How Infobip in Microsoft Marketplace can replace your messaging provider without rebuilding your app
In this guest blog post, Lukasz Strzelecki, Distinguished Engineer at Infobip, explores migrations involving messaging architecture and how Infobip's unified API for omnichannel communication can help organizations affected by the retirement of Azure Communication Services messaging.Maximize Oracle RAC Uptime on Azure VMs with FlashGrid Cluster available in Microsoft Marketplace
In this guest blog post, Art Danielov, CEO of FlashGrid, describes a multi-AZ high-availability architecture for mission-critical Oracle databases on Microsoft Azure and explains how FlashGrid Cluster enables Oracle RAC to span Azure availability zones.How software companies can reach more SMB customers through Microsoft Marketplace in the age of AI
Publishing an offer on Microsoft Marketplace creates a starting point for reaching more customers and scaling growth; the opportunity goes well beyond getting listed. For software companies, Marketplace can create a path to reach more customers and scale revenue, particularly in the SMB market. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) account for 90% of companies globally and 70% of the world’s employment, according to World Bank Group and International Finance Corporation (IFC) data. 1 For software companies, this creates a significant opportunity to serve small and medium businesses with solutions that fit how they operate. These businesses often have lean teams, limited procurement resources, and a preference for self-service experiences that help them evaluate, purchase, and deploy technology efficiently. The age of AI is accelerating the opportunity for software companies to reach and serve SMBs. Software companies are moving beyond a simple Marketplace listing, building AI-powered products designed for how SMBs buy, deploy, and scale today. Founded in 2002, Ntegral was a traditional systems integrator, deploying client technology solutions one contract at a time. In 2021, the company began shifting its business model from primarily delivering services to bringing its own software solutions to market through Microsoft Marketplace. At UP LIVE Reston, Ntegral’s President and CTO, Dexter Hardy, will share more about what that shift meant in practice, including how Ntegral adapted its approach to products, sales, and growth. The change expanded Ntegral’s reach. Dexter has called Microsoft Marketplace "a real game changer" for the company, which now offers 300+ enterprise solutions with deployments in more than 150 countries. 2 Dexter described Marketplace as an important part of Ntegral’s growth strategy, helping the company expand its reach while, in his words, allowing Ntegral “to stay lean, focus on our expertise,” as it entered new markets. 🎯A session worth your time Scaling reach and opportunity for SMBs Ntegral Inc.’s President and CTO, Dexter Hardy, will be onstage at Ultimate Partner LIVE Reston. The session will explore practical ways SMBs can build on their Marketplace presence to support customer reach and revenue growth. Hardy will share Ntegral’s journey from a regional systems integrator to a software company focused on developing its own solutions and reaching customers globally through Marketplace. 💡Ntegral's point of view: Marketplace adoption in the age of AI Ntegral sees Marketplace as an important part of scaling its business, alongside a product strategy designed around the needs of SMB customers. Ntegral recently introduced Akili, its AI-powered platform designed for SMBs and consultants. Akili brings access to AI models and agent capabilities into one workspace, giving small teams and solo operators a way to use these capabilities without managing separate subscriptions. For Ntegral, that product strategy is closely connected to how the company approaches Microsoft Marketplace. Ntegral sees AI adoption and Marketplace as complementary parts of its growth strategy: developing products around the needs of small businesses while using Marketplace to reach customers and support transactions at scale. For Ntegral, Marketplace is part of a broader commercial strategy that connects product innovation with customer reach and scalable sales. At UP LIVE Reston, Dexter brings that same directness to the stage. The focus is on practical mechanics: how software companies can build on their Marketplace presence to reach more customers and develop more pipeline, how AI fits into that strategy, and what Ntegral changed operationally as its business evolved. Learn more about Akili. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 📅 Attend UP LIVE Reston · October 26–28, 2026 Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center, Reston, VA 👉 Register for UP LIVE Reston 1 World Bank Group / IFC MSME Finance Factsheet 2 Ntegral | Empowering Digital and Cloud Transformations | Ntegral日本で加速するチャネル成長: Multiparty private offer で広がる Microsoft Marketplace の可能性
