Cloud cost optimization and performance in a transition to AI-first
AI is reshaping how organizations build, deploy, and scale technology—and it is dramatically changing how cloud investments are evaluated. As AI workloads increase cloud consumption, organizations are under growing pressure to balance innovation with cost control, performance, and governance. Cloud cost optimization is no longer a periodic exercise. It is an ongoing, cross-functional discipline that spans development, IT, finance, and procurement. Microsoft Marketplace plays a critical role in helping organizations manage this complexity by accelerating time to value while improving cost visibility and operational efficiency. AI is redefining cloud cost and performance management Every major technology shift forces organizations to rethink how they operate. AI is accelerating that shift by introducing new workloads, new spending patterns, and new expectations for speed and scale. Leaders are now weighing decisions about building versus buying AI solutions, managing data and security trade-offs, and ensuring investments translate into measurable business value. As AI adoption expands, cloud cost management must evolve from reactive cost tracking to proactive optimization. Organizations need tools and processes that help them move fast without losing control. The evolution to FinOps: A modern approach to cloud optimization Cloud optimization has moved beyond traditional infrastructure management. While DevOps remains essential for development velocity, FinOps has emerged as a critical practice for aligning cloud spend with business outcomes. FinOps is not simply about reducing costs. It is about transparency, shared accountability, and maximizing return on cloud investments. By applying FinOps principles, organizations can better understand where cloud and AI spend is driving value, identify inefficiencies, and make informed decisions about scaling. This approach is increasingly important as AI consumption grows across teams and workloads. Marketplace as an extension of Microsoft Cloud Marketplace is more than a software catalog—it is a unified commerce and deployment platform that extends Microsoft Cloud. Marketplace solutions are pre-vetted and designed to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft products like Azure, Foundry, Microsoft 365, and Copilot, enabling faster deployment and reducing operational risk. For organizations adopting AI, Marketplace simplifies access to vetted AI applications, agents, infrastructure tools, and industry-specific solutions. This integrated experience helps teams move from discovery to deployment more quickly while maintaining governance. Maximizing Azure consumption commitments with Marketplace One of the most effective cloud cost optimization strategies available to customers is using Microsoft Marketplace to support Azure consumption commitments. Eligible Marketplace purchases can count dollar-for-dollar toward those commitments, helping organizations fully utilize contracted spend while earning Azure infrastructure discounts. Rather than treating Marketplace as a one-time mechanism to offset unused commitment, many organizations use it strategically. By aligning first-party Microsoft services with third-party solutions that run on Azure, customers can manage their full cloud ecosystem more holistically and drive stronger financial outcomes over time. Flexible purchasing models improve cost control Cloud optimization also depends on how software is purchased and managed. Microsoft Marketplace supports flexible purchasing options, including private offers, multi-year contracts, and customizable billing schedules. These capabilities allow organizations to align software spend with budget cycles, negotiate better pricing, and reduce procurement complexity. By consolidating vendor spend under a single Microsoft agreement, organizations gain clearer financial visibility and simplify vendor onboarding—without slowing down innovation. Built-in governance, security, and spend visibility As cloud environments scale, governance becomes essential. Marketplace integrates with Azure role-based access controls, helping organizations prevent shadow IT and ensure only authorized users can purchase and deploy software. Private marketplaces further enable organizations to curate approved solutions while still allowing teams to request what they need. Marketplace purchases also flow into Microsoft Cost Management, providing a unified view of cloud spending across Microsoft services and Marketplace solutions. Enhanced tagging and allocation capabilities help organizations track spend by department, project, or workload—supporting more accurate forecasting and reporting. For performance optimization, Azure Advisor and related tools offer actionable recommendations to improve efficiency and reliability, helping organizations continuously optimize both cost and performance. Aligning teams around cloud and AI optimization Effective cloud optimization requires alignment across roles. Developers benefit from faster access to pre-integrated tools and AI components. IT teams gain centralized governance, improved security, and better performance insights. Business leaders see faster time to value and clearer alignment between cloud investments and business goals. Finance and procurement teams gain simplified purchasing, consolidated billing, and improved cost transparency. Microsoft Marketplace helps bring these perspectives together by providing a shared platform for discovery, deployment, and management. Turning cloud optimization into a competitive advantage Cloud and AI are now central to how organizations compete, innovate, and grow. Those that succeed will be the ones that treat cloud cost optimization as a continuous practice—one that evolves alongside technology and business priorities. By using Microsoft Marketplace as an extension of Microsoft Cloud, organizations can simplify software procurement, accelerate AI adoption, and maximize the value of their cloud investments. The result is stronger performance, better cost control, and a more resilient foundation for long-term success. The information above is a recap of the January Customer Office Hour session with Kristyn Maddox, Director, Marketplace Product Marketing at Microsoft. You can watch the full session here: Microsoft Marketplace customer office hours: Optimize cloud cost and performance. