Migrating to AWS can be daunting when you lack the expertise. AWS has a solution: Professional Services (ProServe). But there's a catch that might shock you.
Their in-house Cloud Consultants charge $300+ per hour. For most businesses, that's simply not feasible.
A typical 3-month migration project? You're looking at $200,000+ in consulting fees alone, before you even start paying for AWS resources. Before you commit to these premium rates, you need to understand what ProServe actually offers and whether cheaper alternatives can deliver the same results.
What is AWS Professional Services?
AWS Professional Services (ProServe for short) is Amazon's internal consulting division designed to accelerate cloud adoption through expert guidance. They employ Cloud Architects and Engineers who help companies migrate, architect, and optimize their AWS workloads.
What ProServe Actually Delivers
ProServe consultants aren't your average consultants. They work directly for AWS, have deep access to product teams, and know the platform inside and out. Their key offerings include:
- Strategic advisory services for cloud adoption strategies
- Architecture design for secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions
- Migration support including workload assessment and AWS Landing Zone setup
- Implementation services covering DevOps and AWS CDK development, machine learning, and advanced AWS technologies
- Optimization strategies for performance, security assessments, and cost management
They've handled some of the world's largest cloud migrations and follow AWS-defined methodologies based on internal best practices.
The Role of ProServe Consultants
AWS Professional Services consultants guide organizations through their entire cloud adoption journey. They leverage deep expertise in AWS technologies to design solutions tailored to specific business objectives. Their role involves architecture design, security implementation and compliance guidance, and cost optimization strategies.
But this premium expertise comes at a premium price that puts it out of reach for most companies.
The Cost of doing business with AWS Professional Services
Here's what you need to know about ProServe pricing:
According to AWS employees on Reddit, consultants typically charge around $300+ per hour for enterprise engagements.
What Does a "Typical Migration" Look Like?
Before we dive into costs, let's define what we consider a typical migration project:
- 50-100 applications across development, staging, and production environments
- Mixed workload complexity including web applications, databases, and file storage
- 3-month timeline for assessment, planning, execution, and optimization
- 2 senior consultants working full-time to ensure knowledge transfer and redundancy
- Standard compliance requirements (not highly regulated industries)
Now, let's see what this costs:
| Cost Component | Details | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Consultant 1 | 480 hours × $300/hour | $144,000 |
| Consultant 2 | 480 hours × $300/hour | $144,000 |
| TOTAL CONSULTING COST | 2 consultants × 3 months | $288,000 |
That's 40 hours/week × 12 weeks = 480 hours per consultant
That's before infrastructure costs, before your internal team's time, and before any unexpected complications.
When ProServe's Premium Pricing is Justified
The primary value of AWS Professional Services isn't just expertise—it's ownership and accountability. When you hire ProServe, they take full responsibility for your migration's success. This means:
Complete Project Ownership: ProServe doesn't just advise; they own the entire migration outcome. If something goes wrong, AWS fixes it. This level of accountability is what justifies the premium pricing for mission-critical projects.
End-to-End Responsibility: From initial assessment to post-migration optimization, ProServe ensures your project succeeds. They have the authority and resources to escalate issues directly within AWS, removing typical vendor finger-pointing scenarios.
Proven Success Methodologies: Their migration frameworks are battle-tested across thousands of enterprise implementations. When the stakes are high, this proven track record provides invaluable peace of mind.
The Capacity Reality
However, there's a catch that AWS doesn't advertise prominently: ProServe's workforce isn't infinitely scalable like their cloud resources.
Unlike AWS's on-demand infrastructure, Cloud Consultants can't be spun up instantly. ProServe has limited capacity, and demand often exceeds supply. When they're at capacity—which happens frequently—they do something that might surprise you: they recommend AWS APN partners to handle the implementation work.
This capacity constraint is actually how many companies first discover the APN partner ecosystem.
The AWS APN Partner Alternative
AWS recognized both the pricing barrier and capacity constraints. Their solution? The AWS Partner Network (APN).
When ProServe reaches capacity or when budget constraints make their services inaccessible, AWS actively directs customers to their certified partner ecosystem. This isn't a fallback option—it's a strategic approach that AWS designed to scale their consulting capabilities beyond their internal workforce.
What Are AWS Partners?
APN partners are third-party companies within the AWS Partner Network that provide consulting, system integration, and software solutions on AWS. These partners have demonstrated expertise in AWS technologies and are certified by Amazon to help customers design, deploy, and manage their cloud workloads.
