Microtica Becoming an AWS Partner: Why It Matters

Joining the AWS Partner Network (APN) has opened up a range of opportunities for our team. Beyond simply gaining recognition, the partnership has provided us with valuable resources, technical guidance, and connections that help us improve our product and grow our business. In this section, we’ll explore the key benefits we’ve experienced since becoming an AWS partner, from building credibility to accessing new marketing channels and fostering collaborative growth.

Why did we want to become an AWS partner? 

As a startup, we saw many potential benefits of becoming a part of the APN.

• Business and technical guidance. AWS representatives are always available when we need some business or technical help. They offer many resources that could help us take our business to the next level, as the SaaS Factory program.
• New marketing channels. The network offers new marketing channels where we can promote our product, like the AWS Marketplace. 
• More credibility. AWS offers many accreditations that can help us position as experts in the industry. Moreover, AWS representatives have tried and graded our product before we officially became an AWS partner. This means that AWS supports our product and believes it meets customer demands. 
• Better products and services. The support from AWS enables us to improve our products and services. We believe this makes us a reliable vendor that offers its customers a complete solution.
• More connections. The network allows us to increase our visibility and get contact with a number of AWS experts who can help us improve. 

Most importantly, our clients now have our and AWS’s full support in forms of AWS credits and knowledge to try new solutions based on Microtica. 

As we’re planning many more features and services, it’s very important to state that AWS supports us for all our following plans, offering us AWS credits and technical help.

APN Select Tier Requirements: What It Takes to Become an AWS Partner

Becoming an AWS partner isn’t automatic—you need to meet a few specific criteria. We began with the Select Tier, which is designed for startups and growing companies, and here’s what it involves:

• Annual fee: There’s a $2,500 fee to join, but it comes back as $3,500 in AWS credits—a helpful boost for startups looking to expand their cloud usage.
• Product availability: You need at least one live product available to customers. When we applied, our product had already been active for several months with paying users.
• NDA signing: Like most formal partnerships, signing a non-disclosure agreement is required.
• AWS Certification: At least one team member must hold an AWS technical certificate. Our CTO was the first on our team to achieve this.
• Direct revenue: Your annual AWS billing must exceed $15,000, or you should have at least three launched opportunities totaling $1,500 MRR. Fortunately, we met the $15,000 benchmark.
• Public customer reference: You need at least one case study showing how your product uses AWS to help a client.
• Customer satisfaction responses: Collect at least five customer feedback responses through the APN Partner Solution Finder rating system.

Meeting these requirements may take effort, but it’s a crucial step to gaining credibility, technical support, and access to the broader AWS network.

Benefits of Joining the AWS Partner Network

Becoming an AWS partner has already brought us several tangible advantages. Here’s a closer look at the benefits we’ve experienced:

Credibility and Trust

APN accreditation reassures potential customers that our product meets AWS standards, giving us credibility in a competitive market. Being recognized as an AWS partner signals to clients that our product is reliable, secure, and built on a trusted cloud platform. This recognition also helps build confidence among prospects who may be evaluating multiple solutions.

Access to Technical Support

With guidance from AWS experts and access to credits, we can safely experiment with new features and optimize our cloud infrastructure. This support includes technical advice, best practices, and hands-on help that allows us to solve complex problems faster. By leveraging AWS expertise, we can enhance our platform’s stability, strategic scalability, and overall performance, ensuring a better experience for our users.

Expanded Marketing Opportunities

Listing our product on the AWS Marketplace helps us reach a wider audience and attract more potential customers. The APN also provides marketing resources, promotional campaigns, and co-branding opportunities, which make it easier for startups like ours to stand out. These channels allow us to showcase our product to enterprise clients and other partners who actively search for reliable AWS-based solutions.

Improved Products and Services

Continuous support from AWS allows us to refine our offerings and leverage the latest cloud technologies to enhance customer experience. From updates to infrastructure enhancements, AWS provides tools that help us innovate faster and maintain a competitive edge. This support ensures that our users benefit from high-performing, secure, and reliable solutions that evolve with their needs.

Collaborative Growth

Being part of the APN connects us with other AWS partners and experts, fostering knowledge sharing and encouraging innovation. Through these connections, we gain insights into industry trends, access to specialized skills, and opportunities for collaboration on projects. This network helps us stay informed, explore new approaches, and continuously improve our SaaS platform while building strong relationships in the AWS ecosystem.

Conclusion

Becoming an AWS partner has been a strategic move for Microtica. It provides credibility, technical resources, marketing channels, and growth opportunities that support our long-term plans. For any SaaS startup building on AWS, joining the APN can accelerate business growth, improve product reliability, and strengthen customer trust.

With AWS’s ongoing support—through credits, technical guidance, and access to their network—we are confident that our future innovations and features will continue to deliver value to our clients.