Winning in 2026 and beyond: Key insights from Ultimate Partner’s Livestream
2026 is reshaping partner strategy at a pace we’ve never seen before. AI, cloud marketplaces, ecosystem-led growth, and shifting buyer behavior are transforming how partners influence, co-sell, and win. During Ultimate Partner’s January 13 livestream, analyst Jay McBain and Microsoft leader Cyril Belikoff offered deep insight into the trends defining the year ahead. Cyril Belikoff,(VP of Commercial Cloud & AI Marketing at Microsoft) Key takeaways Frontier Firm Framework: Enrich Employee Experiences → Reinvent Customer Engagement → Reshape Business Processes → Bend the Innovation Curve. Microsoft introduced Work IQ, Fabric IQ, and Foundry IQ to help organizations operationalize AI. Agent 365 enables governance, security, and observability for AI agents. Microsoft Marketplace is now unified into a single experience and growing rapidly. Resale-Enabled Offers (REO) unleash scale by connecting ISVs with resellers/MSPs globally. Jay McBain (Chief Analyst at Omdia) Key takeaways “Opportunity — that’s the word for partners in 2026.” Tech is expected to grow more than 10%, with massive upside in AI-related services. 96% of enterprise deals involve multiple partners. Co-selling and influence—not resale—drive the majority of wins. Marketplaces are accelerating. Indirect influence is rising even in areas where resale declines. “Early partner involvement determines who wins the deal.” Visibility into the ecosystem is becoming essential. Many deals are shaped months before a vendor or seller ever see activity. Certifications matter. 80%+ of customers evaluate partners based on competencies and continuous learning. AI services are the fastest-growing partner opportunity, with >35% CAGR projected through 2030. Partner action plan for 2026 Invest in continuous AI upskilling and certifications. Use ecosystem tools to detect early influence moments. Publish or resell offers in Microsoft Marketplace. Prioritize data modernization to unlock AI impact. Lean into co-selling and multi-partner orchestration. The partners who embrace ecosystem visibility, continuous learning, and marketplace-driven growth will be best positioned to win in 2026 and beyond. If you missed the livestream, you can watch a recap here: Podcast - Ultimate Guide to Partnering® Join the movement Ultimate Partner® is built for one thing: helping partnership leaders achieve their greatest results by staying ahead of the tectonic shifts in AI, marketplace, co-sell, and ecosystem-led growth. Learn More and attend upcoming events here: Events - Ultimate Guide to Partnering®New Azure blog on charting AI & agent strategy with Marketplace
In a new Azure blog, Cyril Belikoff, Vice President, Commercial Cloud and AI Marketing, talks about how organizations are using Microsoft Marketplace as a central hub for discovering, buying, and deploying AI models, applications, and agents to support their AI strategy. He emphasizes that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—companies can build custom solutions, buy ready-made ones, or blend both depending on their needs. Marketplace offers thousands of pre-vetted models and AI tools that integrate with existing Microsoft products (like Microsoft Foundry and Copilot), helping teams accelerate time-to-value, maintain governance, and balance agility with oversight as they adopt AI more broadly. Read the full blog and share it with your customers: Design your AI strategy with Microsoft Marketplace SolutionsOptimizing maintenance workflows with AI and Azure
In our Partner Spotlight series, we highlight organizations driving innovation across the Microsoft Marketplace. In each feature, we share the distinct journey of a partner leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem to deliver AI‑enabled solutions and transactable offers that streamline enterprise adoption and accelerate digital transformation. In this installment, we spoke with Benjamin Schwärzler of Workheld, a Vienna‑based SaaS company transforming maintenance management for asset‑intensive industries. We dive into their early beginnings, their growth as a Microsoft partner, and the ways they’re helping organizations close the gap between shopfloor execution and strategic decision‑making—powered by a secure, Azure‑based architecture. Read more to learn how Azure is shaping the future of intelligent maintenance management: AI-powered maintenance management with Microsoft Azure | Microsoft Community HubUnlock new revenue streams with Microsoft Marketplace
Learn how software providers are accelerating revenue and expanding global reach through Microsoft Marketplace. Explore strategies like co-sell with Microsoft sellers, resale-enabled offers for channel partners, and streamlined procurement that meets evolving buyer expectations. Discover why Marketplace is more than a transaction portal—it’s a growth engine for AI-driven solutions and partner-led success. Read more: Unlocking scalable growth through Microsoft Marketplace | Microsoft Community Hub2026 Is different—Are you ready to win?
