How to Burn Down EDP with Staffing Solutions on AWS Marketplace

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When you think of AWS Marketplace, staffing solutions are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Marketplace is a great resource for finding products like next-generation firewalls and deep learning AMIs, but it’s also a best-kept secret for hiring cloud and IT professionals.

In this article, we’ll explore how you can use AWS Marketplace to source and hire talent and get closer to meeting your EDP committed spend in the process, taking a look at the different talent solutions on AWS Marketplace, how Marketplace spending works with your EDP, and how you can still benefit from these solutions if you don't have an EDP.

Table of contents

What is AWS Marketplace?

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AWS Marketplace is a digital catalog of out-of-the-box solutions that you can buy or license using your AWS account. You can also create a seller profile if you have a product or service to sell.

Here you'll find thousands of solutions across categories such as:

• Operating Systems
• Security
• Networking
• Data Analytics
• Storage

And, of course, hiring.

AWS Marketplace is linked to your AWS account, giving you access to centralized billing for both Marketplace solutions and cloud services. Marketplace spending also counts toward your monthly cloud spend—a nice feature if you’re enrolled in an enterprise discount program (EDP). More on that in a bit.

To get started finding a solution, either browse by category or use the search bar at the top of the page, much like you would on Amazon.com.

Talent solutions on AWS Marketplace

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If you’re looking to hire AWS professionals, Marketplace has a few options to help you source top talent. That said, if you aren’t looking for AWS professionals, your time would best be spent elsewhere.

“AWS professional” is an umbrella term I use here to talk about any of the following roles:

• Cloud solutions architect
• AWS developer
• DevOps
• SysOps
• Cloud security
• Cloud migration consultant
• AWS cost optimization consultant

Talent solutions on Marketplace range from traditional staffing services to online platforms where you can find and hire talent for hourly, project, contract, and contract-to-hire work.

Unlike adjacent digital catalogs like the Apple App Store, solution listings on AWS Marketplace include some kind of pricing information to give you an upfront idea of costs. However, not all solutions offer simple monthly rates. For contract or license-based pricing, you may be instructed to contact the seller for pricing.

> Also read: Burn Down AWS EDP Spend with AWS Staffing Solutions

Some staffing solutions also offer pricing based on a percentage of annual salary for the role you need to fill. When in doubt, you can always reach out to a seller at the email address or phone number provided in the “Support” section of their listing page.

What role do AWS EDPs play in AWS Marketplace?

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If your organization is enrolled in an AWS enterprise discount program (EDP), going through AWS Marketplace offers the additional benefit of counting toward your committed spend. This can potentially save you thousands of dollars, depending on your situation.

Let’s consider an example. Say your organization has an EDP with the following terms:

• $1 million annual committed spend
• 10% discount
• 3-year duration

If you’re on track to consume below $1 million in value of cloud services, you could put the remaining value of your committed spend towards hiring developers through AWS Marketplace. Since you’ll pay $1 million for the year anyway, you won’t pay anything extra by getting a talent solution on Marketplace (provided you don’t consume more than $1 million in value for the year).

Even if you do exceed $1 million in value consumed, you’re still better off going through AWS Marketplace to hire cloud talent because you’ll get a 10% discount on everything over your committed spend. That might not sound like a lot at first, but if a talent solution costs $20,000 for 12 months, you could save up to $2,000—assuming you didn’t already get some of it for “free” due to a consumption shortfall.

What if you don't have an EDP?

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It all depends on how much you currently spend, but if you have your sights set on getting an EDP, hiring talent through AWS Marketplace can help boost your spend.

Because money spent on Marketplace is included in how you’re billed for cloud services, allocating some money toward Marketplace solutions can help you bridge the gap between what you’re currently paying and the minimum spend AWS requires for discount programs.

It’s probably not worth unnecessarily spending thousands of dollars just to reach the minimum threshold, but if you’re close to the minimum and you need to hire AWS professionals anyway, why not?

Keep in mind that you can also qualify for an EDP based on projected spend, so if you still don’t quite meet the minimum even after spending money on AWS Marketplace, AWS might be willing to negotiate if you expect your cloud service consumption to increase in the near future.

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As the first AWS software-defined staffing company powered by machine learning, NerdRabbit offers everything you need to find the best and brightest AWS professionals for your organization. Our solution Nerdly is available on AWS Marketplace, making it convenient to find the help you need while simplifying spending through AWS centralized billing.

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