Digital transformation is never an easy task, especially for companies forced to adapt fast under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even the most demanding transitions are easier with help. This is why Amazon Web Services Inc. is there to support its partner ecosystem as they face the cloud adoption challenge.

Taking an in-depth look at how AWS is helping companies into the cloud, Rebecca Wetherly (pictured), director of worldwide public sector system integrator partners at AWS, spoke with John Furrier, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during AWS re:Invent. (* Disclosure below.)

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

The pandemic has been both an opportunity and a challenge for AWS partners, especially those in the public sector. What is AWS doing to support them as they are forced to move faster and be more flexible? 

Wetherly: Let me start by saying that companies are building a business in partnering with us because of global needs such as the pandemic. But we also have many partners that are coming to us because we’re a leader in cloud innovation and because we’ve got a global field engagement and go-to-market strategy. You know AWS is a customer-driven company, and our partners are also our customers. So, we have tens of thousands of partners all across the globe, with more than 35,000 new partners since January 2016. And in our public sector space, we have over 1,500 partners with solutions and experience, delivering on a combination of government, education and nonprofit customer missions all around the world.

Consulting partners are professional services firms that help customers of all types and sizes design, architect, build, migrate and manage workloads and applications on AWS. They accelerate the journey to the cloud for our customers. And they often are implementing technology solutions … around COVID that our technology partners are developing. Those technology partners deliver hardware, connectivity services and software solutions that are hosted or integrated with AWS cloud. They also deliver components to broad customer solutions, often via our consulting partners.

Our tech partners are helping our customers decrease their deployment times and provide cost optimization and infrastructure for DevOps and production workloads. They’re also lowering their costs on code development by using our broad portfolio of services. And oftentimes for our public sector customers, they are helping shorten the path to achieving regulatory requirements.

What else are you doing to help partners succeed? I know some new things have been announced.

Wetherly: Most of our partners have partner development managers that are working with them daily. They have access to our business development and sales teams, solutions architects and other subject matter experts — also, our Professional Services Teams, which are deep subject matter experts that our partners can tap into. And then, of course, because of the way we go to market in the public sector, access and engagement with our capture, bid and proposal teams are super important. We also have to consider access for our partners to be trained and become certified.

So we offer digital and classroom training for our partners to be able to learn at their own pace or via an AWS instructor. We also have AWS competencies. And our competency program is designed to identify, validate and promote APN partners that have demonstrated technical expertise and proven customer success.

Obviously, the main concern is how to maintain profitability, then making sure that customers can also transition and ride the digital transformation wave. So, what programs are you offering to help these partners succeed?

Wetherly: The first stop is the AWS Partner Network … the APN. This is our global partner program for technology and consulting businesses to leverage AWS to build solutions and services for customers. The APN is the first place where companies can build, market and sell their offerings and provide valuable business, technical and opportunities for marketing with their customers.

The AWS Marketplace simplifies procurement and entitlement of provisioning software across 50 different categories. And we have more than 8,000 transactional listings. That marketplace connects customers with more than 1,000 different ISVs … to help meet their business needs. And we have more than 300,000 customers using software from the AWS Marketplace. The Marketplace is also available on 24 different regions. So when a customer chooses to use the Marketplace, they have the opportunity to procure their software from our consulting partners and leverage the software and the technology from our tech partners.

Other cool programs we have are our Partner Transformation Program, our SaaS Factory Program, and also our Migration Acceleration Program. There are so many roads to success, and AWS offers lots of different partner programs and opportunities to develop your unique roadmap.

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: Amazon Web Services Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither AWS nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE