Amazon Web Service Partners Want More IoT Details At AWS Re:Invent

At the AWS re:Invent conference, which kicks off Tuesday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners will keep a laser focus on the company's Internet of Things (IoT) strategy.

Last year, AWS launched its IoT platform, which helps system integrators build and host the back-end functionality needed to power IoT applications. This year, partners want to hear more about how AWS plans to loop its broader channel into this strategy and further enhance its existing offerings.

"I'm interested to see if AWS comments on their stance as it pertains to the channel," said Eric Rockwell, president and CIO of CentrexIT, a San Diego, Calif.-based managed services provider. "I want to hear more about the future of the AWS channel program, how they'll be tailoring that in the next two to three years."

[Related: The Network Must Get Smarter: 8 Ways Cisco Aims To Conquer The IoT Market]

The AWS managed cloud platform enables customers to connect with cloud applications, and includes technologies like a set of SDK client libraries, an AWS management console and AWS IoT starter kits.

Rockwell, whose company secures vulnerabilities in enterprise systems and vertical markets, said Amazon is actively working on looping its channel into IoT opportunities, but he would like to see specific steps for the future.

The AWS IoT platform enables partners to use Amazon's popular, integrated services, including the company's Aurora database, Redshift analytics platform and the Kinesis streaming data platform.

Aater Suleman, CEO of Austin, Tex.-based Flux7, said that these services make AWS IoT a particularly strong platform – especially the integration with AWS Lambda. AWS Lambda enables users to run "stateless" code on servers, meaning the code isn't wed to any particular infrastructure and it is designed to always run when triggered. That service allows users to run code for their applications without having to maintain, scale, patch or own the hardware that underpins the services they're providing via those applications.

"AWS is a system built around individual services – not only does Lambda exist out of the box, but it works natively with IoT," he said. "If you look at the entire piece from an integration perspective, it is a holistic platform."

Flux7 specializes in the AWS DevOps framework and offers IoT consulting services. For instance, the AWS partner worked with integrated geotechnical and geoscience company Fugro to launch an IoT-based service that improved disaster recovery, increased developer agility and sped up time to market.

Looking forward, Suleman said he hopes to hear more announcements surrounding AWS, particularly around the tight integration of Amazon services in AWS IoT.

"From an announcement perspective, there are numerous small improvements and integrations we're looking for," he said. "For instance, if customers don't want to use Lambda, we currently have to re-route all those requests. We want more integration options to see where we can expand our services, particularly with customers' pre-existing business processes."

The AWS re:Invent conference kicks off Tuesday in Las Vegas.