Typical APN partner rates: $100-250 per hour Same 3-month migration: $96,000-240,000
You're looking at 17-67% cost savings while still getting AWS-certified expertise.
Benefits of Working with APN Partners
APN partners offer several key advantages:
- Cost savings: Significantly lower hourly rates compared to AWS Professional Services
- Specialized expertise: Deep industry-specific knowledge and experience
- Flexible engagement models: More adaptable project management approaches
- Greater availability: Less demand means faster project start times
- Ongoing partnerships: Potential for long-term relationships beyond migration
Potential Risks of Choosing APN Partners
However, APN partners aren't always the perfect solution. Consider these potential drawbacks:
Limited Enterprise Support: APN partners don't have the same escalation pathways to AWS product teams. If you encounter a critical issue with AWS services, resolution may take longer through standard support channels.
Variable Quality: While AWS validates partners, the quality and experience levels vary significantly. Some partners may lack the depth of experience with complex, enterprise-scale migrations that ProServe consultants possess.
Resource Constraints: Smaller APN partners may not have the team size to handle large, complex projects. If your project scope expands or timelines compress, they might struggle to scale resources quickly.
Compliance Gaps: For highly regulated industries, some APN partners may lack the specialized compliance expertise that ProServe offers, potentially creating regulatory risks.
Methodology Maturity: APN partners may use less mature or tested methodologies compared to ProServe's battle-tested frameworks developed from thousands of enterprise migrations.
How AWS Validates APN Partners
AWS doesn't hand out partner certifications lightly. The validation process is comprehensive and ongoing:
Certification Requirements: Partners must maintain AWS-certified staff through rigorous training programs. According to AWS data, 95% of customers consider AWS Certifications important in their partner selection process.
Technical Competency: Partners must pass technical assessments and demonstrate expertise in specific AWS services and solutions through hands-on validation.
Customer Success Metrics: Partners must prove their track record with real customer implementations and maintain high satisfaction ratings.
Ongoing Validation: 74% of customers review their partners' certifications at least twice yearly, so AWS requires partners to maintain current certifications and meet ongoing performance standards.
Specialization Recognition: 87% of customers highlight AWS Specializations as a top criteria for partner selection, so many partners pursue specialized certifications in areas like migration, security, or data analytics.
How to Find an AWS APN Partner
There are two primary ways to discover and engage with qualified AWS partners, each offering different advantages depending on your needs.
Option 1: AWS Marketplace
The AWS Marketplace is AWS's digital catalog where customers can discover, purchase, and deploy software and services that run on AWS. Beyond software, the Marketplace includes a comprehensive Professional Services section where vetted consulting partners offer their expertise.
How AWS Marketplace Professional Services Work:
- Pre-qualified providers: All consulting services go through AWS approval processes
- Transparent pricing: Fixed-price engagements with clear deliverables
- Unified billing: Services appear on your AWS bill for simplified procurement
- Customer reviews: Real feedback from previous engagements
- AWS Credits applicable: Many services can be purchased using AWS credits
Example: Our AWS Marketplace Services
As an AWS Partner, we offer several migration and optimization services through the Marketplace including AWS Landing Zone setup, security reviews, and cost optimization assessments.
Option 2: AWS Partner Network Directory
The AWS Partner Network Directory is the official directory where you can search for partners by location, industry, use case, or specific AWS competencies.
How the Partner Directory Works:
- Advanced filtering: Search by geography, industry vertical, or technical competency
- Partner tiers: View partner levels (Select, Advanced, Premier) indicating depth of AWS relationship
- Competency badges: Identify partners with specific expertise (Migration, Security, DevOps, etc.)
- Direct contact: Get partner contact information for custom engagements
- Case studies: Review detailed customer success stories and implementations
When to Use Each Approach:
- Use AWS Marketplace for: Fixed-scope projects, transparent pricing, quick procurement
- Use Partner Directory for: Custom engagements, ongoing partnerships, complex multi-phase projects
AWS Professional Services vs AWS APN Partners
Here's where it gets interesting. ProServe doesn't always work alone.
According to real customer experiences on Reddit, ProServe often tags an APN partner along for larger engagements.