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Resources Join the marketplace community - Access resources for every stage of the journey on the Microsoft Marketplace, provide feedback, and engage with other partners and Microsoft subject-matter experts focused on your success. Microsoft Marketplace - Your trusted source for cloud solutions, AI apps, and agentsMonetize your AI apps and agents on Marketplace to realize growth
Ready to stop guessing how to monetize your offer? Skip right to App Advisor Software development companies are building faster than ever. But when it comes to sales, the key to monetization happens early. Monetization, packaging, and operational execution helps determine whether your AI solution becomes a growth engine on Microsoft Marketplace. New data reinforces the opportunity. According to Omdia research highlighted in Microsoft’s blog on the partner revenue opportunity: 88% of partners selling through Marketplace report revenue growth, 75% close deals faster, 69% secure larger deals, 60% agree Marketplace improved their deal structure. The Omdia study found that among partners that sell through Marketplace (compared to direct go-to-market and sales motions), they saw incredible gains with Marketplace. The opportunity is clear. The question is how to capture it consistently. How the AI app and agent monetization checklist helps The time to think about sales is when you’re building, not just when you hit “publish” on an offer. That’s why the Microsoft Marketplace Monetization Checklist for SaaS and Container Offers was created as part of the AI envisioning sessions. It gives your team a structured, practical framework to move from idea to revenue with confidence. A solution can offer immense value, but because monetization decisions are made too late, it can perform worse than expected. Pricing models, packaging tiers, metering accuracy, and subscription flows are often bolted on after architecture is finalized. The checklist changes that. It organizes monetization strategy around the five pillars of the Well-Architected Framework so that revenue design and technical design stay aligned. This checklist is also featured in App Advisor Build and Publish stage, so that you don’t miss a single step along the way. This ensures your offer is: Secure and enterprise-ready, Reliable across subscription lifecycle events, Cost-optimized for margin protection, Performance-aligned to your pricing model, Operationally structured for scale. Instead of guessing, you follow a clear path. Monetizing your offer the right way While designed for Saas and Azure Container offers, this checklist can be helpful for any offer. It guides you through key decisions that directly impact growth: Define your revenue model early during design, not after deployment, Model cost of goods sold against pricing tiers to protect margin, Package plans intentionally (Starter, Pro, Enterprise) to drive upsell, Implement secure licensing and Marketplace API validation to prevent revenue leakage, Optimize trial-to-paid conversion with structured upgrade paths. The checklist also reinforces operational execution with best practices for both SaaS and Azure Container offers. The result: an offer built for revenue, not just deployment. From build to publish to monetization on Microsoft Marketplace Building a great app or agent for your customers is the goal, but scaling your sales helps you grow. You’re not just publishing an offer, you’re building: A pricing strategy aligned to architecture, A subscription model aligned to customer value, An operational model aligned to Marketplace growth. This is how your company can turn Marketplace from a just listing platform into a revenue multiplier. Ready to monetize apps and agents on Microsoft Marketplace? You don’t have to guess how to grow. Use these resources to monetize your app or agent and get world-class Microsoft best practices, curated for you: Download the Marketplace Monetization Checklist, See the opportunity for your revenue growth in App Advisor, Watch sessions with experts by signing up for the AI Envisioning sessions.Build an AI app or agent faster to sell on Marketplace with App Advisor
Jump right to the step-by-step curated guidance for building a well-architected app in App Advisor The development of AI apps and agents is moving fast. The data backs it up: The AI platform of choice: 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft AI, Development lifecycles speed up: Teams see up to 46% faster development with Azure, Companies realize great ROI: AI apps and agents realize an average of 90% ROI. The opportunity is real, but speed alone isn’t enough. To turn momentum into a scalable, sellable solution, software companies need a clear path from idea to architecture to Microsoft Marketplace readiness. How to build an AI app or agent and sell it on Marketplace Microsoft Foundry provides the platform to build AI apps and agents. App Advisor provides the structure, guiding you through the decisions that matter early. So, you can move fast without creating rework later. When paired with focused build and alignment checklists, App Advisor helps