Aviato named Google Cloud partner of the year for ANZ

Aviato Consulting has been named Google Cloud Partner of the Year for Australia and New Zealand. Google Cloud announced the award through its annual partner awards programme.

The recognition places Aviato among a small group of partners selected for their work with joint customers. According to details released with the announcement, the award relates to customer projects in areas including infrastructure modernisation and artificial intelligence.

Aviato is a relatively young consultancy in the regional cloud services market. Founded in 2023 by Ben King, a former Google Cloud Consulting Lead for APAC, it has built its business around advising customers on Google Cloud projects, from architecture and migration work to data and AI deployments.

During 2025, Aviato expanded its technical specialisations with a focus on artificial intelligence and infrastructure modernisation. It also worked with legacy enterprises on complex migrations and completed large cloud migration projects for enterprise clients.

Regional recognition

Partner awards from major cloud providers are closely watched in the technology services sector because they can shape how customers assess smaller consultancies against larger systems integrators. For a business founded little more than two years ago, the award gives Aviato a prominent endorsement in Australia and New Zealand, where competition for cloud transformation work remains intense.

Google Cloud positioned the award around customer outcomes delivered through its partner ecosystem. "The Google Cloud Partner Awards honour the strategic innovation and measurable value our partners bring to customers. We are proud to name Aviato a 2026 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, celebrating their role in driving customer success over the last year," said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem and Channels, Google Cloud.

The award also highlights the continued importance of channel and consulting partners to large cloud vendors. While hyperscale providers sell infrastructure directly, many enterprise customers still rely on external advisers for migration planning, application changes, governance, and the practical integration of AI tools into existing operations.

That dynamic has created room for specialist firms focused on a single ecosystem. Aviato positions itself as a Google Cloud-focused consultancy, a model that can appeal to customers seeking deep platform knowledge rather than broad multi-vendor coverage.

Growth story

The business has shown other signs of momentum as it expands. It was recognised as an AFR Fast Starter in the 2025 Fast 100 and also received workplace awards in Australia. Those distinctions are separate from the Google Cloud partner programme, but they show how Aviato is building both commercial credibility and an internal hiring brand in a crowded market for cloud talent.

King linked the award to the consultancy's founding approach and customer work. "My mission at Aviato is to bring the best of Google Cloud technology to your toughest business problems. I founded Aviato Consulting to do things differently; we want to deliver as much value as we can to our customers, and help them transform not only their business but their industry. We're different because we prioritise solutions, not billable hours," said Ben King, Chief Executive Officer, Aviato Consulting.

His comments reflect a common pressure in the consulting sector. Clients facing large technology bills are increasingly scrutinising implementation partners on delivery speed, business results, and pricing models, especially as AI projects move from pilot programmes into broader operational use.

Customer work

Aviato cited its work with Pink Cloud as one example of customer activity. Pink Cloud is a digital platform designed to support women on their journey to sobriety, and Aviato said it helped build the app using Google Cloud.

Customer references can carry particular weight for specialist consultancies because they demonstrate practical delivery beyond certifications and partnership badges. In this case, the customer highlighted both technical execution and speed of development.

"Aviato's expertise and Google Cloud were instrumental in bringing our vision for Pink Cloud to life. Their collaborative approach and agile development process allowed us to build a robust and user-friendly app in record time, empowering us to make a real difference in the lives of women seeking support on their sobriety journey," said Cook.

For the wider market, the award underscores how demand for cloud migration and AI-related services continues to support smaller advisory firms that can demonstrate sector knowledge and a close relationship with a major platform provider. For Aviato, it marks an early milestone in its effort to turn a recently founded consultancy into a recognised name across Australia and New Zealand.