先日、2026年8月6日に開催された Marketplace community の partner office hour に、長岩とともに登壇しました。テーマは、Microsoft Commercial Marketplace の最新動向と、日本で提供が始まったばかりの multiparty private offer (MPO) を軸にした、日本市場でのチャネルビジネスの成長です。当日は多くのパートナーの皆様にご参加いただき、活発なご質問もいただきました。本記事では、その要点を Blog として共有します。日本のチャネルビジネスに関心をお持ちの ISV・販売パートナーの皆様のヒントになれば幸いです。 Marketplace はいま、どれだけ伸びているのか まず長岩から、Marketplace の全体像と市場のモメンタムをお話ししました。 Marketplace は、Microsoft AppSource と Azure Marketplace を統合した購買プラットフォームです。お客様はソリューションの「検索 → 購入 → デプロイ」までを一気通貫で行え、ISV にとっては販売チャネル、販売パートナーにとってはビジネスを広げるエコシステムになります。 数字が語るモメンタムは明確です。 クラウド Marketplace 市場は、2024年の約300億ドルから2030年には1,630億ドルへと拡大が見込まれ、チャネル経由の販売比率が高まっています（出典: Omdia, 2025年 1 ）。 Microsoft Marketplace の売上は、3年連続で前年比2倍に成長しています（出典: Microsoft パートナーブログ, FY27 2 ）。 co-sell は Marketplace 中心（Marketplace-first）のモデルへ移行しており、Microsoft Marketplace が Azure IP co-sell の主要な経路となっています。 3 日本の伸びが世界を上回っている点は、私たちが現場で感じている手応えとも一致します。 なぜ、いま Marketplace なのか Microsoft は、AI 時代の「Frontier Company」への変革をお客様とともに進めており、Marketplace はその購買体験をモダン化し、Azure 消費の中心となるプラットフォームと位置づけています。パートナーの皆様の視点で見逃せないのが、次の 2 点です。 お客様のコミットメントを活かせる (ベネフィットサイクル): お客様が Microsoft Azure に対して結んでいる消費コミットメント (MACC) は、サードパーティ ISV のソリューション購入にも充当でき、その購入額が MACC の消化としてカウントされます (IP co-sell Eligible なオファーが対象)。お客様は既存のコミットメントを活かして必要なソリューションを導入でき、パートナーにとっては提案しやすい環境が整います。 Microsoft 営業との連携: Marketplace 経由の取引は Microsoft の営業評価の対象にもなり、co-sell (協業) を組みやすくなります。さらに、認定 (Certified Software) を取得したソリューションは、追加のインセンティブ対象にもなります。 ISV を後押しする資金支援: Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace ISV の皆様が Marketplace 上でビジネスを立ち上げ、拡大するための資金支援プログラムも紹介しました。 プログラム 支援上限 狙い AI Build & Publish — Marketplace $100K Build and publish solutions AI Build & Publish — Copilot Agent Store $125K Build and publish agents SDC Customer Assessment & Proof of value (POV) $25K Assessment / POV SDC Customer Migration & Modernization $250K Migration / modernization いずれもプログラムへの登録と一定の要件があります。適格性の詳細やお申し込みは、記事末尾の窓口をご覧ください。 そして、multiparty private offer が日本へ (2026年7月15日 GA) ここからが本題です。2026年7月15日、multiparty private offer の日本提供が開始 (GA) されました。日本のチャネルビジネスに、新しい選択肢が加わったことになります。 Multiparty private offer の仕組み Multiparty private offer は、ひとことで言えば「ISV が販売パートナー経由でお客様に販売するモデル」です。ポイントは、ISV がオファーを作成・公開し、パートナー向け価格とオファー条件を設定することです。販売パートナーはマージンを設定し、顧客向け価格を決めて提示します。 実際の流れはこうです。 ISV がオファーを作成 販売パートナーへ提供 販売パートナーがマージンを上乗せ 顧客へ提示 顧客が承認 Marketplace で購入 Microsoft が代金を回収 Microsoft が販売パートナーへマージンを支払 Microsoft が ISV へ支払 本図では、multiparty private offer を MPO と表記します。 図1. Multiparty private offer 購入フロー 数字で見るとイメージしやすいと思います (以下は説明用の例です)。卸価格 100万円にパートナーマージン 20万円を乗せ、顧客価格は 120万円。Microsoft が顧客から 120万円を回収し、販売パートナーへマージン 20万円を支払います。ISV は、卸価格 100万円から Marketplace 手数料 3% (約3万円) を差し引いた 約97万円 を受領します。 Multiparty private offer の嬉しいところは、販売パートナーが自身でマージンを設定できる こと、パートナー同士の直接精算が不要 なこと、そして IP co-sell eligible なオファーであれば取引がお客様の Azure・MACC 消費として計上される ことです。 Resale enabled offer との違い あわせて resale enabled offer も紹介しました。resale enabled offer は「ISV が再販パートナーに再販権を付与し、再販パートナーが自社商材としてお客様に販売する」モデルです。 Multiparty private offer との決定的な違いは、ISV と再販パートナー間の精算が Marketplace の外で行われる点です。流れを multiparty private offer と同じ粒度で見てみましょう (説明用の例)。顧客価格 120万円を Microsoft が回収し、Marketplace 手数料 3% (3.6万円) を差し引いた 116.4万円 を再販パートナーが受領します。その後は、ISV と再販パートナーの契約条件に応じて ISV へ支払われます。この例での顧客への販売額は 120万円です。税務責任および売上計上の扱いは、取引構造・契約条件・適用される税法や会計基準によって異なります。各社の税務・会計専門家にご確認ください。 本図では、resale enabled offer を REO と表記します。 図2. Resale enabled offer 取引フロー 日本で効いてくる「2-tier」(Resale enabled offer と multiparty private offer) 当日、日本のパートナーの皆様にとって最も重要だとお伝えしたのが、resale enabled offer と multiparty private offer を組み合わせた 2-tier 構造 です。 登場人物は、ISV、一次販売パートナー (distributor)、二次販売パートナー (reseller)、そして顧客。前半を resale enabled offer、後半を multiparty private offer で構成します。「何百社もの販売店を 1 社ずつ契約するのは現実的ではない」― だからこそ、ISV は Distributor とだけ契約し、その配下のリセラー網で一気に展開できる。日本の既存の商流にそのまま重ねられる形です。 本図では、resale enabled offer を REO、multiparty private offer を MPO と表記します。 図3. Resale enabled offer と multiparty private offer を組み合わせた 2-tier モデル Multiparty private offer、resale enabled offer とcloud solution provider private offerはどう違う? 三者の違いを、当日の比較表に沿って整理します。 項目 Multiparty private offer Resale enabled offer Cloud solution provider プライベートオファー Microsoft ライセンスプログラム Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) / Enterprise Agreement (EA) / Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) PAYG / EA / MCA CSP 対象となる販売者 全 Microsoft パートナー 全 Microsoft パートナー CSP パートナー 顧客の MACC 消費対象 (※IP co-sell eligible) ○ ○ × IP Co-Sell 対象 ○ ○ × EA・SCE (Server and Cloud Enrollment) 顧客への提供 ○ ○ × CSP 顧客への提供 × × ○ 補足すると、multiparty private offer では ISV がパートナー向け価格とオファー条件を設定し、販売パートナーがお客様への販売とマージン設定を担います。役割が分かれている点が、単独販売との違いです。※ 参加には、各プログラムの登録・適格要件を満たす必要があります。MACC への算入は適格なソリューション・購入条件に限られます。IP co-sell 適格性はソリューションごとの要件に基づきます。詳細は、公式MPO参加条件、公式resale enabled offer参加条件、公式MACC適用条件をご確認ください。 会場からのご質問 (Q&A) 当日いただいた質問のうち、代表的なものをご紹介します。 Q. 消費税の徴収モデルが Microsoft 管理になる予定はありますか? 現時点では予定はありません。これは Marketplace の仕様ではなく、日本の税制に起因するものです。multiparty private offer では、ISV・販売パートナーそれぞれが取引上の役割に応じた税務責任を確認する必要があります。税務責任および売上計上の扱いは、取引構造・契約条件・適用される税法や会計基準によって異なります。各社の税務・会計専門家にご確認ください。resale enabled offer を検討する場合も同様です。 Q. リセラーですが、既存のお客様へ multiparty private offer を提供できますか? はい、可能です。multiparty private offer は「新規のお客様のみ」といった制限はなく、既存のお客様にもご提供いただけます。対象となるのは、EA・MCA (MCA-E)・間接 EA といった Azure 契約をお持ちのお客様です。一方、CSP 契約のお客様には、multiparty private offer ではなく CSP プライベートオファーをご利用ください。 Q. Multiparty private offer が日本対応したことで、最も変わるのは何ですか? 2 つあります。1 つは、従来 resale enabled offer では扱えなかった「multiparty private offer のみ対応のソリューション」を販売できるようになったこと。もう 1 つは、2-Tier 流通が可能になったことです。従来は再販パートナーを 1 社しか入れられませんでしたが、resale enabled offer と multiparty private offer により Distributor + Reseller の構造が実現します。 まとめ ― 3 つのポイント Multiparty private offer は、日本市場で不足していたチャネルモデルを補完する新機能 です。 Multiparty private offer と resale enabled offer は、Azure・MACC 消費 + IP co-sell 対象 という強力な差別化要素を備えています。 Resale enabled offer と multiparty private offer の組み合わせ により、日本の既存ディストリビューター/リセラー型の 2-Tier 商流を Marketplace 上で実現 できます。 日本の Marketplace はいま、世界でも際立ったスピードで伸びています。multiparty private offer の日本提供開始は、その成長をパートナーの皆様とともに加速させる、大きな一歩です。ご参加いただいた皆様、ありがとうございました。ご質問やご相談は、下記のリソースや窓口までお気軽にどうぞ。 