SHIFT Receives the Special Award at the FY2025 Japan AWSome Business Leaders Award Organized by AWS
Selected as the sole recipient of the “Special Award” among four recognized companies in Japan, recognizing its track record in launching and rapidly growing its AWS business

SHIFT Inc. (“SHIFT,” headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Masaru Tange, CEO and Representative Director), a provider of business transformation services rooted in quality, today announced that it has received the Special Award at the annual “FY2025 Japan AWSome Business Leaders Award (hereinafter “the Award”)” hosted by Amazon Web Services (hereinafter “AWS”).

This annual award recognizes partners that have achieved outstanding results in their AWS business by utilizing AWS partner programs and putting insights gained from the community into practice. It targets member companies of the “APN Japan Business Leaders Hub,” a Japan-exclusive community for business leaders within the AWS Partner Network (APN). The AWS review committee comprehensively evaluates and selects the award winners based on three criteria: “AWS Business Growth Rate,” “Practical Rollout of Community Learnings,” and “Track Record of Utilizing AWS Partner Programs.”

The Award consisted of the Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and Special Award, with four companies selected, including SHIFT. SHIFT was the sole recipient of the Special Award, which is presented to the partner that received the highest evaluation for its “practical rollout of community learnings.”

Members of the AWS team and our project members at the trophy presentation ceremony held at SHIFT Headquarters
(From left to right, 3rd: Mr. Koichiro Okuda, Head of Partner Alliance, Public Sector, Amazon Web Services Japan G.K.; 4th: Mr. Toshiaki Hosoda, Senior Executive Officer and Division Director of Development Division and Vice Division Director of Business Division, SHIFT Inc.; 5th: Mr. Satoshi Torano, Senior Cloud Architect, Alliance Promotion Group, Development Division, SHIFT Inc.)

[Reason for Award]
In February 2024, SHIFT fully launched its AWS-related business, focusing primarily on the public sector to meet customer needs, while placing dedicated efforts into expanding its services and training AWS talent to support them.

In April of the same year, SHIFT established “AWS CCoE,” a company-wide cross-functional organization. Leveraging field insights, CCoE steadily drove the creation of reproducible and scalable mechanisms—such as standardizing procedures, developing manuals, and establishing resale workflows. To further reinforce this initiative, SHIFT established a dedicated department, the “Alliance Promotion Group,” in January 2026.
As a result of strengthening this organizational foundation, as of 2026, the number of corporate certifications achieved grew by approximately 5 times compared to when CCoE was first established, valid internal AWS certifications increased by nearly 6 times, and the number of recognized engineers grew by about 8 times. Furthermore, ACE registrations (APN Customer Engagement deal submissions) expanded rapidly by approximately 10 times year-over-year.

In addition to rapid business growth, the process of strategically evolving the implementation structure into a dedicated department to drive these results was highly acclaimed as an “exemplary model case for other companies.” This led to receiving the Special Award at the Award. Additionally, Mr. Satoshi Torano, Senior Cloud Architect at SHIFT who led this initiative on the ground, received an individual Special Award.

Commentary from AWS
To further expand its AWS business, SHIFT started with the core question of “why it should be done” and actively strengthened its organizational structure to leverage AWS Partner Programs. Starting with a CCoE (Cloud Center of Excellence) concurrent with delivery operations, SHIFT incrementally expanded its internal processes and support structures—including ACE deal registration, acquiring AWS WAF Service Delivery designation*, applying for funds, and setting up resale workflows. Consequently, ACE deal registrations grew nearly 10-fold year-over-year, leading to the establishment of a dedicated department in January 2026. SHIFT was highly evaluated for translating learnings from the APN Japan Business Leaders Hub into concrete actions and systematically developing its activities as an AWS Partner. The process of building an AWS enablement structure serves as a valuable model for other companies in similar situations.

* AWS WAF Service Delivery Designation: A program under the AWS Service Delivery Program that certifies AWS Partners with deep technical knowledge, experience, and proven success in the WAF service domain.

・Award Winners Announcement Page: https://aws.amazon.com/jp/blogs/psa/japan-awsome-business-leaders-award-2025/

Our Senior Cloud Architect, Mr. Satoshi Torano, receiving the Individual Special Award trophy from Mr. Koichiro Okuda, Head of Partner Alliance, Public Sector, Amazon Web Services Japan G.K.

[About APN Japan Business Leaders Hub]
The APN Japan Business Leaders Hub is a community for companies that meet specified eligibility requirements among Services Path Advanced Tier partners in the AWS Partner Network. It aims to support business growth by enabling alliance leaders and managers driving AWS cloud businesses to maximize their utilization of AWS Partner Programs.

[SHIFT’s Initiatives in the AWS Domain]
Key Designations & Certifications Held
・AWS Advanced Tier Service Partner
・AWS 400 APN Certification Distinction
・AWS WAF Partner
・AWS In-House Development Support Partner
・AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR) for Service Offerings: Certified for “AWS Security Assessment”

Key Case Studies
・KDX ST Partners, Inc.
Built a high-difficulty, next-generation AWS infrastructure key to AI-driven development, achieving both accelerated development speed and risk control.
https://service.shiftinc.jp/case/kenedix-st/

・Shinagawa City Office
Launched a proof-of-concept for contact center automation utilizing AI agents.
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000130.000018724.html

We have a proven track record of supporting clients across a wide range of industries and scales, from government agencies to manufacturing companies. For details on our services and track record, please feel free to reach out via the link below.
・Service Inquiries: https://service.shiftinc.jp/contact/
・”SHIFT AWS CCoE Blog” (Insights from SHIFT’s AWS Specialists):
https://note.shiftinc.jp/m/m91a0d871dd9f