In early November, we learned that Amazon Web Services, which is the world’s largest cloud computing service provider, was planning to set up an edge location in Kenya. The details of the plan were revealed when AWS execs met with President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi. The meeting was also said to be a follow-up to a similar interaction that was made when Kenyatta visited Washington a few months earlier.
Today’s development in that line is different because Safaricom has signed a strategic agreement with AWS, which will then allow the operator to resell AWS services. According to the carrier, the agreement aims to accelerate Safaricom’s internal IT transformation, cut operational costs and provide it with ‘a blueprint and skilled resources to assist customers with their journey to the cloud.’
Furthermore, Kenya’s largest mobile operator will be able to offer AWS services not only in Kenya but also to other East Africa customers. Safaricom says that cloud services are some of the increasingly valuable for businesses that plan to push the boundaries of innovation.
“We chose to partner with AWS because it offers customers the broadest and deepest cloud platform, overall commitment to security excellence, and a strong culture of customer obsession. This agreement will allow us to accelerate our efforts to enable digital transformation in Kenya,” said Michael Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom.
That’s not all: Safaricom has also attained Advanced Consulting Partner status in the AWS Partner Network (APN), making it the first APN member from the EA region.
According to Amazon, ‘APN Consulting Partners are professional services firms that help customers of all types and sizes design, architect, build, migrate, and manage their workloads and applications on AWS, accelerating their journey to the cloud.’