The typical model:
- ProServe: Does initial architecture and strategy work
- APN Partner: Handles the actual building and implementation
- You: Pay ProServe rates for architecture, APN rates for execution
This hybrid approach can work well, but you're still paying premium rates for the strategic parts. Many companies find they can get comparable architecture guidance directly from experienced APN partners at lower rates. For example, our AWS Landing Zone service provides enterprise-grade architecture setup, and our AWS CDK Review ensures your implementation follows best practices.
When Each Makes Sense
| Factor | AWS ProServe | APN Partners |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $300+ per hour | $100-200 per hour |
| Best For | Fortune 500, enterprise-scale | SMBs, budget-conscious companies |
| Project Size | 1000+ applications, complex migrations | Most typical migrations |
| Availability | Limited, high demand | More flexible scheduling |
| AWS Support Access | Direct product team escalation | Standard support channels |
| Methodology Maturity | Battle-tested enterprise frameworks | Variable, often more agile |
| Compliance Expertise | Deep regulatory/security knowledge | Industry-specific, may have gaps |
| Team Scalability | Large teams, rapid scaling | Limited resources, personal attention |
| Risk Profile | Lower risk, proven at scale | Higher variability, cost-effective |
The sweet spot for most companies? APN partners handle 80% of use cases at 17-67% less cost.
Service Availability and Project Management
APN partners generally offer greater service availability and flexibility compared to ProServe. AWS Professional Services is often in high demand, leading to longer lead times for scheduling engagements.
APN partners can be more readily available and offer customized approaches. While ProServe follows structured, standardized methodologies, APN partners can be more flexible and adaptable in their project management style, tailoring their approach to meet specific client needs and preferences.
How to Choose the Right Path
Assessing Your Budget and Needs
When considering AWS migration, thoroughly assess your budget and technical requirements. Evaluate your financial capacity and determine if extensive ProServe services are justified, or if cost-effective APN partners can achieve the same business objectives.
Key Decision Factors
Several factors influence whether you should choose ProServe or APN partners:
- Budget: Can you afford $300+ per hour for 3-6 months?
- Complexity: Do you have mission-critical applications that can't afford downtime?
- Timeline: Do you need to migrate faster than 6 months?
- Support: Do you need 24/7 enterprise support during migration?
- Expertise Requirements: Do you need deep AWS product team access?
- Project Scale: Are you migrating 1000+ applications?
Before making this decision, consider getting an AWS Operations Checklist assessment to understand your current infrastructure maturity and requirements.
When to Choose Each Option
Choose AWS Professional Services if:
- You have a large budget and complex requirements
- Your migration involves 1000+ applications or mission-critical systems
- Regulatory compliance demands the highest level of specialized knowledge
- You need direct AWS product team access for cutting-edge implementations
- Downtime costs exceed $50,000+ per hour
- You're undertaking enterprise-scale transformations
Choose an AWS APN Partners if:
- You have budget constraints but still need expert guidance
- Your migration has well-defined requirements and timelines
- You prefer more flexible, collaborative engagement models
- You want ongoing partnership beyond initial migration
- You can accept slightly higher project risk for significant cost savings
Mitigating APN Partner Risks: When choosing an APN partner, verify their specific experience with projects similar to yours, check customer references, and ensure they have adequate team size and AWS certifications for your project scope.
APN partners can provide comprehensive services including secure AWS Landing Zone setup, infrastructure security reviews, cost optimization, and code quality assessments.
If you answered "no" to most budget and complexity questions, an APN partner is likely your best bet.
Conclusion
Finding the Right Fit for Your AWS Migration
The choice between AWS Professional Services and APN partners isn't always straightforward. While cost is often the deciding factor, it shouldn't be the only consideration.
The reality: ProServe's premium pricing reflects genuine value for enterprise-scale complexity, regulatory requirements, and mission-critical implementations. For these scenarios, the higher cost often delivers better risk-adjusted returns.
However, for most small-to-medium businesses and straightforward migrations, APN partners provide excellent value. The key is honestly assessing your project's complexity, risk tolerance, and budget constraints.
Consider your company's internal expertise, regulatory requirements, downtime tolerance, and ongoing support needs when making this decision. Sometimes a hybrid approach—using ProServe for critical architecture decisions and APN partners for implementation—offers the best balance of expertise and cost-effectiveness.
If you're looking for cost-effective AWS expertise, explore our comprehensive AWS consulting services including migration planning, security assessments, and cost optimization to get started on your cloud journey.