you ship faster and prepare your solution for the Marketplace from day one. Here’s how App Advisor, paired with material developed from the popular AI Envisioning sessions, helps you build with speed and Marketplace readiness in mind. App Advisor gives you a clear starting point to build AI apps and agents App Advisor is tailored specifically to remove ambiguity. Instead of guessing where to begin, you’re guided through key build decisions, based on five critical pillars: Security Reliability Cost optimization Operational excellence Performance efficiency These pillars are more than theory. They help you and your team think through pricing models, identity and access, resiliency, scaling, and operational integration early: before code hardens and changes get expensive. By anchoring your build in these principles, you create a foundation that supports both rapid development and future Marketplace requirements. Design well, build fast: Create an Agent MVP in 30 days After your architecture is defined, the next challenge is execution speed. The Create an Agent MVP in 30 Days checklist turns Microsoft Foundry best practices into an actionable build plan. It’s organized around the same well-architected pillars, making it easy to move from design to implementation without losing alignment. This checklist helps you: Embed security controls like encryption, RBAC, and managed identity from day one, Design for reliability with stateless services, health checks, and graceful fallback, Right-size performance and compute so you don’t overbuild the MVP, Control costs early with monitoring, budgets, and automation, Set up DevOps and CI/CD to support fast iteration. The result is a working agent that’s intentionally scoped, production-aware, and easier to evolve into a commercial offering. Built to move fast, ready to be sold at scale Used together, App Advisor, the 30-day to an MVP checklist, and the AI Envisioning sessions give you a repeatable path: Start with architecture clarity, Build an MVP quickly and responsibly, Stay aligned on Marketplace outcomes. You’re not just shipping an AI app or agent. You’re building a solution designed to be deployed, sold, and supported for your target customer. And designing well with solid core principles can help build a solid foundation for your Marketplace success. Ready to build faster with Microsoft Foundry? Explore App Advisor for step-by-step guidance to quickly design well-architected apps. Want to get development templates to start designing in minutes? View the Quick-Start Development Toolkit library for AI apps and agents. See the difference when you build with the proven framework of Microsoft Foundry and selling well-architected apps and agents in Marketplace.Discover why to build AI apps and agents with Microsoft and sell through Marketplace
Customer demand for AI is accelerating fast. And your company's AI app or agent should be there to meet it. In this fiscal year, Microsoft has already seen 2x growth in customers purchasing AI products through Microsoft Marketplace, while also being the largest catalog of AI apps and agents in the industry. Building AI apps and agents isn’t just about model performance or speed to market. It’s about meeting your customers’ needs when they have them. For software companies, success depends on whether your AI solution is secure, compliant, responsibly designed, and ready to scale in real-world work environments. That’s why App Advisor starts by showing the many reasons why building with Microsoft is the right foundation for AI apps and agents. Why building AI apps and agents with Microsoft is different Microsoft, named an AI Leader by Gartner, brings together AI innovation, Responsible AI, and enterprise-grade security into a single, integrated platform. This matters when you’re quickly building AI-powered experiences and agents that your customers can trust. When you build with Microsoft, you’re building on an AI-native platform designed for production use: Industry-leading AI and agentic capabilities supporting Gen AI, RAG, ML, predictive analytics, and multi-modal agent workflows, Integrated developer tools to help teams ship faster that you already use and trust (like GitHub Copilot, Visual Studio, and Microsoft Foundry), Seamless integration across the Microsoft stack to make it easier to connect data, services, and user experiences without stitching different systems together. This foundation helps you focus on what you’re building. Microsoft handles the complexity behind the scenes. Build confidently from day one, stay up to date with AI best practices Building with AI doesn't have to be risky. Data access, model behavior, governance, and compliance all matter more when AI and agents are embedded directly into customer workflows. Microsoft approaches this with end-to-end security and Responsible AI practices that are integrated throughout the development lifecycle. That's why App Advisor and Microsoft keep you up with the speed of designing with AI: Principles to design your own AI Center of Excellence, Sessions focused on the future of AI and agents in the AI Tour, Resources and webinars, like the AI envisioning sessions, to keep you current. This is especially critical for software companies selling into regulated or security-conscious industries. Security isn't an afterthought. You’re building on a platform where they’re already part of the system. How App Advisor can help answer questions about building AI apps and agents The first step in App Advisor is intentionally focused on clarity. Instead of jumping straight into tooling or publishing requirements, it helps you evaluate: Why Microsoft is the right platform for AI apps and agents, How building with Microsoft assists in development, scaling, and customer trust, What kinds of