The Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program: The inside scoop
For ISVs, joining the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program can open up new opportunities to drive success on your Google Cloud Marketplace (formally GCP) journey.
Like Azure Marketplace’s Solutions Designations and AWS Marketplace’s Partner Paths, Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program offers training, certifications, and milestones for customer success, with the end goal of earning Expertise and Specialization Designations.
Google matches partners to certain deals based on their track record of success in the Google Cloud Advantage Program, so the more Expertise and Specialization Designations that you earn, the more likely your solution will be top of mind to ISV Specialists and Google sales reps, who help marketplace customers find new solutions.
ISVs can measure their overall success in the program using the Delivery Readiness Index (DRI).
Curious how to get started? Read our guide to learn more.
What is the Google Cloud Advantage program for ISVs?
Google Cloud Advantage Program helps ISVs sell more solutions to Google Cloud Marketplace customers after getting listed. The program focuses on cutting-edge technology solutions in categories such as AI, developer tools, financial services, databases, data analytics, security, and digital transformation.
The goal of the program is to help ISVs win more customers by innovating with Google Cloud. This means that successful Google Cloud Marketplace listings often integrate with or extend the functionality of existing Google products, such as Looker, BigQuery, Google Analytics, Gemini, Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud SQL, and Vertex AI.
Steps for success on Google Cloud Advantage
- Create an account on the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program
- Complete trainings and courses to earn a Google Cloud Certification
- Highlight and submit customer stories to the Google Cloud Team
- Establish a relationship with your Partner Advisor, ISV Specialist, and Google Sales reps, who can provide tips and insights on which Designations to pursue based on your solution
- Earn Expertise Designations across 80+ categories
- Earn Special Designations across 12+ categories
- Earn a Premier Partner Badge (if your product corresponds to a Google Cloud product)
Partner Advantage Trainings and Certifications
Google Cloud provides resources, including training and certification programs, to help ISVs drive success on the Google Cloud Marketplace faster. With Google Cloud Certifications, you can:
- Verify your ability to drive digital transformation for businesses with Google Cloud technology
- Develop your team as you get ready to go to market – the more certified individuals, the more opportunities you unlock
- Access Google resources like QwikLabs, Partner Certification Kickstart (PCK) to promote learning, and Certification Exams
Customer Success on Google Cloud Marketplace
Earning certifications will help you reach success faster on Google Cloud Marketplace, but you will also need to demonstrate a track record of success with your customers. As you prepare your customer stories, think critically about how your solution helps customers unlock the value of data.
You will need to create PDF assets of case studies and customer stories to share 1) privately with the Google Cloud Sales Team and your ISV Specialist and 2) publicly to submit on the Google Cloud website for co-marketing opportunities.
To maximize your odds of success, be sure to include how your solution integrates with existing Google Cloud products. If you can show Google Sales reps that your solution will help them sell more of Google’s, they will be more likely to advocate for you.
Google Cloud Expertise Designations
With the right mix of customer stories and certifications, you can begin to earn an Expertise Designation, which means you have demonstrated a track record of success and in a specific industry, solution, or product. Each designation comes with a badge, which helps you appear higher on Google Cloud Marketplace search results.
Expertise Designations help ISV Specialists and Google Sales teams route leads to the right customers. They are also required to earn Specialization Designations, the highest stamp of approval from Google Cloud Partner Advantage.
Expertise Designations fall into 2 broad categories, and you can pursue more than 1:
- Horizontal Designations like Contact Center AI or Data Warehouse Modernizations
- Vertical Designations like Financial Services, Retail, Gaming, and Healthcare & Life Sciences
Google Cloud Specialization Designations
To earn a prestigious Specialization Designation, you will need to earn the right mix of certifications and Expertise Designations, which means having a robust portfolio of customer success stories. Specialization Designations indicate you are a well established solution on Google Cloud, with outstanding customer service and technical capabilities.
Google Cloud Specialization Designations
- Application Development
- Cloud Migration
- Contact Center AI
- Data Analytics
- Data Center Modernization
- Data Management
- DevOps
- Education
- Infrastructure
- Location-Based Services (Google Maps Platform and Google Cloud)
- Machine Learning
- Marketing Analytics
- SAP on Google Cloud
- Security
- Training in Data Analytics, Infrastructure, or Security
- Work Transformation – SMB
- Work Transformation – Enterprise
Invisory for Google Cloud Marketplace
Whether you’re an established ISV with a track record of success in cloud marketplaces like Azure, AWS, and the AppExchange, a brand new startup working in AI or ML, or somewhere in between, Invisory can help you drive success on Google Cloud Marketplace.
With our solution, you receive access to:
- API integrations that get you transacting faster
- Expert-built playbooks for navigating the Google Cloud ecosystem
- GTM templates for customer stories
- Co-selling playbooks
- Dedicated customer success manager
- Support for developing a multi-cloud marketplace strategy
Ready to dive in? Reach out today.
