AWS Discloses Longtime Partner Engagement Principles

AWS isn't closing the door on adding more principles over time.

Edward Gately, Senior News Editor

October 6, 2021

3 Min Read
Principles
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Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Wednesday publicly disclosed its partner engagement principles aimed at making it easier for partners to work with the cloud giant.

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AWS’ Doug Yeum

Doug Yeum is head of worldwide channels and alliances at AWS.

“We’ve lived by these principles since the founding of the AWS Partner Network (APN),” he told Channel Futures exclusively. “And are now posting them publicly to ensure transparency as well as to reconfirm AWS’ commitment to our partners. We also want prospective partners to understand these principles as they make decisions to partner with us.”

AWS Principles

The four principles are:

  • Security: “Security is our highest priority at AWS. We respect and protect the privacy of our customers and partners, and we always obtain customer and partner consent before sharing any information. We do not share partners’ private information with other partners, and we never use a partner’s private information to compete against them.”

  • Customer obsession: “The customer always comes first for AWS and for our partners. We make recommendations based on what is best suited for the customer, whether it’s an AWS offering or a partner solution. When a customer prefers a partner solution over an AWS offering, we listen to our customers and honor their decision.”

  • Partner obsession:AWS uses custom tools to speed up the partnering process, ensuring that information shared between AWS and our partners is private, secure and accurate to quickly provide customers with exactly what they need. When we’re collaborating with a partner on a lead opportunity, we communicate often, set clear expectations, and share any changes in a timely manner.”

  • Just the facts: “We take a fact-based approach when recommending solutions to customers. As we work with AWS partners to develop recommendations for our shared customers, we compare partner solutions factually, based on publicly available information or information provided by the partners. We respect customers’ decisions and work to support them fully, no matter the solution they choose.”

Partner Input ‘Top of Mind’

Partner input is always top of mind any time AWS makes decisions that can or will impact its partners and their customers, Yeum said.

AWS talks with partners all the time about its commitment to delivering on these principles, he said. Moreover, it takes their feedback on how it can improve.

“The goals of the [principles] are to make it easy for partners to work with AWS and to provide a transparent framework for how we work with them,” Yeum said.

AWS isn’t “closing the door” on adding more principles over time, he said.

“We’ll continue to take partner feedback and refine them if necessary,” Yeum said.

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2nd Watch’s Doug Schneider

Doug Schneider is CEO of 2nd Watch, one of AWS’ longstanding partners. Together, 2nd Watch and AWS help clients with their digital transformations. Schneider said the principles have been “wired for us in our DNA for a long period of time.”

However, it’s good that AWS is now being explicit with them.

“We’ve always shared strong customer obsession with AWS,” he said.

Justin Copie is CEO of Innovative Solutions, also an AWS partner.

“Innovative and AWS work so well together because of our empathetic approach to solving customer business problems,” he said. “The partnership between AWS and Innovative evolves every day. And our teams are so proud of the work we accomplish together for our mutual customers.”.”

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About the Author

Edward Gately

Senior News Editor, Channel Futures

As senior news editor, Edward Gately covers cybersecurity, new channel programs and program changes, M&A and other IT channel trends. Prior to Informa, he spent 26 years as a newspaper journalist in Texas, Louisiana and Arizona.

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