How to Choose the Best AWS Consulting Partner

Leveraging Amazon Web Services as your infrastructure is promising, given this platform’s reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. But your real cloud journey begins with selecting an AWS consulting partner. Why? Let Serverless, a certified AWS vendor, explain this to you. Our clients’ outcomes speak for themselves: 

• 3.5x times increased client capacity with new scalable streaming infrastructure for OverQuota;
• 37% cuts in cloud costs with new IoT solution for Millnorway
• 14% increase in scaling capacity through redesigning the monolith platform for MasterStream.

While AWS boasts numerous innovative services and features, it doesn’t include infrastructure management. This is where AWS consulting partners prove invaluable. Choosing the right one is like picking a reliable teammate — it ultimately impacts your overall business success.

Read our guide to find a top AWS consulting partner who suits your requirements best. Learn about the partnership types, core considerations, partner evaluation criteria, and common pitfalls to avoid. Explore the tips that’ll help you open the doors to the cloud with confidence.

Businesses like yours frequently face a dilemma: engaging top AWS consulting partners or configuring their AWS setup independently. While setting up your infrastructure solo is an option, it’s a laborious process. That’s precisely why partnering with a reliable AWS vendor is a necessity that promises a seamless and hassle-free approach.

Here are a few other reasons why hiring an AWS consultant is a game-changer:

Identifying Your Business’s Specific AWS Requirements and Goals

Your company is unique, and so are its AWS ecosystem needs. AWS partners align your goals and requirements with the numerous AWS services available, ensuring you get exactly what you ask for. Optimize costs, improve performance, or introduce new features with a trusted vendor on board.

Assessing Current Challenges and Pain Points in Your AWS Setup

If your existing AWS infrastructure could use a little boost, bring in AWS consulting partners. They’ll check your setup and find what’s holding you back. These professionals will also offer a strategy for further improvements.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Still trying to figure out how to team up with an AWS consulting partner? Consider these questions to clear any doubts:

• What are my current and future goals regarding AWS?
• What challenges do I face in my existing AWS setup?
• How scalable and flexible should my AWS infrastructure be?
• What is my timeline for entering the market, and how can an AWS vendor accelerate this process?
• What are my priorities: scalability, cost-effectiveness, security, or something else?
• Do I have any AWS expertise in my in-house team?
• How much AWS partner’s assistance do I require?

These questions above will help you determine whether AWS consulting services are necessary for your needs.

When choosing the AWS consulting companies, you deal with the AWS Partner Network (APN). It’s a business directory that features over 130,000 partners worldwide. More than just a directory, APN is a program that helps businesses conquer the cloud and fully leverage the offerings of Amazon Web Services.

You can pick one of the two core partnership types:

AWS Consulting Partners

An AWS consulting partner is a cloud solution expert who covers a wide range of AWS services: architecture, design, migration, and the development of new applications on the AWS platform. Depending on the expertise level and customer satisfaction, AWS offers three partner tiers: Select, Advanced, and Premier.

AWS Technology Partners

An AWS technology partner is a software company providing cloud products that seamlessly integrate with or run on the AWS platform. Much like consulting partners, you access three partnership tiers: Select, Advanced, and Premier.

Before choosing the AWS consulting partner, you need to figure out if the vendor meets your expectations. Here are several criteria that may serve as your compass:

• Expertise and Experience: Evaluate your potential partner’s background to understand if they can handle the necessary tasks. Identify their specific expertise in such areas as migration, development, security, and beyond. Look for a partner with a proven track record in similar projects.
• Service Offerings: Explore the range of services provided by your potential AWS partners. Consider the scalability of their offerings, the extent of support available, and adherence to the AWS cloud security best practices.
• Client Testimonials and Case Studies: Check client feedback and reviews to ensure the AWS consulting partner’s reputation and excellence. Go through case studies to assess your potential vendor’s real-world impact.
• Pricing and Models: Learn about the pricing structures of your potential partners. Consider those vendors that provide flexible options or models following your specific needs, and keep in mind that prices differ based on your partner’s location.

