Ask Amazon Web Services Inc. channel partners what they want from cloud computing, and there is a common response: “I want to get my solution in front of the customer. I want to make money. I want to make it easy to use and make it easy to consume.”

Finding out how AWS is addressing this need, Barbara Kessler (pictured, left), global APN programs leader at AWS, and Ryan Broadwell (pictured, right), global director of ISVs at AWS, virtually connected with John Furrier, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during AWS re:Invent.

In a question-and-answer session as part of the specialized programming for re:Invent’s Partner Network Day, Kessler and Broadwell discussed how AWS is investing in its partner ecosystem.

[Editor’s note: The following content has been condensed for clarity.]

In the Partner keynote this morning, Doug Yeum, head of worldwide channels and alliances, stressed the continuation of AWS’ strong focus on independent software vendors. Take us through what we just heard and what it means to the partner network.

Broadwell: Our ISVs are mission-critical for us, and we hear that loud and clear from our customers. So as you think about building off what Doug was talking about, it’s first important for us to look to help our partners build well-designed solutions on AWS, supporting their innovation and transformation and working together to deliver scalable, reliable, secure solutions for our customers. To facilitate this, we offer programs, such as AWS SaaS Factory, that provide enablement to our ISVs to build new products, migrate single-tenant environments or optimize existing SaaS Solutions on AWS.

We just heard Doug announce AWS SaaS Boost, which is a ready-to-use open-source implementation of SaaS tooling and best practices to accelerate an ISV’s SaaS Path. Through SaaS Factory, we’ve worked with many ISVs in the last few years and have helped a lot of partners make that journey toward SaaS. We’ve had a lot of demand for this type of engagement. And we knew it was important that we came up with a scalable way to help partners accelerate their transformation. SaaS Boost provides a prescriptive experience to transform applications through an intuitive tool with many core services needed to develop and operate on the AWS cloud.

In addition, we look to use the Well-Architected framework, which is proven to set the architectural best practices for designing and operating systems in the cloud, to help ISVs build their solutions on AWS. We just launched two additional lenses in the Well-Architected tool to enable ISVs to conduct these reviews from within the AWS console — one for SaaS environments, and one aligned with the foundational technical review, which helps partners prepare for the technical validation in AWS partner programs.  

Can you share how you help your partners get on the right road, have the right resources and choose the right programs?

Kessler: We want to make sure that our partners are easily able to find what’s most relevant to them. And to deliver this more effectively for ISV partners specifically, Doug just announced the launch of ISV Partner Path. As with everything we do at AWS, this new program structure works backward from our customers and our partners to deliver the needs of both of those audiences.

ISV Partner Path pivots the focus that we have today on partner-level tier badging to instead focus on solution-level validation badging that helps us better align to what our customers are looking for and how they look for software products. It removes APN tier requirements for ISVs and introduces the ability to engage across all of the products, services and solutions that a partner offers, and it pivots the partner badge attainment. So with fewer requirements to access APN programs from differentiation to funding and co-selling, partners can engage more quickly in a more meaningful way and in a more clear path to develop their solution offering and go to market with AWS.

Broadwell: Barbara has made a great point in that we have a lot of great programmatic resources, but there’s also no substitution for engagement with a person. So we have partner development resources available to engage with our partners and help them develop individualized plans that help them understand how they maximize the opportunity with their customer set and expand their customer sets.

Is not just about onboarding. Our partner development team works backward from the customer and the partner to help develop what is that joint plan? How do we focus on what is strategic to the partner, and what becomes strategic to our customers? With that plan, our team works to activate that broadly in support of achieving our joint goals. And then naturally, as with all partnerships, we want joint accountability. We want mechanisms to measure success.

What advice would you give to new partners as they join the AWS network?

Kessler: We have more than 50 new partners joining the AWS partner network every single day. So having the right structure for those partners to easily navigate and the right resources for them are something that’s very top of mind for us.

I have two primary pieces of advice for a new partner who’s trying to figure out how to work with us and get involved. First and foremost, build a relationship with your partner manager. Help them know and understand your business, the customers that you focus on, and the solutions you provide. The partner manager is your advocate and could be your mentor in working with AWS. Make sure they know what you’re good at.

Second, avail yourself of the resources available to you. We offer a number of self-serve resources, such as the new ISV Navigate track. This is launching in conjunction with ISV Partner Path that provides individuals step-by-step guidance to move through that engagement with us and connects them to all the resources that they need. Then there’s Marketing Central … and Partner Central, which offers a wealth of content, white papers and access to training and certification discounts to build your cloud skills to support your business.

Broadwell: As the rate of transformation continues and the rate of innovation continues to quicken, my advice is lean in with us. We continue to invest our efforts in developing this vibrant community of partners. So lean in; we’ll continue to iterate around and optimize our joint plans and activities. And we look to be able to continue to drive success for our customers and our partners.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of AWS re:Invent. (* Disclosure: the AWS Partner Network sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither AWS Partner Network nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE