How to choose a certified
AWS Partner for cloud migration
and management?

In today’s fast-evolving world of technology, partnering with the right experts is key to success. One of our most valuable alliances — and one that continues to grow in significance — is our partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS offers a rich portfolio of cloud services that help businesses undergo digital transformation, strengthen market position, and streamline infrastructure. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what it means to be an AWS Partner and what benefits this brings to our Clients — including you, dear reader 🙂

Why did we become an AWS Partner?

AWS is a global leader in cloud computing, offering comprehensive infrastructure, platform, and software services. Operating since 2006, AWS has a history of continuous growth and innovation. Each year, it expands its offering, enabling customers and partners to implement cutting-edge technology projects.

AWS is applicable across industries and project scales. Its mission is to support organizations of all sizes by providing flexible, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure — helping them achieve business goals.

Innovation and the potential for continuous development were key factors in our choice of AWS as our first cloud partner. Thanks to AWS, we’ve been able to focus on achieving our clients’ goals with the confidence that we’re backed by reliable, advanced technologies.

Being an AWS Partner means more than just access to advanced technologies. It’s also an opportunity to be part of a global network that supports growth and innovation. As AWS Partners, we gain access to resources that enable us to:

• Develop and promote our own cloud-based solutions
• Respond more effectively to client needs by eliminating performance and scalability issues
• Offer financial support for cloud projects to our Clients
• Grow technological skills through training and additional materials

In short, AWS is not only a leader in cloud computing but also a trusted partner whose innovation, global support, and advanced technologies enable growth, scalability, and ambitious project delivery — for both us and our clients.

Why Work with a Certified AWS Partner?

Migrating to AWS Cloud is a strategic decision that requires knowledge, experience, and the right tools. Collaborating with a certified AWS Partner brings numerous benefits that significantly increase your project’s success rate and optimize your cloud environment’s performance.

• Experience and expertise
  To become an AWS Partner, a company must first demonstrate experience in delivering cloud projects. This experience enables the acquisition of certifications that confirm competencies in designing, deploying, and managing cloud environments. With the right certification and practical know-how, partners can avoid common migration pitfalls and tailor solutions to your organization’s specific needs.
• Operational efficiency
  Cloud migration is a complex process requiring careful planning and execution at every stage. AWS Partners have access to proven processes, best practices, and tools that speed up deployment and minimize the risk of downtime.
• Compliance and Security
  Working with an AWS Partner ensures that your cloud environment meets the highest security standards and complies with current legal regulations.
• Dedicated Support
  Certified partners offer continuous technical and business support at every stage of your cloud journey. They help resolve issues, optimize infrastructure, and implement new solutions.
• Access to Additional Financial Support
  When working with a dedicated AWS Partner, you may gain access to additional funding for your cloud project. This is a unique opportunity to test AWS services with reduced risk.
• Access to Innovation
  AWS provides a wide range of advanced services, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics. Partners assist in integrating these technologies with your existing processes, enabling your company to leverage the latest technological advancements.

Choosing an AWS Partner may seem like a challenge, but working with a certified partner allows you to build your cloud project more efficiently, securely, and with expert support.

How to choose the right AWS Partner?

When selecting the right AWS Partner, it’s important to consider a few key elements — starting from the partner’s AWS certifications and experience, to their approach during initial conversations and alignment with AWS best practices.

AWS Partner statuses — Registered, Select, Advanced, and Premier — might seem like simple badges at first glance. In reality, they represent a robust system of competency and experience verification managed by AWS to ensure quality across its authorized partners.

The lowest level, Registered, is the entry point to AWS partnership and does not require a wide range of capabilities. To reach Select status, a partner must complete a number of AWS-based projects and have certified team members with both technical and business-level AWS certifications. While relatively easier to achieve, Select status still demands dedication and baseline experience.

Moving up to Advanced or Premier status involves fulfilling much more rigorous requirements — including project volume, higher-level certifications (Professional or Specialty), and documented customer references. The Premier tier is reserved for top-tier partners with proven large-scale projects, extensive certified teams, and a strong portfolio of successful implementations.

This partner status system helps clients evaluate a company’s AWS expertise and reliability. The higher the status, the more demanding the requirements — and the higher the quality and trustworthiness of services offered.

When looking for a partner, also consider the scope of work you aim to accomplish — whether it’s cloud migration and management, DevOps or GenAI implementation on AWS, or Big Data and IoT projects. Some partners also hold specializations such as DevOps Competency, which signal a deeper level of commitment and project success.

As you can see, not every company can meet every cloud challenge — which is why verifying a partner’s competencies is so important.

Client references, reviews, and case studies are immensely valuable. They allow you to get to know your potential partner’s approach to cloud projects and evaluate the actual outcomes. Some information is publicly available on partner websites — but don’t hesitate to request additional materials, especially if you don’t see examples from your industry. This way, you’ll know whether the company is equipped to deliver your project and support your cloud journey.

Every project is different, but tailoring solutions to your organization’s specific needs is essential for achieving maximum efficiency and cloud security.

AWS programs

It’s also worth noting that working with an AWS Partner grants access to several programs offering significant value to customers.

AWS carefully selects partners for these dedicated programs based on strict criteria — which must not only be met at the time of onboarding but also maintained through ongoing annual audits and alignment with AWS requirements. Below are three selected programs that can benefit your cloud transformation journey:

AWS Migration Acceleration Program (AWS MAP)

AWS MAP is a comprehensive program supporting cloud migration, divided into three main phases: Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate & Modernize. In the Assess phase, we analyze the current IT environment to develop a migration strategy, estimate costs, and identify business benefits. During Mobilize, the organization is prepared for migration by building a cloud foundation, training teams, and optimizing operations. Finally, in Migrate & Modernize, we implement the migration plan and modernize infrastructure and applications to fully leverage AWS capabilities.

