AWS re:INVENT – Anodot Joins the AWS Machine Learning Competency Program

As one of the biggest names in technology right now, anything related to AWS is a big deal. We just got back from the sold-out 2017 AWS re:INVENT conference, held this year in Las Vegas, NV. With a record-breaking attendance of more than 40,000 people, it was filled with representatives from tech luminaries such as Accenture, Intel, Deloitte, Salesforce, VMware, and more.

Re:INVENT has always been an event for learning. It provides the opportunity for attendees to familiarize themselves with flagship Amazon products such as EC2, S3, Redshift, and more. The hands-on training, networking opportunities, and breakout discussions have always been an invaluable opportunity for professional development – plus there’s always the excitement of being privy to new AWS announcements.

As such, we were thrilled to be among the first to know about what, for us, is among the most exciting new developments with AWS – the AWS Machine Learning Competency.

The AWS Machine Learning Competency: A Partner Ecosystem focused on AI and ML

The market for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is flourishing. While a broad set of important technologies is emerging, some of these technologies are still in their early stages. The AWS Machine Learning Competency showcases the industry-leading AWS Partners that provide proven technology for a variety of use cases that will help companies deliver ML at scale.

Rigorous Testing and Tough Admissions Process

AWS set a high bar for admission to the AWS Machine Learning Competency program. To join, enterprises undergo a strict validation of their capabilities, demonstrating technical proficiency and proven customer success. APN Partners must also complete a technical audit of their ML solution. As the AWS Machine Learning Competency datasheet notes, the machine learning competency is meant for partners whose bread and butter is providing machine learning services to their customers, rather than partners who simply use machine learning in the background of their solutions. Out of 150 companies invited to apply for the competency, only 17 were selected in three categories: Data Services, Platform Solutions, and SaaS/API Solutions. And yes, in case you’re wondering why we’ve spent so long talking about this, Anodot was one of just six companies selected under the SaaS/API Solutions category.

“Not every machine learning problem requires starting from scratch and building a custom solution, and not all of our customers have access to a dedicated data science team with the time and expertise to build a production workflow for large scale predictions,” said Joseph Spisak, Global Lead for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Partnerships, Amazon Web Services, Inc. “We are delighted to welcome Anodot to the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Competency Program to provide off-the-shelf machine learning solutions that can help speed time to market and bring intelligence to any application.”

Unforgettable Event of Amazing proportions

We  got to hear VP of Amazon AI at Amazon Web Services, Swami Sivasubramanian, share his insights: “Our goal is to put machine learning capabilities in the hands of all developers and data scientists. The other thing we are excited about is the API services, where people who don’t want to know anything about machine learning but want to benefit from the analytics capabilities. I am really excited about all the applications that we can use to improve our everyday life using machine learning.”

Finally we rounded out our visit with a round a virtual golf and hung out with this great guy, our main contact at AWS, who has a custom tailored Pac Man suit.