How Cloud Marketplaces Help You Sell More Cybersecurity Software
In today’s digital-first world, cybersecurity threats and data breaches are omnipresent. Who isn’t afraid of being hacked and how that could damage reputations and lead to financial loss? Now more than ever, cybersecurity solutions are top of mind for B2B customers, especially across cloud marketplaces.
For cybersecurity software providers and ISVs, the challenge of going to market is threefold: getting your solution in front of the right buyers, explaining how your solution is different from others on the market, and building trust.
If your buyer is searching for a cybersecurity solution, they’re going to want to purchase something that meets all of their compliance requirements – and then some. With so much sensitive data at stake, there is no such thing as a small data breach, or HIPAA violation.
Here’s a look at why more customers and cybersecurity ISVs are shifting their business to cloud marketplaces – and why it’s win-win for buyers and sellers alike.
Who buys cybersecurity solutions on cloud marketplaces?
Organizations of all shapes and sizes – including those in heavily regulated industries such as government, health care, and financial services – look to hyperscaler cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure to buy cybersecurity solutions.
Why?
Because many of these organizations use AWS or Azure as their cloud service provider – and with good reason. These cloud service providers offer a number of security tools to help businesses get started, but customers generally need to invest in additional solutions to:
- Protect against unknown threats
- Safeguard passwords
- Secure personal data, such as social security and credit card numbers, across a number of applications
- Manage sensitive data from inside and outside an organization
- Protect their techstack against common vulnerabilities
- Add extra infrastructure, host, network, and endpoint security
Why sell cybersecurity solutions on cloud marketplaces
For buyers – DevOps and Cybersecurity teams browse hyperscaler’s cloud marketplace (AWS Marketplace and Azure Marketplace) for additional cybersecurity solutions. By downloading a solution from their CSP’s cloud marketplace, buyers can feel confident about the following:
- The solution has been through a rigorous security and compliance review process
- The solution is compatible with their cloud set-up
- They can pay for the solution with committed spend such as Azure’s MACC (e.g., money the customer already budgeted to spend with the CSP) or bill the solution directly to their cloud provider bill
For ISVs in cybersecurity, selling on cloud marketplaces also comes with its own set of benefits:
- Access to a new audience who might not find your solution otherwise
- Stamp of approval from the CSP , which can streamline and speed up procurement
- Streamlined billing – customers rarely skip out on paying their cloud provider bill
- Simplified implementation, since your solution will already meet the CSP’s specifications
- Customizable quotes through private offers
- Programs for ISVs – AWS and Azure have a number of programs to help ISVs reach marketplace success
- Faster time to purchase by streamlining security and legal reviews
Challenges of listing on cloud marketplaces for cybersecurity companies
But listing your cybersecurity solution on a cloud marketplace can be challenging. To get listed, become co-sell ready, and start transacting, you will need to overcome the following hurdles:
- Having a cloud alliance team in place to manage marketplace relationships
- Meeting all of the technical and marketing requirements set by the cloud marketplace
- Building an API that connects your solution to the marketplace (the Invisory platform has an API so you can streamline this step)
- Configuring billing and metering, which can also be managed with the Invisory platform
- Find ways to describe your unique value proposition so that potential buyers understand what makes your solution different
- Underscore how your solution will save time and money at scale, without fear mongering
- Building a positive reputation through positive reviews and customer stories
- Needing a GTM strategy – each marketplace has its own rules, so developing a GTM motion can be challenging without experts
- Standing out in a crowded marketplace
Reaching cloud marketplace success with Invisory
Maybe you’re thinking about getting listed, but don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re already listed, but aren’t sure how to get co-sell ready or transactable. Or maybe you’re co-sell ready, but struggling to gain traction.
No matter where you are in your cloud marketplace journey, Invisory can help. With our GTM cloud platform, you can manage all of your cloud marketplace listings in one place. Plus, you can benefit from our GTM automated deliverables, which streamline the production of key go-to-market assets such as one-pagers and customer stories so that you can stand out.
Ready to take your cloud marketplace journey to the next level? Get a free consultation today.
FAQ
- Types of cyber security solutions available on cloud marketplaces
- Network security
- Infrastructure security
- Host and endpoint security
- Data protection and encryption
- Compliance
- Risk management
- Threat detection
- Identity and access control
- Vulnerability and configuration analysis
- Application security
- Security operations and automation
