TOKYO, JAPAN October 4, 2021 – Classmethod, Inc. (Classmethod) has signed a four-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), to accelerate the digital transformation through cloud technology. The company will enhance its offerings with this SCA and aims to generate new business opportunities that equal $90 million (JPY10 billion) in four years.
The Digital Governance Code announced by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in November 2020 lists the following three points as important for sustainable enhancement of corporate value: developing integrated strategies across information technology (IT) systems and business, improving performance in a well-planned manner, and tackling cross-organizational digital transformation. However, 90% of companies reported a shortage in both the number and the quality of their IT specialists, according to a survey conducted in 2019 by Information-technology Promotion Agency.
Classmethod has developed strong technical expertise in AWS products and services, complemented by more than 1,500 AWS Certifications, and four AWS Competencies such as Migration Consulting, Mobile Consulting, and Data & Analytics Consulting. This has enabled cloud-based digital transformation for over 2,600 customers in Japan, including Suntory System Technology Ltd., Tokyu Corporation, and Hoshino Resorts Inc.
Through this Strategic Collaboration Agreement, Classmethod will fill this gap through its enhanced offering to help customers of all sizes and businesses accelerate in-house IT development and operations, utilizing customers' internal resources and securing new value creation through the use of cloud technology. Classmethod will encourage customers to transform their businesses through digital transformation (DX) no matter size or location. This SCA will have the following focus areas:
Strengthen the System Integration (SI) practice focused on migration
Classmethod reinforces its technical advisory service for cloud migration and system optimization by providing customers with technical consulting and training. Building on previous experience in helping clients such as Panasonic Corporation, and FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES LTD, the technical advisory service helps companies to enable legacy IT platforms to adjust to a cloud-focused architecture and to strengthen their businesses with the help of agile and scalable cloud services.
Improved small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) customer offerings
For SMBs and local businesses with limited budgets and IT specialists, Classmethod will enhance its offering on AWS Managed Services along with a program for Cost Optimization Assessment. This will help SMB customers lower their IT costs while gaining business agility. Classmethod also offers the original Cloud Optimization Assessment, which diagnoses cost optimization, security settings, and operation efficiency. Classmethod aims to assist more SMB customers to achieve cost efficiency based on best practices.
Partner with independent software vendors (ISVs) to accelerate Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions
With its expertise in architecting SaaS on AWS, Classmethod will seal partnerships with ISVs in Japan to accelerate the development and sales of SaaS solutions. As a consulting partner authorized in the Consulting Partner Private Offer program, Classmethod can provide Japanese ISVs not only with technical support during the development phase, but also with a sales platform through AWS Marketplace, a curated digital catalog that makes it easy for organizations to discover, procure, entitle, provision, and govern third-party software.
Classmethod will increase the number of AWS Certifications by 800 with a focus on Professional and Specialty Certifications in three years. Classmethod is an Authorized Training Partner of AWS, and will have dedicated trainers to deliver AWS training to enterprises.
“Classmethod started using AWS in 2008, and is now in its 10th year as a Partner. During the decade, the number of employees grew tenfold, and the number of customers and business performance grew a hundredfold. With this collaboration, we will put more focus on disseminating information regarding IT and supporting customers with their efforts on in-house IT development and operations. This will help more customers gain business agility by using cloud technologies and become a team that can solve business challenges quickly and independently. We aim to realize a better society through technologies.”
Satoshi Yokota, CEO at Classmethod, Inc.
“Given our successful partnership over the last 10 years, we believe that Classmethod is well placed to define, build, and drive customers’ organizational transformation to gain business agility with cloud technologies. We are excited to collaborate with a partner who shares our passion for customer satisfaction, believes in continuous learning, and is willing to go the extra mile to support customers in their cloud adoption journey.”
Doug Yeum, Head of Global Partner Organization at AWS
Suntory System Technology is carrying out a plan to integrate and standardize all the core IT infrastructures globally on AWS.
“We are deeply grateful to Classmethod for their technical expertise and quality support in a wide range of areas, including daily support and cost optimization with the AWS services. Classmethod also helped us with migrating call centers and ecommerce websites to AWS, building a data lake infrastructure, implementing SaaS for monitoring, as well as enhancing security measures.
I would like to congratulate Classmethod on this collaboration with AWS and on taking a step closer to their global success.”
Yasu Murabayashi, President & CEO at Suntory System Technology Limited
About Classmethod, Inc.
Classmethod, Inc. provides enterprise services using big data, mobile, IoT, and AI/machine learning technologies. Classmethod also works tirelessly to publish technical articles on its own blog media “Developers.IO”. The blog contains over 28,000 practical and hands-on entries written by its employees. Classmethod offers a variety of solutions, to uphold the company’s pledge to “Continue contributing to the creative activities of all people.”
Headquarters: Sanpo Sakuma Building 8F, 1-11 Kandasakumacho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
CEO: Satoshi Yokota
Business: Cloud migration, development of big data infrastructure and mobile applications, technical assistance on AI/machine learning and LINE based software development
Official Website: https://classmethod.jp/
DevelopersIO (tech blog): https://dev.classmethod.jp/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/classmethod/
Official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/classmethod-yt/
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