top of page
Image by DON JACKSON-WYATT

BATTLE REPORTS

Chapter 8 - How Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Are Dominating the Cloud Wars: And How to Win on Their Battlefield?

  • Writer: Alejandro Canonero
    Alejandro Canonero
  • May 22
  • 7 min read

Updated: Jun 13

Epic Showdown in the Cloud Arena: Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Battle for Ecosystem Supremacy.
Epic Showdown in the Cloud Arena: Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Battle for Ecosystem Supremacy.

Storming the Cloud Marketplaces: War Strategies for SaaS on AWS, Azure & GCP


Introduction

In today’s digital warzone, cloud marketplaces have become the new high ground.

According to Gartner, by 2025, 80% of B2B software providers will distribute their offerings via cloud marketplaces (up from just 25% in 2020). This isn’t a mere trend—it’s a tectonic shift in distribution. Tech giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud didn’t stumble into market dominance; they engineered it through deliberate siege strategies, shifting the battle from competing on product features to battles for ecosystem control.


For independent software vendors (ISVs) and SaaS companies, the message is clear: the cloud battlefield is set, and to survive and conquer, you must master the tactics of these hyperscaler strongholds.


Battlefield Metaphor: Imagine AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud as mighty fortresses dominating the terrain. These hyperscalers are the emperors of the cloud realm, each surrounded by vast armies of partners and marketplaces. The fight is no longer about one software product versus another – it’s about whose ecosystem alliance wins the war. In the cloud arena, where Amazon, Microsoft, and Google loom like rival empires and SaaS vendors thunder between them like armored cavalry, features alone no longer decide the spoils—victory falls to the commander who forges the strongest alliances.


This article is your field guide to navigating that war. Drawing from War of the Ecosystems (Chapter 8: “Storming the Castle”) and the latest real-world examples, we’ll help SaaS founders, cloud strategists, and tech leaders build victorious strategies within AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and beyond. Whether you’re preparing your first listing or scaling a co-sell engine, these tactics will help you compete with confidence.


The Cloud Battlefield: Hyperscaler Empires and Ecosystem Strongholds

Cloud hyperscalers have established dominant empires that shape the rules of engagement for all who operate in their realm. Each has fortified its position through a mix of technology, partnerships, and marketplace influence, effectively building a castle and an army around it. Understanding their unique strengths is the first step in choosing where and how to fight your battles:


  • AWS – The Relentless Engine: Amazon’s AWS is the giant whose marketplace became a monetization powerhouse, enabling co-selling with thousands of ISV allies. AWS’s sheer global breadth and pace of innovation make it a relentless war machine. For example, AWS partner Presidio surpassed $1 billion in AWS Marketplace-driven transactions by co-selling cloud solutions to enterprises. AWS’s strategy is to offer the biggest arsenal of services and a vast marketplace, forcing everyone to either join its army or face its dominance.


  • Microsoft Azure – The Hybrid Hero: Microsoft’s Azure has positioned itself as the trusted knight of both on-prem and cloud realms. By blending on-premises legacy with cloud and tightly aligning its field sales with consulting partners, Azure built immense trust and reach. Through Azure’s marketplace and co-sell programs, ISVs can ride alongside Microsoft’s sales cavalry. Case in point: Snowflake, by teaming up with Azure’s co-sell initiative, doubled its regional pipeline and helped drive $27 billion in partner-influenced revenue.


  • Google Cloud – The AI Architect: Google Cloud Platform (GCP) fights with cunning strategy and futuristic weaponry. It plays the long game with AI-first services and open-source alliances. GCP’s marketplace appeals to those looking for advanced data analytics and AI capabilities. Google’s focus on sovereignty has drawn in allies like the UAE’s G42, and its acquisition of Mandiant reinforced its enterprise security standing.


  • Other Battlefronts – Alibaba, Salesforce & More: Alibaba Cloud dominates the East with a localized marketplace strategy, helping it capture 39% of China’s cloud infrastructure market (Q3 2023). Tencent Cloud leverages gaming and social media integrations to hold 15% of China’s cloud market (Q3 2024). Salesforce’s AppExchange boasts over 4,000 apps generating $5 billion+ in partner revenue. Each region and niche has its power center—understanding where your customers operate is key to your marketplace strategy.


Current War Map: Marketplace adoption is surging—sales reached $16 billion in 2023 and are forecast to hit $85 billion by 2028. With $360 billion in committed enterprise cloud spend flowing through these channels, ISVs like CrowdStrike, Snowflake, Palo Alto Networks, and Splunk have already surpassed $1 billion in AWS Marketplace revenue. The battlefield is real, and the opportunity is massive.


Tactical Actions: Arming Your SaaS for Battle

Once you understand the lay of the land, it’s time to arm your troops and fortify your siege engines. Tactical actions are the immediate steps you can execute to gain a foothold in hyperscaler marketplaces. Each of these actions isn’t just tactical—they are strategic footholds that lay the groundwork for long-term dominance. These actions shape how cloud partners view your offering, how quickly you scale, and whether you emerge as a frontline champion or remain buried in the noise.


The following categories of action should be executed with precision, reviewed quarterly, and embedded into your go-to-market playbook.


1. Design for Partner Gravity

  • Build partner-ready SDKs, APIs, and reference architectures that allow seamless integration with major cloud platforms.

  • Provide self-service documentation, sandbox environments, and partner enablement guides to accelerate onboarding.

  • Offer co-branded marketing templates, sales playbooks, and roadmap alignment tools to win trust from field sellers and technical decision-makers.

  • Make it easier for GSIs and resellers to plug into your offering through technical validation, modular packaging, and recurring partner training.

  • Develop test environments and pilot frameworks to simulate joint deployments with minimal friction.


