Publish an integrated solution

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This article explains the overall process and requirements for publishing an integrated solution to the commercial marketplace. In a single bundled offer, an integrated solution combines point-solution technologies from software vendors with the deployment and support of a services partner. The services partner lists the offer in Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace as a consulting service.

Integrated solutions aim to address a specific customer need or scenario. Providers begin by understanding the industry challenge or pain points. They then integrate two or more best-of-breed technologies to create a unified and repeatable deployment experience for customers. Providers get customers up and running rapidly. They offer a single point of contact to the customer, providing relevant customization, consulting, and solution support. The outcome is an integrated solution, including technology and services.

Benefits of integrated solutions in the marketplace

  • Customers can find packaged solutions that solve end-to-end business challenges through the marketplace. They get accelerated time to value because the technology is integrated up front. Customers avoid having to engage separately with multiple apps deployed in a fragmented way.
  • IP is packaged along with other solutions and services that enhance the value of the technology that's delivered by expert services partners.
  • Services partners create predefined, pre-integrated solutions with best-of-breed technology to scale, land, and expand in more customer accounts.
  • Microsoft can use these pre-integrated, industry-aligned solutions to more easily co-sell to customers. Pricing and terms are sorted in advance.

Eligibility criteria

  • Participating services providers should be co-sell ready.

  • Participating software vendors should be IP co-sell ready.

  • At least one participating partner must have Gold Competency in one of the following areas:

    • Application Development
    • Application Integration
    • Application Lifecycle Management
    • Cloud Platform
    • Data Analytics
    • Datacenter
    • Data Platform
    • DevOps

  • The solution must include at least two partner organizations, bringing together IP and services for a complete customer solution and experience.

  • The partner IP must be built on Azure, Dynamics 365, or Power Platform.

  • The IP of the integrated solution needs to be differentiated from simply the IP of the software vendor and the basic services-provider offerings.

  • All partners share the objective of creating a repeatable offering that can be listed and eventually transacted through Microsoft AppSource, Azure Marketplace, or both.

Best practices when developing an integrated solution

  1. Complete key business and technical discussions in a workshop format to define the solution and integration approach.

    Your discussion about the solution should involve the following points:

    • Scope
    • Target customers
    • Value proposition
    • Pricing
    • Licensing
    • Terms and conditions
    • Support approach
    • Marketing activities
    • Sales process
    • Activities

    Your discussion about the integration approach should involve the following points:

    • Integration points
    • Solution architecture
    • Authentication
    • User interface
    • Monitoring
    • Deployment mechanism
    • APIs
    • Unified data repository

  2. Identify a cross-partner project manager to drive the project plan and timeline that you developed in the business and technical workshops.

  3. Develop the complete technical integration of the solution.

  4. Decide the solution pricing and a single price point to surface on Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace.

  5. Complete the required marketing collateral for the Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace listing.

Publish your integrated solution

After you finish the technical integration and the marketing collateral, refer to the publisher guide for Consulting services for Microsoft AppSource and Azure Marketplace to determine whether your solution will be published in Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace. We recommend using the guide to prepare your publishing artifacts and complete the publishing process.

Although five service types are available for consulting-service offers, an integrated solution must be either a proof of concept or a full implementation.

Go to market with your integrated solution

When your solution is live in Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace, you'll want to drive awareness and demand through marketing activities. Take advantage of the go-to-market benefits for partners who publish in the marketplace.

Next steps