参考リソース Microsoft Marketplace 公式ドキュメント: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/ Multiparty private offer 概要 (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/multiparty-private-offers-overview Multiparty private offer for ISVs / Selling Partners (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/multiparty-private-offers-for-isvs Multiparty private offer FAQ (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/multiparty-private-offers-faq Resale enabled offer 概要 (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/resale-enabled-offers-overview Channel-led Resources Hub: https://aka.ms/channel-ledresources Eligible Selling Partner List: https://aka.ms/MPOEligiblePartnerList 顧客の適格性チェック (POP re-check): https://aka.ms/poprecheck Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace: https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/partnership/frontier-accelerate-for-marketplace お問い合わせ (multiparty private offer/resale enabled offer の適格性・申請窓口): channelready@microsoft.com — English version — Accelerating partner-led growth in Japan through Microsoft Marketplace As organizations across Japan invest in AI and cloud transformation, partners are looking for faster and more scalable ways to bring solutions to market. Microsoft Marketplace helps software companies, distributors, and resellers work together to meet customer demand, scale faster through partner ecosystems, and bring cloud and AI solutions to market more efficiently. During a recent Marketplace community partner office hour, we explored how multiparty private offers help strengthen partner-led growth in Japan. Just how fast is Marketplace growing? Ryosuke opened with the big picture and the market's momentum. Marketplace is a purchasing platform that unifies Microsoft AppSource and Azure Marketplace. Customers can go from discover → purchase → deploy in one flow. For software development companies, it is a sales channel; for selling partners it is an ecosystem to grow their business. The numbers tell the story: The cloud marketplace market is projected to grow from $30 billion in 2024 to $163 billion by 2030, with the channel taking an increasing share of sales (Omdia, 2025 1 ). Microsoft Marketplace sales have doubled year over year for the third consecutive year (Microsoft Partner blog, FY27 2 ). Co-sell is moving to a Marketplace-first model 3 , making Microsoft Marketplace the primary path for Azure IP co-sell. Japan is outpacing the global rate, matching what we feel on the ground. Why Marketplace, and why now? Microsoft is helping customers transform into "frontier companies" for the AI era, and positions Marketplace as the platform that modernizes purchasing and sits at the center of Azure consumption. Two points stand out for partners: Customers can put their commitment to work: A customer's Microsoft Azure consumption commitment (MACC) can be applied to purchases of third-party software companies solutions, and those purchases count as MACC drawdown (for IP co-sell eligible offers). Customers can leverage existing commitments to accelerate adoption, while partners can more easily position solutions within larger cloud and AI opportunities. Alignment with Microsoft's sales teams: Transactions through Marketplace are recognized in Microsoft's sales performance, which helps partners co-sell at scale with Microsoft sales teams and expand reach into new customer opportunities. In addition, solutions that earn a Certified Software designation become eligible for additional incentives. Funding to help software companies: Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace We also introduced funding programs that help software companies launch and grow their business on Marketplace. Program Funding cap Purpose AI Build & Publish — Marketplace $100K Build and publish solutions AI Build & Publish — Copilot Agent Store $125K Build and publish agents SDC Customer Assessment & Proof of value (POV) $25K Assessment / POV SDC Customer Migration & Modernization $250K Migration / modernization Each program requires registration and certain requirements for the program. For details on eligibility and how to apply, please see the end of the article. A new path to channel growth in Japan Partners in Japan now have more flexibility to grow through channel-led sales motions. The general availability (GA) of multiparty private offer supports broader collaboration among software companies, distributors, and resellers. This launch helps partners in Japan scale faster through channel relationships, expand their solution portfolios, co-sell at scale with Microsoft, and pursue larger cloud and AI opportunities. A flexible model for partner growth In a nutshell, multiparty private offer is a model where a software company sells to customers through a selling partner. The software company creates and publishes the offer and sets the partner price and offer terms; the selling partner sets its margin and customer-facing price. The flow works like this: The software company creates offer Provides it to the selling partner The selling partner adds a margin Presents it to the customer The customer approves Purchases via Marketplace Microsoft collects payment Microsoft pays the margin to the selling partner Microsoft pays the software company The graphic uses MPO to mean multiparty private offer. Multiparty private offer simplifies partner-to-partner transactions by providing a structured framework for pricing, margin management, and payments through Microsoft Marketplace. Creating new revenue opportunities, the selling partner sets its own margin. There is no direct settlement between partners. For IP co-sell eligible offers, the transaction counts toward the customer's Azure/MACC consumption. Another path to market We also covered resale enabled offer. Resale enabled offer is a model in which a software company grants resale rights to a reseller partner, and the reseller sells it to customers as its own product. A key difference between a multiparty private offer and a resale enabled offer is that settlement between the software company and the resale partner takes place outside Marketplace. Microsoft collects payment from the customer and pays the resale partner through Marketplace. For illustration, let's look at the resale enabled offer transaction. In the resale enabled offer model, reseller partners purchase and resell solutions through their own commercial relationships, giving them greater flexibility in how revenue is recognized and managed. Note: Tax responsibilities and revenue recognition depend on the transaction structure, contractual terms, and applicable tax laws and accounting standards. Please consult your tax and accounting advisers. The graphic uses REO to mean resale enabled offer. The "2-tier" model that works for Japan One of the most significant opportunities for Japan is the ability to support existing distributor-reseller business models through Marketplace. By combining resale enabled offer and multiparty private offer, software companies can extend their reach through established channel ecosystems, helping partners scale faster and engage more customers. The players are the software company, a first-tier selling partner (distributor), a second-tier selling partner (reseller), and the customer. The first half is the resale enabled offer; the second half is the multiparty private offer. Contracting with hundreds of resellers one by one isn't realistic so the software company contracts only with the Distributor and reaches the market through the Distributor's reseller network. It helps partners scale through existing distributor and reseller networks, expanding market reach without requiring one-to-one contracting relationships. The graphic uses REO for resale enabled offer and MPO for multiparty private offer. Comparing partner growth models The following table compares the partner growth model. Note: Participation is subject to the applicable registration and eligibility requirements; MACC credit applies only to eligible solutions and qualifying purchases; and IP co-sell eligibility is determined at the solution level. Please check the official multiparty private offer participation requirements, resale enabled offer participation requirements, and MACC eligibility conditions. Item Multiparty private offer Resale enabled offer Cloud solution provider (CSP) private offer Microsoft licensing program Pay-as-you-go (PAYG), Enterprise Agreement (EA), Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) PAYG, EA, MCA CSP Eligible sellers All Microsoft partners All Microsoft partners CSP partners Counts toward customer MACC (IP co-sell eligible) Yes Yes No IP co-sell eligible Yes Yes No Available to EA / SCE (Server and Cloud Enrollment) customers Yes Yes No Available to CSP customers No No Yes In a multiparty private offer, the software company creates and publishes the offer and sets the partner price and offer terms, while the selling partner handles the sale to the customer and sets the margin. The split of roles is what differs from selling solo. Note that multiparty private offer and resale enabled offer are IP co-sell eligible; cloud solution provider is not, a key differentiator. Q&A from the audience Here are representative questions from the day. Q. Will the consumption tax collection model become Microsoft-managed? Not at this time. This stems from Japan's tax system rather than a Marketplace design choice. For multiparty private offers, software companies and selling partners each need to assess their tax responsibilities according to their role in the transaction. Tax responsibilities and revenue recognition depend on the transaction structure, contractual terms, and applicable tax laws and accounting standards. Please consult your tax and accounting advisers. The same applies when considering resale-enabled offers. Q. As a reseller, can I offer multiparty private offer to my existing customers? Yes. Multiparty private offer has no "new customers only" restriction. You can offer it to existing customers as well. It applies to customers with Azure agreements such as Enterprise Agreement (EA), Microsoft Customer Agreement for Enterprise (MCA-E), or indirect Enterprise Agreements. For customers on Cloud Solution Provider Agreements, use cloud solution private offer instead of multiparty private offer. Q. What changes most now that multiparty private offer supports Japan? Two things. First, you can now sell "multiparty private offer-only" solutions that resale enabled offer couldn't handle before. Second, two-tier distribution becomes possible. Previously you could only insert one reseller partner, but resale enabled offer and multiparty private offer helps a distributor and reseller structure. Three key takeaways Microsoft Marketplace helps software companies, distributors, and resellers scale partner-led growth across Japan. Partners can pursue larger cloud and AI opportunities through MACC-aligned Marketplace transactions and co-sell engagement with Microsoft. Distributor and reseller ecosystems can expand market reach more efficiently through Marketplace-supported channel models. Marketplace in Japan is growing at a pace that stands out even globally. The general availability of multiparty private offer in Japan is a big step toward accelerating that growth together with our partners. Thank you to everyone who joined. For questions or discussion, please reach out via the resources and contact below. Resources Microsoft Marketplace documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/ MPO overview (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/multiparty-private-offers-overview MPO for software companies / Selling Partners (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/multiparty-private-offers-for-isvs MPO FAQ (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/multiparty-private-offers-faq REO overview (Microsoft Learn): https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/marketplace-offers/resale-enabled-offers-overview