This article compares the standard Countdown offering from AWS with the premium Countdown Premium service. The purpose is to help customers understand the key differences and benefits of the Countdown Premium option to better manage critical events, such as service launches, upgrades, or scheduled maintenance.
AWS Countdown is a specialized service designed to help customers plan and execute critical events in their AWS environments. These events can include service launches, major upgrades, scheduled maintenance, or other significant changes to your infrastructure. In the article, we explored how AWS Countdown services can help organizations maintain business continuity during critical events. AWS offers two tiers of support: Countdown and Countdown Premium. By examining the key distinctions between these offerings, businesses can make an informed decision about which service level aligns best with their needs for managing crucial AWS infrastructure changes and events. Understanding these differences enables organizations to choose the most suitable option, ensuring they have the right level of support and expertise to navigate complex transitions and maintain operational stability.
Key Differences: Countdown vs. Countdown Premium
Feature | AWS Countdown | AWS Countdown Premium |
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Service Leadership | TAM-led | Engineer-led |
Designated Support | No designated engineer | Designated Countdown Engineer assigned to the customer |
Engagement Model | TAM primarily responsible for the engagement | Countdown Engineer leads the engagement, collaborating with TAM and account team |
Planning and Communication | TAM handles customer meetings and communication | Countdown Engineer schedules and leads meetings, manages communication through a parent outbound support case |
Context-Aware Support | TAM responsible for understanding customer workloads | Countdown Engineer studies the context of desired business outcomes for strategic support |
Architecture Reviews | Account team conducts reviews for Enterprise Support and Enterprise On-Ramp customers | Countdown Engineer collaborates with TAMs and SAs for event readiness evaluation |
Runbooks and Playbooks | Generic planning workbook and process | Customized playbooks and runbooks for each engagement and event type |
Service Team Engagement | TAM submits specialist requests with no defined SLA | Designated engineer oversees staffing and participation of engineers for events |
Testing and Reporting Tools | No support tooling available | Advanced reporting, analytics, and specialized AWS support tools for safe research and testing |
Event Support | TAM available on bridge for customers | Coordinated staffing ensures coverage during critical events |
Post-Event Activities | TAM handles post-event activities and follow-ups | Countdown Engineer executes post-event activities, provides hyper-care and retrospective support |
Availability and Pricing | Included in Enterprise Support at no cost | $10K per month subscription (before eligible discounts) |
Customer Eligibility | Available to Enterprise On-Ramp and Enterprise Support customers | Available to Business, Enterprise On-Ramp, and Enterprise Support customers |
In conclusion, AWS Countdown and Countdown Premium offer distinct levels of support for managing critical events in AWS environments. While Countdown provides TAM-led guidance included with Enterprise Support, Countdown Premium delivers a more comprehensive, engineer-led approach with advanced tools and dedicated support. By understanding these key differences, organizations can choose the service that best fits their needs, complexity of events, and budget. Ultimately, both options aim to help businesses navigate complex transitions, minimize risks, and maintain operational stability during crucial periods of change in their AWS infrastructure.