AWS vs. Azure Data Partners: Choosing Your Cloud Ecosystem in 2025

Key Designations: Look for “AWS Data & Analytics Competency” holders. This is a high bar that requires audited case studies.

1. The Migration Pathways

Your current state dictates the best partner ecosystem.

Pathway A: “The Microsoft Loyalist” (SQL Server -> Azure Fabric)

If your company runs on .NET, SQL Server, and Office 365, do not fight the current.

• The Move: Migrate on-prem SQL Server to Azure SQL or Synapse (now evolving into Microsoft Fabric).
• The Partner You Need: An Azure “Solutions Partner for Data & AI” who specializes in T-SQL refactoring.
• Why: Azure offers substantial “Hybrid Benefit” licensing discounts for existing SQL Server customers.

Pathway B: “The Oracle Refugee” (Oracle -> AWS Redshift/Snowflake)

If you are fleeing expensive Oracle licenses, AWS is the traditional landing zone.

• The Move: Use AWS SCT (Schema Conversion Tool) and DMS (Database Migration Service) to move data to Redshift or S3.
• The Partner You Need: An “AWS Advanced Consulting Partner” with the Migration Competency.
• Why: AWS has the most mature tooling for heterogenous database migrations.

Pathway C: “The Data Product Builder” (Postgres -> AWS Modern Data Stack)

If you are building a customer-facing app.

• The Move: RDS (Postgres) -> AWS Glue -> Athena/Iceberg.
• The Partner You Need: A “Modern Data Stack” boutique (often dbt-core focused).

2. The New Elephant: Microsoft Fabric vs. The World

In 2025, every Azure partner conversation will revolve around Microsoft Fabric.

What is Fabric?

It’s a unified SaaS wrapper around Synapse, Data Factory, and Power BI. It aims to kill the “fragmented stack.”

The “Fabric vs. Modern Data Stack” Decision Matrix

Feature	Microsoft Fabric (Azure)	Modern Data Stack (AWS + Snowflake/dbt)
Integration	Seamless. One login for everything.	Loose. Requires managing multiple contracts (Fivetran, dbt, Snowflake).
Governance	Centralized (OneLake).	Distributed. Harder to manage lineage across tools.
Lock-in	High. You are all-in on Microsoft.	Low. You can swap components (e.g., swap Fivetran for Airbyte).
Best For	Enterprise IT Departments.	Product Engineering Teams.

Hiring Advice: If you choose Fabric, hire a partner who is explicitly “Fabric Certified.” It is a new paradigm (OneLake shortcuts) vs traditional Synapse pipelines.

3. Partner Capability Heatmap

Capability	AWS Partner Strength	Azure Partner Strength
Streaming/IoT	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Kinesis/MSK is gold standard)	⭐⭐⭐ (Event Hubs is good, but complex)
Machine Learning	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (SageMaker is powerful but distinct)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Azure ML + OpenAI integration is market leading)
Dashboarding	⭐⭐ (Quicksight is lagging)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Power BI is the market leader)
Governance	⭐⭐⭐ (DataZone is improving)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Purview is the gold standard for enterprise)

4. The “Multi-Cloud” Truth

The “Split Stack” Strategy

Most Fortune 500s land here:

1. Azure for Corporate Data (Finance, HR, ERP) -> Power BI.
2. AWS for Product Data (Clickstream, Logs, App backend).

The Challenge: Hiring a partner who can build the bridge between them. The Solution: Look for partners with Databricks or Snowflake expertise. These tools act as the “Switzerland” layer, running identically on both clouds and allowing data sharing without massive egress fees (via Iceberg/Delta Sharing).

5. Certification Decoder Ring

Don’t be fooled by logo soup. Here is what matters:

AWS Badges that Matter

• “Data & Analytics Competency”: The gold standard. Requires audited case studies.
• “Migration Competency”: Crucial if you are moving massive on-prem servers.
• “All-in Certs”: Look for “Pro” level certs (Solutions Architect Pro), not just “Associate.”

Azure Badges that Matter

• “Solutions Partner for Data & AI”: Replaced the old “Gold/Silver” competency.
• “Advanced Specialization - Analytics on Azure”: The elite tier for data warehousing.

Conclusion

Choose Azure Partners if you want a “One Microsoft” experience where Power BI is the sun. Choose AWS Partners if you want a “Builder’s Paradise” with granular control and open-source affinity. Choose Cross-Cloud Partners (Snowflake/Databricks focus) if you need to bridge the gap.