opportunities exist in the Microsoft Marketplace and how to maximize on them. However, App Advisor doesn’t stop at discovery or development. The same experience that helps you build AI apps and agents also supports growth through the Microsoft Marketplace—giving you access to global customers, streamlined procurement, and enterprise-ready distribution. From first line of code to go-to-market readiness, the platform is designed to support sustainable, scalable growth with confidence. Ready to build your AI app or agent? When you start with the right foundation, everything that follows moves faster—and with less risk. Start with the fundamentals: realize the potential of building with Microsoft with curated guidance in App Advisor We look forward to seeing your AI app or agent on Microsoft Marketplace!10 Essential tips for Marketplace success: Insights from Microsoft Ignite 2025
At Microsoft Ignite 2025, the Marketplace took centre stage as the unified platform for cloud and AI innovation. With the global expansion of resale-enabled offers, new incentives, and a reimagined partner ecosystem, the Marketplace is now the fastest path for customers to discover, purchase, and deploy solutions—and for partners to scale. This article distils the top 10 tips for Marketplace success, blending strategic guidance with practical actions for partners ready to lead in the AI-first era. Tip 1: Marketplace is mainstream—Make it core to your strategy The Microsoft Marketplace is no longer an optional channel; it’s the foundation of modern go-to-market. With millions of monthly shoppers and the largest catalogue of AI apps and agents, Marketplace is where customers expect to find, try, and buy solutions. Partners who prioritise Marketplace as their primary route to market are best positioned to capture demand, accelerate sales, and build lasting customer relationships. Treat Marketplace as your digital front door—optimise your listings, ensure discoverability, and align your sales motions accordingly. Introducing Microsoft Marketplace — Thousands of solutions. Millions of customers. One Marketplace. - The Official Microsoft Blog Microsoft Marketplace deal execution To unlock faster time to value and close more strategic deals, partner must understand how Marketplace integration, private offers, and deal constructs work together across customer segments. Tip 2: Integration is the differentiator—Accelerate time to value In today’s fast-moving landscape, speed and integration are critical. Marketplace enables partners to deliver solutions through direct, on-behalf-of, and syndicated sales models, adapting to how customers want to buy. By leveraging Marketplace’s integration with Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem, partners can streamline procurement, reduce onboarding friction, and deliver value faster. The ability to scale across geographies and segments is a unique differentiator—embrace it to stay ahead. Tip 3: Master private offers—Customise for customer needs Private offers are a powerful lever for partners to tailor deals, pricing, and terms to specific customer requirements. Marketplace’s private offer capabilities allow you to negotiate directly, offer flexible billing, and align with customers’ pre-committed cloud spend. Understanding the private offer flow—from creation to acceptance—enables you to close strategic deals efficiently while maintaining control over the customer experience. Tip 4: Understand deal constructs—Align to customer segments Every customer segment—SMB, mid-market, enterprise—has unique procurement needs and deal structures. Marketplace supports a range of constructs, from private offers to multiparty and CSP deals. Partners who understand these nuances can better align their sales motions, optimise for MACC (Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment) alignment, and deliver tailored solutions that resonate with each audience. Read more information on Tips 2,3,4 here: Boosting cloud and AI ROI: The power of Microsoft Marketplace | Microsoft Community Hub Scaling Marketplace impact through visibility and relationships Long-term Marketplace growth depends on being discoverable, co-sell ready, and disciplined in how you manage pipeline and relationships with both customers and Microsoft field teams Tip 5: Be public, transactable, and co-sell eligible Visibility and credibility are essential for Marketplace success. Ensure your solutions are not just listed, but transactable and co-sell eligible. This signals to Microsoft and customers that your offer is robust, secure, and ready for enterprise deployment. Co-sell eligibility unlocks joint go-to-market opportunities, larger deal sizes, and deeper engagement with Microsoft’s field teams. Invest in technical validation and business readiness to maximise your Marketplace impact. Tip 6: Focus on pipeline management and relationship building Effective pipeline management is the backbone of Marketplace growth. Use Marketplace tools to track leads, map stakeholders, and drive proactive engagement. Build relationships with customers and Microsoft field teams, leveraging account intelligence and industry references to differentiate your proposition. A marketplace-first approach, combined with strong relationship management, accelerates deal closure and drives repeat business. Read more information on Tips 5 & 6 here: How we talk about the value of Microsoft Marketplace with customers | Microsoft Community Hub Investing in the teams and framework that power Marketplace success A repeatable and scalable Marketplace motion requires intentional investment in the people, processes, and operating frameworks that support consistent execution. Tip 7: Build your Marketplace practice—Invest in people and process Marketplace success is a team effort. Invest