Channel-led Resources Hub: https://aka.ms/channel-ledresources Eligible Selling Partner List: https://aka.ms/MPOEligiblePartnerList Customer eligibility check (POP re-check): https://aka.ms/poprecheck Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace: https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/partnership/frontier-accelerate-for-marketplace Contact (multiparty private offer/resale enabled offer eligibility and applications): channelready@microsoft.com 1 Source: Omdia, Partner Ecosystem Multiplier – The Microsoft Marketplace Opportunity Whitepaper, December 2025. Results are not an endorsement of Microsoft. Any reliance on these results is at the third party’s own risk. 2 Source: Microsoft internal data, measured by year-over-year Marketplace Billed Sales FY24–FY26, 3 Source: July 2026 announcements, Azure IP Co-sell Program Guide: Marketplace-First asset (Aug 19, 2026)From co-sell ready to closed-won: A practical playbook for your Microsoft co-sell motion
Achieving co-sell ready status is an important milestone. It means the offer is on Microsoft Marketplace, Partner Center is set up, sales collateral and contacts are on file, and the solution is exposed to Microsoft sales teams for co-sell opportunities. None of that, on its own, brings deals into the pipeline or moves them to closed-won. The operational work between status activation and revenue includes: Getting a Microsoft seller's attention for a specific opportunity, or making it easier for a seller to bring one in Engaging the Microsoft seller as soon as a co-sell opportunity is created or received Running joint discovery and technical validation with the customer Structuring the private offer at the right point in the deal cycle Closing through Microsoft Marketplace where a customer's Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) is in play Two common paths into the co-sell motion Deals reach Partner Center through two common paths once the solution achieves co-sell ready status. The early operating approach is different for each. The middle and close of the deal look similar. Partner-led co-sell: The software company originates and manages the opportunity from its own pipeline, creates the co-sell opportunity in Partner Center, and makes the deal visible to Microsoft sales teams. Microsoft sellers can be invited to participate when appropriate. Inbound referrals from Microsoft: A Microsoft seller identifies a fit in one of their accounts and sends the referral to the software company through Partner Center's Inbound tab. The main differences show up early on: Stage Partner-led Inbound from Microsoft Discovery Software company has already qualified the opportunity Software company gets up to speed on Microsoft’s account context Initial priority Give the Microsoft seller a clear reason to engage Qualify the referral and respond quickly Keep momentum Bring a qualified opportunity with a specific ask Confirm fit, ownership, and next steps Keeping deals moving after co-sell ready A few operational practices help turn co-sell ready status into an active, repeatable sales motion: Activate the co-sell motion consistently: Co-sell ready creates access to the motion, but momentum comes from actively engaging sellers, keeping positioning current, and continuously creating and responding to co-sell opportunities. Keep every registered opportunity moving: Clear ownership, visible next steps, and regular follow-through help move opportunities beyond the initial seller connection. Platforms such as SaaSify can help software companies manage co-sell opportunity information, ownership, and next actions. Prepare the private offer early: Bringing marketplace offer preparation into the deal cycle earlier gives teams enough time to align pricing, approvals, terms, and customer requirements before the opportunity reaches procurement. Align ownership across the deal: Giving account executives and partner teams shared visibility into customer conversations, Partner Development Manager (PDM) engagement, and next steps helps both sides coordinate around the same opportunity and move the deal forward. Positioning co-sell opportunities with Microsoft The approach is different for the two flows. Partner-led opportunities need the software company to position a specific deal for the Microsoft seller. Inbound referrals need preparation ahead of time and disciplined handling once a referral arrives. For partner-led opportunities A few practices can make a partner-led opportunity easier for Microsoft sellers to engage with. Map the opportunity to relevant Microsoft solution areas and sales plays: Microsoft's solution areas and sales plays change. Positioning the offer against the most relevant current areas helps make the opportunity easier for the seller to understand and position. Bring warm, qualified opportunities: An opportunity handed to a Microsoft seller with a defined buying committee, a known budget, and clear technical fit invites investment. An opportunity that still needs basic discovery asks the seller to do the software company’s qualification work. Make a specific, actionable request: "Please introduce us to the account executive at [customer]" with a clear deadline is a clear request. Generic invitations to collaborate on joint pipeline typically remain unactioned. Provide collateral written for the seller, not the buyer: Seller-facing collateral should make the elevator pitch, workload alignment, Marketplace path, and relevant commercial context immediately clear. For inbound referrals from Microsoft Being effective on inbound referrals means being easy for Microsoft teams to consider in the first place and handling each referral effectively when it arrives. A complete, current business profile in Partner Center: Keep the software company’s Partner Center information complete and current including solution categorization, industry expertise, customer proof points, relevant Azure workloads and sales plays. Qualify inbound referrals quickly, before mobilizing the full team: Not every inbound referral is a fit. Some fall outside the software company’s target profile, workload, or timing. A fast qualification step, handled by a named account owner before wider team mobilization, protects response quality on the referrals that do fit and directs the team's effort where it can contribute. A transactable Marketplace presence: A transactable offer gives customers a clear procurement path through Microsoft Marketplace and can support MACC-aligned purchasing. Active relationships with PDMs and specialist teams: Being known to Microsoft's PDMs, industry teams, and technical specialists creates additional pathways for the software company to be considered when the right opportunity appears. Running the co-sell opportunity through active pipeline Once a Microsoft seller is engaged, the middle of the deal is joint sales work. The joint pieces below are the ones that most consistently move the deal forward. Joint account planning at the start: Early in active pipeline, the software company and the Microsoft seller should align on the stakeholder map, Microsoft's context on the account (existing Azure spend, MACC status, previous partner engagements), the software company’s view of the opportunity, the commercial path, and named next steps with owners and dates. Aligning at the outset helps prevent a co-sell opportunity from going quiet in its early stages. Joint technical validation: For Azure workload solutions, the software company should bring a Microsoft solution architect or specialist into the architecture conversation with the customer. Microsoft technical specialists can add Azure platform context, address architecture questions, and help the customer evaluate fit across its broader Microsoft environment. Joint customer meetings with clear role definition: In a co-sell customer meeting, the software company leads on solution, use case, and business value. The Microsoft seller leads on Azure context, commercial path, and alignment with the customer’s Microsoft environment. Roles should be agreed before the meeting. Technical and commercial workstreams in parallel: Technical objections need Microsoft's specialist teams and the software company’s engineering. Commercial objections need finance on both sides and clarity on the marketplace path. Sequencing these badly, by completing all technical work before starting commercial, is where the private offer scramble at close typically originates. Underneath the joint work, three lightweight disciplines keep the deal visible and moving: Keep the Partner Center record current. Update it after stage changes, close-date shifts, competitive events, or stakeholder changes. Share regular updates with the Microsoft seller. Keep them short and focused on what changed and what is needed next. Use the PDM deliberately for escalations. Bring them in when their role or internal network can help move the opportunity forward. Advancing and closing deals through Microsoft Marketplace For customers with an active MACC, purchases of MACC-eligible offers through Microsoft Marketplace can contribute toward fulfillment of that commitment. Azure IP co-sell eligibility is a prerequisite for MACC eligibility, and MACC eligibility is determined at the offer level. A common operational issue is being unprepared to close on Marketplace when the customer is ready to buy. Being commercially ready in time means: A Marketplace listing that is fully transactable, with billing enabled. A private offer template with pre-approved pricing tiers, term options, and standard legal language. A sales team that can generate a customer-specific private offer without escalating each one to operations or finance. Finance visibility into pending marketplace transactions ahead of quarter close. Moving the private offer conversation into the discovery phase of the deal removes the closing-week scramble and keeps the deal moving smoothly toward close. Running co-sell at scale A handful of co-sell deals can be worked well through individual attention. Once co-sell becomes a meaningful percentage of pipeline, operational consistency becomes more important as volume grows: Deal data drifts between Partner Center, the software company’s customer relationship management (CRM) system, and internal reporting. Private offer creation often remains a deal-by-deal manual workflow, increasing operational effort as co-sell volume grows. No single view exists of where each co-sell deal stands across systems, whether it started partner-led or arrived as an inbound referral. A purpose-built cloud go-to-market platform can help software companies manage the operational side of selling across cloud marketplaces. SaaSify, for instance, helps software companies manage co-sell workflows and marketplace operations across Microsoft Marketplace and other hyperscaler ecosystems. Platforms of this kind help in multiple practical ways: Supporting co-sell workflows within the CRM and helping to keep deal information aligned between Partner Center and the software company’s CRM. Automating private offer creation and management within the software company’s CRM, helping reduce the manual effort required to create and manage private offers. Providing workflow visibility across marketplace transactions, private offer approvals, and payout reconciliation. Reducing operational load on the sales and partnership teams so senior time goes to seller