The Partner Channel Magazine Fall 2016

FEATURE
INTRODUCING
MICROSOFT
AppSource
If you’re going to announce a new service for Partners, tying it into the largest product announcement
in recent years is the way to do it. In July, Microsoft AppSource was revealed in tandem with
Microsoft Dynamics 365, complete with coverage in The Wall Street Journal and Forbes as well as
inclusion in Satya Nadella’s keynote.
Now at the juncture of post-announcement and pre-formal launch, the AppSource team is
busy onboarding new ISV solutions while making plans for continued line of sight into business
decision makers.
The Partner Channel sat down with John Doyle, who as a director of product marketing for Microsoft has
responsibility for the marketing of AppSource, to talk about Partners’ reactions to the service, the process for
having an app listed, and the biggest value Partners can realize from being part of Microsoft’s platform.
The Partner Channel (TPC): At press time, we’re two months past the announcement of AppSource. What
have you heard from Partners in this time?
John Doyle (JD): The value proposition of AppSource is connecting ISVs and other Partners building line-ofbusiness
SaaS apps directly to users. In this way, AppSource supports our ecosystem by extending Microsoft’s
global business reach, making their apps readily discoverable and ensuring a steady stream of new leads in both
existing markets and regions of the world they may not have been able to tap into before.
In terms of momentum, we’re seeing ISVs that started with just one app in AppSource at launch already expanding
the number of apps they have listed. For example, we’re working with Blue Horseshoe Solutions who has a number
of Microsoft Dynamics AX extensions, six of which are now listed as apps on AppSource.
30 FALL 2016 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM