Microsoft has and always will be a partner-centric organization. With customer demand for software solutions only increasing, it’s imperative that we develop a go-to-market strategy alongside our partners to solve our customers’ challenges. We are committed to ensuring a more inclusive and equitable supply chain, which is why we recently hosted a session for underrepresented founders in the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub program. The Microsoft commercial marketplace strives to democratize IT—learn how you can take your startup to the next level with the Microsoft commercial marketplace.
Why cloud marketplaces?
The business-to-business (B2B) software buying landscape is shifting. Spending on software continues to skyrocket, with analysts expecting the market to reach hundreds of billions over the next few years.1 This soaring demand for AI and cloud technologies has cemented the cloud as the backbone of modern business for increased operational efficiency, AI innovation, and scale.
With more Millennials and Gen Z leading purchasing decisions, Forrester predicts that over half of large B2B transactions worth $1 million or more will happen through digital platforms like cloud marketplaces.2 As marketplace software sales are projected to hit $85 billion by 2028, now is the time for software companies of all sizes to lean on the power of the marketplace commerce engine to handle the heavy lifting of cloud procurement—freeing you to focus on delivering customer value through innovative solutions3
The marketplace opportunity: Connecting your solutions to Microsoft customers
The Microsoft commercial marketplace is the most partner-focused business platform dedicated to helping partners reach more customers, simplify sales, and unlock growth. As an extension of the Microsoft Cloud, the marketplace connects customers to a comprehensive catalog of cloud and AI solutions published by software companies that are fully vetted by Microsoft. It simplifies the way customers find, buy, and manage their cloud portfolio—all in one destination.
At its core, the marketplace is a go-to-market channel that helps software companies break through the noise to reach customers globally.
Real-life success: Ntegral’s journey from regional SI to global ISV
To see this in action, take a look at Ntegral, Inc.
Ntegral is a Microsoft partner with more than 300 products in the marketplace, serving more than 18,000 customers across more than 160 countries. But it didn’t start that way.
Founded by Dexter Hardy in 2002, ntegral began as a systems integrator (SI), helping businesses deploy technology solutions. In 2021, recognizing the early potential of a marketplace-first business model, ntegral made a bold shift—pivoting from a service-based business to a marketplace-first software company.
This decision was a game changer. In three short years, ntegral went from a regional player to a global independent software vendor (ISV), reaching customers worldwide without leaving their headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We started as a regional consulting company in Georgia, serving surrounding states in the southeast. Now, we have customers in over 160 countries. That level of scale and growth wouldn’t have been possible without the Microsoft commercial marketplace. It allowed us to stay lean, focus on our expertise, and expand beyond what we once thought was possible.” – Dexter Hardy, President and Chief Executive Officer, ntegral
Today, ntegral’s solutions help customers move to the cloud, enabling AI innovation, and modernizing their estates to Microsoft Azure. Ntegral’s journey, one of rapid growth and expansion, has been propelled, in part, by the power of the marketplace.
Ways of selling through the marketplace
For software partners, the marketplace offers flexibility to sell how and where customers prefer to buy—whether digital direct, scaling through channel partners, or selling with Microsoft.
Digital direct
As more customers turn to self-service procurement, researching, evaluating, and purchasing solutions on their own, the marketplace is how you meet them where they are. The marketplace, as an always-on global commerce engine, enables partners to sell directly to millions of online shoppers through Azure Marketplace, Microsoft AppSource, and in-product experiences. This gives customers fast and easy access to your solutions, while providing customers with a trusted buying experience that streamlines the purchase and deployment of software as a service (SaaS) and cloud-based solutions.
Private offers through partners
Some customers prefer to procure software through a trusted channel partner, often systems integrators. With multiparty private offers, channel partners can purchase these solutions from software companies through the marketplace, ensuring the customer maintains their partner relationships. This capability is driving huge growth for software partners, who report two times larger deal sizes when selling with channel partners through multiparty private offers.
To expand reach to small and medium business (SMB) customers, CSP private offers enable software partners to motivate Cloud Solution Providers (CSP) to resell their solutions to better serve smaller customers.
Co-sell with Microsoft
Co-selling with Microsoft means joining forces with 35,000 global sellers to drive adoption of your solution. Even more impactful, Microsoft counts 100% of eligible marketplace purchases toward customers’ pre-committed cloud spend.
Why does this matter?
- Access pre-committed cloud budgets: Make it easier for enterprise customers to buy your solutions.
- Increase sales with customer incentives: Microsoft offers discounts for customers purchasing through the marketplace.
- Accelerate customer adoption: Most customers start using the marketplace to make use of Azure consumption commitments, but quickly realize additional benefits like 75% reduction in vendor onboarding time, increased procurement efficiency, and optimized cloud budgets.4
Whether you are looking to reach new customers, close bigger deals, or simplify procurement for your customers, the opportunity to sell through the marketplace has never been greater.
Actionable next steps to get started on the marketplace
Adopting the marketplace gives you an opportunity to lean on the marketplace to sell alongside Microsoft. Here’s how to get started to unlock new business opportunities through the marketplace, it’s easier than you think:
- Become a partner: Joining the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program is the first step for any software company looking to activate the Microsoft marketplace as a go-to-market channel. Sign up today, there is no cost to join.
- Enroll in the commercial marketplace: After you have a Microsoft partner ID, you must enroll in the marketplace by completing a tax and payment profile in Microsoft Partner Center, and signing the publisher agreement.
- Get listed: After you sign the publisher agreement, get your solution listed in the marketplace. You can get expert guidance on how to publish in the Mastering the Marketplace series or get support with ISV Success.
- Activate Marketplace Rewards: Once you have published on the marketplace, get support with proven sales and marketing benefits offered through Marketplace Rewards. Partners who use Marketplace Rewards get seven times more marketplace sales than those who do not.*
The marketplace is the future of cloud procurement. Start your journey to scale your startup through the Microsoft commercial marketplace.
If you want a deeper dive, view the full session on unlocking business opportunities through the Microsoft commercial marketplace on the Microsoft for Startups YouTube channel.
1 The Future of SaaS: Top Trends and Predictions in 2024 and Beyond (Custify, Nov 2024)
2 2025 B2B marketing and sales predictions (Forrester, Oct 2024)
3 Cloud marketplace sales to hit US$85 billion by 2028 (Canalys, Aug 2024)
4 Total Economic Impact™ of the Microsoft Commercial Marketplace (Forrester, 2023)
* Microsoft internal data