The program provides expert support at every stage, minimizing errors and operational disruptions. Additionally, working with LCloud opens the door to financial assistance — including cost reimbursement and AWS cloud credits — making your migration more efficient and cost-effective.

AWS Well-Architected (AWS WAR)

AWS WAR enables detailed analysis and optimization of cloud infrastructure based on AWS best practices. The review helps identify areas for improvement — including security, reliability, and cost-efficiency.

By partnering with us, you gain the opportunity to enhance your environment and receive AWS credits of up to 10% ARR — potentially as high as $100,000. These funds can be used to implement the recommended AWS services following the review, making AWS WAR a highly effective method for elevating infrastructure quality and maximizing AWS benefits.

AWS Partner Network Immersion Days

AWS Partner Network Immersion Days are hands-on educational workshops led by our certified experts. These sessions equip participants with practical knowledge and skills for effectively using AWS cloud services.

Tailored to the business and technological needs of our clients, the workshops include interactive sessions and real-world demonstrations. They help participants better understand AWS, accelerate innovation within their organizations, and support the creation of a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) — an internal unit or team responsible for structuring cloud operations.

Immersion Days are an excellent opportunity to connect with our specialists, explore the latest AWS services, and resolve specific business and technical challenges.

LCloud as your AWS Partner

Our official journey with Amazon Web Services (AWS) began in 2012, when we achieved Standard Partner status — the first tier in the AWS Partner Network, earned by delivering projects and meeting essential technical competencies.

Our goal was to grow and serve an increasing number of clients. In 2016, we succeeded in becoming the first AWS Advanced Partner in Poland. But even after reaching this significant milestone, we didn’t stop. Each year, we set new goals and expand our capabilities. Below you’ll find our most important AWS competencies — the foundation for delivering demanding projects.

AWS DevOps Competency

At LCloud, we hold the AWS DevOps Competency certification, which confirms our expertise in DevOps practices. We simplify process automation, infrastructure management, and performance monitoring — enabling clients to deliver faster and improve software quality.

We specialize in:

• Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) — enabling fast, reliable deployment of applications, reducing project timelines
• Microservices architecture — designing applications as a collection of small, independent services
• Monitoring and performance — analyzing logs and system metrics to ensure optimal operation
• Infrastructure as Code — managing infrastructure through code for efficiency and consistency
• DevSecOps — integrating security into every stage of development to minimize risk and ensure compliance

With AWS DevOps Competency, we support organizations in implementing DevOps practices effectively — accelerating business outcomes and maximizing AWS potential.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate & Professional

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional level is the highest tier of this certification, confirming advanced technical skills and extensive experience in designing distributed applications on AWS.

With certified AWS Solutions Architects on our team, we ensure:

• Application design aligned with your business needs
• Cost optimization and budget planning for AWS services
• Security and performance-focused architecture guidance
• Database design and management — including relational, NoSQL, and data warehousing — for optimal performance and scalability

AWS Certified Database Specialty

This certification validates our specialists’ advanced skills in designing, managing, and optimizing databases in the AWS Cloud. It verifies deep knowledge of AWS database services and the ability to build highly available, secure, and performant environments.

Scope includes:

• Selecting the right AWS services based on application and data needs
• Designing secure, scalable, and high-performance databases
• Data migration and replication across environments
• Monitoring, maintenance, and performance tuning
• Cost management and resource optimization

AWS Certified Developer – Associate

This certification focuses on developing and maintaining applications on the AWS platform. Our team has confirmed expertise in areas such as:

• Selecting appropriate AWS services for the application
• Writing code that optimizes the performance of AWS services used by the app
• Ensuring application-level security through encryption and authentication mechanisms

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate

We provide effective deployment and management of systems in the AWS Cloud. Our experts handle tasks such as:

• Implementing scalable and fault-tolerant systems
• Migrating applications and data to AWS
• Monitoring data flow, cost control, and ensuring security

AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty

This certification confirms our ability to design and maintain advanced network infrastructures on AWS. Our team specializes in:

• Automating network tasks
• Applying best architectural practices in network design and management

AWS Certified Security Specialty

This certification confirms several years of experience in implementing security features and services in the AWS environment. Our specialists handle:

• Implementing advanced data protection mechanisms
• Encrypting data and deploying innovative security solutions
• Creating production environments that meet the latest AWS security standards

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

This certification focuses on designing and managing scalable, self-healing systems within AWS. Our DevOps experts:

• Deploy and manage monitoring, logging, and metering systems
• Design and maintain automation tools for operational processes
• Create highly available systems following DevOps best practices

Certifications are a strong confirmation of our team’s competencies. We create an environment where our engineers can grow their AWS skills — and we’re proud of how actively they engage in this. AWS has recognized this as well, as shown by our nominations to programs like AWS Well-Architected Partner Program, AWS Migration Acceleration Program, and APN Immersion Days.

If you’d like to explore the projects we’ve completed, visit our Case Studies section.

Summary

Support from a certified Amazon Web Services Partner is invaluable — especially when managing complex, multi-layered cloud projects.

Leverage our knowledge and experience to discover the full potential of migrating to AWS. We offer free consultations, where you can learn how the migration process works, what the estimated costs are, and how your organization can benefit from moving to AWS Cloud.

Feel free to contact us at kontakt@lcloud.pl!