The different Offer Types available to list your solution on the Azure Marketplace

In today’s fast-paced digital ecosystem, cloud platforms are a crucial part of enterprise IT strategy. Microsoft Azure stands out as a leader in this space, offering a diverse range of services and tools that help businesses innovate, scale, and optimize their operations. One of the key ways for software vendors and service providers to reach Azure's extensive customer base is by listing their solutions on the Azure Marketplace. Azure Marketplace is a hub where customers can discover, trial, and purchase cloud-based solutions. However, to effectively list your solution, it’s essential to understand the different offer types available.

This blog provides a comprehensive overview of the various offer types available for listing on Azure Marketplace, along with examples and detailed explanations of their deployment processes. This should help vendors make informed decisions about how to best showcase their solutions in this dynamic cloud marketplace.

1. Virtual Machine Offer

A Virtual Machine (VM) offer allows you to publish a solution that can be deployed on a virtual machine in the customer's Azure environment. This is particularly useful for solutions that require specific operating systems, configurations, or extensive computing power. VM offers provide customers with a pre-configured, ready-to-use machine image that includes your software.

Example: Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Imagine you’ve developed a powerful Web Application Firewall (WAF) designed to protect web applications from common threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other vulnerabilities. By listing this WAF as a VM offer, customers can easily deploy your WAF on an Azure VM, ensuring that their web applications are secure without needing to manually configure the security settings.

Deployment Process:

1. Pre-Configuration: You create a VM image that includes the WAF software, pre-configured with optimal settings.

2. Publication: After testing and validation, you publish the VM image on the Azure Marketplace as a VM offer.

3. Customer Deployment: Customers can deploy the VM directly from the Azure Marketplace. The VM will spin up in their Azure environment, complete with your WAF software, and customers can configure it further based on their specific needs.

This offer type is ideal for solutions that are heavily reliant on specific OS configurations or require a dedicated environment to run efficiently.

2. SaaS Offer

A Software as a Service (SaaS) offer allows you to deliver your software solution over the internet, typically via a web browser, without requiring the customer to manage infrastructure. SaaS offers are great for delivering cloud-native applications that are designed to be accessible from anywhere, with all the management, updates, and security handled by you, the vendor.

Example: CRM Software

Consider a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system designed for small to medium-sized businesses. By offering this CRM as a SaaS solution, you provide customers with easy access to powerful tools for managing customer interactions, tracking sales, and analyzing business data—all through a web-based interface.

Deployment Process:

1. Web Application Development: You develop the CRM as a cloud-native application hosted on Azure.

2. Subscription and Billing: You set up subscription tiers and billing mechanisms, which can be managed through Azure’s billing platform.

3. Publication: You publish the CRM as a SaaS offer on the Azure Marketplace.

4. Customer Access: Customers subscribe to the service through the Marketplace, log in through the web interface, and start using the CRM immediately.

SaaS offers are perfect for solutions that benefit from centralized management, easy updates, and broad accessibility.

3. Azure Managed Application Offer

Azure Managed Applications allow you to offer a fully managed solution that customers can deploy in their own Azure environment, but with the management and operation handled by you. This is a powerful model for complex solutions that require ongoing maintenance, updates, or custom configurations.

Example: Managed Database Service

Imagine a scenario where you’ve built a high-performance, scalable database service optimized for big data analytics. By offering this as a Managed Application, customers can deploy your database service in their Azure environment while you handle the operational aspects like backups, updates, and scaling.

Deployment Process:

1. Managed Resources Creation: You create an Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template that defines the resources needed for the database service.

2. Managed Application Development: You package these resources into a Managed Application and define the management interface that customers will interact with.

3. Publication: You list the Managed Application on the Azure Marketplace.

4. Customer Deployment: Customers deploy the Managed Application in their Azure environment. The application runs within their subscription, but you retain control over management tasks.

This offer type is particularly suited for solutions that are resource-intensive or require specialized knowledge to manage effectively.

4. Azure Container Offer

Azure Container offers are designed for solutions that are containerized and can run on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or other container platforms. Containers are lightweight, portable, and ideal for microservices or applications that need to scale rapidly.

Example: AI-powered Image Recognition Service

Suppose you’ve developed an AI-powered image recognition service that processes images to identify objects, categorize content, and even detect anomalies. By packaging this service in a Docker container and offering it on the Azure Marketplace, customers can easily deploy it on their AKS clusters.

Deployment Process:

1. Containerization: You package the image recognition service into a container using Docker.

2. Configuration: Set up the necessary Kubernetes configurations or Helm charts to ensure smooth deployment and scaling.

3. Publication: Publish the container image and deployment configurations on the Azure Marketplace as a Container offer.

4. Customer Deployment: Customers can pull the container image from the Azure Marketplace and deploy it on their AKS clusters, scaling it as needed based on their workload.

Containers are excellent for applications that require a lightweight runtime environment and need to be easily deployable across various environments.

5. Consulting Service Offer

A Consulting Service offer allows you to list professional services on the Azure Marketplace. These services can range from one-time engagements, like helping customers migrate to Azure, to ongoing managed services, like 24/7 monitoring and support.

Example: Cloud Migration Service

If you specialize in helping companies migrate their on-premises infrastructure to Azure, you could list this as a Consulting Service offer. Customers searching for migration services can find and engage with your team directly through the Marketplace.

Deployment Process:

1. Service Definition: Clearly define the scope, deliverables, and pricing for the migration service.

2. Listing: Publish the service as a Consulting Service offer on the Azure Marketplace.

3. Customer Engagement: Interested customers can contact you through the Marketplace to initiate the consulting service, which could include an initial assessment, migration planning, execution, and post-migration support.

Consulting services are ideal for vendors who offer expertise and support that complement the technical solutions available on Azure.

Choosing the right offer type is crucial for maximizing the impact of your solution on the Azure Marketplace. Each offer type—whether it's a VM, SaaS, Managed Application, Container, or Consulting Service—comes with its own deployment model, advantages, and ideal use cases. By understanding these different offer types, you can strategically position your solution to meet the needs of Azure customers, driving both adoption and business growth.

When preparing to list your solution, consider your target audience, the nature of your solution, and the level of control or management you want to maintain. With the right approach, the Azure Marketplace can become a powerful channel for reaching new customers and expanding your business in the cloud. To further discuss your journey to the Azure Marketplace, reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. where you can meet with one of our Microsoft SureStep Ambassadors for expert guidance.