AWS Partner Paths: A New Way to Accelerate Engagement with AWS

By Priya Bains, Sr. Product Manager – AWS Partner Network
By Christine Linthacum, Principal Product Manager – AWS Partner Network

We are excited to introduce new AWS Partner Paths, a flexible way to accelerate engagement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) starting January 28, 2022.

Partners have shared with us that they need more ways to work with AWS faster as their business evolves to meet customer needs—Partner Paths are a response to this evolution.

This framework provides a curated journey through partner resources, benefits, and programs. Partner Paths replace technology and consulting partner type models—evolving to an offering type model.

Last year, we launched the first ISV Partner Path. The new Paths support more customer offerings and provide partners flexibility in all the ways they engage with AWS. We now offer five Partner Paths—Software Path, Hardware Path, Training Path, Distribution Path, and Services Path—which represents consulting, professional, managed, or value-add resale services.

Partners can enroll in one or multiple Paths based on their unique customer offerings.

As part of this announcement, we are also renaming the ISV Path to Software Path to better reflect offering types, rather than partner types.

AWS Partner Paths simplify the engagement model for partners, expand partner access to benefits, and provide a more intuitive and streamlined experience.

Simplified Engagement

AWS Partner Paths are purpose-built to support and strengthen a range of partners’ customer offerings. We provide organizations that register with the AWS Partner Network (APN) access to a dedicated partner portal, training discounts, business and technical enablement content, programs, and benefits relevant to their offerings.

Expanding Access to Partner Benefits

As AWS Partners progress along each Path, they can leverage enablement resources, unlock funding benefits, and tap into a broad set of programs to innovate, expand, and differentiate their customer offerings.

There are no tier requirements to validate software and hardware offerings with AWS. Partners can earn a qualified software and/or hardware badge, and directly access several AWS resources specifically designed for the Software or Hardware Paths.

For organizations engaged with the Services and Training Path—tiers continue to remain important to customers to understand the depth of their experience.

For example, a partner may enroll in the Software Path and utilize the AWS SaaS Factory program to help optimize their solution and complete a Foundational Technical Review (FTR) to achieve the “AWS Qualified Software” badge for their offering, while also enrolling in the Services Path to achieve partner tier recognition for their AWS-aligned professional capabilities and managed services experience.

We also have a dedicated Partner Path for distribution, an invitation-only Path to help Authorized Distributors engage faster with AWS.

Intuitive Experience for Partners

In support of this new framework, we have streamlined the AWS Partner Central experience to empower partners with the right tools that make it easier to self-serve.

This new user experience—another response to partner feedback—will help AWS Partners navigate through enablement resources, structured content, benefits, and programs to help them better showcase customer expertise.

As with everything we do at AWS, customer obsession is a core part of our business. We’re obsessed with giving our partners the flexibility and agility to thrive in the business areas of their choice, and we look forward to rolling out these Partner Paths in early 2022.

Get Started

Learn more about the new AWS Partner Paths.

Join the AWS Partner Network (APN) to build, market, and sell with AWS.