Since 2016, IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have been working together to bring more secure, automated solutions to hybrid cloud environments, enabling a smoother digital transformation of our joint clients’ technology infrastructure. Underscored by a deep relationship between AWS and Red Hat, the market quickly recognized the value of this partnership.

Clients now have the flexibility to choose the mix of technologies to best suit their business needs. When combined with IBM Consulting expertise, clients can scale those solutions enterprise-wide. The result? Easier, faster cloud transformation, technology deployment and more secure operations, to help drive better business results.

The evolution of an industry-leading partnership

Clients are increasingly using software purchases through AWS Marketplace to make use of committed spending, accelerate time to value and simplify procurement. Through the recently enhanced IBM and AWS agreement, clients can benefit from improved, more flexible access to IBM automation, AI, security, sustainability, and software-as-service (SaaS) offerings available in AWS Marketplace. Within a few clicks, clients can get started using IBM API Connect, IBM Db2, IBM Observability by Instana APM, IBM Maximo Application Suite, IBM Security ReaQta, IBM Security Trusteer, IBM Security Verify and IBM watsonx Orchestrate.

Another example of our AWS relationship is through IBM Consulting, one of the fastest-growing global systems integrators for AWS. IBM Consulting has more than 15,000 active AWS certifications, 200 global locations, 14 AWS competencies and 16 AWS service delivery program validations. IBM continues to invest in our AWS collaboration through our acquisitions of Taos and NordCloud, which bring an additional depth of expertise needed to help our clients manage and modernize their AWS environments. We also remain committed to helping our SAP clients running workloads on AWS, delivering on the complex hybrid cloud modernization and regulated workload migrations our clients are navigating. We are proud to facilitate better business transformations for our clients heading towards a virtual enterprise.

We are making it easier for clients to get the most out of their mainframe investment. In May of this year, we launched five patterns to enable rapid innovation, offering a single integrated operating model, with common agile practices and interoperability of applications between the AWS Cloud and IBM zSystems running on-premises. This can significantly reduce talent gaps, allow for rapid innovation with an agile DevOps approach, make it easier to access applications and data without significant changes, and optimize the costs of running or extending applications. Together, this approach maximizes business agility and return on investment (ROI).

Meeting businesses where they are

Whether it is gaining faster, deeper insights with analytics, ensuring greater security, compliance and resiliency, or modernizing applications and development practices, IBM and AWS are helping create an environment of sustainable innovation and future-ready solutions with speed and scale for all our clients.

In 2020, the Rhode Island Department of Health needed help uncovering existing and emerging data patterns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the agency’s collaboration with IBM Consulting and AWS, its data team was able to provide deeper COVID insights to the public within three weeks. These critical insights guided critical policy and operational decisions that allowed the department to keep the public informed throughout the crisis.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought air travel to a halt, Finnair, a Finnish airline, needed a strategic approach to application modernization. The airline turned to IBM Consulting, Nordcloud and AWS to identify the right modernization paths for 70 applications, which was implemented in just seven months. The IBM solution provided an agile infrastructure, bolstering Finnair’s digital transformation and ensuring a better customer experience.

The power of partnership

No matter where you are on your journey, the IBM and AWS partnership can help you innovate and compete on a new level.

As one of the fastest growing GSIs for AWS, we are also excited to share that AWS has recognized IBM Consulting with two important distinctions at this year’s AWS re:Invent: Global Innovation Partner of the Year and LatAm GSI Partner of the Year. We are proud to be essential partners to AWS, and are eager to deliver for our clients’ businesses in 2023.

Visit us at AWS re:Invent where we’ll have our key talks, solution demos and more at Booth 3235.

Learn more about the IBM and AWS partnership.

Read about our newly announced SaaS offerings, consulting capabilities and expanded mainframe application modernization to help enrich the client and partner experience.