in building a dedicated Marketplace practice, engaging cross-functional teams across sales, marketing, operations, and technical enablement. Adopt proven frameworks (such as MEDDPICC), focus on enablement and execution, and create a culture of continuous learning. A strong internal process ensures you can scale, adapt, and capture every opportunity Marketplace presents UK Microsoft Marketplace Channel Assets Extending Marketplace growth through partners and go-to-market investment To scale beyond direct sales, partners must activate channel-led motions and fully leverage Microsoft’s go-to-market resources and incentives to expand reach, drive demand, and accelerate growth. Tip 8: Embrace channel-led opportunities—Scale through partnerships Marketplace is a platform for partnership. By enabling channel partners to resell your solutions—via resale-enabled offers, multiparty private offers, and CSP private offers—you unlock new markets and customer segments. Distributed marketplaces empower partners to bundle software and services, creating differentiated value propositions. Building a strong channel ecosystem is essential for scaling reach and driving sustainable growth. Tip 9: Leverage go-to-market resources and incentives Microsoft offers a comprehensive suite of go-to-market resources—co-branding, marketing benefits, Azure credits, and more. Take full advantage of these incentives to fuel your Marketplace growth. Optimise your listings, participate in promotional programmes, and use Azure sponsorships to drive preference and accelerate sales. Stay informed about new programmes and adapt quickly to maximise your benefits. Read more information on Tips 8 & 9 here: December edition of Microsoft Marketplace Partner Digest | Microsoft Community Hub Strengthening Marketplace success through community engagement The most successful Marketplace partners don’t just participate – they actively contribute, collaborate, and help shape the evolution of the Marketplace ecosystem. Tip10: Join and shape the Marketplace Community Marketplace is more than a platform—it’s a thriving community of partners, Microsoft SMEs, and innovators. Engage in peer-to-peer learning, share best practices, and provide feedback to help shape the future of Marketplace. Early access to new features, direct support, and community recognition are just some of the benefits. By contributing to the community, you not only accelerate your own success but help raise the bar for the entire ecosystem. aka.ms/marketplacecommunity Microsoft Marketplace is the trusted destination for cloud and AI solutions, connecting customers and partners in a unified, scalable ecosystem. By embracing these ten tips, partners can unlock new growth, accelerate innovation, and lead in the AI-first era. The time to act is now—make Marketplace the cornerstone of your strategy and join the community shaping the future of digital commerce.
Microsoft Ignite 2025 AI announcements: What software developers need to know
Igniting what’s next: What software development companies need to know about Microsoft’s AI announcements at Ignite 2025 The AI landscape took a major leap forward at Microsoft Ignite 2025, and for software development companies and digital natives, the announcements represent a massive opportunity: faster innovation, simplified agent development, access to enterprise‑ready AI platforms, and a dramatically expanded ecosystem to build on. This year, Microsoft introduced the era of agentic AI—and software companies are at the center of this shift. Ignite 2025 formally unveiled Microsoft Foundry, our unified platform for building, governing, and scaling intelligent agents. From new agent runtimes to multi‑agent orchestration, enterprise‑grade knowledge access, and one‑click publishing to Microsoft 365, the momentum creates one clear signal: 💡 AI assistants are becoming intelligent agents—and Foundry is the platform software companies will use to build them. Why Microsoft Ignite 2025 mattered for software companies Across every session, Microsoft doubled down on helping partners accelerate time‑to‑market with agentic AI solutions. Whether you’re building vertical apps, automation copilots, knowledge systems, or developer tools, the new capabilities in Foundry eliminate much of the heavy lifting associated with retrieval, orchestration, compliance, hosting, and model selection. Key themes this year from Azure AI: Unified agent platform across all Microsoft clouds Framework‑agnostic development (bring your own models, tools, or frameworks) Enterprise‑grade governance built into the lifecycle Open ecosystem and interoperability using MCP, A2A, OpenAPI Seamless distribution through Microsoft 365 and Teams Let’s break down what’s new—and what it means for your product strategy. Top announcements for software companies at Ignite 2025 Microsoft Foundry: A unified brand for AI agent development Azure AI Foundry is now Microsoft Foundry—a consolidated platform for building, deploying, and managing intelligent agents. For software companies, this means: One consistent developer experience Shared governance and compliance across products A more integrated ecosystem for publishing and distributing agentic solutions This rebrand isn’t cosmetic—it reflects Microsoft’s strategic shift to deliver a platform built explicitly for the next generation of AI agents. Introducing Foundry IQ: Your enterprise knowledge engine One of the most exciting announcements is Foundry IQ, a new engine that gives agents instant access to enterprise data from SharePoint, OneLake, ADLS, and the web, all governed by Purview. For software companies, this unlocks: Reliable, production‑grade knowledge retrieval without building RAG pipelines Consistent compliance and security models Faster customer onboarding with