PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Westcon‑Comstor has expanded its hyperscaler marketplace capabilities with global participation in Microsoft’s resale-enabled offers (REO) programme, positioning the distributor to help channel partners accelerate marketplace‑led growth.
REO allows software vendors to authorise approved partners to create and manage private offers in Microsoft Marketplace, with Microsoft handling billing and payment collection. The model is designed to simplify channel‑led selling, but Westcon‑Comstor is adding further scale by wrapping the programme with its own enablement, lifecycle support and revenue‑building services.
The distributor says its technical expertise and value‑added services give partners a clearer route to onboarding, transacting and growing within Microsoft Marketplace, helping them unlock cloud commit budgets, speed up deal cycles and expand customer spend while retaining ownership of the customer relationship.
Westcon‑Comstor is already supporting partner participation in marketplace‑led opportunities involving cybersecurity vendors including Palo Alto Networks and Infoblox, and is in discussions with additional vendors about future collaboration linked to REO.
Its involvement comes as marketplace software sales continue to surge. Omdia forecasts global cloud marketplace revenue will rise from US $30bn in 2024 to US $163bn by 2030, with partners expected to drive most marketplace spend by next year. According to Microsoft, partners can generate up to US $6.26 in services revenue for every US $1 sold via Microsoft Marketplace.
Peter Woest, Cloud Marketplace Partnership Director at Westcon‑Comstor, said the shift towards hyperscaler marketplaces is reshaping enterprise software procurement. He added that the distributor’s role is to help partners convert marketplace activity into repeatable business by combining Microsoft Marketplace with Westcon‑Comstor’s technical and commercial support.
Darren Sharpe, Marketplace Channel Lead at Microsoft, said the priority is to help partners build a strong, platform‑first marketplace practice supported by the wider ecosystem. He noted that Westcon‑Comstor is helping vendors extend their reach through REO while keeping the channel central to customer engagement.
