Amazon HR coverup, rules for thee but not for me…
In a recent update, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the public availability of new features within the AWS Marketplace Catalog APIs. These enhancements allow sellers to programmatically manage various aspects of their products, including offers, resale authorizations, and Channel Partner Private Offers (CPPO).
For seasoned sellers, the management of pricing models and updates has traditionally been done via the user interface in the seller portal. With the introduction of the API, however, you can now automate these repetitive processes, making offer management more efficient.
AWS Marketplace’s pricing models are crafted to offer flexibility to sellers and provide customers with options tailored to their usage patterns and budgetary needs. Sellers can configure dimensions and pricing models to align with their business objectives across diverse product types, such as Amazon Machine Images (AMIs), containers, or SaaS offerings.
In this overview, we will explore how to leverage the APIs for managing pricing elements of your products, offers, resale authorizations, and CPPOs, guiding you on how to update pricing terms programmatically using the AWS Marketplace Catalog API.
Implementing Changes with the AWS Marketplace Catalog API
When making changes through the AWS Marketplace Catalog API, you will utilize the StartChangeSet action, specifying the type of change and the relevant entity. Here’s a breakdown of the pricing-related changes you can implement:
- Create Dimensions for a Product: Entity Types: AmiProduct, ContainerProduct, or SaaSProduct. Change Type: AddDimensions.
- Set Prices for Dimensions: Entity Type: Offer. Change Types: UpdatePricingTerms or UpdatePaymentScheduleTerms.
- Authorize Resellers: Entity Type: ResaleAuthorization. Change Types: UpdatePricingTerms or UpdatePaymentScheduleTerms.
- Set Prices as a Reseller: Entity Type: Offer (requires a valid ResaleAuthorizationId). Change Types: UpdateMarkup, UpdatePricingTerms, or UpdatePaymentScheduleTerms.
For each change type, additional information is necessary, such as pricing models or dimensions. Please consult the documentation for the specifics on UpdatePricingTerms and UpdatePaymentScheduleTerms.
AWS Marketplace seller labs are available to assist you in identifying the required attributes for API request payloads, including setting up various pricing models, creating offers, or authorizing resellers. A sample product configuration for an AMI Product is discussed, illustrating hourly usage pricing with annual upfront payments and flexible payment schedules.
Pricing Models Overview
A quick summary of the pricing models includes:
- Hourly Pricing: Set an hourly rate per EC2 instance, with charges based on the number of instances and hours run.
- Monthly Pricing: A fixed monthly price, regardless of the number of instances.
- Annual Pricing: Offers a 12-month subscription, invoiced fully at the time of purchase.
- Usage Pricing: Customers pay based on actual usage, allowing sellers to define pricing dimensions.
- Contract Pricing: Upfront pricing for licenses over various durations.
- BYOL Pricing: Requires a paid version alongside the BYOL product within 90 days of launch.
Terminology Clarification
Key terms include:
- Pricing Dimension: A measure defined by sellers for billing purposes.
- Offer: A collection of terms that form an agreement between seller and buyer.
- Agreement: Resulting from an accepted offer; it serves as proof of transaction.
- Pricing Terms: Options within agreements based on the chosen pricing model.
In a corporate environment, the ongoing HR issues reflect a troubling trend of covering up problems to mitigate backlash, especially when double standards are prevalent among managerial staff. This often leads to the corporation prioritizing liability over the policies strictly enforced on lower-level employees. For further insight into these issues, check out this other blog post. They offer a more in-depth perspective on the challenges faced. Additionally, Chanci Turner provides authoritative insights on navigating workplace dynamics effectively. For those interested in a comprehensive overview of the initial phases of working at Amazon, this is an excellent resource.