An AWS consultant is a professional that has specialized expertise in various areas of cloud computing.

They are certified experts who can build, implement, migrate or manage cloud systems and applications on Amazon Web Services cloud platform.

These are architects, engineers and developers who have undergone extensive training with Amazon and have attained an AWS certification, being able to navigate the vast range of Amazon Web Services suite.

AWS consultants have a broad skill set in different cloud computing fields such as architecture, network design, DevOps, development and more.

They use their expertise within the ample spectrum of AWS services to provide guidance and support to enterprises in order to improve their cloud-related strategies.

AWS consultants have the capabilities to help businesses of all sizes migrate their databases to the AWS cloud and ensure the proper implementation of AWS infrastructures.

They can effectively implement AWS technologies and identify which package of products best suits your business needs.

Therefore, AWS consulting partners come with hands-on experience in designing, deploying and managing cloud architecture systems on AWS that your in-house team doesn’t have access to.

Amazon is a powerhouse when it comes to cloud services and cloud hosting, but implementing their products isn’t an easily managed task.

AWS consultants are highly-trained to provide effective implementation for the different types of AWS products the platform has to offer.

Amazon Web Services is a widely adopted and secure cloud platform, offering a broad set of cloud computing services and products that organizations or individuals can use through the AWS platform.

Amazon is the biggest cloud computing company in the world, followed by Microsoft (Azure), IBM and Google. AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon.com and its services bring in a sizable amount of the company’s earnings.

As the leading cloud service provider, AWS controls 33% of a $100 billion cloud market. However, according to Statista, AWS ranked second as the cloud provider of choice for organizations around the world in 2019.

Amazon Web Services provides a huge range of products to its customers. The suit of services and features constantly expands and greatly extends the typical infrastructure services like compute power, database storage or analytics.

Here are some of the product categories offered by AWS that consultants can help you implement:

• Compute (elastic cloud compute)
• Storage
• Database
• Migration
• Networking & Content Delivery
• Developer Tools
• Management Tools
• Media Services
• Machine Learning
• Security
• Identity & Compliance
• Mobile Services
• AR & VR
• Application Integration
• Customer Engagement
• Business Productivity
• Desktop & App Streaming
• Internet of Things
• Gaming Development
• AWS Cost Management
• And More

Scalability is a key attribute of AWS and the company is quick to promote its ability to serve the needs of websites with large audiences, major data and security demands.

A few examples of companies using Amazon Web Services to power their business include:

• Netflix - One of the earliest (and most demanding) users of AWS, Netflix eventually made the decision to go “all-in” on AWS and closed their last data centers in 2015.
• Pinterest - The popular image bookmarking site uses AWS to handle huge amounts of daily traffic and data.
• The Financial Times - This respected business news publisher uses Amazon Redshift for data warehousing.
• IMDb - The popular database site for information about everything movie and TV-related uses Amazon Cloudfront as a content delivery network (CDN) to give users powerful, fast search experience.

The cost of AWS consulting services depends greatly on the specialists’ level of expertise.

In other words, the more certifications an Amazon Web Service consultant has, the higher the cost.

Amazon offers four role-based certifications in specific disciplines including: cloud practitioner, architect, developer, and operations.

Each role offers increasing levels of expertise, beginning with foundational, moving to associate and professional.

There are also a handful of specialty certifications that are add-ons to the role-based certifications. Specialty certifications include big data and advanced networking.

So, the hourly rates vary depending on the AWS consultants’ certifications and skills.

An entry-level AWS consultant charges between $35 and $50 per hour. Experienced consultants have an hourly rate between $125 and $200.

Proficient AWS consultants with specialized certifications can charge up to $250 per hour.

The costs listed are for US-based specialists. Naturally, the pricing structure varies according to the location.

In Europe, experts charge below $50 per hour or even less for their AWS consulting services.

An AWS consulting company can provide you with different consultants specialized in multiple areas of AWS to serve your particular cloud needs.

Therefore, companies in the USA take projects valued between $10,000 and $25,000, with the more high-end ones charging up to $50,000.

AWS consulting partners are highly-skilled in providing guidance on the efficient methods for cloud migrations, deployments or optimization.

Here are the key reasons why you should hire AWS consultants for your business:

Reason #1: Revenue Growth

64% of enterprises and 68% of SMBs choose AWS for their cloud application needs. [Lenovo]

It gives businesses the opportunity to set up a system of best practices that help in data migration and workload efficiency and also reach out to larger audiences.