2. Monetize via Marketplaces

  • Publish listings on AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace, GCP Marketplace, and regional platforms like Alibaba Cloud and Tencent.

  • Ensure your listings are transactable and support private offers, consolidated billing, and pre-negotiated pricing tiers for enterprise procurement.

  • Embed MACC/EDP eligibility to draw down committed customer cloud budgets and shorten sales cycles dramatically.

  • Use CPPO (Channel Partner Private Offers) to route deals through value-added resellers and system integrators while retaining visibility and margin.

  • Establish automated billing integration and quote-to-cash workflows through marketplace APIs or a fulfillment partner.

  • Regularly test and refine your marketplace presence using A/B listing optimization, featured placements, and buyer segmentation tactics.


These expanded tactical layers equip SaaS and ISV leaders with an operational engine ready to deploy and scale across hyperscaler territories. customer pre-committed cloud budgets.

  • Automate back-office functions such as quote-to-cash, provisioning, and billing via APIs or cloud ISV portals.


3. Adopt Co-Sell Strategies

  • Join hyperscaler ISV programs: AWS ISV Accelerate, Azure IP Co-Sell, and Google Cloud Partner Advantage.

  • Enable co-sell motion by arming field sellers with battle cards, objection handlers, and demo environments.

  • Register opportunities early to ensure sales alignment and eligibility for co-sell accelerators or incentives.

  • Collaborate on events, solution plays, and joint GTM campaigns to build seller mindshare.


4. Blend AI with Outcomes

  • Infuse AI into your core offering—not as a feature, but as an intelligence layer enhancing usability and automation.

  • Align AI/ML use cases with cloud-native services like AWS SageMaker, Azure Cognitive Services, or Google Vertex AI.

  • Highlight customer-centric outcomes: faster decisions, predictive insights, personalization, or operational savings.

  • Build in observability, model transparency, and governance to ease enterprise adoption and regulatory concerns.


5. Co-Brand and Integrate

  • Deeply integrate cloud-native capabilities—BigQuery, OpenAI, Redshift, Pub/Sub—into your product’s architecture.

  • Publish reference architectures and partner blueprints featuring your SaaS as a native element of cloud infrastructure.

  • Participate in hyperscaler GTM initiatives: industry-focused campaigns, startup showcases, and public sector frameworks.

  • Build cross-ISV or SI bundles to target industry verticals (e.g., financial crime detection, smart manufacturing, or education portals).

  • Reinforce your presence via success stories, analyst coverage, and app marketplace ratings.

Each of these tactics builds a layer of defensibility and reach, setting the foundation for sustained growth and platform credibility. In the ecosystem war, every tactical investment strengthens your position not just with the platform—but with customers, sellers, and industry stakeholders alike.


Strategic Positioning: Forging Alliances and Choosing Your Battles

Tactics win skirmishes, but strategy wins wars. This is about selecting your platform allies, differentiating your solution, and syncing your story with the cloud’s.

Strategic Decisions Checklist

  1. Choose Your Primary Theater: Focus your GTM on the cloud that matches your customer base.

  2. Forge Alliances: Partner with GSIs, ISVs, and consultants aligned with your platform.

  3. Differentiate: Stand out in the marketplace with unique integrations and value.

  4. Align with Strategy: Mirror the hyperscaler’s GTM themes—industry focus, AI, modernization.


Operational Excellence: Sustaining the Siege

Winning entry is only half the battle. Operational excellence ensures you hold the ground and expand it.

Operational Checklist

  1. Fortify Infrastructure: Use cloud-native best practices and pursue certifications.

  2. Fire Innovation Cannons: Release features frequently and align with cloud launches.

  3. Master Marketplace Ops: Maintain your listing with speed, accuracy, and clarity.

  4. Infiltrate Value Chains: Integrate with customer workflows and reference architectures.

  5. Measure and Train: Use dashboards and feedback loops; train teams on cloud GTM.


Conclusion: Marching Toward Ecosystem Victory

Your victory in the cloud marketplace depends not just on what you build, but how and where you deploy it. Hyperscaler marketplaces are no longer optional—they are the frontlines of go-to-market strategy. To win, you need precision tactics, strategic alliances, and operational mastery.

Want to sharpen your battle plans? Tap into expert frameworks, partner blueprints, and AI-aligned strategies grounded in War of the Ecosystems.


📘 Read the Book: War of the Ecosystems: Strategies for Dominating AI, Cloud, and SaaS Platform Battles


🧠 Join the Officers Club: Subscribe at www.WaroftheEcosystems.com for ecosystem warfare resources, tactical maps, and new content drops.

📩 Book a Strategy Session: Work with me directly to shape your partner campaigns, accelerate marketplace sales, and architect ecosystem growth. Contact: alex@alejandrocanonero.com


Need Help Designing Your Siege Strategy?

I work with SaaS companies, system integrators, and cloud-native leaders to grow their ecosystem power and marketplace reach. Let’s build your next move together.


References

  1. Gartner. (2023). Market Guide for Cloud Marketplaces. Canalys

  2. Microsoft. (2024). Snowflake-Azure Partnership.

  3. Microsoft. (2024). FY24 Partner Ecosystem Highlights.

  4. Gulf News. (2023). G42 and Google Cloud Partnership.

  5. Google Cloud. (2022). Google completes acquisition of Mandiant.

  6. Presidio. (2023). $1 B in AWS Marketplace Transactions.

  7. Canalys. (2023). Mainland China cloud infrastructure market Q3 2023. Cloud Computing News

  8. Synergy Research Group. (2024). Global cloud market share Q4 2024: Tencent Cloud. en.wikipedia.org


Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet
Add a rating
bottom of page