On Thursday, Google announced three updates to Cloud Marketplace, its online platform where users can buy and sell cloud software solutions.
What’s new?
Each of the changes is designed to make it easier for customers to navigate the online marketplace while saving them money on purchases. They’re also, of course, part of a broader effort to keep vendors and buyers loyally within Google Cloud’s ecosystem.
1. Variable revenue share model
The first change is that Cloud Marketplace is transitioning to a variable revenue share model, which in plain English means vendors’ earnings (and buyers’ savings) will fluctuate depending on the type and value of each particular transaction. Revenue sharing starts at 3% and will go as low as 1.5%.
Also: The best cloud storage services: Expert tested
“This update will enable partners to improve deal economics and to retain more earnings,” Dai Vu, Managing Director of Google Cloud Marketplace, wrote in a company blog post.
2. Commit drawdown
Next, the company announced that starting June 9, all qualifying purchases made through Marketplace Channel Private Offers (MCPO) — which allows software vendors to transact private deals with customers — will come with a 100% commit drawdown on the final offer amount.
Also: How Google’s new Unified Security platform aims to simplify the fight against cyberthreats
“Commit drawdown” is an investment phrase referring to the amount that an investor is obligated to provide to a fund after the two parties have entered into an agreement. In this case, it means simply that vendors can expect to receive their payments in full, without a cut being allotted to Google.
3. Marketplace Customer Credit Program
Finally, Cloud Marketplace is launching its Marketplace Customer Credit Program (MCCP), which is essentially a coupon for customers looking to buy software solutions from Google and its partners.
The announcement of the new changes follows the April unveiling of Google Cloud’s AI Agent Marketplace, a virtual shop where customers can browse and buy agentic AI models from Google partners.
Expanding the gardens
Google’s cloud computing platform is one of the most popular in the world, alongside Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Each of those companies has been locked in a competition to expand their walled gardens as widely as possible, ensuring that their users will stay within their particular cloud ecosystems.
Also: Google Workspace gets a slew of new AI features. Here’s how they can help your daily workflow
This is partly why Google has devised incentives like those announced today to keep vendors and buyers returning to its cloud service.
Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.
Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