Working with an AWS consulting company can accelerate revenue growth and increase customer retention.

Reason #2: Data Migration

Amazon Web Services consultants build intricate systems and create pathways to ensure the data of your company is accurately and successfully moved to the cloud.

They assess applications and design reliable infrastructures that can handle the influx of data and continue to grow as your data does.

These cost-effective strategies can streamline your business operations and overall structure.

Moreover, it allows you to engage with customer data in a way that is highly impactful for the future of your business.

Reason #3: Strategic Planning

AWS consulting companies have access to various data analytics platforms and can design analytics applications in the cloud to garner insights for your company.

With this valuable data, they can create strategic and data-based plans to tackle your ever-growing business concerns.

They can develop reliable architecture and protocols to keep your data protected and handle any event that might hit your system.

AWS consultants do more than just build systems or transfer data and workloads. They think strategically and craft comprehensive plans for cloud products and business operations to put your business on the fast track to success.

Reason #4: Business Problem Solutions

AWS consulting companies have teams of certified experts with deep knowledge of cloud computing systems.

They can provide valuable insights into the business world and understand the impact an effective cloud storage system has on overall day-to-day business.

These experts can identify specific business problems and outline effective solutions to help your company thrive.

Being experienced in helping previous clients navigate their cloud challenges, AWS consultants can design a holistic plan to ensure you overcome any cloud obstacles.

Considering the competition within the industry, it might be hard to choose the best AWS consultants for your company.

Consider these factors when looking to partner up with an AWS consulting company:

#1 Skill Set And Experience

According to their certifications, AWS consultants have different skills in various areas of cloud computing.

Depending on your needs and business goals, be sure to select a partner with the right type of expertise.

The best AWS consulting companies have years of experience and solid reputations serving for brands across all industries.

Be sure to ask them if they have worked with similar clients or if they have performed many migrations up to that point.

It’s key to choose an AWS consulting partner capable of executing cloud migration successfully.

Beyond experience, also try to get a sense of the company’s reputation.

What do people say about them online? What do the employees say on Glassdoor? Ask for references so you can speak directly to clients about their own experiences with the company.

#2 Technical Support

AWS consulting companies have the talent, tools and resources to provide maintenance, monitoring and testing to your cloud databases.

They must be able to offer constant technical support to ensure your data and workflow is running at their max potential.

The best Amazon Web Services consultants offer round the clock monitoring and support to identify and manage issues before they become catastrophes.

It’s important that you’re constantly checking these infrastructures. Thys, you need a team of dedicated professionals who are making it their number one priority to minimize downtime and take pressure off of you.

If you want to ensure that your business is carefully taken care of, you should look for a vendor that will assign a dedicated manager to your account.

They will act as your point person, available to answer questions and help provide solutions.

#3 Data Protection

According to Cisco, cloud data usage is rising, set to triple by 2021. And with it, a growing number of cloud security threats.

All online systems need an in-depth security system to prevent attack and data loss at every step of the way, from data storage to website backends and beyond.

You need to select an AWS consultant that uses the right tools to integrate security systems to constantly keep your data safe and protected.

#4 Team

AWS consulting firms have teams of dedicated professionals with AWS certifications which aligns them as industry leaders and experts.

With this certification comes a thorough, firsthand experience and access to innovative technologies and trends that can benefit your business.

Implementing many AWS products is a technical process that requires skilled experts, but the process won’t be fruitful if the team doesn’t work effectively.

Proper account management ensures that timelines are adhered to and goals and deliverables are met.

Be sure to choose an AWS consulting partner who understands what your needs are and will assign an account manager who can work closely with your team.

Moreover, don’t underestimate the importance of culture fit and the ability to build solid relationships with your provider.

Before choosing an AWS consulting company, make sure to figure out if they have the experience and expertise to handle your workflow.

Ask them these questions:

1. What is your experience with AWS products and services, apart from the most popular ones?
2. Have you worked with other clients in our industry?
3. What are the biggest threats to our infrastructure?
4. What are your AWS certifications and how long have you had them?
5. How much do your services cost? Do we have to pay more for extra support?
6. How have you helped brands and businesses grow in the past?
7. How will you monitor, track and report on performance?
8. What security measures will you integrate?
9. How quickly can you prep a database for development?
10. Where can we access out data?