Optimize your partnerships in FY26

Look. We grew up in the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem. Our team may have even designed the original MPN “logo” so long ago that it now only comes up if you add “retro” in the search. We were in the Partner Advisory Councils when the world’s largest distribution companies learned they needed to retool their systems and processes to sell 4x4 SKUs of “online licenses,” and we led the “ISV Third-Party Offers” discussion that pioneered commercial marketplaces. To say we know our way around the ecosystem with a front-row seat to digital transformation would be an understatement. We’ve been writing co-marketing GTM kits since Compaq Computers was selling servers with “five 9s” of availability to run the world’s largest financial markets. Our data back-up and security system was a tape drive that our office manager threw in her purse and drove home with at night – just in case the office burned down. The industry has transformed spectacularly in the past 25 years. And the opportunities for partners to engage in benefits, incentives, and networking has blossomed so much in the past few years that ancillary networks (think The Ultimate Partner, The WIT Network, Women in Cloud, The Partner Masters, and many others) have emerged to provide unique value in this dynamically growing ecosystem. But I have a harsh truth to share … if you think posting your solution in a marketplace is an entire GTM strategy, you’re going to be disappointed. Listing your solution is only the first step in a robust marketing journey that will provide multiple and diverse paths to partnership.

A few years ago, building a transactable offer in a platform partner’s marketplace was a novel idea, and honestly, it took a while to enable the platforms for all types of partners to build and transact seamlessly. Although partners immediately leaped at the opportunity to list solutions in the hyperscalers’ marketplaces so they could go to market with, or “co-sell” with the global brands, becoming co-sell-ready wasn’t that easy, and even when the criteria had been met, partners still faced the issue of scale. For the same reason these platform partners need a partner channel to serve the millions of customers worldwide, they still cannot manage or co-sell directly with the hundreds of thousands of partners in the ecosystem.

And yet, transacting on their platforms is an invaluable experience in terms of not only payment processing, currency exchanges, tax calculations, and all the back-end pieces that make transactional offers function. Additionally, the brand recognition of listing on the platforms and the verification that your solution does, indeed, meet their criteria is brilliant for start-ups and established companies launching new solution offerings. So, building your brand by association with their brands is an unquantifiable benefit from a marketing, brand recognition, and industry credibility perspective. But the benefits don’t end there …

Move beyond hyperscaler dependency

For years, tech companies have relied on hyperscalers for market access, leveraging their vast infrastructure and global reach. However, this approach often leads to limited differentiation and intense competition within the marketplaces. Instead of solely aligning with these giants, businesses are recognizing the power of partnering with other ISVs, MSPs, and cybersecurity firms to create integrated solutions that address specific customer needs.

Now, beyond the platform functionality of online marketplaces and the “brand love,” partner ecosystems open unprecedented opportunities to connect with other partners within the ecosystem. With the emergence of multi-party offers and CSP private offers, partners can build integrations with other partners easier than ever before. Competitors can collaborate on “better together” value propositions to serve the same customers better. Services partners can add software to their bundled customer offerings, and software developers can outsource services to trusted – and vetted – partners to grow their reach and scale to serve larger enterprises, new geos, and gain entry into accounts they did not have access to before – not necessarily through the platform partner, but through integration, software, and services partners.

In fact, in Channel Journeys’ Top Five Channel Ecosystem Plays for 2024, Jay McBain, a leading partner channel analyst at Canalys, points out that the average SaaS deal requires seven different vendor solutions to capture the attention of buyers who are heavily influenced by brand reputation, integrations, and a team approach to build credibility in the ecosystem.

Understanding where you fit in the ecosystem has never been more critical for your sales strategy and ultimately your revenue attainment.

Integrate with other partners

Software and services companies are developing relationships and collaborating directly with complementary partners to enhance their offerings. For example, depending on your industry, you might build relationships like these:

Cybersecurity & SaaS

Cybersecurity firms integrate their solutions into ISV applications to provide built-in security. For instance, an enterprise SaaS provider might partner with a cybersecurity company to embed zero-trust security protocols into their platform, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.
Identity management providers collaborate with HR tech platforms to streamline employee onboarding and access control.