relationships and deal strategy. A 90-day framework to move from co-sell ready to closed-won deals Days 1–30: Audit Review the current state honestly against a short set of questions covering both flows: Are co-sell opportunities updated in Partner Center consistently across the team? What is the response time to inbound referrals from Microsoft, from receipt to named account owner to first customer conversation? Is the Partner Center business profile complete, current, and mapped to relevant Microsoft solution areas and sales plays? Is the offer fully transactable on Microsoft Marketplace, or listed but not yet transactable? Are private offer workflows documented and templated, or reinvented for each deal? The output should be a short list of specific gaps, each with a named owner. Days 31–60: Activate For partner-led opportunities: engage the Microsoft sellers who cover the accounts and industries where the solution is strongest, and standardize the activation ask so every co-sell opportunity comes with a specific next step and date. For inbound referrals: implement an internal SLA for qualification and response and refresh the Partner Center business profile against relevant Microsoft solution areas and sales plays. Identify pipeline opportunities where Microsoft Marketplace can support the co-sell and commercial motion and structure the private offers early in the deal cycle. Days 61–90: Measure Track conversion at each stage, split by partner-led versus inbound origin: co-sell ready to opportunity created or received, to active pipeline, to Marketplace transaction, to closed-won. Refine private offer workflows based on identified bottlenecks. Run a postmortem on one deal that closed cleanly and one that required several interventions. Measuring co-sell performance Five indicators provide a practical view of whether the co-sell motion is producing pipeline and converting opportunities into revenue: Inbound referral volume and value from Microsoft: Track referral volume, potential value, and progression to active pipeline and closed-won. Response time to first customer conversation: Track time from opportunity creation or receipt to the first substantive customer interaction. Co-sell opportunity-to-closed-won conversion: Measure conversion by stage and separately for partner-led and inbound opportunities. Share of enterprise deals closing through Microsoft Marketplace: Track the percentage and value of co-sell deals transacted through Marketplace when it aligns with customers’ purchasing needs. Private offer creation and approval cycle time: Track request-to-acceptance time to assess whether private offer operations are keeping pace with co-sell volume. Supporting metric: Partner Center data completeness and consistency. Bringing it together Microsoft co-sell gives software companies opportunities to expand their reach and work jointly with Microsoft sellers on relevant customer opportunities, with Microsoft Marketplace supporting the commercial path when it aligns to the customer’s purchasing needs. Making that motion work consistently comes down to practical disciplines: keeping Partner Center data current, responding promptly to inbound referrals, and preparing private offer workflows early. The value builds when those practices work together consistently across opportunities.How to deliver unified cloud firewall policy as a service with Check Point in Microsoft Marketplace
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About the author: Reis Barrie is the Founder and CEO of Carve Partners, a growth advisory firm that helps software companies build and scale their Microsoft partnerships. Reis and his team have deep expertise in co-sell, Marketplace, Partner Center, and incentive programs helping software development companies handle both the strategy and the operational work underneath it, end to end. Carve works with some of the fastest-growing partners in the Microsoft ecosystem, and Reis is a regular voice in the broader partner community. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Software companies are under pressure to reach more customers, accelerate sales cycles, and grow recurring revenue. Leading partners respond by creating repeatable buying experiences that help customers discover, purchase, and deploy solutions more efficiently through Microsoft Marketplace. Becoming transactable is an important milestone, but it is only the beginning. The next step is building Marketplace into the company’s go-to-market motion so sellers can connect customer needs with an efficient path to purchase. Microsoft Marketplace supports this motion by connecting customer interest, commerce, and opportunities to co-sell with Microsoft and its partner ecosystem. When sellers understand how to position Marketplace, qualify opportunities, and use available incentives, a live offer can become a foundation for repeatable growth. This post explores: Why the sales momentum is the actual work, not the listing itself The four things leading partners train their sellers to do Key indicators to evaluate and strengthen Marketplace performance across your pipeline What the partners who get there fastest do differently By the end, you should have a clearer view of where your sales motion is working and where it can be strengthened. Who this is for This advice is for you if you're already transactable and Azure IP co-sell eligible. If you're not there yet, go get that first; nothing below substitutes for it. If you're close, the fastest first transaction is usually a customer you already have moved onto Marketplace at their next renewal. The moment it lands, Microsoft sellers can see you. The opportunity Once an offer is established, the goal is to build sales