Amazon’s Web Services Blog just announced its new web services partner network, and is launching a public beta version of the global platform, the AWS Partner Network (APN). The APN seeks to afford users of the AWS partner network the technical information and the sales and marketing assistance needed to advance their AWS-based business ventures.

While the Amazon Partner Network won’t be online until later in the year, Amazon encourages existing AWS members to put in a bid to upgrade to Standard and Advanced levels of the new network in the meantime. The APN will be available for technology-based partners (including ISVs, SaaS, tools providers, platform providers, and others) and consulting-based partners (including SIs, agencies, consultancies, MSPs, and others.) Both partner types can qualify for 3 levels of the APN – Advanced, Standard, and Registered – Standard and Advanced users will enjoy benefits including:

– A logo publicly designating the partner as either Standard or Advanced
– A listing in the new AWS Partner Directory
– $1,000 in AWS Services credits
– $1,000 in AWS Premium Support credits

More information on Amazon’s Partner Network can be found here.

In related Amazon news, the company will likely benefit from the U.S. Department of Justice’s crackdown on the inflation of book prices by competing publishers, thus restoring Amazon’s right to sell new releases for cheap.