Azure Marketplace: Publishing Overview

Welcome to the Azure Marketplace Publisher Portal

This section provides a comprehensive overview of the process of publishing your software or services to the Azure Marketplace. The Azure Marketplace is a digital storefront where customers can find, buy, and deploy solutions that run on Microsoft Azure. By publishing here, you can expand your reach, generate leads, and accelerate revenue.

Key Stages of Publishing

The publishing process typically involves several key stages:

1. Preparation and Planning

   Before you begin, ensure you have a clear understanding of your solution, target audience, and the technical requirements for deployment on Azure. This includes defining your offer type (e.g., SaaS, Virtual Machine, Azure Application).

   • Define your offer type.
   • Understand pricing and billing models.
   • Prepare your technical assets and documentation.

2. Create Your Offer

   Using the Partner Center, you will create and configure your offer. This involves providing details about your solution, such as its name, description, logo, categories, and pricing information.

3. Technical Configuration

   Depending on your offer type, you'll need to provide and configure the technical components that allow customers to deploy your solution. This might involve uploading VM images, configuring API endpoints for SaaS offers, or defining deployment templates.

   For example, a SaaS offer might require:

   
   POST /api/v2/offers/{offerId}/configurations
   Content-Type: application/json
   
   {
     "landingPageUrl": "https://your-app.com/marketplace/landing",
     "subscriptionEndpoint": "https://your-app.com/marketplace/subscribe"
   }
                       

4. Testing and Validation

   Microsoft provides tools and environments to test your offer thoroughly before it goes live. This ensures a smooth deployment experience for your customers.

5. Certification and Publishing

   Your offer will undergo a certification process by Microsoft to ensure it meets quality and security standards. Once certified, it will be published to the Azure Marketplace.

6. Post-Publishing Management

   After publication, you can manage your offer, track performance, and update your solution through the Partner Center.

Types of Offers

The Azure Marketplace supports a variety of offer types, each suited for different kinds of solutions:

• SaaS Offers: For cloud-based software solutions.
• Virtual Machine Offers: Pre-configured virtual machines with your software.
• Azure Application Offers: Complex solutions involving multiple Azure resources.
• Consulting Services: Services to help customers implement Azure solutions.
• Logic Apps, Power BI Visuals, and more.

Getting Started

To begin publishing, you'll need to register as a Microsoft partner. The central hub for managing your offers and business is the Microsoft Partner Center.