AI & Data Analytics

AI-driven analytics providers embed their capabilities into SaaS platforms to offer real-time insights. A marketing automation platform could integrate AI-powered customer segmentation tools, enabling businesses to optimize their campaigns with predictive analytics.
Retail analytics firms partner with e-commerce platforms to provide personalized shopping experiences based on AI-driven customer behavior analysis.

Fintech & ERP

Fintech companies partner with ERP vendors to streamline financial operations. By integrating payment processing and financial analytics into ERP systems, businesses can automate invoicing, reconciliation, and compliance reporting.
Blockchain-based payment solutions integrate with supply chain management platforms to enhance transaction transparency and security.

Healthcare & Telemedicine

Healthcare software providers partner with telemedicine platforms to create a holistic patient management system. This allows doctors to access patient records seamlessly while conducting virtual consultations.
Wearable health tech companies integrate with insurance providers to offer personalized health plans based on real-time biometric data.

Manufacturing & IoT

IoT device manufacturers collaborate with predictive maintenance software providers to enhance factory efficiency. Sensors embedded in machinery can transmit data to AI-driven platforms that predict failures before they occur.
Robotics firms partner with logistics companies to automate warehouse operations, reducing costs and improving delivery speeds.

Education & EdTech

Learning management systems integrate with AI tutoring platforms to provide personalized learning experiences. AI-driven tutors can adapt to individual student needs, improving engagement and retention.
Universities partner with corporate training providers to offer industry-specific certifications that align with workforce demands.

Create joint value propositions with the customer in mind

A successful partnership is no longer just about technical compatibility – it’s about co-creating value for customers. Businesses that focus on joint go-to-market strategies and shared customer success metrics are seeing greater returns by building comprehensive GTM strategies that include:

Co-marketing efforts that highlight the combined benefits of integrated solutions. For example, a cloud storage provider and a cybersecurity firm might launch a joint campaign emphasizing secure data management.
Co-selling strategies where partners collaborate on deals rather than competing for the same customers. A CRM vendor and an AI-powered sales automation company could work together to offer a comprehensive sales enablement solution.
Customer-centric innovation, ensuring that integrations solve real-world challenges rather than just expanding feature sets.

Build content for every audience

Once your solutions have been defined and your product or service has been built and launched in the hyperscaler marketplace, you’ll need to build marketing campaigns with the right message for the right audience to be delivered at the right time via the right channels. Consider these pivots for your campaign:

To Customer – Again, building solutions to address customer pains should be the reason you have a product or service offering. If you don’t know why your customer needs what you’re building, stop building and ask your customers what they need. To-Customer messaging should be foundational to your product development plan, but pivoting from features and functionality to speaking your customer’s language continues to be a challenge for tech companies.
To Partner – If you’re not already building a joint solution with another partner, then you’ll need to explain to potential partners why adding your solution or service offering will help them reach more customers, build deeper relationships, and become stickier to the account. How will you help your partners improve their offerings and grow their revenue? This is a *very* different message from your to-customer campaign.
To Seller – If you’ve met the customer acquisition and consumption requirements of your platform partners and have gained enough traction to demonstrate your value within the marketplace, you’ll be well positioned for co-sell incentives and opportunities. But when you get there, you want to be armed with a solid to-seller message. How will selling your solution help them achieve their metrics, retire their quotas, and earn the recognition they want to advance their careers? This is a *very* different message from both your to-customer and to-partner campaigns.

Turn to experienced partners for help navigating the Microsoft Ecosystem

With 25+ years of experience in partner channel consulting, The Odigo Group has been instrumental in helping businesses go to market with Microsoft and their channel partners. Our expertise enables companies to maximize their partnership potential at all levels of partnership across the ecosystem.