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Exclusive: As AWS Turns 15, Doug Yeum Predicts Even More Innovation
“One of the things I did when I joined the partner organization was I wanted to bring the same mental model we had in product development,” Yeum said. “Partners are our customers and I treat them as customers. I’ve asked my team to spend a lot of time just listening, asking the right questions.”
ISV Partner Path, announced at last year’s re:Invent, marks a major outcome of that. Recall that ISV Partner Path removes tier requirements (consultants and system integrators still operate by tier). Participants get access to AWS marketing resources, training discounts and the new AWS ISV Accelerate Program. That initiative gives ISVs co-sell support and benefits such as reduced AWS Marketplace listing fees. As of January, any AWS partner with software that runs on or is integrated with AWS was eligible for ISV Partner Path.
“We’re moving away from badging a partner as select or advanced using tier requirements and instead we’ll start badging individual solutions from our partners,” Yeum said in December.
Dismantling that traditional tier setup for ISVs was nothing short of revolutionary, Yeum told Channel Futures.
“We broke the existing model, which is very hard to do when you have tens of thousands of partners already in the system,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing to pull off and we were able to do that successfully.”
Notably, the action came after AWS leaders digested ISV feedback.
“Partners said, ‘Tiers are not that important for us,’” Yeum said. “‘We’re more concerned about working closely with your team … and building solutions on AWS.’”
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses — sometimes channel conflict occurs. The chances of that increased as AWS ramped up its co-selling avenues through ISV Accelerate. That program serves ISVs who choose AWS as their preferred platform but want to operate a wholesale practice. While partners report AWS’ co-selling “is getting better and better every year,” Yeum said, overlap can happen. Two (or more) partners might pursue the same customer.
“There could be a lot of tension if you don’t manage in the right way,” Yeum said.
He cited two well-known companies where channel conflict arose. Thanks to his team, Yeum said, the executives of those firms “will tell you the relationship they have with AWS is the best it’s ever been.”
“We have to do the right thing for our partners,” he added. “ … Managing those challenging situations is, I would say, something I’m very proud of.”
What AWS Partners Can Expect Throughout 2021
Yeum also is passionate about the growth he has helped drive for AWS. He has no intention of easing off the pedal.
“What’s really exciting is the traction we’re starting to see in markets outside of North America,” he said.
AWS is answering customer demand in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Japan, he said. Organizations in these regions “are now moving really fast and looking for strong partners to help with migration and modernization on AWS. … So we’re investing quite a bit to grow our important partners.”
But AWS is eyeing more than the large guys. It now serves the SMB space as well. The recent partnership with distributor Ingram Micro underscores that focus.
“A lot of SMBs are also using the power of cloud,” Yeum said.
As AWS pursues that sector, it will continue to align with …
