The ecosystem around Amazon Web Services continues to widen. The AWS Partner Network now includes more than 100,000 companies across 150 countries, giving enterprises certified backup for every phase of cloud adoption. AWS still controls about 28% of global cloud-infrastructure spend, so partner choices shape almost a third of public-cloud activity.
Three trends are setting the tone for 2026. Specialization leads the list. The most recent Global and Geo Partner-of-the-Year awards went to firms that sped hospital data, tightened fintech compliance, and tuned software for driverless fleets, showing customers favor precision over one-size-fits-all migrations.
AI as the baseline comes next. About 82% of partners now embed machine learning or generative models in client plans and can cite hard returns. AWS backs the shift with a refreshed channel program for 2026 that lifts margins, trims paperwork, and automates billing for partners who pair growth with strong governance.
Services above resale rounds out the picture. Research firm such as Omdia calculates that partners generate roughly US $7.13 in services revenue for every dollar of AWS consumed, proving the real value lies in ongoing guidance, automation, and optimization rather than in selling raw capacity.
Selecting the right partner mix now determines how quickly legacy workloads modernize, how safely AI scales, and how effectively cloud budgets turn into competitive edge. A collaboration-first culture built on specialization, intelligence, and aligned incentives is poised to steer cloud innovation through the next decade.
