The Channel Most ISVs Ignore — and Why That's a Mistake
Ask any VP of Sales at a SaaS company which cloud marketplace they're prioritizing and you'll almost always hear the same answer: AWS first, Azure second, and maybe GCP someday. That "someday" mentality is costing companies real revenue.
Google Cloud Marketplace is not a consolation prize. It is a fast-growing, increasingly incentivized, and still relatively uncrowded channel where buyers are spending committed cloud dollars and actively looking for solutions to deploy against workloads they already run on GCP.
In 2024, Google Cloud crossed $40 billion in annual revenue and its marketplace grew faster than either of its primary rivals in terms of net new ISV listings and transaction volume.
The ISVs who move now get the early-mover advantage. The ones who wait will spend twice as much effort to break through when the channel is saturated.
This guide is for the VP of Sales or Head of Partnerships who has heard "we should do GCP marketplace" in a quarterly business review and wants to understand what that actually means, what the real opportunity looks like, and how to approach it without boiling the ocean.
Why GCP Buyers Are Different — and More Valuable
Before talking about how to list, it's worth understanding who you're selling to when you transact through Google Cloud Marketplace. The GCP buyer profile is distinct in a few important ways.
Automatum simplifies cloud marketplace operations across AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Book a Working Session →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the topics covered in this guide.
Why should ISVs consider Google Cloud Marketplace?
GCP Marketplace is growing faster than AWS or Azure by percentage, is still relatively uncrowded, and attracts high-value buyers in data, AI, and analytics. ISVs who list now get early-mover advantage before the channel becomes saturated.
What is the MCPO program?
The Marketplace Consumption Partner Offer program incentivizes ISVs to drive net new GCP consumption through their products. When your software drives increased GCP spend, Google compensates you for that incremental consumption on top of your software revenue.
What is ISV Solution Connect?
ISV Solution Connect is Google Cloud's co-sell framework that matches customer technology needs with vetted ISV solutions. When enrolled, Google's field teams receive alerts when customer needs match your solution profile and can introduce your team directly.
How does the GCP architectural review process work?
Google requires listings to pass an architectural review evaluating container or VM image standards, billing integration with the Cloud Commerce Procurement API, and deployment testing in a test environment. Plan for this to add 2 to 4 weeks to your timeline.
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