Anyone with a passing interest in technology and an opinion about business will tell you that there’s easy money to be made in cloud computing, and that staying ahead of the competition is the key to success. If only it was that simple! In reality, there are so many practical barriers to getting started that migrating to the cloud can be a daunting task and adapting to the technology is only part of the story. Sometimes it’s really just a lack of cash that prevents you from picking up speed.
The good thing is that by teaming up with an AWS Consulting Partner, you can get access to funding that can help you grow your business quickly and take better advantage of the cloud.
What is AWS Funding?
The AWS Funding Program is a range of schemes that provide an effective way for partners to help their clients get started with AWS, and to prove the viability of their business ideas without a wall of upfront costs standing in the way. The program provides funding for all sorts of things, including investment in new technology, marketing, and sales initiatives.
Put simply, AWS funding is a great way to get the most out of your AWS investment.
- Migration Acceleration Program
- Proof of Concept (POC) funding
- AWS Activate support for startups
Accelerate Your Cloud Migration
Enterprise migrations can be complex and time-consuming, from finding the right staff to adapting to a whole new way of working. Amazon’s Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)
provides tools that reduce costs and automate and accelerate execution, and offers a framework designed to help you achieve your migration goals.
As we know, access to sufficient capital is also vital to make things work, and the funds provided by various Amazon programs can be used for things like migration planning and assessment services, as well as for completely moving your application to the appropriate AWS services. This can help reduce costs and time-to-market when making the switch to the cloud.
How to get funding for app development
Another important area supported by AWS is creation of new applications. The funds available from various programs can be applied to development environments, training, and even marketing efforts around new apps that have been built on top of AWS infrastructure. Having this flexibility makes it easy for partners to get started with new projects without having to worry about upfront costs associated with getting started in the cloud.
Proof of Concept (POC)
The AWS program also offers funding for proof of concept (POC) for innovative start-ups and provides significant credits to help new teams build and grow their businesses on AWS. This program is designed to help early-stage companies get started with the cloud, and it's a great opportunity to try out AWS without any upfront costs.
Amazon’s POC program has helped many start-ups get off the ground and has been instrumental in the success of companies like Slack, Pinterest, and Airbnb. Thanks to the initial support, they were able to use the available credits to scale their businesses quickly and efficiently, and now they're some of the biggest players in their industries.
Build and scale up with AWS Activate
Beyond help for specific projects, Amazon also offers more general financial and technical support for emerging cloud businesses. AWS Activate is a free program specifically designed for startups and early-stage entrepreneurs that offers the resources needed to get started on AWS.
This scheme provides a host of benefits, including AWS credits, AWS support plan credits, and architecture guidance to help grow your business. Activate is designed to give you the right mix of tools, resources, and expert support so you can succeed with AWS while optimizing performance, managing risk, and keeping costs under control.
Activate Founders provides self-funded and bootstrapped startups with $1,000 in AWS credits, $350 in Developer support credits, pre-built infrastructure templates, exclusive offers, and more.
Benefits of the AWS Funding Program
As you can see, the AWS Funding Program offers many benefits for both partners and customers alike, including business, technical and financial support. It can offer tangible ways to increase agility, reduce time to market, speed the transition to cloud technology and significantly reduce costs.
If you're an entrepreneur with a great idea, then you should also definitely consider applying for the AWS POC. It's a great way to get started with your business, and it could be exactly what you need to take your company to the next level.
Kickstart your funding drive
With so many choices and specialised programs available from Amazon, it can be a genuine headache to find the best way forward. Making the most of the opportunities is directly tied to understanding your business, defining your goals and having a clear set of priorities.
With our extensive expertise in AWS and our in-depth understanding of the AWS Funding program, we're uniquely placed to help you answer these questions. With our support, you’ll be able to confidently navigate your way through the options and really build up some speed.
Contact us to find out how you can gain some much-needed funding and accelerate your cloud migration!