momentum, improve forecasting, and give customers a buying experience aligned with how they prefer to purchase technology. Leading partners treat Marketplace as part of their go-to-market strategy, not simply as a publishing milestone. They prepare sellers to introduce Marketplace naturally in customer conversations and explain how an eligible purchase may apply toward a customer’s Azure commitment. That fluency can help customers move from interest to purchase more efficiently while creating opportunities for co-sell engagement and business growth. What leading partners train their sellers to do 1. Build Marketplace into the sales process Marketplace should be incorporated into discovery and qualification rather than treated as a separate sales motion. Two useful conversation starters are: Discovery: “Does your organization have a Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment?” Positioning: “An eligible purchase through Microsoft Marketplace may count toward your Azure commitment, helping you maximize an investment you have already made.” Sellers do not need to manage every transaction detail. Establish a clear handoff so the seller identifies the opportunity, introduces the customer value, and connects the appropriate partnerships or operations team to support the transaction. Before publishing detailed eligibility or transaction guidance, confirm it against current Microsoft documentation. 2. Make account insights accessible to sellers Give sellers relevant Marketplace and account insights before customer conversations. Depending on the benefits and data available to your organization, useful CRM fields may include: Marketplace purchase indicators Azure commitment information Microsoft account alignment Relevant propensity or engagement signals These indicators should guide prioritization rather than serve as absolute qualification rules. Account context, customer needs, purchase readiness, and an active sales opportunity should remain part of the assessment. 3. Help sellers identify strong co-sell opportunities Train sellers to evaluate whether an opportunity has a clear customer need, an active buying motion, and a specific reason for Microsoft engagement. Useful considerations may include: Whether the customer has an Azure commitment Whether Microsoft is actively engaged with the account Whether the customer has experience purchasing through Marketplace Whether the opportunity aligns with shared customer and business outcomes These indicators can help sellers prioritize opportunities, but they should not be presented as a definitive co-sell eligibility test. When engaging a Microsoft seller, lead with customer context, demonstrated progress, and a specific request. Use partner-led visibility when no direct seller action is needed and request active engagement when there is a clear role for Microsoft. 4. Build repeatable programs around customer incentives Customer incentives can support qualified opportunities when they address a defined deployment, migration, or adoption need. They should complement the customer value proposition rather than replace it. Create a consistent program with: An owner: One person or team responsible for available funding and program guidance Clear criteria: Published guidance describing suitable use cases and approval requirements Tracked outcomes: Visibility into which opportunities received support and how that support contributed to the result Confirm current availability, eligibility, and terms before referring to specific funding or sponsorship programs. Indicators that can strengthen Marketplace performance Common opportunities for improvement include: Treating an offer as a source of demand without connecting it to a broader go-to-market motion Limiting Marketplace expertise to operations teams Requesting active co-sell engagement without a clear role for Microsoft Failing to incorporate available account insights into seller preparation Applying incentives before an opportunity is qualified Allowing outdated opportunities to remain in the pipeline Waiting for inbound interest rather than building momentum through existing customer relationships What leading partners do differently Fluency, account insights, qualification, and incentives work best as a connected system. Seller fluency makes account insights actionable. Better insights support stronger qualification. Strong qualification helps teams apply incentives more effectively. Leading partners tend to: Treat Marketplace as part of the sales process Give sellers useful account context before customer conversations Align co-sell requests to customer and Microsoft priorities Manage incentives through clear ownership and criteria Build early momentum through active customer relationships At Carve Partners, we help software companies makes these practices repeatable by improving seller readiness, integrating account insights into sales workflows, strengthening qualification, and establishing practical incentive programs. Join our How leading partners drive co-sell success with Marketplace session on September 10th at 8:30 AM PT. We will explore how these practices work in real scenarios and share practical considerations for strengthening your Marketplace sales motion. Resources Azure Consumption Commitment benefit: how Marketplace purchases count toward a customer’s commitment Co-sell requirements: what it takes to reach co-sell ready and Azure IP co-sell eligible status Marketplace Rewards: the benefits that unlock as your Marketplace business grows Private offers overview: custom pricing and terms for specific customers and partnersSecure traffic on Azure with Fortinet FortiGate in Microsoft Marketplace
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