2026 Is different—Are you ready to win? 2026 isn’t just another year—it’s a turning point. Cloud go-to-market strategies are being rewritten in real time by AI, marketplaces, co-sell, and ecosystem-led growth. The hard truth? If your strategy isn’t fully aligned this year, you’re going to feel it. That’s why Ultimate Partner is kicking off the year with a must-attend free livestream designed to give you clarity and actionable steps—not theory. On January 13 | 11:00–12:30 pm ET, Vince Menzione, CEO of Ultimate Partner will join two industry leaders for an inside look at what’s next: Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Omdia, will share his predictions for 2026 and beyond. Cyril Belikoff, VP of Commercial Cloud & AI Marketing at Microsoft, will reveal exciting changes at Microsoft and how to align your GTM strategy for success. This is your chance to ask the tough questions during a LIVE Q&A and walk away with insights you can put into action immediately. ______________________________________________________ 📅 January 13 | 11:00–12:30 pm ET 🎥 Livestream: “Winning in 2026 and Beyond” 👉 Register for FREE: HEREUnlocking scalable growth through Microsoft Marketplace
Software companies today are navigating a rapidly evolving go-to-market landscape shaped by cloud adoption, AI innovation, and changing buyer behavior. Microsoft Marketplace has emerged as a central commercial engine designed to help software providers scale faster, reach new customers, and drive meaningful revenue growth through modern co-sell and partner-led motions. A Marketplace built for growth and innovation At its core, Microsoft Marketplace is more than a digital storefront. It is a unified, enterprise-grade platform that supports discovery, procurement, contracting, and deployment of software solutions across customer segments—from SMBs to global enterprises. By consolidating SaaS, virtual machines, containers, and emerging agent-based solutions into a single AI-first marketplace, Microsoft enables faster time to value for customers while simplifying how software companies transact and scale globally. The marketplace aligns closely with three critical priorities for software growth: Building and scaling innovative AI-driven solutions Accelerating revenue through co-sell with Microsoft sellers Expanding market reach through trusted partner ecosystems Together, these priorities position the marketplace as a foundational component of modern software go-to-market strategies. Turning co-sell into a revenue engine One of the most impactful advantages of the Microsoft Marketplace is its role as the commercial engine behind co-sell. Rather than serving as a last-mile transaction tool, the marketplace enables earlier engagement in the sales cycle—supporting joint planning, customer mapping, and pipeline execution. This approach helps to close deals faster, grow larger, and move through procurement more efficiently. Customers benefit from streamlined purchasing and the ability to apply eligible marketplace purchases toward their cloud consumption commitments, while software companies gain stronger alignment with Microsoft field teams and improved deal velocity. Meeting buyers where they are Buyer behavior has fundamentally shifted. Many purchasing decisions are now driven by line-of-business stakeholders who expect self-service discovery, trials, and rapid deployment—often before engaging with sales teams. The marketplace supports this reality through product-led growth motions, enabling customers to find, try, and adopt solutions quickly, while still maintaining enterprise governance and procurement controls. This balance between agility and control makes the marketplace especially compelling for organizations modernizing application portfolios or adopting AI-powered solutions at scale. Expanding reach with resale-enabled offers A significant recent advance is the introduction of resale-enabled offers, which unlock a powerful, globally scalable channel motion. With resale-enabled offers, software companies can authorize channel partners to sell their marketplace listings directly to customers using private offers—without requiring partners to create or manage their own listings. This model delivers several key benefits: Faster access to customers through trusted channel relationships Larger deal sizes driven by partner-led adoption and services Global scalability with consistent marketplace benefits, including cloud commitment eligibility Importantly, software companies retain visibility into partner-led transactions through marketplace insights, while partners gain the flexibility to manage pricing and customer engagement. The power of the ecosystem Data consistently shows that channel-led marketplace deals outperform direct-only motions, often resulting in two to three times higher deal value. This success is driven by the combined strengths of software innovation, Microsoft’s global sales reach, and the deep customer relationships held by channel partners. By embracing resale-enabled offers and marketplace-first strategies, software companies can tap into this ecosystem effect—accelerating growth while reducing friction across sales, procurement, and deployment. Key takeaways Microsoft Marketplace is a strategic growth platform, not just a transaction layer Co-sell through the marketplace enables earlier engagement, faster deals, and higher revenue Resale-enabled offers unlock global, partner-led scale with minimal operational complexity Customers benefit from faster time to value, governance, and cloud commitment optimization Software companies gain access to a powerful ecosystem that amplifies reach and impact As software markets continue to evolve, the Microsoft Marketplace provides a clear path to scalable, sustainable growth, connecting innovation, partners, and customers through a single, integrated commercial engine. Find out more about channel-led opportunities on the Microsoft Marketplace Marketplace resources for channel-led opportunitiesMicrosoft Marketplace projected to be $300B partner revenue opportunity by 2030
Microsoft Marketplace is projected to be a $300B partner revenue opportunity by 2030, according to a commissioned study by Omdia. For partners who sell through Marketplace, the study found: • 88% see revenue growth • 75% close sales faster • 69% get larger deals Read the full report here to learn how Marketplace will drive opportunities for both software companies and channel partners in the coming years.Boosting cloud and AI ROI: The power of Microsoft Marketplace
Maximizing return on investment in cloud and AI requires more than technology—it demands smarter procurement and streamlined deployment. This article explains how Microsoft Marketplace helps organizations accelerate adoption, reduce costs, and unlock innovation. Learn how Marketplace simplifies purchasing, enables flexible billing, and provides access to thousands of solutions that drive measurable business outcomes. Read the full article hereUnlocking growth: The channel-led Marketplace opportunity
The Microsoft Marketplace is creating new ways for partners to scale and grow. This article explores how channel-led strategies can accelerate customer acquisition, expand reach, and drive revenue through marketplace transactions. Learn why embracing marketplace collaboration is critical for future success and how partners can leverage these opportunities to deliver greater value. Unlocking growth: the channel-led Marketplace opportunity | Microsoft Community HubCommunicating the value of Microsoft Marketplace
Helping customers understand the true value of Microsoft Marketplace is key to driving adoption and success. This recent article shares practical approaches for framing conversations around business outcomes, cost optimization, and innovation. Learn how to position Marketplace as a strategic enabler, highlight its role in accelerating procurement, and demonstrate measurable impact for your customers. How we talk about the value of Microsoft Marketplace with customers | Microsoft Community Hub
