Technology
The 2015 Tech Impact Awards: Cloud
By Gianni Truzzi September 11, 2015
This article originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.
WINNER
2ND WATCH INC.
Location: Seattle | Employees: 77
When moving to new a new neighborhood, a native can help you find your way. For companies migrating critical workload management processes to Amazon Web Services (AWS), 2nd Watch CEO Doug Schneider declares, We were born in the cloud.
Schneider compares the public cloud to a Lego construction set: pieces that can be made into most anything, but with no instructions. Cofounder Kris Bliesners own experience as a CIO showed him how enterprises would find then-emerging cloud services attractive but tricky. Originally launched in Spokane, 2nd Watch focused on AWS as it became the service of choice.
The companys early close work with Amazon helped 2nd Watch become an AWS Premier Partner, providing tools and services to automate tasks such as procurement, provisioning, operations, financial management and governance through Amazons platform.
In its five years, the firm has helped hundreds of companies migrate to AWS. It boasted 22 percent customer growth and 160 percent revenue growth last year, securing $10 million in fresh funding. The company also relocated to downtown Seattle, affirming its commitment to AWS.