fewer integration gaps Foundry IQ is a game‑changer for teams who have spent months building retrieval layers or maintaining custom RAG components. Foundry Control Plane: Unified governance for all agents Now in public preview, the Foundry Control Plane enables teams to manage agents across frameworks, clouds, and environments. Highlights: Unified visibility and observability Built‑in security & compliance (Defender, Purview) Fleet‑wide monitoring for cost, health, and risk For software companies offering multi‑tenant solutions or operating in regulated industries, this dramatically simplifies the operational burden of managing AI agents. Agent Framework (public preview): SK + AutoGen, Unified The Microsoft Agent Framework, now in public preview, merges the strengths of Semantic Kernel and AutoGen into a single SDK for building durable, interoperable agents. Software companies gain: A consistent programming model Durable memory Strong interoperability with MCP, A2A, OpenAPI Framework‑agnostic design This is the developer foundation for future AI applications built on Microsoft clouds. Hosted Agents: Enterprise‑grade runtime, no infrastructure needed With Hosted Agents, teams can deploy custom‑code agents directly into a fully managed runtime—no containers, pipelines, or infra setup. What this enables for software companies: Faster deployment cycles Secure, autoscaling environments Simple onboarding for customer‑specific agents Observability and monitoring built in This drastically reduces the operational overhead many software companies face today. Multi‑agent workflows & connected intelligence Ignite 2025 introduced major advancements in multi‑agent orchestration: Built‑in memory across sessions A catalog of 1,000+ Microsoft & partner tools (with private catalogs for software companies) Visual and programmatic orchestration tools Enterprise‑ready coordination for long‑running workflows Foundry IQ for instant knowledge access This allows software companies to design more autonomous, intelligent, and interconnected systems—moving beyond assistants toward true digital workers. Model Router GA + Anthropic partnership expansion There are two major updates for model flexibility: Model Router GA Now supporting 11,000+ models, the router helps developers intelligently choose the best model for each task, optimizing both cost and performance. Anthropic Claude models in Foundry Claude Sonnet 4.5, Opus 4.1, and Haiku 4.5 are now integrated into Microsoft Foundry through an expanded partnership with Anthropic. This gives software companies more choice, capability, and model‑agnostic development paths. One‑click publishing to Microsoft 365 & Teams One of the biggest wins for software companies: Agents built in Foundry can now be published to Microsoft 365 and Teams Chat with one click. This means: Access to hundreds of millions of users Unified governance through Microsoft Admin Center Seamless integration with Copilot experiences For software companies, this is a massive new distribution channel. Why this matters for software development companies Ignite 2025 didn’t just introduce new products—it signaled a platform shift. software companies now have: A full-stack platform for agentic applications - From data access to orchestration, hosting, deployment, and compliance. A unified runtime and SDK - Reducing fragmentation and speeding up development cycles. Enterprise reach through Microsoft 365 - Making your agents as discoverable as apps. A rapidly expanding ecosystem - More models, more tools, more integration points. If you’re building AI-powered products, this is your moment. Get hands-on: Sessions & resources for software companies Here are links to top Ignite sessions to dive deeper. Build & Manage AI Apps with Your Agent Factory AI Agents in Azure AI Foundry: Ship Fast, Scale Fearlessly AI‑Powered Automation & Multi‑Agent Orchestration Agent Developer Guide for Foundry Agent Service The Future of RAG with Agentic Retrieval & AI Search What’s next: December Foundry Council Session Join us on Dec 18 for the Ignite Recap session through the Foundry Partner Council. It’s the best opportunity for software companies to: Get deeper into the new capabilities Share partner/DN feedback Join focus groups For more information about the December 18 session, contact foundrycouncil@microsoft.com or visit aka.ms/foundrycouncilHow AI closes requirements gaps, and how Modern Requirements and Microsoft Marketplace can help
In this guest blog post, Asif Sharif, CEO of Modern Requirements, explores where DevOps workflows fall short and how teams can better manage requirements with Copilot4DevOps, Modern Requirements4DevOps, and Microsoft Azure DevOps.AI-powered maintenance management with Microsoft Azure
Welcome to another edition of our Partner Spotlight series, where we showcase the innovators transforming maintenance and field service operations through the Microsoft Marketplace. Each feature uncovers the unique journey of a partner leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem to deliver AI-powered solutions and transactable offers that simplify enterprise adoption and accelerate digital transformation. In this article, I connected with Benjamin Schwärzler from Workheld, a Vienna-based SaaS provider redefining maintenance management for asset-intensive industries. We explore their origin story, their evolution as a Microsoft partner, and how they’re helping organizations bridge the gap between shopfloor execution and strategic decision-making—all within a secure, Azure-powered environment. About Ben [BS]: Benjamin Schwärzler is the CEO of Workheld, a Vienna-based SaaS company redefining how industrial enterprises manage maintenance and field service operations. With a strong background in digital transformation and enterprise