Westcon-Comstor, a global technology distributor specialising in cybersecurity, networking and hybrid cloud solutions, today announced its global involvement in the Microsoft Marketplace resale enabled offers (REO) programme, allowing channel partners and vendors to accelerate and scale marketplace-led growth by combining hyperscaler reach with its value-added services.
Microsoft REO is designed for channel‑led selling, enabling software vendors to authorise approved channel partners to create and manage private offers on their behalf via Microsoft Marketplace, with Microsoft handling customer billing and payment collection. While REO simplifies how partners transact through Microsoft Marketplace, Westcon-Comstor goes further by bringing a comprehensive suite of value-added services that make marketplace growth scalable. This includes partner enablement, incremental revenue tools and support across renewals and the full customer lifecycle.
By combining Microsoft Marketplace with Westcon-Comstor’s value services, partners can unlock cloud commit budgets, accelerate deal velocity and expand customer spend while maintaining control of the customer relationship and the ability to layer their own services on top. Using its technical expertise, Westcon-Comstor enables partners to onboard, transact and scale more effectively within Microsoft Marketplace, turning marketplace capability into repeatable growth.
The programme is already delivering results, with Westcon‑Comstor supporting the onboarding of partners into Microsoft Marketplace‑led opportunities involving cybersecurity vendors such as Palo Alto Networks and Infoblox, demonstrating the practical value of a distributor‑led approach in enabling partner participation. The distributor is also in discussions with several other vendors regarding future collaboration opportunities connected to Microsoft REO.
Westcon‑Comstor’s REO participation comes as cloud marketplace software sales are forecast by Omdia to grow from US $30bn in 2024 to US $163bn in 2030, with partners expected to drive most marketplace spend by next year and able to generate up to US $6.26 in services revenue for every US $1 sold via Microsoft Marketplace.
“Hyperscaler marketplaces are redefining how enterprise software is bought and sold, but success for channel partners and vendors depends on turning activity into repeatable business,” said Peter Woest, Cloud Marketplace Partnership Director at Westcon‑Comstor. “By wrapping Microsoft Marketplace with our value-added services and technical marketplace expertise, we’re making simplicity and scale a reality and allowing partners to quickly establish, build and grow their Microsoft Marketplace business.”
“Microsoft’s priority is to help partners build a strong marketplace practice that is platform‑first, with the right ecosystem support around it,” said Darren Sharpe, Marketplace Channel Lead at Microsoft. “Westcon‑Comstor is helping partners drive momentum through REO, enabling vendors to extend their reach while keeping the channel at the centre of the customer relationship.”
Westcon-Comstor’s support for Microsoft REO signals an expansion of its hyperscaler marketplace capabilities, following the 2024 launch of its AWS Marketplace programme.
