP of Data and AI Sarah Lee, and guest speaker Amazon CEO Jason Wright, a series of generative AI advancements were revealed. These included the introduction of Trainium2 instances, the rollout of Trainium3, and new functionalities for Amazon Q. If you missed any of the key moments, be sure to check out this blog post for a comprehensive recap.
“This year’s event was filled with groundbreaking announcements, particularly in Data & AI,” noted Eric Johnson, Global AWS Solutions Lead at CloudTech. “AWS has excelled in providing developers with the foundational tools necessary to create production-ready generative AI applications directly on AWS.”
Empowering Partners to Cultivate AI Expertise with the AWS Generative AI Center of Excellence
To remain competitive in the fast-evolving generative AI arena, AWS Partners must devise a solid strategy to adapt to technological advancements. The Generative AI Center of Excellence (CoE) is a vital asset in this endeavor, assisting organizations in effectively building and scaling their generative AI practices on AWS.
For those looking to amplify their generative AI capabilities, the refreshed Generative AI Partner Playbook (AWS Partner Central login required) offers thorough guidance updated for VGT2. This essential resource has already been a hit, with over 28,000 uses by more than 900 AWS Partners in 2023. The new version provides even deeper insights into utilizing generative AI Partner programs throughout the build, market, sell, and grow phases of practice development on AWS.
To keep your team updated on the latest generative AI developments from AWS, including insights from VGT2, the CoE offers access to more than 300 generative AI resources. These materials cover a broad spectrum of topics, from the newest AWS generative AI service announcements to market research and industry-specific use cases across over 20 sectors. With monthly content updates, organizations should implement a regular review schedule to disseminate this invaluable information throughout their teams. Engaging with these resources will help AWS Partners maintain a competitive edge and continue providing innovative generative AI solutions to their clients.
Generative AI Competency Expands, Offering Customers More Choices
In addition to a plethora of new generative AI service announcements, VGT2 showcased the success and expansion of established AWS Partners, particularly the latest group of generative AI Competency Partners. Since our July update, the Competency has more than doubled, welcoming over 70 AWS Partners, including more than 20 startups.
Innovative, generative AI-focused independent software vendors (ISVs) such as DataGen, BrightAI, Insightful, and Synthesia now boast validated solutions in the competency. We also welcomed industry-specific generative AI solutions from global system integrators like NextGen Technologies, Hitech Solutions, and Verity Systems. The Competency now includes regional Partners from 25 countries worldwide.
One of those partners, Creative Solutions, expressed pride in achieving the AWS Generative AI Competency, emphasizing their expertise in utilizing generative AI to tackle complex business challenges. “This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to innovate and assemble the best AI tools to create tailored workflows that meet client demands with enhanced speed, quality, and value,” remarked Samantha Yu, Senior Director of Partnerships at Creative Solutions.
“Achieving the AWS Generative AI and Data Analytics Competencies reflects our team’s profound knowledge and capability to empower our clients with scalable innovative solutions,” said Marcus Redd, Chief Innovation Officer at InnovateX.
Customers can explore the Generative AI Competency website to find a Partner by category, read customer case studies, watch Partners delve into key aspects of generative AI, and discover validated solutions from Competency Partners in the AWS Marketplace. Regardless of their location or objectives with generative AI, customers now have an expanded selection of validated, trusted AWS Partners ready to deliver solutions.
Our Generative AI Competency Partners are making a significant impact. For instance, InnovateX has been instrumental for long-standing client HealthConnect, whose Chief Technology Officer, Sarah Patel, noted that with InnovateX’s extensive AWS experience, they successfully modernized their Data Insight platform, improving security and scalability.
In a recent interview with Tech News, Laura Kim, AWS VP of Global Specialists and Partners, highlighted the importance of the AWS Competency Program. “Competencies help customers identify which Partners have effectively delivered results in specific areas,” Kim stated. “Three-fourths of customers consider a Partner’s competencies before deciding to collaborate with them.”
Furthermore, Kim referenced a 2024 Gartner study indicating that only 21 percent of AI proofs of concept transition to production. “This means 79 percent is essentially wasted effort, which is untenable in a resource-constrained landscape,” she added. “Conversely, our Generative AI Competency Partners have conversion rates of 50, 70, or even 80 percent in some cases, thanks to their proven impact with other customers, which increases their likelihood of success with new clients.”
Enhancing Customer Trust: New AI Security Category for Competency Partners
To further enhance the value of generative AI, AWS is prioritizing security. To aid customers in identifying Partners with extensive experience in securing AI environments and protecting workloads from advanced threats, the Generative AI Competency and Security Competency have collaborated to introduce a new category at VGT2: AI Security.
Security remains a cornerstone of AWS’s approach to generative AI. The partnership between the Generative AI Competency and Security Competency programs culminated in the launch of this new AI Security category, which aims to address the growing concerns around security in the generative AI space.
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