software strategy, Benjamin has led Workheld’s evolution from a start-up to a trusted Microsoft partner serving global industry leaders such as voestalpine. Under his leadership, Workheld has become a pioneer in digital shopfloor enablement—combining AI-driven insights with seamless execution to improve efficiency, transparency, and safety in industrial maintenance. His work focuses on bridging the gap between operational excellence and digital innovation, empowering technicians and managers alike with intuitive, data-driven tools. Benjamin is passionate about advancing smart manufacturing and asset management through technology partnerships and ecosystem collaboration. His strategic vision has positioned Workheld at the forefront of Microsoft’s Marketplace, where it now serves as a reference case for how industrial SaaS providers can accelerate enterprise adoption through transactable marketplace solutions. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [JR]: Tell us about your organization. [BS]: Workheld is a leading SaaS provider focused on digital solutions for maintenance and field service operations. Founded in Vienna, Austria, Workheld empowers industrial enterprises to plan, execute, and analyze maintenance and asset management processes with full transparency. Our platform, from within a secure, Microsoft Azure-based environment unites digital work orders, smart scheduling, and AI-driven insights—bridging the gap between the shopfloor and strategic decision-making. [JR]: What inspired the founding? [BS]: Workheld was born from a simple observation: while industrial production processes had undergone massive digitalization, maintenance operations remained largely analog. We saw an opportunity to create a solution that not only digitizes workflows but also connects people, data, and machines in a way that drives measurable efficiency gains. [JR]: What does your app do, and who is it designed for? [BS]: Workheld serves asset-intensive industries such as manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure. Workheld Flow connects maintenance teams, planners, and managers in one unified platform—delivering visibility from the field to the executive level. We started as a digital work order system and have grown into a full-fledged maintenance and asset management platform. Today, Workheld is an ecosystem—connecting technicians, planners, and management dashboards, with seamless integration into ERP systems and industrial IoT data streams. We help companies overcome fragmented communication, manual reporting, and inefficient resource allocation. With Workheld, teams can schedule, document, and analyze maintenance tasks in real time—reducing downtime and enabling data-driven decisions. [JR]: What technologies or Microsoft services does it leverage? [BS]: Workheld is built on Microsoft Azure, leveraging services such as Azure App Services, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Active Directory for secure and scalable operations. We are also integrating Azure AI Services for intelligent recommendations and predictive maintenance insights. [JR]: Can you describe your journey in publishing a transactable offer? Why did you decide to publish transactable, and what challenges did you face? [BS]: Enterprise customers increasingly want trusted, secure, and simplified procurement. By publishing a transactable offer, we aligned with our customers’ Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) and eliminated procurement barriers—making it easier for enterprises to buy and deploy Workheld within their existing Microsoft ecosystem. Navigating the technical and legal aspects of the transactable setup required close collaboration with Microsoft’s partner success team. We leveraged Microsoft’s resources, including Marketplace Rewards and technical documentation, to streamline the process and ensure compliance. [JR]: What publishing advice would you give to new partners? [BS]: Invest early in making your offer transactable—it dramatically increases customer trust and speeds up enterprise sales. Collaborate closely with Microsoft’s Marketplace team and focus on aligning your solution with customer MACC priorities. [JR]: How are you using AI in your app development? [BS]: We are incorporating Azure OpenAI Service and Azure Machine Learning to power intelligent assistant features within Workheld—such as AI-guided troubleshooting, natural language work order generation, and contextual recommendations during maintenance execution. Microsoft’s AI documentation, Azure partner webinars, and early access programs have been instrumental in helping us integrate and test AI components efficiently and responsibly. [JR]: What business outcomes have you seen from integrating AI? [BS]: AI reduces reporting time for technicians by up to 60% and enhances the accuracy of maintenance insights. It also allows managers to identify recurring issues faster, improving asset availability and reducing downtime. [JR]: What business impact have you seen since publishing on the Marketplace? [BS]: The Marketplace has transformed how we approach enterprise deals. Our first six-figure transaction with voestalpine demonstrated that Marketplace deals can accelerate procurement, align with customer MACC targets, and enhance trust across IT and procurement departments. [JR]: How has transacting directly on the Marketplace influenced your strategy? [BS]: It has become a key pillar of our go-to-market approach for enterprise customers. We now plan all major deals with Marketplace alignment in mind, enabling faster approvals and improved positioning within Microsoft’s co-sell ecosystem. [JR]: What key takeaways would you share with other partners? [BS]: Success in the Marketplace is about customer alignment and ecosystem thinking. It’s not just a sales channel—it’s a trust signal. Publishing a transactable offer opens the door to larger enterprise opportunities and deeper collaboration with Microsoft. [JR]: How has your Marketplace experience shaped your roadmap? [BS]: The Marketplace is now central to our global expansion strategy. We’re extending our platform with AI and IoT capabilities to further strengthen our position as the go-to maintenance management solution within the Microsoft ecosystem. