SoftwareOne and 1Nebula networking to bring ISVs into Microsoft Azure Marketplace

With cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings increasingly delivering core IT functionality for businesses, independent software vendors (ISVs) that want to market their SaaS products for Microsoft Azure regionally or globally need to publish their wares on Microsoft Azure Marketplace. However, unlike packaged software applications, SaaS apps are complex systems, requiring significant investment and effort to make a new product available to potential customers worldwide. Sadly, some don’t succeed and give up, often after wasting months trying. 

To address this challenge, 1Nebula created Stactize^®. This product is a key component of SoftwareOne’s (formerly Crayon) new strategic partnership that assists ISVs with publishing new SaaS applications onto Azure Marketplace, simplifying the deployment process and significantly reducing timescales.

South Africa has a reputation for producing technology entrepreneurs and 1Nebula’s CEO Andre Witte follows in that tradition, having risen to lead the business through the Chief Technology Officer route. “As a kid, I was part of the first Internet-connected, networked generation”, said Witte. “By understanding the fundamentals of networking, I was able to program distributed applications more effectively, although I realized that my true passion was crafting solutions. This interest led me to my current role and to the development of Stactize, which resulted in our partnership with SoftwareOne”.

Witte’s leadership philosophy matches that of Microsoft, where development teams are expected to use their own software. “Stactize came about because we needed to publish our own SaaS products into Azure Marketplace. Having done it ourselves, we realized that we had something unique to offer other ISVs.”

“Expansion into other geographies can be a complex and time-consuming process, and Azure Marketplace is a fantastic enabler of worldwide growth. But Microsoft expects SaaS apps to have features such as automated billing and credit card handling built in to create a seamless buying experience. That’s where Stactize can make a difference and our partnership with SoftwareOne helps us deliver those benefits,” said Witte.

Andreas Bergman, Global Microsoft Channel Director at SoftwareOne, agrees wholeheartedly. “Our relationship with 1Nebula is different from most of the organizations with whom we partner. Stactize brings functionality that enhances our recruitment of ISVs by automating key aspects of the move to Azure Marketplace. This unique partnership enables us to fast-track the publication process and reduce timelines from six months down to two to four weeks, which benefits everyone.”

Witte is excited about the future relationship. “Our goal is to become a global ISV and this collaboration with SoftwareOne is central to achieving this outcome. Our partnership helps create a network to build brand awareness and supports the deployment of new SaaS solutions with go-to-market activities that generate increased traction.”

SoftwareOne and 1Nebula together exemplify the power of collaboration in the tech industry. By simplifying access to the multi-billion-dollar global distribution network that is Microsoft Azure Marketplace, this strategic relationship creates the potential for limitless growth and innovation. For ISVs around the world, the path to global exposure and success is easier than ever.