Introducing the commercetools updated Independent Software Vendor (ISV) partner program. Throughout our development of this program, we’ve been thinking extensively about the nature of ISV ecosystems, their evolution, and their value propositions for both clients and software vendors – and we saw a need to update our program. Here’s what this means for you.
A software ecosystem is based upon a single business reality: no one vendor can do everything (or even many things!) well. Groups of ISV products create “solar systems” orbiting around their “sun” – usually a control point product like database, operating system, CRM, eCommerce, desktop productivity tools or cloud provider. There are very few “comets” or “asteroids” that exist on their own in the tech galaxy.
Bundled suites vs best-of-breed
ISVs revolve around these control points in two types of orbits – the “bundled suite” or “best-of-breed.” Not surprisingly, the popularity of each has ebbed and flowed over the years based upon changes in technologies and the emergence of new control points.
Microsoft Office is the originator of bundled suites. Its success, tied to a proprietary relationship to an operating system, convinced a generation of ISVs to bundle. The promise was a single UI, common tools, lowered costs, and increased productivity. The results varied greatly, but usually looked like “one really good product and a bunch of stuff I have to use.”
The best-of-breed approach builds upon the idea that properly integrating individual products delivers a superior solution, even without a common UI and tooling. In the past, only larger organizations pursued this approach due to cost and complexity. However, improvements in SaaS delivery, API-centric coding, and client-friendly pricing have changed attitudes toward best-of-breed.
How our new ISV program helps clients
A world-class ISV program for SaaS software providers evolves with the times. The new commercetools ISV program builds upon our roots as the originators of composable commerce and incorporates the incredibly diverse offerings that our ISV partner ecosystem provides to clients.
Global Director, ISV Partnerships, commercetools
A great ISV program reduces the fear and friction associated with migrating to your solution. The new ISV partner program from commercetools combines a certified integration with the broadest set of ISV partners in the composable commerce solar system. Based upon the MACH development paradigm, we are fully committed to a best-of-breed approach. We are committed to driving client success with our excellent ISV partners.
No fear. No friction. Just next-generation commerce.
Watch out our short video with Kelly Goetsch, Chief Product Officer at commercetools, for more details on our new program.