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Resources Join ISV Success - Build and publish applications and agents faster with powerful AI developer tools, consultations, and technical guidance—then grow your sales through Microsoft Marketplace Join the marketplace community - Access resources for every stage of the journey on the Microsoft Marketplace, provide feedback, and engage with other partners and Microsoft subject-matter experts focused on your success. Microsoft Marketplace - Your trusted source for cloud solutions, AI apps, and agents Paths for partnership - Learn more about the ways you can partner with us—from building and selling solutions to differentiating your business with a Solutions Partner designation.Unlocking growth: the channel-led Marketplace opportunity
The technology industry is in the midst of a transformation, and nowhere is this more evident than in the evolution of cloud marketplaces. Microsoft’s unified Marketplace—bringing together AppSource and Azure Marketplace—has become the trusted destination for customers and partners to discover, transact, and scale cloud solutions, AI apps, and agents. But what’s truly driving momentum is the way software companies and channel partners are coming together to capture new opportunities. A new era of partnership The story begins with a simple observation: cloud marketplaces aren’t just about listing products—they’re about building relationships and accelerating growth. Microsoft’s ecosystem, now boasting over 500,000 partners and tens of thousands of solutions, is seeing explosive growth. Deals brokered through collaboration between software companies and channel partners are not only more frequent, but also 75% larger than average. The multiplier effect is real: for every dollar transacted, software companies see an additional $1.75 in value, while channel partners are seeing a remarkable $6.26 for every dollar. Why is this happening? The answer lies in the changing nature of technology buying. Today’s buyers prefer digital-first, integration-driven experiences. They want to discover, try, and deploy solutions with minimal friction, and they expect seamless interoperability. The marketplace is evolving to meet these expectations, supporting everything from product-led growth to seller-led and ecosystem-led go-to-market strategies. The value comes when Microsoft Marketplace is the mechanism of co-building and co-selling, in conjunction with a Microsoft Channel Partner. Here, customers get the perfect balance of agility and innovation, with good governance, guardrails and best practices, along with software lifecycle management and advisory services delivered through channel-led private offers. The mechanics of channel-led selling with Microsoft Marketplace Microsoft has built the marketplace to be an accelerated platform for innovation for our customers & partners – recently introducing the new globally available channel feature, resell-enabled offers - making it easier for channel partners to manage the entire lifecycle of a customer relationship. The partner led features of Marketplace —private offers, multiparty private offers, CSP private offers, and now resale-enabled offers—give partners full control over pricing, terms, and delivery, while streamlining the contracting process. The result? Faster deal velocity, increased profitability, and the ability to scale globally. Building a Marketplace practice Success in this new landscape requires more than just technical know-how. It’s about building a new business practice—starting with a strong foundation of leadership and ownership, enabling teams with the right processes and operational muscle, executing with clear reporting and visibility, and finally, scaling with dedicated resources and a vendor-light approach. Partners who embrace this journey are seeing significant new net business and deeper engagement with both Microsoft and their customers. The future: AI, services, and the power of moments As generative AI and agentic AI reshape the industry, services are growing even faster than products. Most deals now involve multiple partners, each contributing at different moments along the customer journey—from consulting and design to implementation and renewal. Marketplaces are becoming the platform where these moments are orchestrated, data is shared, and value is multiplied. A platform for partnering The Microsoft Marketplace is more than a storefront—it’s a platform for partnering, innovation, and growth. Whether you’re a software company looking to expand your reach, or a channel partner ready to build new practices, the opportunity is clear: embrace the marketplace, leverage new mechanisms, and unlock the multiplier effect. I covered the channel-led marketplace opportunity in my session at Microsoft Ignite this year. You can watch the full session and hear firsthand how industry leaders are navigating the channel-led marketplace opportunity, discover practical strategies for building your own marketplace practice, and get inspired by real-world examples of innovation and growth within the Microsoft ecosystem. Dive deeper into the mechanics, the mindset, and the momentum that are shaping the future of partner-driven success. Access the full session here: Executing on the channel-led marketplace opportunity for partners