Once you’ve handled the initial assessment of your candidates, you’re ready to move further. Consider the following factors before choosing the AWS consulting partner:

APN Consulting Partner Certification

Make sure your candidate has an official APN consulting partner certification. This guarantee means your vendor is not just on top of the latest AWS technologies and practices but is also your go-to for end-to-end solutions at every stage of your project. Our team at Serverless boasts such a certification and can deliver comprehensive AWS services.

Related Experience

Prior to selecting the AWS consulting companies, explore their specific areas of experience that can be helpful for your project. Specializations may include security, SaaS, migration, modernization, DevOps, data analytics, and more.

Technical Background

Evaluate your partner’s technical background, including AWS technologies proficiency, programming languages and frameworks knowledge, as well as other skills. Ensure they have relevant education and can provide performant AWS solutions.

Choosing the AWS consulting partner is only half the battle. You should also establish a solid partnership to ensure your project’s success. Here are a few tips that may assist you in this:

• Define Your Expectations Clearly: Ensure your AWS partner understands your project goals, deadlines, desired outcomes, and budgets.
• Keep Regular Communication: Maintain transparent and regular communication with your AWS consulting partner. Keep everyone in the loop by providing regular updates and holding feedback sessions and discussions.
• Track Progress: Check your partner’s progress and its alignment with timelines and expectations to tackle any issues quickly.
• Adapt to Evolving Needs: Recognize your project’s dynamic nature and be ready to accommodate growing needs and embrace new opportunities.
• Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Streamline your workflow by clearly defining your AWS consulting partner’s duties.

Selecting an AWS consulting partner is a big deal — it can impact your business success in the cloud. Make sure you sidestep common pitfalls during the selection process to ensure effective partnership.

• Not Defining Clear Objectives: Let your AWS partner know your goals, or else you risk facing misunderstandings and unsatisfactory project outcomes.
• Choosing Based Solely on Price: The lowest-priced option might seem cost-effective, but it’s usually a trap. Consider value over the initial price tag.
• Ignoring Experience and Expertise: Choosing an AWS consultant without a proven track record in your niche or lacking the necessary skills may lead to poor-quality solutions. Prefer partners with a relevant background.
• Rushing the Decision-Making Process: Take your time when selecting the AWS partner to avoid engaging a firm that doesn’t suit your business needs.

Our team at Serverless is an indispensable part of the AWS Partner Network. We are a certified AWS consulting partner with over 220 successful projects like updating the Masterstream legacy platform, building a scalable streaming infrastructure for OverQuota, and developing a new IoT solution for Millnorway. Our experts can handle the following:

• AWS Development Services
• AWS Cloud Migration Services
• AWS Consulting Services

We make the right AWS partner for you for several reasons. We always think ahead and design future-proof solutions leveraging clean and reusable code. Plus, our team values transparent communication and adjusts to your needs as necessary. With us you: 

• Gain access to optimized infrastructure tailored to your business needs. We optimize your AWS environment for better performance, scalability, and cost efficiency, all to improve your business outcomes.
• Benefit from our team of AWS-certified consultants: Our experts undergo rigorous training and stay updated with the latest AWS advancements to ensure successful implementation of your AWS projects.
• Ensure peace of mind with robust security measures and compliance: We implement industry-standard security measures. You get peace of mind about your data and applications’ protection in the cloud.
• Unlock the full potential of AWS with advanced capabilities: Leverage our expertise in AI, machine learning, big data analytics, serverless computing, and more to stay ahead of the competition.
• Accelerate time to market with streamlined development processes: Partnering with us allows you to benefit from AWS's agility, bring your products and services to market faster, and gain a competitive edge.

Choosing Serverless as your AWS consulting partner elevates your business to new heights. You get strategic guidance, optimized infrastructure, enhanced security, access to advanced AWS capabilities, and accelerated time to market. Empower your cloud journey with proven expertise, certified consultants, and client-centered excellence.

Want to learn more about our AWS projects? Explore our case study resources.

Choosing an AWS partner might be a challenging endeavor. But with the insights and strategies in this guide, you’re ready for all the pitfalls and nuances on your way. Set clear goals, evaluate your candidates, and start your cloud project today.

If selecting a suitable AWS partner feels overwhelming, don’t worry — we’re here to make your choice a breeze. Consider Serverless as your reliable vendor, and entrust your project to us by just contacting our expert team.